Make the internet your #1 sales channel
Drive people to your sites. Convert visitors to customers. Remarket to them. Have them refer others.
SEO, SEM, Social Media, website optimization, competitive positioning, branding, messaging, keyword strategies, website usability, blog-in, blog-out, online PR, mobile, geo – you’ve heard it all – but it starts with business objectives and a strategy.
There are so many options, how do you decide what to do?
If you have a six figure budget you may be able to attack on all fronts simultaneously, but for most SMBs that is not an option. Here are some subjects that guide the strategy:
Timeframe/urgency – do you need to generate a significant number of new leads in the next 30-90 days? If so, then an email or search engine ad campaign with a landing page can bring quick results. The results, however, continue only as long as investment continues.
If the timeframe is longer, then building a more lasting internet presence has more long term value. This type of campaign would typically utilize SEO, social media, website conversion improvements, blogging and linking campaigns.
Existing internet and marketing assets – What do you have in the way of an existing website, email database, social media fans/followers, blog, etc.? If you have existing assets it typically makes sense to start by leveraging those. Often they will need some simple improvements to be more effective.
Customers/marketplace – Where do your customers go for information? In your marketplace, who writes about companies like yours? What is the “mediascape” for your niche? What do your customers talk about that you can participate in? The key question: what do you have to say that will be interesting and get attention?
Competition – How do you differentiate your company and how can you bring focus to that in the available internet media? Where do your competitors get online recognition and publicity? Can you get the same and more? What blogs and other sites in your industry have the highest value to you?
What are the most important things to think about to build your online sales and marketing?
Here are the basic elements:
- Know your brand and your message
- Drive people to your website
- Convert visitors to prospects/customers
- Get repeat business from those customers
- Get those customers to refer their friends and contacts
For each of those objectives here are typical internet marketing activities that lead to the objective:
Know your brand and your message
- Understand the online marketplace and its messages
- Research keyword usage by customers and competitors
- Get clarity and consistency on your messages and keywords
Drive people to your website
- SEO – website optimization
- SEO – linking campaigns
- Search engine marketing (ad campaigns)
- Email campaigns
- Blogging campaigns – both inbound and outbound
- Online press releases
- Mobile/geo applications
- Monitor your online reputation
Convert visitors to prospects/customers
- Website optimization for conversion
- Targeted landing pages for email and SEM campaigns
- White papers or other downloadable items requiring registration
- Newsletters
- Facebook contests, quizzes, etc
- Mobile/geo apps like Foursquare
Get repeat business from those customers
- Capture customers as fans/followers on Facebook/Twitter/Foursquare and keep them engaged with posts and offers
- Email campaigns
- Newsletters
- Integrate customer service and support with all internet touch points (see more in Reinvention)
Get those customers to refer their friends and contacts
- Capture customers as fans/followers on Facebook/Twitter/Foursquare and keep them engaged enough to get friend referrals
How Kilnernet Can Help You
We can guide you through all of the above, beginning with an assessment of your current situation, recommendations, strategy, planning and execution. Click here to contact us.
Strategy is key
But branding is #1
With so many internet communication channels available it is critical to develop clear branding signals and communicate them consistently.
Free initial consultation
For approved businesses, we will hold a one hour, no cost discussion with you on any topic related to your business and the internet - marketing, operations, intelligence, etc. Within three business days we will then give you three written recommendations on how to improve your marketing or operations using the internet.
Click here to contact us.