A website is the most versatile and cost-effective marketing tool on the market. It is also an investment. After all, you are building a shopfront. In a nutshell, you can use your website to:
Enhance your professional imageBoost confidence in your business
5. Demonstrate your knowledge and expertise with tips, articles and editorials.
6. Build your credibility by displaying awards and providing testimonials.
7. Encourage potential clients. A free web hosting address can look dubious and show less commitment to your business.
8. Give staff details to humanise your business, to show that you are "real" people.
9. Provide background information on your business.
Provide current and useful information
10. Publish a catalogue or portfolio of your products and services.
11. Inform your visitors about the benefits and applications of your products.
12. Categorise information according to target audiences. For example, discuss benefits of a dishwasher to potential buyers and give installation instructions to installers.
13. Arrange table of comparisons of product specifications and prices to help your client's decision making.
14. Publish a newsletter.
15. List upcoming products, services, events.
Increase sales
16. Sell directly to customers without middlemen.
17. Take orders when clients are ready.
18. Generate extra income with affiliate programs and sponsorships.
19. Sell advertising space eg banners.
20. Provide enrolment forms and applications for membership.
Save on operational costs
21. Open your shopfront extended hours - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - at no extra cost.
22. Produce high-impact online coloured brochures that would be too expensive to print.
23. Save printing and mailing costs on newsletters, brochures and reports.
24. Update information regularly without incurring printing costs.
25. Save time on phone calls by providing answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ).
26. Advertise your job vacancies.
27. Shorten your sales cycle by streamlining your operations.
Expand your client base.
28. Expand your reach to new global markets.
29. Collect names and addresses using viral marketing eg "Tell a friend".
30. Send special reports to visitors who provide you with their contact details.
31. Link with suppliers, clients or complementary businesses to attract more traffic to your website.
32. Increase client base with special offers and newsletter subscriptions.
Implement promotional activities
33. Link offline and online advertising and promotion to feed on each other.
34. Use email marketing and save on direct mailing costs.
35. Experiment with new promotional ideas and measure their effectiveness.
36. Create loyalty programs for repeat clients eg vouchers, special offers.
Create a favourable public image
37. Provide a list of links to promote your partners and associations.
38. Promote your community spirit and involvement.
39. Publicise your environmentally friendly practices.
40. Provide a press media kit.
Improve your level of customer service
41. Display your policies and warranties.
42. Maintain visibility with regular email invitations to view new online information or promotion.
43. Provide a user guide with a trouble-shooting section.
44. Allow your customers to view and change their account details and pay invoices.
45. Improve your after-sales service with follow ups and feedback forms.
46. Archive information. You can make available past issues of newsletters and user guides of dated products.
Obtain information for market research
47. Collect information from visitors (eg age group, preferences).
48. Gather information from suggestion forms to develop new products or improve existing ones.
49. Test and evaluate new products without spending big dollars.
50. Use surveys to obtain primary data for researches and reports.
Marketing Cues extra tip
Use multiple domain (or subdomain) names to differentiate products and services, measure promotion effectiveness and attract more traffic to your website. For example, www.product1.com, www.product2.com and www.service1.com could all point towards the same website.
© 2005 Henriette Martel-Lawson
Henriette Martel-Lawson, author of "200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website", is a website strategist who helps businesses develop or convert a stale website into an effective marketing tool. Henriette is the founder of Marketing Cues, an internet marketing resource centre providing articles, reviews, free tools and lots of tips. Receive a free ebook when you subscribe to bimonthly WEBmarketingcues newsletter at http://www.marketingcues.com
--------------------------------Why Should You Create a website?--------------------------------A. What do you want... Read More
"How do I improve web site sales figures?" The CEO... Read More
If you're an up and coming graphic/web designer just out... Read More
Everyday thousands of new businesses make the leap and take... Read More
Can you imagine the hypocrisy of spending thousands of dollars,... Read More
The Disability Discrimination Act says that websites must be made... Read More
Every online entrepreneur I talk to is asking the same... Read More
That's right. According to a recent study by Nielsen/NetRatings, Amazon.com... Read More
If you like the Internet and surfing through the billions... Read More
An Introduction to Server Side IncludesBeginner? That's OK!While much has... Read More
This is a growing concern amongst many business owners. Does... Read More
I can't think of any business alive today that couldn't... Read More
If you ever want to create a state directory, article... Read More
Every good Internet business understands the value of conversions versus... Read More
"Don't Sell the Steak, Sell the Sizzle."Have you heard of... Read More
With more and more countries around the world passing laws... Read More
Before you start building your site, ask yourself "WHY?". Why... Read More
The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) states that service providers must... Read More
Creating a content management system either from scratch,... Read More
First, using a lot of web graphics, flash, banners and... Read More
"I have a small business with just a couple of... Read More
Part of the success of most home-based businesses is their... Read More
How many Web Sites did you stumble over telling you... Read More
Why do some sites succeed while the vast majority of... Read More
Your site is fast and getting traffic, but conversion rates... Read More
Your ObjectiveYour small business needs an appealing and professional website... Read More
One of the best tools you have as a webmaster... Read More
Looks like every client wants a Flash site these days... Read More
Everyone wants one.Everyone wishes they knew how to make one.SOME... Read More
A website provides invaluable advantages for businesses who have one.7... Read More
80% of your Web site is Maintenance!Once your Web site... Read More
A PHP Redirect automatically transfers a web user from one... Read More
If you are developing your website on a host that... Read More
A lot of people these days are interested in getting... Read More
You have seen those web pages where they have the... Read More
Web sites are an Ongoing Part of Business.All too many... Read More
After planning the design and content of your website, it's... Read More
Customer service questionnaires can help your clients better understand their... Read More
Design and layout can make your communication come alive and... Read More
Everyone wants one.Everyone wishes they knew how to make one.SOME... Read More
The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) states that service providers must... Read More
The Internet car buyer is an elusive animal. Trying to... Read More
If you were asked to put a value on your... Read More
Is your website Really useful?I had a 'rep' in yesterday... Read More
Even with the steady growth of the World Wide Web,... Read More
Before you set up any scripts you will need some... Read More
The Internet is a remarkable publishing medium. With just a... Read More
If you have some experience in web site design and... Read More
"If you build it, they will come"; is an age... Read More
There are many different traffic analysis tools, ranging from simple... Read More
It amazes me how many people try to build serious... Read More
Many small companies choose not to invest in a professionally... Read More
Internet has opened a whole new world for web developers... Read More
When used to describe a web site, the term "sticky"... Read More
This article was prompted by some customer support work I... Read More
When people think about the Internet, they think about technology.... Read More
If you are looking for creating your online presence you... Read More
"Don't Sell the Steak, Sell the Sizzle."Have you heard of... Read More
Huge Mistake #1: Creating a Website with Flash -- Did... Read More
I can't think of any business alive today that couldn't... Read More
Optimize your time. How much time each day must you... Read More
In a previous ezinearticles.com article,"I Need real visitors, Not Search... Read More
Many web developers today are starting to KISS their website,... Read More
When web content gets discussed on webmaster bulletin boards, the... Read More
The Disability Discrimination Act says that websites must be made... Read More
There is an ongoing debate about web copy. Some say... Read More
Web Development |