Do you have a website with conversion rates that leave a lot to be desired? Or is your beautifully designed site simply not attracting visitors in the first place? A comprehensive internet marketing strategy is easy to achieve, and can solve both of these issues quickly.
Whether your company operates solely online, makes use of e-commerce, or takes advantage of the opportunities to advertise on a global scale, the power of the internet can no longer be ignored.
A good online strategy involves far more than simply getting a site up and running, however.
Even if you’re offering a great service or product, a simple to use online platform, and competitive prices, there’s no guarantee that the traffic you need to make the most of these solid foundations will arrive.
It doesn’t matter how big your company is, or whether you sell your services to businesses and consumers in the same city, or globally, you regularly need to assess your website to ensure it is achieving its aims, and you’re getting the best out of it.
Make Sure it Stays Updated and Attractive
An ugly, out of touch website will see potential customers hitting the back button to escape as soon as they land on your page.
It could also see your Google search rankings plummeting.
It’s increasingly worth considering your social media strategy, as well. While this can be a great way to communicate with your customer base, and expand it, any content on these sites needs to tie in with your overall strategy.
A few weeks ago, I was working with a client who proudly displayed the Facebook page he’d set up for his company.
He asked what I thought of it, and was clearly pretty chuffed with it. My role gives me no other option but to tell the truth, however.
I had to break it to him that the content on the page was inconsistent – in both style and quality – and that the pictures of products he’d uploaded were terrible, and likely to damage sales.
It can be hard to think objectively about your own company, especially if you’re excited and passionate about creating an online presence. If the customers you are going to be selling to make their decisions based on quality and design, however, it’s essential that the website – and any social media – reflects those values.
It’s useless creating a website that’s a dream to navigate and operate if the content that’s uploaded to it is poor.
Think About Your Market and Goals
A website needs a clear aim to be effective. Consider what you want to achieve with it. If you want to make it easier for customers to contact you, ensure the contact details are prominent and easy to find.
If you want your visitors to purchase products or services through the site, make the buying process as smooth and seamless as possible. Spending a little extra time improving the site’s user interface (UI) can make a huge difference, and many companies neglect this area.
Always remember that some visitors will stumble across your site accidently, so it makes sense to explain what you actually offer clearly.
You also need to consider which business keywords your target market is searching for, so you can choose ones that are relevant for your product or service, and target them.
It may then be worth using Pay per click advertising.
Google’s AdWords is the best known, and it can be effective at increasing your click rate by anything up to 300%.
That’s all very well, but it’s only going to be useful if you’re actually able to convert the extra traffic into profits. The most obvious keywords are not always the most effective, and it sometimes pays to think outside the box.
The Importance of Landing Pages
Every study conducted in this area suggests that customers expect to be able to click on an ad and then arrive at a page that is directly relevant to it.
If they search for men’s t shirts, and you take them to a landing page offering general clothes, you are likely to be reducing the chances of them converting.
Relevancy is so important when it comes to landing pages, so make sure yours are constructed sensibly, and feature good, appropriate content. Using SEO strategies, and focussing on niche keywords rather than general ones for your PPC campaigns, gives you the chance to greatly boost your conversion rates.
I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to ensure the landing page is relevant to the ad your potential customer has clicked.
Need Help?
Sometimes, it simply makes sense to bring in some external help. You can tweak your site as much as you like, but occasionally it will be difficult to pin down the reasons why it isn’t converting.
When looking for help, you should remember that no two cases are identical, and a bespoke online strategy is the best option. Be wary of companies and agencies offering you their ‘standard’ package.
An internet presence is a fantastic way to boost profits, get your brand out there, and reach out to customers and clients. Make sure you’re getting the most out of yours.
