Website Marketing

Management of a website and the accompanying marketing can be a confusing and complex task. Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), and Pay Per Click (PPC) are all terms that you see referencing the management of website marketing. Keywords, links, and page optimization are all important nonpaid aspects of making your website an effective sales tool for your business.

The above are technical aspects. Even more important is the brand development of the site and the presentation of your products and/or services key benefits. If search engines are the queens of the internet, then customer service is the emperor. Getting the technical aspects correct is only important if your site convinces the visitor that you can fulfill their specific needs.

Even if you have no interest in the physical management of your website, you need to understand how this key marketing tool functions. Websites are not "build it and leave" tools, You must consistently evaluate and modify a website for it to provide the performance you need. Businesses are allocating more and more of their marketing budget to the Internet. To meet the competition you need to manage your site and the various marketing technologies and tools.

The internet is now at the “top of the food chain” for marketing tools. It can provide a 24/7 fulfillment tool, a brand building tool, and perhaps most importantly a feedback loop from current and potential customers. The most important step you can make in developing a website is to define which of its functions you will need to utilize. It doesn’t matter if you build your own site or you work with a website designer, understanding how the web fits into your marketing plan is the most significant part of developing a web presence.

The internet for firms consists of two major parts: your website and your hosting service. When you define your needs in regard to what content your site will have, then you can make an informed choice as to which “hosting” service is best for you. Selecting a host is the most technical decision (beside the actual “building a website”) decision you will have to make. Take some time to read the details on a few of the major hosting sites like network solutions and you will start to understand what is offered. If you choose to use an outside website developer let them help you make the choice.

Remember that when you build a website you are in fact opening another location or perhaps your only location. It is a strategic decision which will be around as long as you are in business. Think carefully about content and structure – knowing that you will modify and perhaps totally change the website several times during the life of your business. A website is an investment in the capital assets of your company, treat it as you would your most important tool or resource.