My Website Looks Great! Now What?
Congratulations. Your new site is up. It looks great. Everyone loves it. But, now what? Unfortunately for most, it all ends at the “it looks great” stage and never moves onto the “now what” stage. While meaningful content, useful interface, good visual design, etc are all important elements to having a solid web presence, it’s what you do next that truly sets you apart.
As I’m sure we all know by now, an overwhelming majority of potential customers start their buying process online. Just think about the last time you wanted to buy something. Where did you go for information, pricing and locations that carry your new found love/want. Chances are you “Googled” it before you set off on your merry way.
So, naturally the next logical step once your cool new site is launched is to help people find it. While there are many different options, methods and strategies to get your site in front of potential customers, here are 4 key areas that will serve as good starting points for your online marketing campaign.
Search Engines:
First up is perhaps the most common online marketing channel people think about or turn to; search engines. Which makes sense considering 73% of consumers use internet search engines to find a business to buy from (source: Web Visible/Nielsen NetRatings Survey). So after your site is launched, it is natural to start thinking about search engines and rankings as a way to drive awareness and ultimately traffic back to your site. The best approach to Search Engine Marketing is to take a step back, know your market, determine your messaging and develop a well thought out strategy based upon your unique needs. Once you’ve got that winning strategy down, your next step should be to apply it to:
1. Proper Keyword selection and usage
2. On page/site search engine optimization
3. Pay-per-click search engine advertising
4. Data mining, tracking, analytics, etc
5. Localized Online listings
Social Media:
We’ve all heard of it. It’s one of the most popular buzz words among businesses these days. But just what is “Social Media” and how do I market my business on it? Those two questions are two of the most highly debated by media professionals, businesses and consumers alike. Over recent years, there has been an overall transformation of media; from a top-down model to a more audience centric or “social” model. As with anything new, the rules, definitions, technology, usage, etc can all change quickly as it moves down its evolution path. So while answers to the two daunting questions above are largely up in the air, I think there are a few main principles we’ve learned so far that you should keep in check while you venture into the social world.
1. Keep it “social”
2. no over the top, used car salesmen sales pitches
3. Keep it casual
4. Listen to your network/customers
5. Engage your network/customers
6. choose outlets that fit your company’s message and culture
7. encourage your employees to take part
8. have fun with it
Overall, Social Media (whatever shape, form, or outlet you use) is a powerful online marketing channel that should be primarily used to build a lasting and meaningful connections between you (your site) and your customers.
Email Marketing:
Often an over looked marketing asset, Email Marketing can play a critical role in your overall marketing efforts. Perhaps the main reason most over look Email Marketing is its association with that horrible S word. SPAM. And yes, unfortunately, there is a lot of it out there. How many hours did you spend this week deleting unwanted emails? However, the key here is “unwanted”. There is a BIG difference in unsolicited emails and opt-in communication emails. The latter should be your goal and focus. If done correctly, your Email Marketing strategy could be a valuable tool to help drive traffic and potential customers to your shiny new site.
Knowledge Share: Blog, webinars, podcasts, etc
A company blog, podcast or webinar series accomplishes a number of goals. Perhaps the most important is that they create fresh, and relevant content for your site’s visitors (and soon to be customers) giving them a reason to keep coming back and remain engaged with your company or brand. Additionally, blogs and webinars help establish your expertise in your field while building a connection to potential customers. Like any other online marketing channel, your knowledge share strategy should be carefully thought out based on your expertise, and audience. Try focusing your topics on providing helpful news, tips and insights into your industry. Also, remember that your knowledge share strategy should take on many of the same principles of social media. Keep articles and presentations relatively casual in nature and conversational.
Search engines, social media, emails, blogs and webinars all serve as solid platforms for your online marketing efforts by expanding your reach, establishing your expertise, keeping your content fresh, and ultimately drive traffic back to your site.
