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Why an Online Marketing Strategy is important when planning a website

You have decided you need a website and you want as many visitors as possible - but where to start?

Arrange to meet your marketing people, or, if you don't have marketing people, re-visit your marketing plan.  Your online marketing strategy should form part of your overall marketing plan, so if you haven't included it, that is a good place to start.

Consider the message you are trying to get across.  For example, do you sell quality sportswear with the emphasis on "quality"?  If so, you will want to think about your objectives and the content you need to produce to ensure your website is going to attract more visitors who are looking for quality (rather than quantity).

In addition to your website, an online Marketing Strategy encompasses:
•    Blog Articles (your very own opportunity to prove your expertise in your field)
•    Social media (Twitter, Linked-In, Facebook, etc)
•    Links

Here are some important factors to consider when planning your website:

1. Time

Some people think either that a website takes a couple of days to build WRONG or that it can take for as long as 12 months WRONG AGAIN!
It only takes a long time to complete a website when decisions are delayed.  A successful website requires proper planning and this all takes time, but certainly not as long as 12 months.

To assist in the process, you need to:

• Be available to explain clearly exactly what you have in mind to your web designer (and don't be afraid to ask questions)

• Respond with quick decisions if queries crop up along the way

• Make it easy and straightforward for your web-designer to be able to update your site as you add to your services or product ranges

2.    Your niche market

Before you start you need to really think about what it is you offer that makes your clients buy from you. List these positives as bullet points and build on them to create your site.

Don't forget that your website is your opportunity to show off your talents within a portfolio by showcasing examples of your work or products which are backed up by testimonials from clients.

3.     Blog Posts

By writing blog articles incorporating some keywords which are relevant to your website, you will be able to hold the interest of readers and entice them to read more about you and your products and services on your website. Visitors who have read your blog and then come to your website, are considered warm leads which are already presold and will more than likely convert into leads and either purchase your product or  will get in touch with you.

A blog will also help your search engine optimisation and search engine ranking as every blog post creates a new page which is full of keywords.

4.    Social Media

It doesn't stop there!  You need to think about which social media networks are appropriate for you and your business.  Twitter is a great way to share knowledge by providing others with recommendations and links to useful websites.  Linked-In is a great tool for connecting with like-minded professionals whilst Facebook might be totally inappropriate for your business.  There might also be social media networks that are relevant for your industry and it could be worth joining them, so do some research.

After your website is live, updating your social media with tweets and useful comments (schedule these in your calendar if you don't already) will encourage people to read your blog which, in turn, will get people interested in your website where you can really show them what you and your business are about by show-casing your work and testimonials.

5.     Links

Once your website has gone live, you can list it on some of the many online directories and business sites.  The more links you have coming in to your website the better.  However, don't be tempted to provide links to other websites unless they are important to your site and add value to your overall strategy.

To ensure you remain popular online it really is crucial these days to continually provide useful and interesting articles and blogs for your readers and website visitors.

Other related articles:

Why planning a website is so important