An Introduction To Web Marketing
Welcome to Web Marketing HQ.
My name is Graham Bowall and you can read all about me here.
Web marketing is all about getting your web site in front of people and persuading them to take the action that you want. The actions you require can be the purchase of a product or service from you, for visitors to sign up or opt in to your mailing list against the promise of a benefit such as a free report or a regular newsletter which provides value to them or even to subscribe to your blog as a regular reader. All too often people in the business world just sling anything up to tick a box that they have a web site and then complain bitterly that they are not getting anything from it.
Why You Need Web Marketing
Web marketing or Internet marketing as it is often called is become much more of a necessity these days. Everyone realizes that they need a presence on the Internet if they are not to be considered a dinosaur in today’s world. The competition is immense, with billions of web pages already on the Internet and millions more new ones appearing each day. This means that getting your web site noticed is becoming more difficult and if you don’t take action now in the future it will become nigh on impossible.
There Has Never Been A Better Time Than Now
There has never been a better time to establish your web presence than now. The number of Internet users is growing daily and people are now turning to search engines like Google to find the information, products and services that they need online rather than searching through telephone directories and newspaper ads. While this is good news for you it is also bad news, as a lot of companies and individuals have wised up to this and have started or have an ongoing search engine optimization (SEO) campaign already running to rank on the first page of the search engines. They are ahead of you. But don’t worry you can still redress the balance.
The Impact Of Google On Web Marketing
The Google search engine has grown in to an enormous beast and is now responsible for serving up around 80% of the world’s searches. Phrases like “just Google it” have been heard on TV and this is second nature to most people now. If you want to make money from your web site then you have to be ranking high in Google for what you offer. Not only that but when you get there (and you can if you follow my advice) you will have to make sure that your web site is enticing enough so that people take the action that you want them to and not hit the back button immediately. You will only have around 2-3 seconds to capture your visitor’s attention so you had better listen to what I am going to tell you. If you lose them it is unlikely that they will be back anytime soon.
Giving Your Visitors What They Want
In order to succeed with web marketing, you need to think through what the benefits of visiting your site will be. If you are in a service industry like plumbing then think about what your visitor needs when they come to your site. Then give them that and more! So you are a plumber that fixes problems for people. So what will be going through your visitors mind when they come to your web site? Well the first thing I would be looking for is “can they fix my problem”. Now while I am searching for your service it may be that my kitchen is flooding and I am in a mild state of panic. The last thing that I want to read on your site is that you are a family run business incorporated in 1936 blah blah blah.
Don’t Make Your Visitors Angry
What I want to know is “can you fix my f@cking problem?” If you answer that question (which you absolutely must) then I will be thinking “how much will it cost me?” so you need to answer that too and give me a feeling that I will be getting value for money. Next on my list might be “are they going to send round some dirty, scruffy meathead who is going to wreck my kitchen?” so answer that by telling visitors that your plumbers are clean and polite and professional. My final question will probably be “can I trust them?” which you must answer by providing ecstatic customer testimonials offering social proof. OK you have answered all of my questions where is your phone number? Don’t make me search to a contact us page to find it. Put your phone number on every page!
Your Web Site Is Your Shop Window
It’s really not difficult but it never ceases to amaze me how many people get it all wrong. Your web site is your shop window. If you had a shop in the high street you would make it as nice as you could and very welcoming to people wouldn’t you? Well do the same with your web site then!
More Web Marketing Tips Coming Your Way
I will be providing you with a lot of good web marketing tips over the next few weeks and I hope that you will join me on your wonderful journey on the Internet. We will be covering all kinds of subjects together such as article marketing, search engine optimization, social network marketing (Facebook and Twitter) and other forms of promotion that are easy to do and will give you a major leg up on your competitors.
I Will Guide You On Your Web Marketing Journey
I am a real Internet marketing warrior and will give it to you straight every time! By reading this page you are streets ahead of the majority of web site owners who just get somebody to sling something up there for them. Treat your web site as a major marketing tool that will get you visitors and new customers for many years to come. If you were going to spend thousands on a Yellow Pages ad or a TV commercial you would probably give it a lot of thought wouldn’t you? So give your web site even more thought as that is where your new customers will be looking for you now and in the future. You need a professionally designed web site with a clear, punchy message as to why you are the best.
I look forward to being your partner on your web marketing venture.
