Think twice the next time you want to market your business with a website. There is a lot of distorted information in the business world about Web Marketing. Many IT or web design consultants claim to be marketing experts. They tell you that creating effective web content or using the right keywords will get you more customers.
They tell you that a higher search engine ranking will bring more attention to your site. While having a web presence is important for gaining internet exposure and adds credibility, a website by itself is not marketing. Your website is just a tool used in the marketing strategy. If you rely solely on your site to do all the work, you’ll soon discover that you’re missing an opportunity. Even some of the best eCommerce sites still need to implement a marketing strategy to drive people to their site.
Web designers and search engine optimization (SEO) experts offer valuable services in building an effective web presence, but their services must be aligned with your marketing objectives and strategy. Take note here: These IT professionals are educated and trained primarily for information technology and not marketing. Marketing is a discipline of business administration. Only true marketing professionals know how to strategically position their products and services in the market.
The marketing matrix involves Product, Pricing, Promotion, Placement, and Distribution. Research and analysis is necessary to ensure that you are targeting the correct market segments to promote your product effectively. Marketing professionals will carefully analyze the situation of your business, your budget, the demographics and behaviors of your market, the attractiveness of your product(s), and all the resources (internal and external) available to attract more customers. . A marketing professional will isolate how to use your web identity as a tool, not just the only resource.
Buyers are not just looking for your product on the Internet: the market is full of competition. You need to communicate with your prospects using proactive and strategically sound methods. Your message should address Value, Differentiation and Uniqueness. Your company (and products) requires Branding and Recognition development. Once you build awareness, your goal is to use various sales methods to convince people that your brand is what they want to buy.
You worked hard on the development of your web platform and you should be proud of it. However, you must know how to use your site to attract business. Even if people find your site easily, what is your strategy for turning visitors into buyers? How do you know that the right target audience is finding you? There is much more involved in marketing your product than creating an attractive website or using keywords to attract visitors. Your marketing plan should be built around your operations, your products, and your vertical goals.
The next time you’re looking for help marketing your business, talk to a marketing professional first. Let your marketing strategy work and control what your website does. Knowing the difference between website marketing and promotion will set realistic expectations and help you grow your business much more effectively. Remember, your Internet presence is just one tool in your strategy.
