Internet Marketing – Your Site Can’t Do it Alone
The other day I heard an analogy that I thought was great. “Buying a website without Internet marketing is like spending your entire budget on a commercial without buying any air time to show it to the world.” The majority of businesses view having a website as marketing. In reality, a website is a platform that your other marketing efforts send visitors to in order to convert qualified business leads. That is why your company needs a well thought out Internet marketing plan. That plan begins with goals.
Focus on Performance Goals
Before you can get where you want to go, you first need to know where you’re going. Setting performance goals for your website will tell you where you are going. Start by setting long term goals. Since the Internet changes rapidly we will consider one year goals to be long term. Set one year goals and then 90 day goals. A smart goal meets three criteria:
- It is measurable
- It has a deadline
- It is specific
For example, a smart goal would be, I will increase my site wide conversion rate by 2% by November 1, 2010. This goal is measurable, has a deadline, and I can easily see if I achieved it. My conversion rate will either rise by 2% or it won’t. There is no gray area.
Create Action Steps
If site goals are the destination, then action steps pave the road traveled. Take each goal and create several action steps. It is easier to complete large tasks when you break them up into smaller ones. The same applies to your goals. Work backwards until you have your goals and action steps clearly mapped out. If an action step seems overwhelming, break it down into smaller steps.
The sad truth is most businesses have websites that lack direction. They don’t take the time to decide exactly what they would like their website to achieve and then put in a plan to make it happen. Your website can be so much more than a digital brochure, it can be an extension of your sales force.
