Proudly Australian owned and operated.Online marketing
So, what is online marketing?
This is the umbrella term used for marketing your business on the Internet.
Online marketing uses a range of techniques to raise your profile, build your brand and advertise your business on the Net.
It starts with your website but also includes SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), social media and email marketing.
SEO is using keywords in your website copy (or script) so that Internet search engines like Google and Yahoo can locate your business easily allowing customers to find you quickly.
Social media revolves around using tools like Facebook, Twitter and My Space to connect with potential customers.
Email marketing is what it implies, using your email to help promote your business.
Most businesses want the same outcomes from their website:
To generate leads and online sales. To develop customer service. To build a strong brand or presence. To provide information. To attract visitors and generate advertising revenue.
So for online marketing to work for you, there are a few essentials you need to know.
Firstly, your website should look professional as this is what gives you and your business credibility. So good website design is crucial! With credibility comes the all important trust. And for a person looking for goods or services online this is a key element in any decision making process.
The website should be well designed and written as this creates the first impression for a potential customer and also helps with SEO.
If there are spelling mistakes, grammatical errors or the design looks like it could have been done by a well meaning but inexperienced relative, then a customer is more likely to click onto another site and your business misses out on an invaluable opportunity.
Not only that, but your competitor will benefit as the customer will keep clicking on sites until they find one that does look professional and gives an impression that the owner of the site is serious about his or her business.
If a site looks dodgy, then why should a customer assume the business is not dodgy. They don't know you from a bar of soap, so that first online impression is critical.
The second thing to keep in mind is how do you want your website to work for you?
How can it generate business for you?
Well if it looks professional and is designed and written with SEO then you are well on the way to ensuring your website will work for you.
You need to be clear about what you want the website to achieve as once you understand what your website needs to do for you, it will help you to make clear and constructive decisions.
Here are a few tips:
- Only include elements of real value.
- Check out your competitors so you get an idea of what does and doesn't work online.
- Look at the potential financial gains to help you understand the appropriate budget for your website and its marketing.
Find a good website designer who you can talk to and who listens to your needs and wants and who is readily accessible.This is critical to a successful outcome as a good website designer will have helpful suggestions so you can get the most from your website.
- So, if you don't have a website, then find a good website designer. Talk to your friends and family. Do they know someone they can recommend? Look around on the Internet. A good website designer will have a professional looking website because they know how important first impressions are.
- Think about your target audience and keep this in mind when talking to your website designer before they start designing your website.
- What keywords can be used for SEO? What photos will make the site look better? What do you want to include in the script?
- If you already have a website, then it would be a good idea to spend some time thinking about how it can work better for your business. Which parts of your website are working for you? What changes could be made to make it look and work better?
- Online marketing is definitely the future. Traditional methods like print, radio and phone directory listings are fast being replaced by online marketing. So now it is up to you to decide how to make it work for you and your business.
