Many of you will have heard the phrase e-marketing and wondered what it actually means. E-marketing is basically any form of marketing carried out using
- A Computer
- Mobile Phone
- A Handheld Device
Over the next few months we will examine each of these in turn. This month we look at marketing using a computer.
Before I start it is always worth getting back to basics and examine the difference between marketing and sales. The definition of marketing is
"A series of activities that creates the need for a product or service".
The definition of sales is
"A product or service that satisfies an identified need"
In summary this month's article will help you identify ways to create the need for your businesses products and services, using a website and the internet!
Like it or loath it the internet is now the way of the world. Any business ignoring the internet as one of its main marketing tools does so at its peril. The advantages of the internet are enormous, and can, if approached in the correct way, generate significant volumes of new sales and income by opening up new markets. This applies to the majority of businesses.
The other big advantage is that it does not have to cost the earth, and high levels of new business can be generated for a relatively low cost, particularly when compared to traditional forms of marketing such as adverts in papers.
Without stating the obvious a businesses window to the internet world is a website. There are three things that make a website effective. - It has to be found!!
- It reflects the values and image of the business.
- It communicates the key messages and Unique Selling Points (USP's) clearly and concisely.
Getting found is the name of this highly important game!
When people talk about getting found they really mean getting found by a search engine such as Google when someone types in a key phrase e.g. plumber Barton-On-Sea
Google is by far the biggest search engine in the world and represents 80%+ of all searches. The others Yahoo, MSN etc are also important and although they account for far less volume should not be ignored.
The objective is to get your website to the top of the search engines, or at the very least on the first page (particularly Google!) for all of the key search terms relating to your business. So in the example of our Barton-On-Sea plumber, his/her key search terms could be
- Barton-On-Sea Plumber
- Plumber Dorset Boiler
- repairs New Forest
The list is endless!
Some of you may ask why New Forest? That is because someone in The New Forest looking for their boiler to be repaired may be searching for a local plumber. If our Plumber is prepared to travel outside of Barton-On-Sea he can pick up additional business, and a new market in The New Forest.
So now that we have identified that a first page position is what we want, how do we achieve it?
Well as in the rest of life money talks. If you have a big enough budget you can almost guarantee a number one position on almost any search term by paying for it. This is known as a Sponsored Link or Pay Per Click Campaign
The listings appear to the top or the right of the page as illustrated.
Anyone can set up, and manage their own PPC. That said there is a lot more to it and to do it effectively it is advisable to get a specialist company like Vizzit®Web Design to manage it for you.
The other way of getting a page one listing is through a "Natural Listing".
One of the main advantages of a Natural Listings is that unlike a sponsored listing they are completely FREE. Natural Listings are achieved in a variety of ways but in summary it is the way in which your site is built, particularly the content on your home page, the coding behind the scenes, and the relevancy of your site to the subject.
We are regularly told that "our site is already on page one of Google! "when asked on what search terms the answer usually comes back "when you type in our company name" (which is normally the domain name e.g. http://www.xyzlumbers.co.uk/ )
If you type in the actual domain name of course it is very likely that you will be top. It is also highly likely that someone typing in your company name already knows you!. The name of the game is to attract new business from people that do not know you, and to get found on the generic search terms
To find out how your site is performing, and more importantly how it is likely to perform in the future under your key search terms Vizzit® Web Design provide a FREE service to provide you with that information.. This is achieved by running a report (normal price £199 + VAT) on your website, which we will then discuss with you.
TO ORDER YOUR FREE SEO REPORT PLEASE CALL US ON 01590 682161.
The final way to get your website found is to get yourself listed on a well optimised local business directory like http://www.vizzitnewforest.com/ this then enables you to effectively "piggy back" their optimisation. Listings on these directories typically cost around £99+Vat per year, and is money well spent, as long as the directory is well optimised. The proof is in the eating as they say, and the best thing to do is to test it.
With a very well optimised site such as http://www.vizzitnewforest.com/ you will find that for almost any search with the prefix New Forest e.g. new forest Chinese restaurant etc there will be a page 1 Google ranking if not a number one position. Take the challenge and test it for your business category!!
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