Article Written By :Robert SchonhoffDate : 10/18/2011
Your website can benefit from two types of customers; those who find you using search engines and your existing customers. It is obvious that new customers that find you using a Google, Yahoo or Bing search is beneficial, but how will your website benefit from your existing customers?
To take advantage of the potential of the internet and successfully compete, you will need to have your website Search Engine Optimized, (SEO). SEO is an in-depth process that brings together several SE requirements that ultimately will improve your sites page ranking. These requirements include modifications to page layout, creating “KEYWORD” rich verbiage, changes to html code, creation of meta tags and CSS enhancements. In addition, the creation of Social Networking accounts and Blogs play a huge role in your websites success and ranking. The result of a properly optimized site is your continued movement up the list of hits when potential customers search the web looking for companies that sell the products and services that you do. The SEO goal is get your website as high up that list as possible.
Once your site is properly optimized you have established a level playing field with your competition. The chances at winning potential customers is now in how eye-catching your web design is, how compelling your message is, how affordable your products and services are and lastly your customer service. All these factors in your favor, the customers are now yours. So, now that these clients that found you from searching for your products and services online have become existing clients, how can existing clients benefit your website?
Even though you have had your site optimized, your continued movement up the list of hits when users search for the products and services you offer, is related to how many times they clicked on your link and how many pages on your site they have bookmarked, or commented favorably on, in social networking sites. One sure-fire way of taking advantage of existing customers that call your office to place an order, request a new product, or are simply asking for guidance on what to do, is redirect them to your website where they can get all of their questions answered. If you have forms you require each time they request a service direct them to the form on your website. As many page hits as you can get, in any way possible, gets your website a favorable ranking from the search engine providers.
Again, even though you have had your website optimized, sitting back and waiting for to find you doing a Google search will result in slow growth and you will never realize the potential of your website being the money making tool you expected it to be. Once you have had your site optimized you are only half way complete towards an overall marketing strategy at capitalizing on your web investment. It time to drive traffic to your website.
Having an effective website designed and having it optimized can be a costly investment. But it would be a shame to waste that investment if you didn’t take advantage of every possible medium you could to make sure it stood the best chance as possible at success. As you are able to budget more money towards a marketing strategy you will want to employ the skills of a marketing specialist.
Marketing specialists will work with you to determine what kinds of advertising methods you should consider based on your products and services. There are hundreds of advertising mediums and techniques available, but based on what you sell or offer, many of these methods may be a waste of money. There are, however, some basic advertising methods you can employ now that are fairly economic, that can drive traffic to your website. These are:
- Create direct mail and email campaigns to new and existing clients
- Put a “see Us Online At Name.com” sticker on every box you ship
- Add your web address to every office document and anything in print that leaves your office
- Create email footers for all employees with your web address
- Create Mouse pads or Screen Savers with your web address and customer service numbers
In conclusion, the marketing books will all tell you that you should allocate at least 10% of your yearly profits towards marketing you company to new customers. In today’s Internet world you won’t find a more effective tool to increase the sales potential than an effective website. So, as your marketing dollars come available, think of ways to drive traffic to your website and enhance your website with new ways to excite the traffic once they get there. Happy Hunting
