From the Inside Flap
A website won’t bring your company instant business. But it will help streamline your operations, serve your customers better and contribute to the success of your overall marketing plan. Avoid Internet hype. You want a quality website that will generate traffic and business. Have your site designed specifically to meet your marketing objectives.
Plan a website that will enhance your company’s image, not hurt it. If you’ve had a professional brochure designed for your business, you can usually re-purpose it for a website using the same text and photos.
Why pay for expensive flashes, pop-ups and streaming video if a traditional presentation will do? Start small, with a basic, but good looking site. When you and your customers see the value in it, add some bells and whistles.
You wouldn’t cut your own hair, so don’t try to design your own site. Hire a professional! Put together a bid document of what you want to achieve with your website and get the best company, with the best value and service, to design it for you.
Once you have a great website, advertise it everywhere – in e-mails, on company stationery, on other busy websites and in search engines.
Track your success. Monitor your site traffic to make sure it is attracting customers. Keep your site fresh. You want it to be current, up-to-date, and cutting edge!
If you’re a marketing professional, or a businesss owner, you’ll find these and other powerful Internet marketing ideas in The Secrets of Internet Marketing.
About the Author
Courtenay Pitcher is the owner of Lava Marketing. Her company specializes in designing marketing plans, marketing implementation, and training business owners in all aspects of traditional and high-tech marketing. Courtenay graduated with her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Calgary in 1994. Since then, she has been using the Internet to market a variety of products and services.
In business for herself since 1997, Courtenay embraces change and opportunities to learn. Courtenay has evaluated return on investment for several million-dollar marketing budgets and helped over 100 businesses market on the Internet. In addition, she has taught several hundred tourism businesses how to track their advertising, and given many sales and marketing presentations to large groups. "Industries and products may be different, but marketing foundations and strategies are virtually the same," she says.
Courtenay is passionate about cross-country mountain biking, skiing double black diamond runs, writing and spending time with her family.
