Dwight M. Scott

So, you finished your website and wondering whats next? The one question that I am constantly getting asked is: “I have my website up now, but where do I go from here?” This is probably the most important question ever. Having a static website with no push or marketing behind it, just rendered itself as useless! Think about it for a second…the website and the presence it creates by itself is simply not enough. There are techniques you can do to jump start your web marketing efforts.

The best and probably the least expensive (because it’s free!) ways are placing your website on top search engines local listing. This will give you more impressions for your website, especially when searching for you locally. In conjunction with this, you should consider getting involved with a pay per click campaign. I recommend that you find your niche so you don’t waste ad dollars. I always tell my clients to let me install analytics on their site so we can see how their audience is reaching them. We then can strengthen the efforts that are already in place, as well as develop new innovative keywords and strategies for their audience to find them.

While pay per click campaigns and sponsored links will drive about 40% of your sites traffic, your organic efforts will take precedence with the remaining 60%. This is why it is imperative to correctly convey a clear message to your audience - allowing search engines to find you. The content that you generate as well as the frequency of it will determine how you rank in search engines.

Social media plays as a HUGE outlet for you to market and advertise you newly built website. Generate buzz and create a movement of followers for your website by taking advantage of the social media craze. These social sites such as youtube, facebook, twitter, digg, etc. are there for you to take advantage of. Use them to establish your business as trusted company by generating a following. This following will, in return continue to spread throughout their networks and create a whole viral campaign. Its too easy to get wrapped up in the social media world and post personal status updates that have no relevance - unless of course your website is personal. Instead post quality that your follows actually want to read and contains value. I recommend using social media to display a new post in a newsletter, events you will partake in, promotions, etc. This will return a much greater result than “Sitting at Wendy’s eating a hamburger”.

You have to be completely involved in every aspect of your website, especially if you want it to generate ad revenue. With this comes what I like to call “getting involved”. This simply means finding a more popular blog than yours at the time and commenting where their users can use your expertise. This is just another way to establish you as an expert. Guest blogging creates links that will link back to your website and ultimately putting you in more places! It’s that easy! Take advantage of the fact that some sites already have a wide range of readers, why not get them to visit your website while they are there?

During these rough times; because of the economy, companies are usually quick to do budget cuts. Most times I have found that companies cut their marketing and advertising budgets first. There is no better time to invest in a SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or SEM (Search Engine Marketing) campaign like now. Get a jump start in your company’s marketing and advertising efforts while everyone else is cutting back.

The way the economy is right now, gives you the advantage to attack your target market harder than ever. SEO is one of the most inexpensive and easiest way ways to attract leads. SEO allows you to target more of your audience at once, unlike some other traditional forms of marketing and advertising. Companies cut their marketing budgets not realizing how much harm it’s really doing to their business. Taking advantage of an inexpensive way such as SEO is vital during these times.

SEO is more than just a bunch of keywords used to identify your company. It’s more of a formulated course of action used to define your company’s niche, ultimately generating leads, increasing revenue or productivity. This is now more than ever a time to rely on what your Trusted Web Expert can do for you.

Design plays a big factor when it comes to captivating your audience. Statistics say you have about three seconds to capture their attention to keep them on your site. The best way is usually through the appearance of your site. It doesn’t take long for somebody to criticize your site without giving it a “real” chance.

There are many different parts of design that most people overlook. The most common are:

• Banner
• Text
• Buttons
• Corporate Identity (logo)
• Content layout/placement
• Footer

Having a custom design for each of the above can get pricey. Although these things are nice, they are not always needed. One of the most efficient ways to cut back on design is through navigational links. A lot of people want the fancy buttons with roller overs. What they don’t realize is that it can cause their price to go up too. So, what you can do is…have regular text links! This is a simple way to cut back yet still have a pleasing design.

Don’t get me wrong, design plays a MAJOR role in web development whether it be Columbus, Ohio or not! It’s really about captivating your audience and grabbing their attention long enough to find out about your company or purchase your products/services. I personally recommend going with a fancy design when you have a brochure site (informational - not too much functionality) since there isn’t a lot the site would have to offer functionally anyway. As I said in part 2, I would always recommend the functionality over design since that’s usually what increases your revenue, productivity, or awareness. Keep in mind that this is only if your budget doesn’t allow you to get the full package up front. It is usually less expensive to re-design a site rather than re-developing one…

Choosing a domain name can be more crucial than what it seems. There is a lot more to consider now rather just buying a domain that is the name of your company. Find a alternative domain that emphasizes your niche.

Chances are that you will be speaking a great deal of your company name, so your audience will already know to go to yourcompanyname.com. Instead choose yourniche.com; increasing your marketing efforts. So, for instance if you were a roofing company based in Columbus, Ohio specializing in residential roofing, you might choose something like www.columbusresidentialroofing.com.

By you choosing an alternative domain name will help leverage your company and increase your search engine rankings. I know you are probably wondering, “How do I make sure my users see the same site without building the same site twice?” Aske your web consultant about JavaScript redirects or domain name forwarding.

This will help your company a lot in terms of SEO. Not to mention this a very inexpensive. The average domain costs $8-$10 per year and can be hosted with your same hosting company. To find if a domain name is available visit www.1and1.com or www.godaddy.com. These two sites make it easy to find a domain that is available. I would not recommend GoDaddy as a hosting choice though!

With the constant urge of society wanting information and resources quick and at their fingertips, you have to keep up. There is no better way to ensure you are in your target market’s face other than a website.

Practically, everything is handled via the web. Which makes obtaining a web presence for your company is crucial. I would almost recommend getting a website as soon, if not before you federally register your business. It is TOO important to a business’ success not to have one.

Websites are the best way to advertise and market your business. With the right Web Consultant, Developer, and Designer your business will reach a new level of growth. However, once you get your website live, be sure to frequently update your website. Users and search engines LOVE new and fresh content!