Your website is your most important tool for creating a marketable web presence –
it is the cornerstone of any web strategy. It is also your brand’s home on the web,
the site that anyone can visit for up-to-date facts, information, offers, community
and other features –the equivalent of an online business card
Your website is your
online office, the hub of business activity. This chapter will help you understand
why a website is so vital, how to create a tailored page for your marketing needs,
and what common mistakes to avoid.
Your website is the center of your strategy
What makes a website so important for marketing? Why is it the central element of any online marketing strategy? Here are a few reasons:
• You control the page. A website is a place where you can express your brand and marketing message fully, in whatever way you want. You are generally not constrained by anything except your imagination and budget. It is also the definitive source for accurate facts and information about your business and products.
• It is a powerful tool. A website is not just an information page: it can be a powerful marketing and business tool. For example, if you analyse the data on who visits your page, you can get a good idea of who is interested in your offering (you will learn about web analytics in chapter 8). You can include an online store, a community and other features too. You can also customise your website to reflect exactly what your target market is looking for.
• All roads lead to your website. As you will see in the mind map below, your website is the hub that all your other marketing strategies lead to. In effect, it is the final destination for every aspect of your online campaign. • You are expected to have one. If a customer can’t find you at www.yourbrand. co.za, they are unlikely to expend any more effort to find you. Today’s connected audience takes it for granted that your have a slick website with all the requisite information. Gone are the days of leafing through the Yellow Pages (unless it’s online); you need a website that is easy to find and even easier to navigate.
• It is your brand’s online home. Your website is the one part of the web that is completely devoted to your brand and marketing message. It serves as a reference point for customers, fellow businesses and even your own staff. Not only do you provide content, you can also use it as a point of sale, a social community and a message board.
• It is stable. While your social networking pages, advertising campaigns, email newsletters and so on will change, your website will always remain in the same place (at the same web address). This is extremely important on the ever-changing web, especially for links that lead to your content. Think of your website as the online equivalent of your physical office. When clients visit your office, they expect certain services and features to be in place. The same principles can be applied to your website.
Your website is the center of your strategy
What makes a website so important for marketing? Why is it the central element of any online marketing strategy? Here are a few reasons:
• You control the page. A website is a place where you can express your brand and marketing message fully, in whatever way you want. You are generally not constrained by anything except your imagination and budget. It is also the definitive source for accurate facts and information about your business and products.
• It is a powerful tool. A website is not just an information page: it can be a powerful marketing and business tool. For example, if you analyse the data on who visits your page, you can get a good idea of who is interested in your offering (you will learn about web analytics in chapter 8). You can include an online store, a community and other features too. You can also customise your website to reflect exactly what your target market is looking for.
• All roads lead to your website. As you will see in the mind map below, your website is the hub that all your other marketing strategies lead to. In effect, it is the final destination for every aspect of your online campaign. • You are expected to have one. If a customer can’t find you at www.yourbrand. co.za, they are unlikely to expend any more effort to find you. Today’s connected audience takes it for granted that your have a slick website with all the requisite information. Gone are the days of leafing through the Yellow Pages (unless it’s online); you need a website that is easy to find and even easier to navigate.
• It is your brand’s online home. Your website is the one part of the web that is completely devoted to your brand and marketing message. It serves as a reference point for customers, fellow businesses and even your own staff. Not only do you provide content, you can also use it as a point of sale, a social community and a message board.
• It is stable. While your social networking pages, advertising campaigns, email newsletters and so on will change, your website will always remain in the same place (at the same web address). This is extremely important on the ever-changing web, especially for links that lead to your content. Think of your website as the online equivalent of your physical office. When clients visit your office, they expect certain services and features to be in place. The same principles can be applied to your website.