Marketing Basics for the Webmaster

What is the relationship between Marketing and Web designing? How can a better understanding of Marketing help the web designer manage his business more profitably?

What is marketing?

The American Marketing Association defines Marketing as "the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals". On the other hand, The Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK defines Marketing as "the Management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers' requirements profitably". Note the occurrence of Customer Satisfaction in both definitions and the underlining concern for Profitability in the second definition. In other words, a businessman needs to identify the needs of a consumer and explore ways of satisfying these needs in order to make a profit.

The Webmaster therefore needs to understand his client's customers. Does the client sell to various segments of customers (e.g students, retirees, young upwardly mobile professionals, etc?) or only one homogenous market such as any one of these segments? What are the lifestyles of such customers? What do they like to do in their pastime? How do they relax? Where do they live? What are their aspirations? If, for instance, the client's customers are tertiary school students, are they interested in sports? Would it be right to create a page on the client's website for snippets of information on the lifestyles of sports personalities around the world, even though the website markets an interactive software to help students write term papers and long essays? Or take upwardly mobile professionals, as another example. How about including a page (on the website of an insurance company selling policies targeted at this segment), which contains links to write-ups explaining several possibilities of personal finance and wealth creation opportunities? Will such "side attractions" ensure repeat visits to the website?

Once a Webmaster knows his client's customer, he can anticipate the customer's wants, appeal to the right emotions and show that customer how the client's product or service will benefit the customer.

The discerning Webmaster must also try to understand the industry within which his client operates, his client's competitors and what these competitors offer in comparison to what the client offers. If any of the competitors has a website, how customer friendly is the website? Does navigation within the site make it easy for the competitor's customers to make orders? Can the customer have his most cogent questions answered right there on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page without having to go through the pains of writing a mail? Can the Webmaster then create a website for his client, that will outsell the competitor's site in these areas?

While the client sometimes provides a brief explaining the kind of website he thinks he wants, the truly innovative Webmaster may go beyond this brief to add value. A word of caution, however: this should be discussed with the client.

Websites are marketing tools

The fundamental reality of how people use the web can be seen in the following comparative descriptive sketches of offline and online buyer behaviors. Offline, bustling crowds of would-be shoppers (or prospects) pass by your place of business (take a busy mall, for instance) and some of them may walk in, if your shop occupies a vantage location, your wares are attractively displayed and they can notice both. Online, however, people search for information. There are millions of people, but no crowds and each person searches alone. So, while the offline businessperson thinks of a vantage "location", the online businessperson must think of relevant "information" or "content", information that meets the needs and interests of the target market.

The Power of Search Engines

People who visit the web are looking for information and solutions. Most often, they rely on Search Engines to suggest or recommend the most likely websites, which may satisfy their needs. For the Webmaster to create a website which brings lots of targeted traffic to his client therefore, he must perform some tasks such as keyword brainstorming. In other words, he researches his site's main theme on the web, such as "weight watching", to find related words that are often searched by web visitors, but rarely targeted by websites. Such words can then form the topics for each page of his website and eventually provide the website with a theme or focus for optimum search engine ranking.

This is only one in a series of tasks which the Webmaster needs to perform for his client's website to rank well with the search engines and attract warm, willing-to-buy traffic on an ongoing basis. Such tasks can be very tedious, especially when the process is done manually. It is no surprise therefore, that some webmasters shy away from this aspect of the job. However, such tasks can be automated with Site Build It! , an all-in one site-building, site-hosting and site marketing solution which automatically performs the following operations for webmasters: Keyword Brainstorming, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Submission, Search Engine Reporting, File Upload, Sequential Auto responding, E-mail Marketing, etc. This system of tools works without compromising design or site functionality. Which means a Webmaster can create his site, using his favorite HTML and graphic (or other) software, simply upload the files and let Site Build It! do the rest. More on this software, including purchase and download instructions, can be found at http://webmaster.sitesell.com/net_hunting.html .

Dele Ogundahunsi, an e-marketer, specializes in Advertising and Web Design Direction. He can be reached on (+234) 803 85 10 10 2 or at agroport@outgun.com.

---

Converting Print Advertising For Use On The Web - A How-To

Contrary to the beliefs of some, advertising for web and... Read More

Turn Harmful 404 Error Pages Into Helpful 301 Redirects

It's a fact, Page Not Found, known as a 404... Read More

Dont Lose The Sale In The Internets Last Three Feet

In retailing there is a saying that sales are made... Read More

An Ideal Home Business Home Page

From my personal experience of around two year as home... Read More

Got Web Traffic but Still Low Sales? Ten Ways to Selling Success - Part 1

Have you put a lot of effort, time, and money... Read More

What I Look For In a Website

As my occupation is that of a proofreader, one of... Read More

Creating A Quality Web Site Design!

In this article, I will attempt to cover the basics... Read More

Web Site Design Mistakes

Some wise human once said "Learn from the mistakes of... Read More

What Your Website REALLY Says About You And Why It Matters

Everything you say and do says something about you. This... Read More

Why Web Pages Appear in the Wrong Location after Uploading to my Website?

If your are a new web designer, you may face... Read More

How to Design Website Which Google Likes

Are you going to design or redesign new website or... Read More

Eight Website Pitfalls, and How to Avoid Them

Clutter: Too much noise, too much text, and too little... Read More

Caveat Scriptor: Use the Advice of Those Who Know Before You Build a Site

~A man [woman] is a success if he [she] gets... Read More

Basic Graphic Design

Wether you design your business brochures, flyers, web page, or... Read More

Web Publishing Guide for the Beginning Entrepreneur (Part 1)

The best things don't come easy. - QuotedThe finished web... Read More

Immutable Laws Of Effective Navigation - Part 1

The first immutable law of effective navigation: It's gotta be... Read More

Selling Multiple Products? Avoid These Top Blunders

When your web site sells more than a dozen items,... Read More

.htaccess to Mask Errors on Your Website

The .htaccess file is a control file located in your... Read More

Hiring The Right Webmaster

The Questions You Should Be Asking ? The Answers You... Read More

Do You Make These Common (But Deadly) Website Design Mistakes?

Building a website can be overwhelming, here are some design... Read More

Should I Use Pop-Up Ads?

Web advertising has taken many forms, including those that appear... Read More

Is Your Website?s Copy Up to the Mark?

The Internet is a relatively new medium. What works for... Read More

Nine Effective Tips For Improving Your Website?s Usability

Web usability is perhaps the most important factor in any... Read More

Understand Your Color

Any design on a web application involves the effective input... Read More

Website Registration Roadmap - How to Create Your Own Website in 7 Easy Steps

Creating your own website is actually easy in today's world... Read More

Why Your Site Should be Developed with CSS and Semantic Markup

Why your site should be developed with CSS and semantic... Read More

The Right Trigger Words

CNN.com's designers have gone out of their way to make... Read More

A Web Site That Sells Is All One Needs To Have A Successful Online Business!

There are more than billions of Web Sites, running Online... Read More

Elements of Graphic Design for Your Website

We've all seen them. Poorly designed web sites that make... Read More

7 Benefits of HTML Validation

You may not bother with html validation or writing simple... Read More

Tips for Getting More Sales From Your Website

(1) Create a Direct Response Website, with the minimum number... Read More

Tapping Into The Visual Stimulus Of Your Web Site Visitors

"Oh, my eyes, my eyes! What an eye sore. Quick,... Read More

Can a Webpage Created Without HTML?

The HTML editor is usually a webpage design software that... Read More