Through the course of my day and my business, I meet with many business owners and entrepreneurs. Most of them understand that marketing today is a bit different and they are anxious to change to the marketplace needs.
One thing I notice is that there is a key component that many of these business owners are missing. The most important key piece, in my opinion. While many of the business owners have a website, what I see they are missing is the fact that your website is a powerful machine that can help you market across multiple platforms. Online and Offline.
So what do I mean by that? Let's take a look at your website which will prove to be a valuable tool in your marketing methods.
One of the first things you want to do is make sure you have your own site. If you are a part of a company and have a page that is company based, you're not able to utilize and maximize this site. It does not belong to you. And, if you ever leave that company, you can't take any information with you.
Another important feature is the blogging capability on your site. This is important for two different reasons. The first one being that search engine's love fresh content. By posting articles on a regular basis, you are providing your site with fresh, relevant content that relates to your industry.
The second reason is a blog gives you the ability to interact by cross posting articles that would be of interest to your potential customers on social media and other areas. This gives you the ability to send readers back to your website to read the article. But it also allows you to encourage readers to sign up for your email list. This brings us to the next reason.
Your email list is extremely valuable no matter where you work. That list will be with you always. You will have the ability to send out messages and emails that will reach people who are interested in your message. Make sure you are using an email service so that people can opt in and out easily, which follows the anti-spam laws.
Use your website in your marketing methods off-line for newspaper ads, direct mail, radio, etc., by having a unique landing page for each promotion. This way you can track what promotion was the most effective.
Install Google Analytics so that you can track that website traffic. This free service gives information that will help you target your specific group and even give you keywords people are using to find your site, which you can then use in blog posts and articles.
Using these basics will increase the power of your website. Your website should be and can be the pivot point for all of your marketing tools. By sending people to your site, you get the tracking ability and conversation ability. And by using articles by posting outward on social media and social sites, you can drive them back to your website again.
Take a look at how your site is working for you. What changes can you make to use yours more as a marketing tool?