Why have a Website for marketing, if only to make mine look good
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Mon, Mar 28, 2011
Websites have become an essential element in every company’s marketing mix. Whereas fifteen years ago, only the most cutting edge companies has websites, these days it is rare to find a company that doesn’t have a website. In today’s business world, a website is as fundamental as a phone number as it is a key way to display, promote and sell a business’s services and products as well as a key way to communicate with customers.
Unlike a sales force which is made up of people who are limited to working during office hours, a website is open for business 365 days of the year and for 24 hours of the day. This ‘always open’ aspect of a website is one of the key reasons to have a website. However, creating a website simply because everyone has one is not a strong enough to get the most from a company website. It is important to begin the design process by asking a number of questions and setting out clear objectives.
It is best to clearly define what the goal of the website is; there can be a number of objectives for example, is the purpose of the website to inform, to build a community, to provide increased customer service, to reach a target audience, to find sales leads, to conduct e-commerce, to gain advertising revenue, to brand the company or build trust? The goal of the website will dictate its design. If the purpose of the site is to inform clear navigation and eye-catching design will be important. If the site is an e-commerce site, product search tools and an easy to use cart system will be fundamental.
Think Google, great website and loads of traffic!
In short, the same way that every other aspect of the business is subject to careful planning, the creation of a website should follow equally stringent execution in order to achieve results.
If you have further questions about websites or online marketing, contact SiliconCloud today.
Tell us what you like about You Tube!
YouTube’s not just for posting silly videos of sleepwalking dogs and other embarrassing moments — it can also be used as a highly effective business tool. You can use it to show off your expertise, share knowledge, market your products and connect with customers, colleagues and prospects
Have your turn now and tell us how you would review You tube in terms of a business tool that helps you grow your business, and generate revenue.