Finding out how your website marketing strategy fits in with your overall marketing program is what makes your planning efforts really pay off.
In an ideal marketing mix, publication ads, postcards and other media like emails are used to drive people to the website where specific details can be given on a product or service.
An increasing number of potential new customers of a business go on-line to research comparisons and reviews before going to purchase from the local supplier or a website order form.
Most small businesses don't have the financial resources to cover a full-blown multi-media campaign/
Yet they can do a great job getting consumers to their web site by using (1) "Local Search", Google Places, (2) SEO - search engine optimization or (3) Facebook advertising.
Here are some real-life examples of how to use your website marketing strategy to attract and inform potential customers.
Today, almost every business can get more customers and build loyalty among current clients with a website that demonstrates the full capacities of their operation.
Typically, a client only uses a small portion of the capabilities you have available. (For instance, you can only eat one meal at a time at a restaurant!)
A good web page informs current customers of what else you do. It also gives them an opportunity to refer your capabilities to their friends and associates.
We've done "brochure" type web pages and more extensive ones with specific product listings. Each was designed to be simple to satisfy the questions of each market and to generate a phone call response.
A single web page was designed for a firm in the home decorating business. It talked about the services offered and the geographical area served, showed photos of the owners and gave a phone number to call.
One of our other multi-page sites for a wholesale distributor covers the same information, but in much more detail.
It includes a product listing page with product names running down the left side. On the right side of the same page are photos of the facility and the 800 phone number.
In another example, we learned of an exclusive caterer in a Southern "destination" resort city who uses website marketing to answer basic questions in advance instead of tying up their busy staff.
When out-of-town event planners call to inquire, they are sent to the website for menu options and other details. Within a half hour or so of the web site visit, the caterer receives a legitimate e-mail request for a formal quote! That's efficiency.
In each of these examples, the purpose of the web page was to get the customer to make a phone call AFTER having read the background information.
This method maximizes the percentage of "informed" inquiry phone calls and leads directly to product or service sales.
These are some of the ways how website marketing strategy is earning its well-deserved place in the advertising and marketing mix of small businesses.
If you'd like some help, please contact us.
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