The Web has begun to mature. As this happens, managers are realizing that running a quality website is a very expensive business.
Here are 7 ways to assure a return on your web site investment and make marketing online a profitable venture for your company. These steps to successful internet marketing may seem overwhelming on first glance.
Maybe you don’t think your business would benefit from these efforts. Consider this: $4.3 trillion will be spent in 2005 in the business to business market based directly upon internet research prior to the purchasing decision. Further, purchases made after researching online are 30% higher on average than traditional purchases. Following these guidelines will help you experience a better return on your internet investment.
1. Know about the traffic to your website. If you don’t know where you are, you won’t know how to get to where you want to be. On the web this starts with a look at the traffic logs. Specifically: how many visits per month? How many page views? What are the most popular pages of the website? What are the search strings people are using to get to the website?
All of this information can give you the clues you need to make informed decisions about working towards your internet goals.
2. Know what your goals are. Are you expecting to generate leads for the sales staff? Or do you want to increase visitors to your physical location? There are many ways a website can be used to market your company.
The marketing and sales staff should meet to determine the following: what do we want to achieve and by what benchmarks will we measure success.
3. Develop a strategy for meeting these goals. On the internet this strategy will most likely include one or more of the following: search engine optimization, search engine submission, link back programs, email marketing, viral marketing or more.
4. Don’t make the same mistakes many businesses are making today. Remember to put your website address on anything that will come into contact with a customer or potential customer. Signage, print and media ads, and vehicles are some of the obvious choices. Other opportunities include: invoices, receipts, packing slips, and packaging.
5. Remember to consider the visitor’s experience at your website. Have a consistent easy to use navigation system. And change the information on the website from time to time.
6. Value your corporate identity and keep that identity consistent with the website. Vistors should feel familiar with the company online just as they would in person.
7. Check the traffic logs again! Do you see some pages getting more attention than others? Maybe a change is in order. How about the search strings, do they indicate a need for different information? Like a rudder on a ship, the traffic logs can help you keep steering in the right direction.
Following the above steps will not only assure internet success, it will also keep you, the business owner, more aware of and able to respond to changes in the market that may affect your business. As the internet is relied upon more heavily, indicators online could be a great gauge of trends in your business as a whole.
Teajai Kimsey is the Managing Partner and founder of BWD, Beyond Web Design. She holds a degree in Business from Friends University and is just shy of a Master of Science in Management. In addition to her formal education, Teajais expertise comes from years of hands on learning and exhaustive research on and off the internet. Teajai has given marketing seminars and has taught as adjunct staff at Wichita State University and Cowley County Community College.
http://www.bwdllc.com
