“How should I be using the Internet to market my business?”
It should come as no secret that there is no single correct answer to this question!
If there were, though, I guess it would start off with the word:
“Carefully!”
But you need to be actively using it! In 2019, as in the past several years, digital marketing budgets grew more than any other channel
At the same time, digital marketing is also the most rapidly changing marketing medium. So,
Be Prepared for Frequent Changes in the “Rules of the Internet Highway.”
Online, there’s no such thing as “set and forget.” What’s true today may be totally different tomorrow in fact, what you’re being encouraged to do today may actually get you in trouble down the line.
Whether it’s your website, your online ads, your marketing email or some other form of interaction with your market, if you expect to come out ahead you’ll need to plan – and then be ready to re-calibrate!
The Website is Stabilizing as a “Portal” for Business Inquiries.
While some aspects of the website may have changed (in particular the emphasis on search engine optimization), in the B2B world the website remains an essential part of your marketing and even of your sales. So here are some key questions you should be asking about your own website:
- Do you expect your website to produce inquiries or sales leads?
- Do you have a Sales Funnel, a step-by-step process of moving leads to sales?
- Where will your in-person Sales Process interact with your online marketing?
- Will your site(s) be interacting with social media or other forms of advertising?
- Who is in charge of monitoring and or managing your on-line efforts?
Strategic Market Planning is an Absolute Must.
If you’re like most companies you expect some kind of return on the investment (R.O.I.) for the time and expense of maintaining an on-line presence. Regardless of the extent you are using (or plan to use) the internet we almost always recommend that you position your main website at the center of your on-line activities. The more complex your marketing effort is, the more likely you are to need a variety of “offers” on your site, corresponding sales pages and follow-up autoresponder messages.
All this will work well only with a careful approach that integrates the internet with your overall Marketing Plan.
If you’re not clear about how well your online marketing is integrated with your traditional, “off-line” marketing, go back and take a look at the five bulleted questions above. If you have ready answers, you’re probably in good shape!
If some answers are weak, or missing altogether, you may want to get a copy of our Website Marketing Questionnaire. It’s a tool you can use to analyze your site in its current form, or as a discussion document in conversations with potential new website designers.