Your Web Site's Objective

Written by Bobette Kyle


Continued from page 1

Lower Operating Costs

A Web site can help your business by lowering costs. Automated customer service functions - Web-based FAQ, order status reports, product specifications, etc. - can lowerrepparttar number of customer service calls, reducing customer service labor costs.

A Web presence can also lower operating costs by streamlining communication with your business partners. Business-to-business companies can create secure Web space to communicate and collaborate with customers. It is even possible to have individual, private sites for major clients. A central "meeting place" that archives communications and other customer-specific information can cut down on administrative costs related to "phone tag", inquiries, and/orrepparttar 121471 need to consciously keep all players "inrepparttar 121472 loop". Onrepparttar 121473 supply side, you could reduce costly business disruptions by giving key vendors Web-based access to your inventory or other real-time information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Setting Your Objective ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While there are different approaches to setting objectives, my preference is to develop a single objective for a site, which may encompass more than one approach to business building. Inrepparttar 121474 plan, I include separate strategies and tactics to address each approach. I also like to include, inrepparttar 121475 objective, bothrepparttar 121476 customer stage(s) and business building model(s) I will focus on inrepparttar 121477 plan. This way, it is more apparent which strategies are appropriate.

Another approach is to addressrepparttar 121478 customer stages separately from your objective in a summary or write-up. With either approach, you should view your plan as evolving over time. Asrepparttar 121479 business environment and situation change, your focus should change as well. Once you get pastrepparttar 121480 launch stage of a new site, for example, you are in a better position to evaluate site traffic, so your plan may shift from focusing on awareness and interest to building trial and loyalty. Similarly, a better understanding of site visitors may lead you to adjust your business model to more closely address your company's and Web customers' needs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Other Articles in this Series ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inrepparttar 121481 first article of this series, "Developing a Web Site Marketing Plan", I discussedrepparttar 121482 elements of a marketing plan - objective, strategies, and tactics. Inrepparttar 121483 remaining two articles inrepparttar 121484 series, I will take a closer look at strategies and tactics you can consider for your Web site.

Part One: "Developing a Web Site Marketing Plan" Part Three: "Strategies for Your Web Site Marketing Plan" Part Four: "Choosing Tactics for Your Web Site Marketing Plan"

Bobette Kyle has over 10 years experience in marketing, brand management, and general management. The four part Web site marketing plan series is based on her book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Web Site Marketing for Small-Budget Businesses". The book presents a unique five-step process to marketing plan development. http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com/sr.htm


Strategies for Your Web Site Marketing Plan

Written by Bobette Kyle


Continued from page 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SWOT Analysis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a SWOT analysis, you identify strengths, weaknesses, market opportunities for your company, and threats to your business. You then userepparttar analysis to develop strategies that will minimizerepparttar 121470 affect of your weaknesses on your business while maximizing your strengths. Ideally, you will match your strengths against market opportunities that result from your competitors’ weaknesses or voids.

When completing a SWOT analysis, you may find it helpful to create a table identifying observations relative to each SWOT component for both your company's site and your competitors' sites. Inrepparttar 121471 table, note Internet-related activities such as trade organization participation, search engine inclusion, and outside links torepparttar 121472 sites. Then, fromrepparttar 121473 table you create you can spot your company’s strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats to your business.

Often, opportunities arise as a result of a changing business environment. As you study your competitors, be onrepparttar 121474 lookout for these opportunities. Some situations that could represent opportunities for a company include, but are certainly not limited to:

* New technology is created, butrepparttar 121475 competition has been unable to deliver acceptable customer service.

* A customer segment is becoming more predominant, but their specific needs are not being fully met by your competitors.

* A customer, competitor, or supplier goes out of business or merges with another company.

Once you develop your strategies, you will be ready to choose tactics for your Web site marketing plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Other Articles in this Series ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inrepparttar 121476 first two article of this series, "Developing a Web Site Marketing Plan" and "Your Web Site's Objectives", I discussedrepparttar 121477 marketing plan in general, then developing Web site objectives. In this,repparttar 121478 third article inrepparttar 121479 series, I took a closer look at developing effective strategies. The final article is devoted to choosing tactics for your plan.

Part One: "Developing a Web Site Marketing Plan" Part Two: "Your Web Site's Objectives" Part Four:"Choosing Tactics for Your Web Site Marketing Plan"

Bobette Kyle has over 10 years experience in marketing, brand management, and general management. The four part Web site marketing plan series is based on her book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Web Site Marketing for Small-Budget Businesses". The book presents a unique five-step process to marketing plan development. http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com/sr.htm


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