With all the doom and gloom of the credit crunch, find out how you can grow your business and beat the crisis.
1. Natural Search Engine Optimisation
With more than 75% of internet users using a search engine to conduct research before purchasing goods or services online it is vital your website is visible. The importance of achieving a high position in the search engines is further highlighted by the fact that more than 9 in 10 people never go beyond the second page.
The benefits of natural search engine optimization can be significant. Unfortunately achieving such results can be arduous and time consuming, requiring a combination of tactics to achieve top results. Therefore, you need the help of a search engine marketing specialist who can effectively pin point the most effective tactics and strategies required to optimise your website, including the use of key words, content, relevant links and directory submissions.
Be cautious of companies who claim they can achieve instant first page rankings. Effective search engine optimisation takes time and often requires ongoing attention to ensure continued results.
2. Pay Per Click Campaigns
Whilst natural SEO is the most effective long term strategy, Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising such as Google Adwords or Yahoo! Sponsored Search can be a highly effective short term tactic to quickly increase traffic to your website. Many of our clients use PPC initially to increase the visibility of their website whilst SEO improves their ‘natural ranking, they also use PPC for ‘special offers’ and other seasonal campaigns that require an immediate impact.
However tempting it maybe, don’t just jump into a PPC campaign without ensuring that you do the necessary research into relevant keywords, advert content and costs. Without this you may find you end up spending a lot of money without the expected results.
3. Email Marketing
Email marketing continues to be one of the most successful online marketing tools for both the B2B and B2C markets, providing you with a highly effective tool in finding new customers and building relationships with existing customers.
Unfortunately, email marketing is often abused, with many people sending thousands of emails without any consideration to their target audience, the content of their email, the relevance of the message, or even knowing whether their emails are ever opened, limiting the effectiveness of this powerful tool.
Successful email marketing isn’t about sending large numbers of emails, what really counts is deliverability, opening rates, relevant content and results you can track. To fully benefit from email marketing it is vital you have the right solution for the job and should include the following features and benefits:
- Easy to use editor – Quickly write your own email campaigns with a word like editor.
- Spam checker – to improve your deliverability by up to 85% by checking your emails before you send them.
- Bounce management –Manage the integrity of your data by automatic suppression of email addresses that bounce.
- Landing pages – engage your audience by directing them to landing pages for further relevant information.
- Click-through analysis – track exactly what your email recipients do when they click on links to landing pages, your website, or other specific links.
- Dynamic content – ensure the content of your emails are specific to the individual client this will increase your opening and response rates.
- ISP Approved – ensure your email provider works with the leading ISP and deliverability bodies to ensure your email campaigns reach their intended recipient.
4. Newsletters
A newsletter is a great way of encouraging people to visit your website. A newsletter could contain useful tips, special offers, product developments and articles, providing a host of content that can be uploaded to your website that will help your search engine optimization efforts.
To maximize the success of your newsletters, make sure you have a newsletter sign up facility on your website. This will encourage visitors to provide you with an opted in email address and contact details for further marketing activities.
5. Website Landing Pages
One of the biggest mistakes people make when they are promoting their website online or offline is to direct people to their home page.
Your home page is typically a general overview of your company and in reality it is unlikely to relate to the message you gave your audience to encourage them to visit your website in the first place. When someone arrives at your website they don’t expect to be taken to the home page, they want to be taken to a page that gives them the information that enticed them there in the first place.
This is why it’s essential your website has landing pages that provides the relevant information pertaining to your campaign. Creating landing pages needn’t be a complicated job, if you use a content management system, you can effortlessly create a timely and relevant landing page that will appropriately convey your message.
6. Blogs / Articles
Blogs are an excellent way of sharing thoughts and ideas, they are also effective for search engine optimization purposes. A blog not only attracts visitors looking for information but can gain valuable feedback.
What about writing and publishing articles with content on your area of knowledge? These can be posted on article websites with a link to and from the article website. This can help with generating links as part of your SEO efforts but also generating additional traffic to your own website.
7. Call to Action
You may have the most attractive, engaging and interesting website, but if it doesn’t direct the visitor to a particular action then what’s the point? If your objective is to obtain leads, gather prospecting contact details, or making a sale, then it is vital that you direct visitors to a particular action.
Too many websites lack even a contact telephone number or email contact page however you should consider having sign up forms or links to landing pages that encourage visitors to respond to your calls to action.
The same principles apply to emails and newsletters. Make sure that you include calls to action throughout your content with ways of measuring which generate the most response.
8. Free Information
People often use the internet for gathering information, so an effective way of getting them to visit your website is to offer them free information. This can be in the form of ‘hints and tips’, guides, fact sheets, or a ‘white paper’ on various subjects offered as downloadable PDF files. These can be a really successful way of generating leads and it only costs you the time taken to write and upload the free item onto your website. However, to maximize the benefits of this it is you track the people accessing this free information, whether it be through a traceable link relating to the particular individual or a data capture form that needs to be completed prior to the download of such information. This data is invaluable and can effectively be followed as these are people who are obviously interested in what you are offering.
9. Surveys and polls
Having a survey on your website, or as part of an email campaign is a great way for your visitors or recipients to interact with you. You can offer various types of survey where participants could be anonymous or identifiable.
The survey could be a bit of fun to encourage interaction or a topical subject to measure the opinions participants, or even a valuable way of getting feedback on your products or service from customers. The results could be even be used as the basis of a press release, article, newsletter or fact sheet!
10. Ecommerce website
With more and more people buying online, could you take advantage of this powerful sales channel? 2008 online sales increase by more than 50% and this year they are expected to exceed offline sales channels.
An online shop front provides you with a 24-7 sales presence, through which customers can buy your products when it’s most convenient for them, allowing you to rapidly make a return on investment of getting your ecommerce shop launched
If you would like to discuss how we can help you grow your business call us on 0845 46 64 641. We'd love to help!