Website Marketing, Wellington - Globe

For Websites that Earn their Keep

The Website - Centre Piece of Your Marketing

The Need for a Website

Consider your own behaviour when researching a service or product to purchase for your firm. More likely as not, you'll hop onto the Internet, call up a search engine and conduct your own preliminary research before deciding which companies and services/products look to be suitable.

If so, then you are in good company. A B2B Survey by Enquiro found that there was a heavy reliance on Internet research during the purchase cycle. Around 93% of buyers use the Internet to assist with their purchasing decisions. Even when the potential client had information from trade fairs, printed material, etc. they almost inevitably turned to the company's website for more information. Indeed their survey showed that around 74% of the respondents used a firm's website to gather more information. The survey also found that the vendor's website followed by search engines were found to be the most important influencing factors in making a buying decision. (Other, lesser influences included word of mouth, and trade publications).

Now consider your website statistics. How many of the service and product pages have been viewed? (I suggest you ignore the home page for this exercise as it is the 'draw card' for other pages.) Is the number of visits greater than the number of brochures, catalogues, and flyers that your firm distributes? If the answer is yes, and given the above research behaviour, then a rethink of your marketing strategy and tactics may be in order.

Marketing Plan

The Internet provides a fantastic opportunity to market your products and services. Indeed your website should be regarded as your 24/7 sales force. But this just won't happen unless you plan for it.

Are you clear as to what success for your website means? Does your company have an online marketing plan that ties in with your marketing plan and/or and business plan?

Given people's tendency to hop on-line to find information about the very products and services you offer, your firm's website should be the focal point of your marketing effort, with all other forms of marketing supporting and reinforcing your website. Gone are the days where firms can say 'Oh, by the way check out our website for more information.' The website is the primary channel for generating new leads and new business. It must be central to your marketing.