Internet

The explosive growth of the Internet has made this medium mandatory for all but a handful of businesses.  Will your online experience be a gold mine or a minefield?

Getting started with websites
Getting your website noticed
Resources
Putting it all together

Getting started with websites

Nearly all companies and non-profits need a Web presence today, and for most that begins with a website home base.  Yet with large companies spending tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars on development and promotion of their sites annually, how can a small to mid-sized company stand out in the crowd?

If your company has a "brick and mortar" presence, i.e. you're an established business or professional services firm that needs a website, the most important piece of advice we have is make your website look and talk like you.  Then it will reinforce everything else that you do.

Convey solid information first, develop an interactive component with your customers second, and only then tackle e-commerce.  Keep your Web site current with fresh information (assign someone to be responsible for this or outsource the function), and make sure your Web address is on every piece of communications that has your street address on it.
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Getting your website noticed

If your company is an Internet start-up, your Web site is the heart of your business – getting noticed with both on and off-line communications is critical.  There are a number of topics that we will suggest you consider, including search engine optimization techniques, opt-in e-mail, affiliate programs and both traditional and online advertising and promotion.

Even if your Web site is not an online store, you'll want to make sure the right traffic (prospective customers) can find you easily.  You may want to consider using e-mail promotions and e-mail newsletters.

And in the rapidly-changing, crowd-sourced, viral world of Web 2.0, you'll want to develop a robust, customer-centric social media presence.

As with any other marketing communications opportunity, the Internet needs to be approached strategically.  Who are your prospective customers?  How do they use the Internet already, and what can you add that will satisfy their needs?  How will they find out about what you can offer them online? Will they find you if they "Google" or "Bing" you?

• Today's best websites are designed, not only with an eye towards search engine optimization, but to carve out a thought leadership niche. Content is still king, and to rise to the top of search engine lists, it needs to be fresh – your site should be content-rich and updated frequently. 
• There's no question that Search Engine Marketing is critical to success. Creating optimized pages with useful content, combined with a strategic program to builds high quality inbound links, is the only proven way to improve your page search rank. Make sure your landing pages offer value to your customers once you get them there! Show them how to take the next step!
• Social Media participation is pretty-much mandatory, especially if you are targeting a youthful audience. While the barrier to entry is low, there are many companies who don't do social media relations well. Begin by incorporating social media into your overall marketing plan. What do you expect to achieve, over what period of time, and how will you measure success? What resources are you prepared to invest in this channel? How can you leverage your investment in social media to get happy customers to positively influence your prospects?
• Blogging is a great way to enter the social media sphere. Great content and regular posting are vital. Know how to use popular tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (each has a unique culture), and investigate other applications where your target market hangs out. Use these tools to send traffic to your Web site, and make sure you have great landing pages to welcome visitors with specific interests. Above all, remember that social media is about conversations and building relationships, not another way to do "push" marketing.
• Depending on your target market, you may want to incorporate technologies such as RSS news feeds, podcasts and video.
• Prospects are influenced by recommendations. Invite your website visitors to help spread the good word about your company by incorporating social media share buttons into your key web pages, as well as your blog and email marketing program.
•  Be sure to incorporate vehicles for listening to what is being said about your company - Google Alerts is one of several free services that can help.

Do you want traditional and online media to cover your Web activities?  We can show you how to make your website media-friendly!
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Resources

There is a ton of information on the Internet that can be useful as you explore all of your options.  We can help our clients locate the ones they need, but here are a few to get you started:

• If you don't yet have a domain name (your Web address), you can find out if your favorites are still available on the Network Solutions site.
• There are plenty of templates available online, but you probably won't get a look that closely reflects your brand.  If you think you'd like to try your hand at developing your own website, there are several WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) software packages available, including Microsoft FrontPage, Macromedia DreamWeaver and Adobe GoLive.  WebMonkey has lots of tips to help you out, but be patient – designing appealing graphics, writing for the Web and making your navigation intuitive are skills that only come with experience.  We can design a compelling site for you, of course, or we can serve as your content developer, working closely with your web development firm.
• How much should you budget each month to host your site?  To put you in the ballpark, check out the current packages that GoDaddy or Earthlink offer to host small business sites.
• If you're inclined to start blogging, take a look at Blogger, WordPress or TypePad. (Note that a blog can provide free entry onto the internet if you're starting a small business.)  For convenient email distribution list management, take a look at ConstantContact.
• If you're looking for more in-depth information about search engines, banner ads, affiliate marketing and the like, the portal Internet.com has it all, in as much detail as you'll want to absorb, along with lots of links if you think you want more.
• If you want information about getting your news stories online, check out PRNewswire and BusinessWire.  These established wire services provide an excellent way to reach the burgeoning number of online databases and trade publications.  (However, we recommend that you still communicate directly with your "A" list of reporters and editors.)

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Putting it all together

Wendy Van Parys Marketing Communications can help you develop an online strategy that integrates smoothly with your offline marketing communications plan.

We've helped several of our "brick and mortar" clients successfully migrate their business models to the Web, have built complex websites and handled launch campaigns.  We've put pre-IPO Internet firms on the map and set the stage for the next round of venture capital.  In this business, success or failure is just a click away.  We're 24x7 when you need us to be.

e-mail us for more information.

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