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Online Marketing The End Of The Beginning
he first two steps to demands", "gain access to
successfully marketing new markets", are a few of
online and through your the more common responses. We
website have little to do with then take a look at their site.
online marketing itself. However, It will often focus on who they
it's critical to complete them are, their history, their
before your campaigns begin. commitment to customer service;
These two steps are Setting all noble things, and usually all
your Website Objective and without a strong call to action
Defining Your Online Target that matches their now stated
Market objective.
Setting Your Website Setting an overall website
Objective: objective is not easy but the
benefits are huge.
Whenever a client is looking to
drive more traffic to their Not easy: Real estate on
website or is trying to raise the web is cheap. Add a page, add
their conversion rates, I always 100 pages, there is still plenty
take them back to the beginning of room to expand. So it's easy
and ask them what the objective to quickly develop multiple
of their site is. This is always objectives for your site.
more insightful (and
entertaining), when I'm meeting Additionally, many people in the
with more than one person from company will have different views
the company. on what the site objective should
be. Human resources wants the
... "drive more sales", Career section to stand out.
"get more leads", Customer Service wants the
"reduce product support Support area to be highlighted.
Sales, of course, wants to driving the new prospect to call
highlight Product or Solution you or email you. What level of
areas, and so on. knowledge should the prospect
have before they contact you.
If you're ruling by committee Should they know the part number
you'll have a well balanced, but or should they just know that
underperforming site. The winning your company is one they need to
play is to have one objective call.
that rules all others. If that
objective is to drive more sales, Thus, your objective may evolve
then the Home page must be geared to "Drive qualified prospects
to that. It will need to to contact us to get detailed
highlight and focus on information on which of our
information and calls to action products best suits them."
to take web visitors down that
path. So what made them a qualified
prospect. Were they qualified
Now, this doesn't mean that you before they came to your site
won't still link to support and (maybe they were driven to your
careers sections. You just won't site from a trade show), or did
focus on them on your Home and they get to you through a search
other main section pages. engine and know very little about
what you do.
Get Specific: Now if
"Drive more sales.", is Your objective may ultimately
your first-cut objective, you evolve to "Visitors should
need to get a little deeper, more find the information to qualify
specific. Will you actually be themselves as good potential
closing sales over the internet prospects and contact us to get
(a la eCommerce), or are you detailed information on which of
our products best suits
them." Who do you want to visit your
site. Are they researchers or
Huge Benefits: Once you've decision makers. Are they likely
set your objective, everything to "convert" on their first
becomes easier. Writing content visit. Do they know anything
(often the biggest challenge a about your company already. If
company has), becomes clear. The yes, how much do they know. Are
path with which you lead visitors they internet savvy. Are they
through your website becomes over 40 and likely would
clear (e.g. entice, inform, appreciate larger type. Are they
qualify, call-to-action). Site visual. Are they detailed. Are
architecture and layout become they a "people person" or do they
clear. prefer dealing with things or
words. Are they likely to be
You now focus your efforts and highly educated. Do they like to
resources around fulfilling that have lots of options or lots of
main objective. The sections that direction.
are not directly relevant to your
main objective still support that All these questions and a lot
main objective. more need to be asked and
answered. Initially, you'll use
Now that you've clearly set your this information to help in the
website objective, the next step design of your overall site.
is to know who your target You'll want the proper balance of
audience is - and it may not be image to text. You'll want to set
who you think. the text level at the appropriate
level of detail. You'll want to
Identifying Your Target write to their probable education
Audience level.
you'll be able to structure the
Ultimately, the answers will right ads, emails, keyword phrase
drive the theme of your site. targeting, etc. You'll be able to
They'll drive the type of online focus resources on the proper
advertising you'll use. They'll additional web media (e.g. blogs,
drive the design of advertising podcasts, more web pages, Flash
landing pages. They'll drive the demonstrations, etc.).
keyword phrases you'll target in
search engine optimization. To paraphrase Winston Churchill,
They'll drive your this will be the end of the
call-to-action. beginning of your online
marketing strategy, and you'll be
Now you're ready to start your ready to begin a productive and
marketing. Knowing what you effective online marketing
want to accomplish and to whom campaign.
you want to accomplish it with,
About the Author:
John Boulter, President, Bastion Internet, Inc. http://bastioninternet.com Bastion Internet is an online marketing firm helping companies drive and convert more web traffic.
Read more articles by: John Boulter
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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