Remember when a great website was all you needed to market your business online? Well, that’s no longer the case, according to most industry experts. Going into 2014, you need a comprehensive web marketing strategy that incorporates a range of digital channels, and you have to put in the time to implement it. It’s simply not enough to just build a website, regardless of how good it looks. Include these components for a well-rounded, strategic approach:
The Content Conundrum
To get found in search, your website needs to be updated regularly with fresh, quality content that contains information that’s of value to your readers. Whether this takes the form of written articles, new landing pages, video clips or podcasts, the more often you update your website the more likely your web marketing strategy is to be successful.
How to do it: Make it part of your strategy to post something new in the way of content marketing at least once a week. Then create a schedule or editorial calendar to help you plan what—and when—you’re going to publish.
Blogging Your Way to Fame and Fortune
Business blogging serves a bunch of different purposes, particularly in the B2C environment. Homeowners are constantly looking for information to help them choose a contractor for their next remodeling project, and the homebuilder who is upfront and center in their decision is going to be the one who shows his knowledge and provides material they can use. Blogging enables you to fulfil part of your strategic content requirement, as well as position yourself as a thought leader.
How to do it: Build up your reputation as an expert in your niche through blogging regularly about issues of interest that your customers want to know about.
Social Smocial
Make social media work for your web marketing strategy by engaging prospective clients on your various profiles and directing them to your website, blog and landing pages. Get the conversation going about projects you’ve completed, projects you’re busy with and even projects you’d like to do. Network online with your followers and encourage them to like and share your posts but focusing on the aspects they are most likely to find interesting.
How do to it: Determine your goals for social media, such as number of followers and level of activity, then post industry news and information targeting those people on a daily basis. Share your content and blogs on your profiles and give your followers special offers and discounts that encourage them to interact with you.
It’s all in the Email (Marketing)
This is an often-overlooked form of web marketing for small businesses, and yet it’s one of the most cost-effective and successful methods. Use your content, business blogging and social media marketing to source email addresses and get basic information about your followers, then create email campaigns for each segment of your list.
How to do it: Find a suitable email marketing program or application and set up your subscriber link so you can start to collect email addresses. Offer free, downloadable content for users to receive in exchange for providing their email and communicate regularly with those on your mailing list to keep your company top of mind with them.
Put together a solid web marketing strategy that includes at least some of these components and you’ll find the integrated approach brings better results that you could expect from just having a website.
