In the second of two blogs that uncover the secrets behind website marketing, Jonny Wills reveals some of the tasks pros should be doing with your online project As we said earlier: Delivering a website without the proper set-up and relationship to the rest of the internet is like giving you a car without an engine or fuel. In my book, if you don't explain why, it's a form of misselling. Honestly, and think about it, who is magically going to look at your site without pro-active preparation, effort or promotion on behalf of your organisation? For sure, it's my job to service you with a ready-for-market website... but the site itself is really 10% of the story. So what tasks make up the other 90%? Here's a quarter of what can be done (and value points of what you pay a web marketer for) in five points of plain English: 1. Researching and assembling all the words web-surfers might use to directly reach your site. Some digital consultants may tell (sell) you the idea they can get you 'top of Google' with the right language. Although it can be done, this is an impossible guarantee and one that has to be looked at almost daily. Ultimately it depends on as many keyword permutations as you can list and each one ranking high. After all, although we can narrow down our target prospects to a niche, we are still second guessing what anyone anywhere could be writing in a search engine. So, the least a copywriter can do is: a) get your sector vocabulary right – so you are presented appropriately as the expert, if you're not they may have to adjust what they write; b) consolidate your message – it probably took you years to hone of all your USPs, we have to ensure the best ones are upfront; c) set your business up for the right audience – whether a demographic or target niche; d) write in a way that isn't spammy, overselling or false – most people can spot and are put off by naked 'sell' wouldn't you agree?; e) use as many searchable words and phrases as possible that don't read badly as in 'd)'; f) think about the layout: this includes font, colours, position of text and where it will sit on a page for a laptop, tablet or smartphone (see picture above). 2. Using those words in your copy and anywhere in your campaign, on or off your site. Having done all that research and consolidated a message it took you years to develop but not actually get across, the perfect position to continue doing that is the one you commissioned in the first place, for a start, I have an objective view and my sole project's purpose is presenting you without distraction. 3.Testing a site to make sure it loads, reads, looks , links, uses, searches and works well. Because a developer who provides copy, marketing and SEO or as I term myself website marketer, can look at the whole picture then we are more efficient, thus saving money and hassle all round. It would behove a business, having commissioned a designer/copywriter or a one-stop-shop like me to keep fine-tuning the project. 4. Make efficient those little things that creates interest or makes a sale through testing, fine-tuning and reporting results. What is the golden goose for everyone? Sales? You'd think so, but actually it's specifically repeat sales. Having had your website built with integrity, and as we said before this means so search engines prove themselves good by ranking your business, then inevitably you will not only climb rankings but improve your reputation in your sector. Essentially this would make your enterprise the perfect summation of the phrase: 'go-to'. Quick tip: List the go-to businesses in your sector, the ones synonymous with product or service and list why people go back to them. Don't just curmudgeonly say 'because they have investment': you need to write all the positives related to things that make them attractive. Ask yourself why you are implementing them in your own business. 5. Providing a bespoke analysis of your online niche approach using all the above. I mentioned niche before, it's not a word to be afraid of because you are looking for your fans, followers, advocates, church, community, shoppers, customers and clients etc. These groups aren't everybody, they're not the whole population, you can relax. These are the people in need of your product of service who would come to rely on you for *clears throat: "repeat sales!" You being the go-to, you developing a livelihood because you have the foundation of integrity. When I build a site I, as a matter of course, automatically incorporate the necessities of the above (commissioned time-frame permitting of course). We call it SEO, UX, Keyword Listing etc. Each of these things can start at basic set-up for budget to an advanced version of the services that take those extra work hours and analysis over time. There's obviously an accountable difference between a starting point website and an ongoing online operation. Think of a shop, a company, a private trader always adapting to the market, a website is just a reflection of this, and what you sow counts for what you reap in the field of business dreams. It's for this reason most good web service facilitators with the objective 'project' view inherently care more for their client's needs rather than see how much money they make. My job then is to avail clients of a bespoke package of as many of these services or routes to return as possible – including website design and content management system – to choose as and when a client is ready in their own time to green light them. Thankfully, one of my personal USPs is that I am perceptive and usually understand a person and their business intent within ten minutes, it's the part of the job I enjoy the most, as I'm fired-up and feel I'm being the most helpful. A site being up on the web, but in reality not being looked at, may please some, especially those with business vanity but it won't please those with no long-term nous and certainly not me, looking to do their best for you. For those of you with the business savvy to see that the reality of your dream goes beyond 'getting a website for the business' it ultimately comes back to the main questions: 1. How and to whom are you presenting your business? 2. Are you marketing your creativity, your work, your passion? This leads to you asking: How are we being results-driven effective in getting your audience to check out the site? What do we do now to attract more traffic? And what are doing to get those visitors to come again? If you build the website, yes they will come... but only if you do the other 90% and market it so it has integrity so search engines will favour it and clients, customers and those needing your offering will return. Copyright InfiniteBridgePosts 2017
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