| Welcome to the latest edition of the Inside Edge--your monthly report on Internet trends and advancements that can turn your business into a more profitable business!
January 2008 Newsletter
|
Marketing Strategies for the New Year
...Is Internet Marketing Part of Your Plan?
In this month's edition we share with you some universal trends and statistics about online marketing that can help you fine tune your business. As you ring in the New Year and plan future marketing strategies, don't forget to include Internet marketing and advertising as an integral part of your planning.
This time of year business owners like you are reflecting on the successes and failures their business has experienced over the last twelve months. It is also a time when goals and objectives are being set for the coming year. Strategic marketing planning in the business world is increasingly becoming a vital business function. Your business, no doubt, will also review and refine marketing methodology for the next year with a view to retaining customers, attracting new ones and increasing overall profitability.
Typically, a marketing plan for most businesses involves five basic steps of:
-
Setting goals and objectives
-
Defining marketing methodology - tools, techniques and go-to-market strategies
-
Resource planning and deployment - manpower, budget allocation, infrastructure
-
Reviewing targets - accomplishments, shortfalls
-
Measuring Return on Investment (RoI)
Interestingly, each of the steps mentioned above, can and ideally, should have an online component. If Internet marketing wasn't a significant part of your marketing planning until now, you may have missed the flight, but you might still be able to get on the boat! Maybe you have used online marketing techniques already, in which case, it's time to take a close look at the behavioral patterns of your online customers in order to attract more targeted traffic and convert more customers.
Take a moment to think about how your website would rate on all of the above expected best practices. Next, the fundamental questions you should aim to answer in your Internet marketing plan are:
-
Based on your business goals and objectives, what results do you want your website to accomplish? Think in terms of expanded reach to a greater audience, increased targeted traffic, enhanced customer conversion and bigger, better, ongoing profits.
-
How much are you willing to invest in order to achieve those results? Aim to ensure that your cost per new conversion or cost per customer retention is justified not only by the overall revenue but also by the level of spending per customer. For example, anyalics software will provide this data. Also, if you have been using Internet marketing techniques like Pay-per-Click (PPC) by doing it yourself, analyze whether it is worth spending the kind of time you would for the results you can achieve on your own. Or would it make better business sense to outsource a highly effective, yet inexpensive online marketing technique to an expert who can guarantee optimal results and ongoing RoI?
-
Internet marketing aims to create effective "call-to-action". Have you defined the desired "action"(s)? What do you want visitors to do when they come to your website? To turn visitors into customers, you need to know your target audience and give them reasons to work with you instead of the competition. Use Web analytics reporting to study customer behavior and pay attention to the areas of "high abandonment" in your site.
Over the last year, the WSI Inside Edge newsletter has covered several Internet marketing fundamentals, trends, techniques and best practices such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-per-Click (PPC), Email marketing, Web Analytics, e-Commerce, Online brand building and so on. To find out more about how you can leverage any or all of these Internet marketing methodologies by including them in your marketing plan, attend our upcoming Seminar/Workshop on January 31st. This could be an important meeting for your business.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
WSI We Simplify the Internet - Contact Gregg Towsley 310-909-8835 | |
|
|
|
|
| January 31st Seminar |
Internet Marketing Seminar/Workshop
~> 4 Powerful techniques to drive targeted traffic to your website
~> Tips and strategies to convert your visitors into customers
~> 10 Ways to get search engines to love your website
When: Thursday, January 31
Time: 11:45 - 1:30
Where: Marriott
Manhattan Beach, CA
|
|
|
| Poll Question |
 |
|
What are your 2008 New Years Resolutions?
a. Start a Business
b. Work Less, Enjoy Life More
c. Spend More Time with Family and Friends
d. Make More Money,Reduce Debt
e. Eat and Drink More, Stop Exercising, and Start Smoking
|
| Monthly Quote |
"In the future, there will be two types of businesses, companies that are on the internet and companies that are no longer in business."
Bill Gates - Microsoft |
| Newsletter Archive |
 |
Click Here to view past WSI Inside Edge Newsletter! |
| Featured Website |
Click on the image above to view this months feature website, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. |
|
| Advertise Here |
| |
|
