Online Marketing for Small Businesses

 

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Those who have looked at the JKL website will know that I really beleive in the power of web sites and online marketing for small businesses.

But online marketing is only a part of the marketing mix - and a very small part for many small businesses. The sad thing is that many businesses have leapt on the online marketing bandwagon, spent thousands on web sites and then sat back to reap the rewards.

The result - nothing, nada, zilch,...

So you hire expensive search engine optimisation experts. Typically these guys will change you an arm and a leg (this is beginning to change) and guarantee to get one or more of your key phrases into the top 10 positions on the internet.

The result - more traffic and maybe more sales - but not a lot.

At this point most small business owners give up. How many times have you heard someone say, "the web doesn't work for my business?"

Yet, some degree of online marketing is appropriate for almost any business. Even you local gas station should have a web site even if it only shows the name, address and telephone number. More and more people let their mouse do the walking and search for all sorts of things on the internet rather than in yellow pages or telephone directories.

The first step to successful online marketing is to set very clear objectives. Knowing precisely what you expect to get for your web investment is paramount. Armed with this knowledge the website can be designed to achieve your objectives. If you expect to sell off the site then you will need to hire good sales copy writers. If you simply want a brochure presence then hire a good web designer and brochure designer. If you want to proide technical support gear your whole site to providing that support.

The list goes on.

The real point is - design your web site to achieve your clear online marketing objectives. If you haven't got clear objectives then don't spend your hard earned cash on a website just yet.

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