Inbound Marketing Blog

Sometimes, business people think of their website as an ornament or an accessory. Everyone else seems to have one, so they decide to get one too.

They build the website—or they hire someone like us to build it—and once they have gone through it with a fine-tooth comb and analyzed all the minute details to make sure it is absolutely perfect, they take it "live." The average length of one of these website build projects is about 12-16 weeks, though sometimes it can last much, much longer.

After the site languishes on the internet for a year or two or five, these business owners might decide to update it. So they start from scratch (trends and user behaviors change a lot in half a decade). They throw away the old and start the whole 12-16 week process over. The new site goes live again and and sits for another stretch of time. And then the process starts all over again.

As you may have sensed already, there are some major problems with this approach to web design. Here are some things you should know about your website and what it means for your business.

Who’s Afraid of Web Marketing?

When the subject of web marketing comes up, some people might get that glazed-over, deer-in-the-headlights look in their eyes. And when terms like “search engine optimization” or “conversion rate optimization” start getting tossed around, those same people might start feeling like the apes freaking out over the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The basic concepts of web marketing really aren’t that hard to grasp, though. In fact, it’s pretty easy to take old-school marketing approaches and ideas and apply them to the process of building your online presence. Let’s take a look at the similarities between web marketing and traditional marketing.

Within the complex and uncertain business climate we all work in, the biggest challenges often rest on the shoulders of C-level officers and managers. They are left to deal with significant issues that affect their company such as globalization, demographic changes, corporate social responsibility, and the impacts of innovation and digitization.

That's some heavy stuff.

If you are one of these individuals faced with such high-level issues, the last thing you want to add to your plate is the task of strategizing and implementing marketing campaigns. Maybe you've been tasked with finding a marketing solution for your company; you've done your research, and the deeper you go, the more certain you are that there is more to marketing--especially on the web--than you want to deal with and you need professional help to move forward.

In 1911, newspaper publisher William Randolph Hurst made an offer of $50,000 to the first person who could fly a plane from New York to LA in under 30 consecutive days. Calbraith "Cal" Perry Rogers took up the challenge.

Of course, Cal didn't have any money. He had the plane, but in the "good ole days" an airplane required a very large support crew. So, he started talking to businesses about possible sponsorship and was able to secure a sponsorship from Amour and Company for the 1911 Wright Flyer. The company had created a new grape soft drink and wanted to get the word out.

The Vin Fiz Flyer was born. Emblazoned with the logo for Vin Fiz and messages of "Drink Vin Fiz" and "Ideal Grape Drink," Cal began his journey across North America from Sheepshead Bay, New York on September 17, 1911. Not to be outdone, all of the support train cars, paid for by Armour and Company, also sported messages of "Drink Vin Fiz."

Of course, none of this changed the fact that the grape soda advertised as the "Sparkling Grape Drink" did not even come close to living up to its purported luster.

Your website is only as good as the leads it generates for you. So if your site is only generating spam form submissions, or just one or two quality leads per quarter, it's time to address that issue.

Lucky for you, creating an effective landing page is fairly straightforward.

Wait, back up. What is a landing page you ask? In the digital marketing world, it is defined as:

land・ing page

noun

a standalone web page distinct from your main website that has been designed for a single focused objective.

If you haven’t heard of it--which would be very shocking (no Pikachu pun intended)--Pokémon GO is an augmented reality app that has taken the world by storm. It encourages players to get off the couch and go catch creatures known as Pocket Monsters or Pokémon for short.

Its daily usage has far exceeded that of the popular dating app Tinder and is about to surpass Twitter's as well. In the two days since its release, this worldwide phenomenon has increased Nintendo’s stock by $9  billion.

I know, I know. That title makes it seem like I'm telling you that the only marketing agency you should hire are those where your budget will explode. But, that's not the case at all.

When shopping for web services (web design, web development, digital marketing, search engine optimization -- you get the idea), you might find it nearly impossible to compare providers. You'll have one provider that will build a website at $700, another at $7,000, and yet another at $17,000. You'll have an SEO provider suggest that they can get you all the business in the world for $100 per month but someone else might say that $1,000 is the minimum.

Over the years, I have thought a lot about the right way to offer web services to our clients. How should we make sure that we charge the right amount for the services that we offer?

I know. You are shopping to build a new website or manage your marketing. You might have heard about this new "fandangled" approach to web marketing called Inbound.

You've decided it's time to get serious and compare your service providers so you ask for proposals. Some will just give you a proposal and some will actually take some time trying to understand your goals. Some might just ask for a list of features you want (a clear indication that they are just mouse clickers and not thinkers).

And now, you're at a point where you have to make a decision on which agency to choose.

What, OH WHAT, do you do to adequately compare these services?

Here's a fancy chart that might shed some light on the only way you can compare:

Google has a reputation for coming up with some of the best hoaxes on April Fool's Day. What started out as simply a joke, over the years, turned into a joke that pointed at a real product they offered. This creative way of marketing is something that every marketer can learn from and implement. Here are some ways Google marketed for Fools and how you can learn from them!

The necessary components that are required for owning and operating a successful business are under a constant state of flux. As new technology is unearthed and implemented, it is up to the business owner to realize what it takes to stay relevant in a highly competitive market. With changes in particular industries accumulating daily, staying ahead of the competition and realizing which global trends are shifting markets is a must for companies looking to stay profitable. You may be asking, "How do I stay relevant with the constant changes?"