Keystone Click - The Key to Your Web Foundation

There are so many benefits of advertising on the internet. First things that come to mind is that ROI that is easily traceable. You can track every click that a site user makes on your site.

A website is a great tool to go alongside any marketing campaign. The important factor to realize is that web design is very different from print design. Websites can be interactive and need to pop on a screen rather than on a flat piece of paper. Web design is a matter of thinking outside of the flat surface of a print brochure. Web design is thinking how a site user will navigate, what is the site visitor using to view this web site (MAC, PC, Firefox, Internet Explorer, iPhone, etc). Web design is not thinking long term for content, but how to keep content fresh while keeping the task minimal. Web design needs to flow logically as well as be aesthetically pleasing.

Most companies utilize the internet to verify the legitimacy of your business as well as to do research on your product or services. Brochures, publications, direct mail, and all the other aspects of marketing and advertising are still important for your campaign. However, your website will act as the keystone to your campaign.

All of your advertising materials should have a call-to-action. That call-to-action is usually one of three things, a phone number to call (which most people now-a-days are afraid to pick up the phone initially), an address to write to (very retro way to deal with business), or finally a web site address (or email address) to type in. The latter is the most popular and best received by your target audience probably 90% of the time. There are still a handful of individuals who have not jumped on the WWW bandwagon but the majority of active consumers are on the internet and hoping their favorite companies are too.Marketing through the internet saves time and money for both parties involved. Updating a newsletter is much simpler online than in print, (see our blog post about e-newsletters). Also, with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) online marketing is a must. You want to be found when someone searches for you, so marketing yourself on the internet correctly is vital. People are more likely to investigate the first few sites that pop up rather than hunt for another one. Being near the top will give your organization the edge that you need.

Pay per click advertising also takes your company to your consumers. For search engines, you can bid on keywords that are relevant to your target audience. You can also put your ad on sites that your target market may be on. These constant sites usually charge a fixed price per click rather than bidding. The end result is that your market will find you even if they are not actively seeking your services at the time.

The internet is just one more avenue for you to get your name out and generate buzz and sales for your organization. Who wouldn’t want that?

An excellent, low cost way to keep your clients and prospects informed of your services, products, news, etc is to send out eNewsletters. This can be a simple text e-mail or a colorful HTML e-mail. Either way, you are getting your name in front of your target audience. Here are a few reasons why sending an eNewsletter rather than simple e-mails, or snail mail newsletters, is so much better.

Perk #1—People See Your Name. eNewsletters will reinforce your service or product continually with each e-mail that you send. These repeated messages cause greater and more effective brand awareness and recognition. With eNewsletters, the link to your site is right there on the e-mail, so the reader only needs to click and they are on your site, they are looking at your services and products, they are one step closer to making a purchase than before opening that eNewsletter.

Perk #2—Information Galore. With eNewsletters you can keep site visitors up to speed with upcoming events, promotions, product launches and industry news. By covering a wide range of topics within your industry, you convey an attitude of consciousness for the world around you. It shows that your company is informed and is a solid place for consumers to invest in. It’s also fast, if you’re excited about a new product or opportunity, send out an eNewsletter right away rather than waiting days for the postman to deliver a regular newsletter. You can also use them for discounts, specials or deals that your company is offering, and incentives for subscribing voluntarily to your organization’s newsletter and thus driving more traffic to your website.

Perk #3—Pleased To Make Your Acquaintance. Customers have the option of subscribing or not to your eNewsletters, this allows those who are truly interested in your product to receive the valuable information you have to disperse. You now have a targeted audience receiving what you say so you can have a more focused approach to your eNewsletter’s content. Customer research is also easily collected via surveys and responses. The people receiving your newsletter care about your organization and are more likely to participate in any research you send their way. You can also track your e-mails. Any “undeliverables” can be quickly identified and efforts can be made to correct and resend them. With this feature you’re not wasting paper or money on regular newsletters, but you’re also saving energy in the tech world. It’s saving those who don’t want your information time online, saving the energy that would be used  to delete your e-mail. And with the environment, every little bit helps.

Please just remember that when sending your eNewsletter to keep it interesting. You want to keep your subscribers, not bore them and push them away. So use this time and presence in an eNewsletter to toot your own horn and have some fun relating to your customers!