Developing a Web Site Marketing Plan

Written by Bobette Kyle


Developing a Web Site Marketing Plan Part One of a Four Part Series Based on "How Much for Justrepparttar Spider?"

by Bobette Kyle

For many of us, findingrepparttar 121514 time and commitment to complete a marketing plan for our Web sites is difficult. There are so many other obligations vying for our attention it is tempting to push planning torepparttar 121515 back burner. Giving into that temptation, however, means putting your business at a disadvantage. Your marketing plan isrepparttar 121516 compass by which you navigate. As opportunities arise or your business environment changes,repparttar 121517 objective and strategies in your marketing plan will point you towardrepparttar 121518 best action. Without a marketing plan, you risk becoming unfocused in your marketing and are only guessing what might be best for your business.

In this article, you will learnrepparttar 121519 parts to a marketing plan. I will also point you to some marketing plan resources. In parts two through four ofrepparttar 121520 series, I will discuss objectives, strategies, and tactics for your Web site marketing plan.

To be most effective, your Web site marketing plan should be a part of your business marketing plan. By aligning online marketing with your offline efforts, you can better achieve overall company objectives. Additionally, you will present a consistent style and message across all points of contact with your target audience.

Your Web site marketing plan's focus will be partially determined by your site's status. If you already have a site in place, your plan can focus strictly on marketing issues - how to most effectively market using your existing site. If you have a site that needs improvement, your plan should incorporate enhancements intorepparttar 121521 site’s design in conjunction with marketing activities (While you may not think of these enhancements as "marketing", in this case, they are instrumental to an effective plan.). If you do not yet have a site, you can create one while developing your Web site marketing plan, with your plan focused on launchingrepparttar 121522 site. In any case, remember that your objective, strategies, and tactics will change over time as your situation and focus change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Parts of a Marketing Plan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Web site marketing plan is similar to a business marketing plan, but with a narrower focus. Completing a marketing plan includes developing strategies and tactics (also called action plans) that, when implemented, will help you reach your marketing objectives. Objectives, strategies, and tactics are each progressively narrower in scope.

The objective addressesrepparttar 121523 "big picture". In general terms, your objective answersrepparttar 121524 question "How will I overcome my main marketing challenge(s)?" If your company’s main site- related challenge is figuring out how to use your Web site to help build client business, for example, an objective for your Web site marketing plan could be "To enhance online client service as well as build site awareness and interest with clients."

Branding

Written by Bob Osgoodby


No, we're not talking about burning your brand intorepparttar hide of a steer, but rather intorepparttar 121513 mind of your potential customers. We're going to discuss effective techniques for telling your customers who you are, and what you do.

One ofrepparttar 121514 maxims of any advertising campaign is to try to make your company a household word. Many ofrepparttar 121515 major corporations such as Budweiser and Wendy's have discovered how to do this, and we could take a few lessons from them.

The Internet today, givesrepparttar 121516 smaller players a "level playing field" with some of big guys. If we are to succeed, it is vitally important to recognize what they are doing in their branding programs.

First, and foremost, if you are serious about doing business onrepparttar 121517 Internet, you must have a web site. When visitors arrive there, it should be immediately obvious as to what you actually do. Too many web site developers forget this, and try to impress their visitors with graphics that take to long to load.

Don't forget - people visiting your site have come there for a reason. If you don't make it immediately clear what you do, they may just "click away". Any good ad will feature what benefitrepparttar 121518 person will receive by doing business with you. You want your "brand" to be loud and clear, and not hidden behind a lot of "glitz".

You must have contact information. A picture of you can go a long way to humanizing your web site. People prefer doing business with other people, not a nameless company, without anyway of contacting them, other than a form to fill out. You must have a physical address, and preferably a phone number where someone can contact you. The more you can make your potential clients comfortable with you,repparttar 121519 better your odds of getting their business.

Verbal content is king. If your copy is not good, you will not succeed. Many web sites simply throw up a few graphics and a few "buzzwords", and wonder why they don't get a good response. People have takenrepparttar 121520 time to come to your site and are looking for answers. A visitor to your web site, should leave with few, if any unanswered questions.

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