Choosing a web marketing plan for your business
About 10 years ago I used to say that all companies should consider the web as part of their marketing plan. Today any company who doesn’t have some kind of web marketing plan is living under a rock. The internet has transformed the way we do business, particuarly Google. In my line of work, Google are “they who must be obayed”. Part of my job is finding out what Google want and then making sure my clients are giving it to them. Anyway, you have got to admit that web marketing has changed the way everybody does business, that applies to local business and business that have a focus outside Ireland.
Here are some ideas for people wondering which is the best web marketing option for them.
GOOGLE ADWORDS
The quickest and easist way to get people to your website is Google Adwords. It looks very simple, but the truth is that Google will charge a Novice (who doesn’t know the system) much more than someone who knows what Googe want (which is a relevent experience for it’s searchers). In some cases you can be charged 10 times more than I would be. The important thing to remember is that if someone searches for a Utax CD 1028 printer, the ad text should offer a Utax CD 1028 printer and the page they find should tell the how to buy a Utax CD 1028 printer. Never, never, never be general. The more general you get, the more Google will charge you. Be very specific.
PRESS RELEASE
Sites like Irish Press Release (http://www.irishpressreleases.ie) and Free Press Release (http://www.free-press-release.com/) give a great opportunity to get publicity for your website. The benefit here is not just the press release. Google loves these links. Irish Press Release are PR4, Free Press Release are PR5 (that means that they are good), as part of an overall campaign these links can really help the search engine ranking of your website. Most press release sites also feed into Google news giving you more exposure and more high value links into your website.
MAILING LISTS
If you can give away something of value, like a free video, free ebook (we can create these for you, by the way), it is possible to build up an email list of people who are
- Open to buying the product or service you are offering,
- A good source of people to send special offers to, which can be good for slow months where you need an injection of cash flow.
I know there is a bit of knowledge required here to do it right, but it is something you should consider as part of your web marketing plan. You have probably paid money to get someone to your website. If you collect their details they may provide value to you down the line, even if they don’t buy straight away. There is an old marketing saying that says that most people visit a company or website 7 times before spending money, for this reason alone, it makes sense to enusre you keep visitors information and keep in contact with them.
VIDEO
Video might sound complected and it can be, but video on the web does not have to be polished. A lot of videos that have gone “viral” have looked very “home made”. But that is not the point. The point is that video (of any quality) often receives page one positions in Google, right now, if you know how to attach it to the correct keyword and distribute it through something like TubeMogul (http://tubemogul.com/) or !Spread (http://heyspread.com/). Again, we can help with this also.
PODCASTING
I am slow to offer this idea because I know Irish business people. Most of them are already too busy and don’t have the time to be running, what is basically, an internet radio programme. A company like ours can research topics and ideas, it is possible to interview experts and so not take up too much of your time. Just something to consider.
SOCIAL MEDIA
If you are on Facebook making friends, or spending a lot of time on Twitter or spending hours on Linked In, you are wasting your time. No web person will tell you that, but that is the fact. The benefit or ROI from doing this is so low that it is a complete waste of time.
The main benefit that any Irish Business can get from these things is high PR links back to their site. Offer a discount to anyone who links to you from their Facebook, Twitter or Linked In or from their blog, if they have one. You have to give the a very specific link, which we can show you how to create, for them. This is the main value you will get from social media. Google loves these links.
BLOGS
If your site is built in WordPress (a blog), that is a good thing, because Google likes blogs and ranks them slightly better, but again, the real value with blogs is high PR links back to your site. Google will love you for this. But you are better off putting your information on other peoples blogs and in article directories than in creating lots of pages in your blog. This way you can link high value links back to specific pages on your site. We will create a marketing video soon to show you the best way to do this, soon.
Just some ideas to point you in the right direction. If you feel that you would like a little bit of help with this then, just give us a call or fill in the form on the right. We send out free marketing videos to everyone who makes an enquiry.