Archive for May, 2009
Your website is not a strategy
May 24th
Here’s a mistake I see repeated so often by small business owner — assuming that their website IS the marketing plan.
Many people imagine the Internet like a Mississippi River of money — a wide, swollen sea of cash just rushing by! All you have to do is put an Internet site out there and start diverting money away from ol’Man River. This is rarely true.
Here’s an actual conversation I had with a seasoned business person looking to start a new business. To protect her identity, let’s use codename “Clueless.”
Clueless: “I want to start a new Internet business and I want you to help me build a website.”
Me: “Well, what’s your business idea?”
Clueless: “I don’t have one yet.”
Me: “Then how do you know you want to start a business?”
Clueless: “Does it really matter what I come up with? I mean you can SELL anything on the Internet! All you need is a website.”
Clueless: “Does it really matter what I come up with? I mean you can SELL anything on the Internet! All you need is a website.”
I swear … it happened.
In defense of Clueless and thousands like her, the Internet is an amazing place. I read an article where a woman had made over $10,000 selling tumbleweeds through a website. Well, even a blind hog finds an acorn once in while. Maybe it’s you … but probably not.
A website must be viewed as just ONE possible sales and marketing communication channel for your business. And it’s going to be worthless unless you have …. what? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? A STRATEGY!
Your marketing strategy serves as your guide to a successful and cost-effective promotional plan. The strategy is built around customer NEEDS, not your passion to have a website with animations and disco music. If you’ve done a good job on your strategy you’ll KNOW if a website is going to be a major workhouse for you or just a pony you have to have out there for show.
For most small businesses, a website is not even the primary sales channel. Usually it’s another form of advertising or networking and referrals. Is networking really a marketing strategy? Sure it is. Remember, you’re trying to sell more stuff, to more people, for more money. If it helps you do that, it’s marketing.
A pause for a lighter note!
May 23rd
Welcome gentle readers to the Memorial Day weekend version of {grow}. For the international crowd, this is a weekend we remember our service men and women and enjoy our family and friends at picnics and social events. And, of course, the Indy 500.
So, on a lighter note, here is a website you will enjoy like no other. I smiled — actually laughed out loud with delight — when I saw this music video that YOU control with your mouse. It might be the most relaxing five minutes you will spend this weekend! It’s lovely and wonderful. Enjoy!
Ten reasons your website is killing your business
May 22nd
I’m alarmed by the number of otherwise brilliant businesspeople who are allowing their website to kill their company.
Many business leaders I meet have abdicated their responsibility to market and sell their products by handing this power to a web designer – believing their website IS their marketing plan. The web has become too prevalent, too easy. The Internet has lulled us into becoming lazy marketers! Here are 10 ways websites can sub-optimize a business strategy, drive away customers and make your competitors look great:
1. No purpose. Before you start a website, be clear about your purpose, audience, message, and call to action. You must have a clear marketing strategy BEFORE you have a website. Your website must be part of an integrated and measurable initiative to build a link between customers and your company, brand and products.
2. No promotion. A website only works if people see it and respond to it. Once you have built your site, work it! Drive traffic to your website with advertising, promotions, mailings, placing the web address on your company literature, business cards, etc. “Build it and they will come” is a line from a movie — not a marketing strategy.
3. Ego trip. It’s heady to see your product in cyberspace for the first time, but don’t let personal interests and emotions get in the way of effective marketing. A majority of websites focus on their company and not on the visitor, customer, or potential customer. A website should address your customer’s needs, pain, goals and educate them on how you can help them. Look at your website through the eyes of your customer. Is your website all about you? Don’t sell what you DO. Sell what they NEED.
4. One size fits all. Don’t try to sell too much, to too many people, in one place. Micro-market wherever possible. Design web pages for every market segment and customer need. That’s the beauty of the web – slice up that target market and communicate to them effectively and often.
5. Unrealistic expectations. A website is not a marketing plan. It is an OUTPUT of a marketing plan and is only as effective as the preparation behind its execution. No website can overcome an inferior business strategy or lousy products. I have encountered people who think they will make money just by having an online presence. Business is business and you have to follow the fundamentals to achieve profitable growth. And remember, a website often is NOT the most effective way to reach your customers.
6. Lack of measurement. My teacher and mentor Peter Drucker, the famous management consultant would tell us, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Web analytics track every page a visitor sees on your website and a lot more. By analyzing your traffic you can see what needs to be improved and what people are responding to.
7. Becoming stale. It’s easy to build a website, relax and expect new customers. But nothing turns off visitors faster than an outdated website. Keep your site fresh, expand it, improve it. Keep making it easier and more fun to do business with you. Keep it alive and relevant.
8. Forgetting your customers. Don’t rely on customers to come back to your site on their own. Instead, capture their email and stay in contact with them. Send them new product announcements, press releases, follow-up messages, surveys, and newsletters. And when you do, make them happy you did it. Always leave them with some new information or insight that will make them glad they are doing business with you.
9. Focusing on traffic, not conversions. The ultimate goal for most businesses is to turn a website visitor into a buying customer. But a conversion might also mean the visitor signs up for a newsletter, contributes an idea, responds to a poll, provides feedback on a product, calls a sales rep for an appointment, or donates money to your non-profit organization. Conversions lead to business growth, not page views.
10. No SEO. In the past 12 months, I bought a car, house and $5,000 in consumer electronics. My first stop for research? A search engine. And I’m not alone. Today, the Internet is overwhelmingly the first place to go for shopping, entertainment, education and information. Not having your business show up in the top level of searches probably means you’re leaving money on the table. SEO has become a key, stand-alone marketing skill. Underestimating the need to keep your site atop search engine results provides an enormous edge to your competitors.
Authenticity and the new world of "earned media"
May 18th
“Being real” has always been a keystone of marketing and advertising, but in a digital world where impressions are fast and last forever, authenticity is more important than ever.
I recently engaged in a discussion with Michael Torano, President at Sevens Full (a consultant who works on digital out-of-home advertising), who had some great insights into becoming a successful participant in social media:
“The old adage “Content is King” also applies to social networking, social media and online community efforts for business. Advertising has historically been a one-way conversation as marketers “shout” their message in whatever medium reaches potential customers. Social media should be treated as “EARNED MEDIA” and is an opportunity to engage and participate in the conversation rather than direct it.
“For this reason, successful and efficient social media marketing tactics should be a participatory engagement with the sharing of information, tips, etc. relevant to your business. If your engeagement (updates, tweets, blog, etc.) is delivered as yet another “media channel” with a constant stream of offers, ads, coupons, etc. you’ll find that it is treated as advertising and “tuned out.” Who wants to “follow” an advertiser for commercials anyway?
“Regarding online communities and other social networking media, be prepared to surrender control of the conversation. You’ll have to take the bad with the good and respond to both. This provides an inexpensive, real-time opportunity to hear/read what your customers and prospective customers have to say about your product and/or service.
“Many firms utilize social media as an additional channel for customer service and FAQ support rather than marketing. There’s nothing wrong with adding a little “personality” (humor, daily activities, opinions, etc.) to the stream of updates. Most will consider it pleasant and even reply; this places a real person in your stream and invites even further engagement. Place a marketing message in your stream. Just be sure it’s surrounded by non-advertising related content to keep the dialogue going and to attract followers and community.”
Welcome to {grow}
You’re in marketing for one reason: Grow.
Grow your company, reputation, customers, impact, profits. Grow yourself. This is a community that will help. It will stretch your mind, connect you to fascinating people, and provide some fun along the way. I am so glad you’re here.
-Mark SchaeferFollow Mark
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