Online marketing basics

posted in: Stuff

For several years now, an online presence has been an extremely important asset in business and startups. Companies look at an seo firm as an actual partner more than a simple service provider and web design agencies as a vital element in their promotional efforts.

What are the basic elements of an online marketing strategy that a business must have today?

There are several items on that list. I will mention some right here.

1. Get a website. Not just any website. Free websites, really cheap websites and badly designed websites do more damage to a business reputation and marketing than any benefit they may provide. Always go with a reputable web marketing firm or agency, avoid solo guys doing one thing or the other, unless they are highly respected but use them for their specialty not for everything (designers and programmers are completely different breeds, for example). If you do employee engagement programs and want to have a website that caters to CEOs, managers and directors alike, you must have a website that engages, that motivates the consumers and connects with them in the right way. That type of users demand a minimum level of quality and expect as much in any company they deal with.

2. Do SEO, or email marketing or PPC, but do at least one active marketing effort. Ideally you want to have as many marketing methods as apply to your business actively promoting your products and services. However, budgets are usually limited and if you have to choose, choose wisely, look for a service that will have a greater impact on your business and target that first. Then, as your business grows and acquires a better presence online, add a new marketing method or channel, increase your budget, re-invest and grow exponentially.

3. Have a Blog. Yes, it is rather difficult to maintain one and most business owners and employees don’t have the time or the ability to write new articles on a regular basis. However, a blog is a great way of connecting all your marketing, done right, it can save a lot of time and effort in your marketing and it is a source of engagement.

4. Try some social media (wisely). Social media is not for the faint of heart. It is complicated, time consuming and done wrong, can be very damaging to a business reputation. Done right, social media marketing can be the most powerful tool in your marketing. It drives engagement through the roof and generates good will and positive association with your brand and company. We most definitively suggest you use a professional for social media, it can be very tricky and even though it sounds simple, most people don’t have the right skill set for it.

So go, be merry, try online marketing and find out all the benefits it provides to you and your business.