Virtually every company today has a presence on the Internet - most have only their primary web site. Very few companies today really understand the Internet, content marketing and social media. Most limit their web presence to a cookie-cutter web site, with a few dozen content pages (which never change), and looks like dozens of other sites. The result basically is a “web billboard” that has no uniqueness or authority. With so many web sites out there, the question begs to be asked: What is your company doing differently on the web to attract new customers?
The Internet has changed the way we communicate and interact with each other. We all turn to Google, Bing, Yelp, Tripadvisor, etc. as the first step in the purchasing process. It’s the norm for today. The individual does his or her own research for quality, value, cost and has 80% of the shopping decision complete when they make the call.
That’s why it’s critical to the success of your company to have a Web marketing strategy designed for this behavior. You have to be found on the web, and then your story and product and value has to be compelling enough to get the phone call or email.
Is your site visually interesting and does it get your message across quickly enough? Web design is in the midst of a huge change right now. Tied together with responsive (mobile) design requirements, web site design is now moving toward large “in-your-face” graphics, short quick tag lines, contact forms and calls to action. Flash is out, JavaScript “sliders" are in.
At the same time, Google has changed how it ranks site. It’s now all based on trust and authority, which really means “quality content”. So, if your site is being designed for a quick, powerful message and call to action, where do you put the story and all the quality content?
The answer is in your blog and your social media outlets. If you don’t have a blog now, get one. Internal to your site, or external to your site (opinions differ) but in the long run, it really doesn’t matter. You just need a place to tell the world all the smart things your company has done, and how to solve problems your targeted audience may encounter.
So, today, you no longer need one web site. You need five.
You need your primary site to be visually attractive and informative. It needs to be easy to see what your business does better than your competition. And it needs to be easy to get in touch with you.
The other four sites are made up of your YouTube channel, your Facebook page, your LinkedIn company page, and your Twitter presence. These are just the basics. You can add many more social outlets, online document sites, press release sites and industry associations. It takes a lot of time and it requires good quality content with a common message of your value proposition to drive all these pieces.
If you need help, drop us an email at info@cms4i.com.
