A website is the most versatile and cost-effective marketing tool on the market. It is also an investment. After all, you are building a shopfront. In a nutshell, you can use your website to:
Enhance your professional imageBoost confidence in your business
5. Demonstrate your knowledge and expertise with tips, articles and editorials.
6. Build your credibility by displaying awards and providing testimonials.
7. Encourage potential clients. A free web hosting address can look dubious and show less commitment to your business.
8. Give staff details to humanise your business, to show that you are "real" people.
9. Provide background information on your business.
Provide current and useful information
10. Publish a catalogue or portfolio of your products and services.
11. Inform your visitors about the benefits and applications of your products.
12. Categorise information according to target audiences. For example, discuss benefits of a dishwasher to potential buyers and give installation instructions to installers.
13. Arrange table of comparisons of product specifications and prices to help your client's decision making.
14. Publish a newsletter.
15. List upcoming products, services, events.
Increase sales
16. Sell directly to customers without middlemen.
17. Take orders when clients are ready.
18. Generate extra income with affiliate programs and sponsorships.
19. Sell advertising space eg banners.
20. Provide enrolment forms and applications for membership.
Save on operational costs
21. Open your shopfront extended hours - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - at no extra cost.
22. Produce high-impact online coloured brochures that would be too expensive to print.
23. Save printing and mailing costs on newsletters, brochures and reports.
24. Update information regularly without incurring printing costs.
25. Save time on phone calls by providing answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ).
26. Advertise your job vacancies.
27. Shorten your sales cycle by streamlining your operations.
Expand your client base.
28. Expand your reach to new global markets.
29. Collect names and addresses using viral marketing eg "Tell a friend".
30. Send special reports to visitors who provide you with their contact details.
31. Link with suppliers, clients or complementary businesses to attract more traffic to your website.
32. Increase client base with special offers and newsletter subscriptions.
Implement promotional activities
33. Link offline and online advertising and promotion to feed on each other.
34. Use email marketing and save on direct mailing costs.
35. Experiment with new promotional ideas and measure their effectiveness.
36. Create loyalty programs for repeat clients eg vouchers, special offers.
Create a favourable public image
37. Provide a list of links to promote your partners and associations.
38. Promote your community spirit and involvement.
39. Publicise your environmentally friendly practices.
40. Provide a press media kit.
Improve your level of customer service
41. Display your policies and warranties.
42. Maintain visibility with regular email invitations to view new online information or promotion.
43. Provide a user guide with a trouble-shooting section.
44. Allow your customers to view and change their account details and pay invoices.
45. Improve your after-sales service with follow ups and feedback forms.
46. Archive information. You can make available past issues of newsletters and user guides of dated products.
Obtain information for market research
47. Collect information from visitors (eg age group, preferences).
48. Gather information from suggestion forms to develop new products or improve existing ones.
49. Test and evaluate new products without spending big dollars.
50. Use surveys to obtain primary data for researches and reports.
Marketing Cues extra tip
Use multiple domain (or subdomain) names to differentiate products and services, measure promotion effectiveness and attract more traffic to your website. For example, www.product1.com, www.product2.com and www.service1.com could all point towards the same website.
? 2005 Henriette Martel-Lawson
Henriette Martel-Lawson, author of "200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website", is a website strategist who helps businesses develop or convert a stale website into an effective marketing tool. Henriette is the founder of Marketing Cues, an internet marketing resource centre providing articles, reviews, free tools and lots of tips. Receive a free ebook when you subscribe to bimonthly WEBmarketingcues newsletter at http://www.marketingcues.com
Northbrook Cadillac Deville rentals .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareRIVERSIDE, CA August 4, 2004 ?- "Historically, small business owners... Read More
Directory Generator, a product from Armand Morin and Marc Quarles,... Read More
In about the Time it takes to Watch a Reality... Read More
You want to give your site's visitors a way to... Read More
So you have a good idea for a business and... Read More
A website is like an information flow, with you as... Read More
While creating a Web site may seem like... Read More
Even with the steady growth of the World Wide Web,... Read More
Many small companies choose not to invest in a professionally... Read More
Conceptualize, Build and Publish a Web site - What's required... Read More
QUESTION: Should I build and maintain my business Web... Read More
Internet Marketing is not a miracle marketing strategy ? competition... Read More
"I don't sell anything online, I don't advertise online, in... Read More
How many Web Sites did you stumble over telling you... Read More
They might not be wearing a mask and carrying a... Read More
So you want to have a website. You have gone... Read More
The first step in setting up an online business...Starting an... Read More
Recently, a friend asked "What's the deal with those DIY... Read More
Cost Effective Advertising. Online selling. Increased geopgraphic range. Wider... Read More
My life's greatest passion is a safari hobby. And what... Read More
The art of turning website visitors into paying customers depends... Read More
Spend time planning your Web site. Before you design a... Read More
There are millions and millions of websites on the Internet.... Read More
Looks like every client wants a Flash site these days... Read More
A common dilemma most small and medium businesses face when... Read More
Beason Mercedes Benz s500 rentals ..Build it and they will come is not always true;... Read More
An accessible Web site is easily approached, easily understood, and... Read More
Website, website, website, everyone says you need one. But do... Read More
Creatively marketing your corporate site takes time in the set... Read More
Server Side Includes (SSI) with ASP People often... Read More
When most people build a web site, they think one... Read More
An automated accessibility tool is a piece of software which... Read More
I'm a freelance programmer and somehow I managed to get... Read More
What is the point of having a website, you may... Read More
You have seen those web pages where they have the... Read More
They might not be wearing a mask and carrying a... Read More
--------------------------------Why Should You Create a website?--------------------------------A. What do you want... Read More
You've just finished congratulating your marketing team. After six months... Read More
A website is lifeline of internet home business. In order... Read More
Your site is fast and getting traffic, but conversion rates... Read More
There was a time not long ago when setting up... Read More
Cost Effective Advertising. Online selling. Increased geopgraphic range. Wider... Read More
A lot of people these days are interested in getting... Read More
First, an eye opener. Making your fortune through affiliate programs... Read More
Dan Kennedy once said that if you can't make money... Read More
An Introduction to Server Side IncludesBeginner? That's OK!While much has... Read More
This is a growing concern amongst many business owners. Does... Read More
What to do if you are an artist after you... Read More
Failure, just like success, is measured differently by each and... Read More
Although designing a great web site is an important part... Read More
Web Development |