In 2007 I was pitching a new website to the committee of a prospective client in Dublin. One of the attendees asked "What is the most important factor in creating a successful website?". I must have seemed very on-the-ball when I had an answer at the ready- luckily I had been considering that very question myself just a couple of days earlier!
My answer was simple and I stick by it today: to be successful the website must be a priority in your business. I'm pretty sure they were expecting a somewhat more technical answer like Search Engine Optimization or Content Management. But if the online presence is not considered a priority, the rest will not matter. In fact I would go so far as to say that it is difficult to fail if you make your online presence a priority, and it is difficult to succeed if you do not.
Shifting Priorities
In the 10 years I've been building websites for clients I've noticed a marked shift in how our current and prospective clients view the importance of an online marketing presence. For fun let's compare with the traditional 5 stages of grief:
1. Denial: I don't need a website. We do just fine without one. Web developers need not apply.
2. Anger: I will scream if one more person asks me why we don't have a website.
3. Bargaining: I begrudgingly admit I need a website. I don't care how it works as long as it's cheap!
4. Depression: Why is my website not cutting my costs and increasing my sales?
5. Acceptance: We need to have a website that works. It's going to be our most important sales and marketing tool.
If I was going to add a 6th stage to that list, it would be this:
6. Control: For our web presence to be effective, we need to have full control. No one knows our business or our market better than we do.
Should It Be A Priority? Make Me A Believer.
For those that are navigating the murky waters between stages 1 and 4, let's take a look at a few reasons why your online presence should be a priority:
Online sales and marketing is cost effective. For example, our Site Caddy service gives you everything you need to manage a world-class web presence for just a few dollars/euro per day. Compare that with the cost of print, postage, radio, television, or other traditional forms of advertising.
Online sales and marketing is growing.Even in the current economy almost all news and research channels are reporting increased spending and success in the online sector. For businesses, it's the best way to cut sales and marketing costs. For consumers, the web is the best place to comparison shop.
Online sales and marketing is global.Unless you are at the level of Coca-Cola or IBM, you probably don't have the marketing budget to reach people outside your local area. Wrong! One website + a little online marketing + a bit of creativity = global audience. And you can target your message to only the regions you are interested in.
Your competition is doing it. If your friend jumps off a bridge, that does not mean you should too. But if your competitors are effectively using the internet to attract new customers and provide them with better service and prices, don't get left behind.
The world is changing. Every day your demographic is getting younger and more internet savvy. Even if you think your current customer base does not care about the internet, your next generation of clients will. Every day your customers and members are relying more on the web to provide services and help make buying decisions. You had better be ready for them, or someone else will.
Online sales and marketing is easy! Do not fear the web. Embrace it. Start small, both in terms of ambition and budget. But get started today.
I could go on and on, but at this point I am going to assume I did my job of convincing you that the web should be a priority for your organization. What do we do now?
Making Your Web Presence A Priority
Welcome to Stage 5- Acceptance. You've decided that a solid web presence is critical to the success of your business. How do I make it a priority?
Choose a Web Czar
OK, maybe the term Web Czar is a little dramatic, but you need to have one person in your organization that is tasked with the web. This person needs to believe in the power of the web. They do not need to be an expert- only willing to try and to learn.
If you're a small business (or a one person operation) then you are the Web Czar. I know you already work too many hours and have too many responsibilities on your plate. But establishing the web as a priority means just that: it's a priority and you need to make room in your schedule. Think of the time you will save in the long run if the web site is doing your sales and marketing for you.
And yes, if the home page of your website is advertising a special offer that expired 2 months ago- blame the Web Czar. But if your online sales jump 50% in each of the 1st 3 months of their reign, take them to lunch and lavish them with praise.
Create a Budget
There are a ton of great things you can do on the web for free, especially if you're creative. But unless you've got a time on your hands or IT and marketing departments at your disposal, you will probably need to spend something on your online presence. If it is a priority, then it should be budgeted as such. Start small. Measure your results. Increase the spend on the areas that work.
Keep Your Eye On It
If you're not used to having your web presence as a priority, it can be easily forgotten. A few simple tricks can help you to keep the web on the brain. For example, make your web site your browser's home page so it's the first thing you see each time you go online. Set reminders for yourself to update the site at regular intervals. Always look for opportunities to leverage your website and online communications. Always look for ways to drive visitors to your website.
Take Action
This is where Site Caddy comes in. You have established that your online marketing is a priority. You have established that your web presence is a top priority for your business. A member of your team has been tasked with not only keeping the website up to date but to finding new ways to use it. They use Site Caddy every day to update the site, drive online sales, build their contact database, and communicate with members, customers and prospects.
And yes- we got that gig in Dublin! They have made their online marketing a priority, they have doubled their online bookings in each of the last two years, and they are very happy.
Comments