Webwise: Building business on the web pt 2
Posted: December 28th, 2009 | Author: Fiona | Filed under: Social Media, WEBWISE: Building Business on the Web | Tags: Building business online, online communications, Social Media, twitter | 2 Comments »
Fiona Mulliner is Managing Director of Jumpstart Design Ltd, a specialist digital design and communications agency based in Horsham.
If you’re serious about building your business online, here are the three simple rules you need to follow:
1. Know what you are trying to achieve and focus accordingly:
It’s almost impossible to attract and retain customers online if you’re not sure why they should be visiting your website, or what you want them to do when they get there. Is your priority to sell products online, build positive word of mouth, reassure prospective clients of your expertise, generate sales appointments, or create a database of customer information? Whatever your priority, make sure that is front and centre of your online activity – don’t hide it behind superfluous information, over-complicated navigation or pointless graphics. Most people only spend 2-3 minutes on a website – make that time count!
2. Integrate your online and offline activities for brand consistency:
In last month’s column I introduced the idea of your “brand promise” – what your brand offers your customers, and what your business stands for in their eyes. Whether you and your brand offer reliability, service, innovation, convenience or quality, make sure that everything you do and say on and off the web reinforces and underlines that brand promise. Consistency builds business!
3. Extend your brand across multiple platforms for maximum impact:
Social media is not just a buzz word – it’s word of mouth taken to a whole new level. Online networks like LindedIn, Facebook and Twitter can give your brand the sort of exposure that you’d be hard-pressed to afford through traditional advertising. Take time to explore these online communities and consider how you can use them to best effect for your business – research, feedback, publicity, loyalty-building, collaboration, customer acquisition? Integrating social media into your marketing activities can produce powerful results – but remember to stay focused for maximum impact!