Success on the web starts with knowing what type of web presence is right for your business. There are a lot of possibilities, but you have finite time and money. So you want to focus your efforts on the things that will produce the best business results.
In developing your web strategy, you should focus on how your web presence will help you to achieve three key goals:
- Traffic: How to drive quality traffic to your website, Facebook page, or other web properties
- Conversion: How to ‘convert’ your web visitors from casual visitors to active, engaged sales leads and, eventually, paying customers
- Support: How to use the web to support and retain your existing customers
To help get you going in the right direction, it helps to ask some questions up front, such as:
- Who is your target audience? What type of approach is going to work best with them?
- What kind of website do you need to reach your audience and serve their needs?
- How will you drive traffic to your website and other web properties (e.g., Facebook page)?
- What role can search traffic play in your business?
- Can online advertising deliver new leads and customers at a decent ROI?
- Is social media an effective way to reach your audience? Which specific platforms should you be on?
- Should email marketing be part of your marketing mix?
Answering these and other questions will help you develop a clearer idea of what kind of web presence you need for your business.