Initially the most important factor in attracting people to your
site is its overall look and quality. We have changed our site
several times since it was launched, each time updating and improving
its content. The site must certainly not be static, it must be seen
to be ever changing. It should be simple and clearly laid out and
easy to navigate. Visitors don't want something that will take them
too much time to get through as invariably they don't have that time!
Website Promotion is the key to success and we are only just starting to
learn what actually works and what doesn't. Email for instance is
one that just won't reap rewards. There's no point in emailing
anyone and everyone who you might think is interested. You may get
one or two positive responses from 300 emails. However the rest may
never read or simply delete what you send. One way of emailing that
we have found to be a success is to reply to people's questions,
problems and thoughts within a newsgroup. There will be several, if
not, many newsgroups that will match your target audience. You have
to remember that newsgroups have rules and regulations, and that you
can't just post blatant advertising. You may be found to be in breach
of these rules and banned! E-mails must be targeted to reach your
audience and not sent out randomly. People get upset if you send too
much unsolicited junk mail!
Another successful way of promoting your site via email is to use a
signature file. This is a small and effective tool. It just involves
leaving your name, URL, email address, telephone and fax numbers at
the bottom of every email you send out. It is much easier for people
to just click onto a URL than having to type it in, even if they have
just a quick look.
Flooding people with your site address is another must for companies
promoting their web site. Put it anywhere and everywhere you think,
on everything that is sent out. There are lots of promotional items
that can be sent out with your URL on and these can be purchased
relatively cheaply.
Sending promotional items out by post such as newsletters or leaflets
can, like email, be very hit and miss. It is virtually impossible to
know the person you are mailing to, what their circumstances are,
whether they are even on the net or not and if they really will be
interested in what you are sending to them. Again it is better to
target specific individuals and groups.
For those that are trying to find what may be on your site, but don't
know your URL, search engines are by far the best way of getting
'hits'. Getting your site positioned high up on a search engine is a
highly difficult and complicated matter, but if you get it right it
can reap substantial rewards! There are numerous search engines, such
as Yahoo! and Excite, and registering with most is free. There are
sites that will submit your URL to several search engines, but to be
effective, your site needs to be submitted regularly.
E-commerce is now a major commercial tool used by businesses world-
wide. If you have something to sell, sell it on the internet! It is
estimated that 10,000 new users are logging onto 'the net' every week
and any company worth it's salt will now have a site and a facility
for people to buy it's products on-line. The process is simple and
quick for customers, just a few clicks of a button is all it takes.
And that simplicity means they are more likely to come back again and
again!
Keeping in touch with colleagues and friends, wherever they are, has
never been easier. E-mail can be accessed anywhere in the world as
long as you have a PC and a modem. The facility can be used to send
promotional information, special offers or just a simple 'hello' to
customers around the world. By maintaining regular contact, customers
feel wanted, even when they're not necessarily buying your products!
And it helps in building up a personal relationship.
I hope this helps in your future marketing decisions.