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Online Marketing Doesn't Stop at a Fancy Website

Chris Brogan, VP Strategy & Technology, CrossTech Media.

5/27/2008

In analyzing several corporate websites over the last two weeks, I've come to notice a pattern that several companies seem to fall into: when it comes to their online presence, companies and associations are stopping somewhere after a decent website design. From what I've observed, there are several next steps after getting your site pretty:

  1. Ensure your SEO is sound. - Search Engine Optimization determines that people searching for what you offer will find you. Remember: they don't come directly to your page that often, and when they do, they might not know what exactly where to find what it is they need. Learning how machines see and understand your website is as important as any graphic you purchase.
  2. Make your pages a conversation. - In several cases, I found web pages that had wonderfully explained "calls to action" that had me interested in what would come next, but with no clear way for me to engage. Sure, I could click a few pages over and find a contact box or a phone number, but there was nothing that showed me a business was interested then and there in continuing the selling cycle with me. Consider adding simple, non-threating contact points where they make the most sense.
  3. Bring your story outside your website. - Are you using email marketing? Have you considered Internet video or social networks as part of your outreach and conversation? Where is your customer base in the larger online world? Making sure all the various pieces of your online strategy can work beyond the boundaries of your own website and URL is every bit as important as the efforts you take to bring people to the site. Tying it all together is another step altogether.

If you're looking to build a strategy around how your website and your other online efforts, and you want to talk more about this, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] . If nothing else, I can give you another set of eyes on your site and your strategy.

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