Rebooting Your Website

The who, what and why of building a website that builds business

Why hire a webmaster…

and end up doing all the work yourself?

So you decided to take another look at putting your business on the internet. Scary?

Confronted with the mysteries of how to create your own space on the internet or how to “program” your site to function on millions of computers worldwide, it’s natural to look to the technical experts for answers.

The problem is: if you ask a technician a question, you get a technical answer! Once your internet specialist presents you with a new home on the web, you quickly learn that the most important questions are still a mystery:

• What kind of information should I put on my website?
• How does my website fit with my other marketing programs?
• How do I attract visitors and how do I connect with them?
• Where do I get the time to create all these web pages?

In short – how do I turn my website into a valued marketing tool and a worthwhile business investment?

Content is king!

Most web developers are well prepared to provide technology solutions for you, but they’re unequipped to help you use web technology to create marketing solutions.

Web marketing is just a means to an end, after all. In fact, if you can formulate clear answers to some basic web marketing questions, you will probably find that the technical solutions are less mysterious than you thought.

In fact, the programming language of the Web (HTML) was originally written for non-technical users. Even complex website features can often be implemented simply with today’s development tools.

For most manufacturers and b2b companies, content development turns out to be a far greater challenge than technical development of the website.

Web experts have differing opinions of how users interact with websites and how search engines rank web pages, but they agree on one thing: “the right content is king” when it comes to getting results from your business website.

If you are re-thinking your web development strategy, start by re-thinking the kind of questions you should ask. And who you should be asking for answers!

Reboot your web strategy

At Marketing Strategies & Solutions, we are communicators first, technicians second. We will work with you to understand your business processes and objectives. Then, with your direction, we will:

• define your web goals
• map content and navigation
• build on your brand look
• write your content that’s right for you
• optimize for search engines
• install interactivity tools
• construct the live site
• provide analytics reporting
• implement planned updates

At Marketing Strategies & Solutions, we understand the requirements to promote a company’s brand, their products and services. Our success is based on thinking from a buyer’s perspective.

WWW = Who, what, why!

With the right approach, your new website can be both simple for you and successful for your business. Our experience provides the insight you need to turn your company’s expertise and brand values into a valued and productive destination on the internet.

Generic websites lead to generic results. To help you stand out from the crowd in your market, we developed our simple “who, what, why” model as a guide to creating effective and buyer relevant content:

Who are the different types of visitors you need to attract to your website? Unlike most communications projects, websites have to communicate with a variety of vastly different audiences, with different needs.

What are they looking for, and what should they do once they arrive? Create content that will keep your visitors on your website and motivate them to initiate a personal connection with your company.

Why did they come to visit in the first place, and how can you make their visit successful? Think of your website as a service desk; how can you help your visitors and how will your site encourage them to take the next step in your business relationship and call you?

The “Who – What – Why” Worksheet

The right answers for building a successful website start with asking the right questions and creating the right content.

who

Consider all the types of visitors who could have an interest in receiving information from you online:

• active shoppers, specifiers, purchasing agents, returning customers, disgruntled customers, employees, job seekers, suppliers, investors, regulators, journalists Consider the ways that visitors can find your website and which pages they might land on first:
• referrals from tradeshows, print ads, news stories, product literature, sales calls, other customers, search engines

what

Consider the types of information all these visitors might be looking for when they arrive at your website, as well as the messages, stories, images and services you would like them to find:

• credentials and history, technical data, pricing or quotations, testimonials, service support, your phone number; product differentiation, special promotions; job postings, your shipping address, sales support, photos & drawings, online tools and calculators, video demonstrations

Consider how your website can help visitors find other helpful destinations on the internet so your site becomes a destination:

• downloadable project documents; your Facebook page, industry databases, YouTube videos, favourite charities and business associations

why

Consider what motivates visitors to come to your website and how you can facilitate their goals as well as yours:

For them: online ordering, request for quotation, qualify/verify/ evaluate your product, to champion your product to co-workers; to suggest a product improvement, learn to use your product, for service and repair assistance, to request an interview, to partner with you and understand how you can solve their problems

For you: pre-qualify sales prospects, save printing and mail costs, facilitate follow-up from sales calls and tradeshows, reduce service times, simplify sales support and build confidence in your capability

Your Personal Web & Integrated Communication Guide:

Robert Adeland is well known throughout London and region as a knowledgeable and creative marketer for some of the world’s leading brands. His experience provides rare insight into the challenges of product management, channel development and media relations, backed by a practical technical foundation in business. Under the leadership of Robert, Marketing Strategies & Solutions can provide your organization with an integrated approach to your targets.

For more information on how we can help you, contact us today.