Online marketing has many advantages over traditional methods but the overall goal is the same.
The goal is to bring in more sales.
The difference lies in the technology/tools used to market, the automated algorithm’s that determine the winners and losers on the web, and the new etiquette and protocols that have sprung up around new communication methods.
Gather the stakeholders and those in the know in your mid-sized business and ask yourself these 9 questions. You may be surprised what you learn.
- Who owns the Internet marketing at this company? So often we find that mid-sized businesses do not have a clear owner of the Internet presence of the business. Perhaps it is time to appoint one. This person doesn’t have to be a know-it-all online marketer, but should be familiar with how online marketing differs from traditional marketing.
- Is our website as professional or more professional than every one of our major competitors? Your website is as important as your business card. It will be looked at before a customer commits to doing business with you. What do they see when they visit your website?
- Has the amount of engagement and sales coming from our website been increasing over time? As more and more B2B and B2C decision makers turn to the web for research and purchasing, there should be an upward trend in the importance of your website to your bottom line.
- Does our website rank in the top 10 search results on Google for the words that buyers are typing in to find our products/services? People are searching for your products and services online, your website needs to be ranking well for those keyword phrases.
- Are we monitoring what is being said about our products/services/brands/employees and company on the web? People are talking about all of these things on blogs, Twitter, Facebook and in forums. There is a competitive advantage in monitoring these discussions to find customer service problems, gaps in the product/service
- Are we participating in what is being said about our products/services/brands/employees and company on the web? Being the originator of content about your industry/products/services/brands/employees and company is how you gain authority and trust over your competition online. Become the leader of the conversation.
- Is it easy to add content to our website using the platform we are using? To participate in the conversation online it is critical to have a website that is updated with fresh content that is relevant to your industry.
- When people visit our website, how often do they do what we want them to do? (i.e. fill out a lead form, buy something, make a donation, call our office) In the end, all marketing is about creating more sales. How well does your website execute on that goal.
- D0 we have the internal resources (time/money/know-how) to positively effect the answers to the first 8 questions? We all know that we can choose one of three paths with any business activity — do it in-house, outsource it or don’t do it at all.
Your turn. How did you answer these tough questions? How do you think your competition answers these questions? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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