Companies are finding it increasingly expensive to market their products off-line. Therefore we must address this issue. It's commonly understood that all businesses need to be online. But that's not the answer to the problem. Purchasers won't necessarily be able to find you.
Let's compare it to a new store opening up... A lot of money has gone into setting it up. They're ready to go... And only then realise they're out in the sticks in a no-through road. What's worse, they haven't told anyone where they are. How do you think they'll get on? This is exactly the scenario for 99% of ALL commercial websites in existence.
The web has turned marketing on its head. Around the time of the millennium, it was thought that having a website was everything. Complex graphical websites costing thousands (or tens of thousands) were regularly launched. This trend was cheerfully encouraged by on-line design companies, who relished the business! It started to become obvious though that these sites weren't receiving any traffic. There was a belief that if you built it, they would come. In fact, this wasn't the case at all.
Modern internet marketing requires a fundamental shift in thinking from traditional marketing. Traditionalists might see your site in the same way they'd view a sales catalogue. So to drive traffic to that website, you'll need to use the regular methods of marketing. They'll recommend media advertising and promotions in the press. Sticking to the familiar routine. They start with a flashy sales site, and then try lots of 'off-line' avenues to get people to look at it. Yet in the web economy, this approach is way off the mark!
This approach purely sees the web as a viewing portal, which it isn't. It's a hugely dynamic environment with complex interactivity. Users drill down to investigate the services they're interested in. In addition, terrific site indexes have been created by several major Search Engines (SE'S) so customers can find the things they're looking for. Think of the chaos involved if the Business Yellow Pages wasn't in alphabetical order: We'd be forever frustrated and disappointed.
Search Engines have sorted all this. And so marketing is forced to move on. Because now, if you want to be found in the vast sea that is the internet, you have to be indexed in the Search Engines. But there's a lot more to it than that... #S#
Of course, the Search Engines weren't blind to this, so they developed an unusual paid advertising scheme so any site could get to the top. It's known as PPC, or Pay per Click, because you're only charged when a user opts for your link. What a great idea... Effectively, only people who'd expressed an interest in your product cost you any money. This form of advertising is very targeted. It can bring outstanding results if handled well.
Today however, most search terms are overwhelmed with pay per click adverts. New online marketers have forced up the price per click, largely through over-the-top bidding. So it's often the case now that many are priced out of the market. This happens mostly where lots of clicks are essential to get one buyer. This has brought Search Engine Optimisation to the fore, where driving a site to page one is the goal.
Do this small task - Get onto one of the Search Engines now and look for some keywords that you think apply to you. Can you see your website on the 1st three pages? It's unlikely. So you're in the same position as the backstreet shop! And if your site is listed, is it appearing for keywords that your customers will actually enter?
You could be relatively happy with PPC. But is your campaign properly managed? Is your investment really paying off? Have you got an eye on the stats that measure your results? Testing, measuring and split-testing are some of the most important factors with all PPC campaigns. There will always be an element of guesswork (and consequently less than perfect results) without accurate stats.
It's very evident today that both global and local commerce are moving swiftly onto the internet. Companies must acknowledge this, to survive and flourish in today's economy.
Let's compare it to a new store opening up... A lot of money has gone into setting it up. They're ready to go... And only then realise they're out in the sticks in a no-through road. What's worse, they haven't told anyone where they are. How do you think they'll get on? This is exactly the scenario for 99% of ALL commercial websites in existence.
The web has turned marketing on its head. Around the time of the millennium, it was thought that having a website was everything. Complex graphical websites costing thousands (or tens of thousands) were regularly launched. This trend was cheerfully encouraged by on-line design companies, who relished the business! It started to become obvious though that these sites weren't receiving any traffic. There was a belief that if you built it, they would come. In fact, this wasn't the case at all.
Modern internet marketing requires a fundamental shift in thinking from traditional marketing. Traditionalists might see your site in the same way they'd view a sales catalogue. So to drive traffic to that website, you'll need to use the regular methods of marketing. They'll recommend media advertising and promotions in the press. Sticking to the familiar routine. They start with a flashy sales site, and then try lots of 'off-line' avenues to get people to look at it. Yet in the web economy, this approach is way off the mark!
This approach purely sees the web as a viewing portal, which it isn't. It's a hugely dynamic environment with complex interactivity. Users drill down to investigate the services they're interested in. In addition, terrific site indexes have been created by several major Search Engines (SE'S) so customers can find the things they're looking for. Think of the chaos involved if the Business Yellow Pages wasn't in alphabetical order: We'd be forever frustrated and disappointed.
Search Engines have sorted all this. And so marketing is forced to move on. Because now, if you want to be found in the vast sea that is the internet, you have to be indexed in the Search Engines. But there's a lot more to it than that... #S#
Of course, the Search Engines weren't blind to this, so they developed an unusual paid advertising scheme so any site could get to the top. It's known as PPC, or Pay per Click, because you're only charged when a user opts for your link. What a great idea... Effectively, only people who'd expressed an interest in your product cost you any money. This form of advertising is very targeted. It can bring outstanding results if handled well.
Today however, most search terms are overwhelmed with pay per click adverts. New online marketers have forced up the price per click, largely through over-the-top bidding. So it's often the case now that many are priced out of the market. This happens mostly where lots of clicks are essential to get one buyer. This has brought Search Engine Optimisation to the fore, where driving a site to page one is the goal.
Do this small task - Get onto one of the Search Engines now and look for some keywords that you think apply to you. Can you see your website on the 1st three pages? It's unlikely. So you're in the same position as the backstreet shop! And if your site is listed, is it appearing for keywords that your customers will actually enter?
You could be relatively happy with PPC. But is your campaign properly managed? Is your investment really paying off? Have you got an eye on the stats that measure your results? Testing, measuring and split-testing are some of the most important factors with all PPC campaigns. There will always be an element of guesswork (and consequently less than perfect results) without accurate stats.
It's very evident today that both global and local commerce are moving swiftly onto the internet. Companies must acknowledge this, to survive and flourish in today's economy.
About the Author:
(C) Jay Kendall. Look at EvolveSEM.co.uk for intelligent advice on SEM Consultants and SEO Consultants.
