Marketing/Promotional Strategy –

Placing your business online is only the start. Now the biggest job you will face will be promoting your website and keeping it up to date. This is where you will need to dedicate time and invest money to get your website out there.  So dust off the moth balls from the wallet and start your marketing plan today. Your website is the same as any business, it needs promoting.

There are more than 4 billion web pages on the internet and this number is increasing everyday. So it is important that you have a strategy in place to let customers know about your website. There are many different options for marketing your business and the more you can afford to do the more chances for your website being successful.

Options for marketing your website on the web:

• Organic Searches – this is how your website ranks when a customer searches for your services via keywords that are placed in the search engine naturally with out having to pay (Google for example). There is an art to designing a website to rank well organically,  the structure and hierarchy of your website is crucial for its success. At The Web Designer we understand how search engines work and know what is important for them.
• PPC – advertising online, Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns. PPC campaigns can help drive traffic to your website and can be cost effective when used correctly. Budgets can be set by bidding for certain keywords, the highest bid will gain the number one spot. Your budget can be set  daily, weekly or monthly and you can choose the time frames for when you would like your advert to appear. This can be time consuming so many companies outsource this area. The Web Designer offer this as part of their service.
• Links and Directories – place your website on as many directories as possible, in coming links to your website will help your search engine ranking. Reciprocal links to other sites on the web are another way to increase search engine ranking though it is very important that the links are useful to the user and have an association with your industry or near to it.
• Google Maps – get you business registered on Google Maps and use your main keywords. A great way to place yourself on top of the listing for localised searches.
• Forums – get involved in forums on the web that are industry based to promote your business and help advise individuals about the problems they face and the solutions you have available. We all talk about the power of word of mouth and forums are a great way to start your viral marketing campaign.
• Blogs - are another great way to post news and product information onto 3rd party sites linking back to your website. It is about getting the word out into the market place about you and your business.
• Database Driven Website – having a website that is database driven will allow you to use your website as a business tool by capturing customer information for future marketing campaigns. This would also allow you to manage your content on your website in house keeping your website up to date and fresh. Search engines love new content on websites and again a very important part for helping your search engine ranking.
• Email Marketing – one of the most cost effective marketing tools available. Send professional looking emails to targeted audiences about your product and services you offer. It is important that your offer/information is useful to the user otherwise it will have the opposite effect. It is a proven fact that it is easier to sell to a customer who has already purchased from you or used your services before.
• Advertising – advertising your business in papers, magazines, radio and TV are a sure way to push your brand and drive traffic to your website. Although it can be costly it works, all the major online businesses use this as a part of their overall marketing strategy. Ebay, carsales.com.au, Fujitsu to name a few set a side large budgets to promote their website.

There is no doubt that the internet is here to stay and has become a major part of the overall business marketing strategy. If you would like to discuss how your website could become more of a business tool please don't hesitate to call us on 03 9510 7477 or to email TWD click here