22.06.2010

Getting the most out of Web Marketing in these difficult times!

The World Wide Web is now the start point for the vast majority of people who are looking for a product, service or information - fact!

Google is by far and away the leading search site that people use - fact!

If you are selling your services or products internationally, there is no place better than the web. But the competition is fierce and ideally needs a structured plan to gain high ranking on search sites.

More local searches, particularly for services such as builders, decorators, plumbers kitchen design and installation, businesses such as restaurants, pubs, sports and recreational clubs, the motor trade etc.. information on Hospitals, Consultants, GP’s, Dentists surgery’s and Opticians are performed in their hundreds of thousands every day.

Selling abroad or looking for local business, missing out on these opportunities is a mistake you cannot afford to make.

Just putting up a website on the web really is not good enough.

A website that doesn’t evolve and add regular new content is just plain boring for visitors. They see it once or twice and then don’t come back to visit, why should they if there is nothing new?

If you don’t come up within the first 3 pages on Google (or any of the other search sites) for a search term that is highly relevant to your business or service, the best looking website in the world will be of little use.

OK! that’s the negatives done. Now the positives:

  1. a website does not have to cost a great deal.
  2. SEO (search engine optimisation) is critical, it’s not ‘rocket science’ but takes time, knowledge and effort, to reap real rewards.
  3. If you use traditional mail drops, consider changing to e-newsletters/mailers. These are a very cost effective way of reaching a great number of people, and unlike the traditional newsletter/mailer, there are no printing costs and a campaign will have the ability to monitor results in great detail and in real time.
  4. talking to a website developer will cost you nothing, and you may find the knowledge gained of great help in making a more informed decision about your web presence.

There are a lot of headlines along the lines of “Can you afford not to ....” etc. But the truth is, and it has been well proven in past recessions, that those businesses who drastically cut back on marketing are more likely to fail than those who do not.

When the sales are harder to win, you need to use all the available tools to their full potential.