Because how will anyone ever know how great you are if you don’t make certain they know you exist? And we all know that marketing literally pops up everywhere. We’re talking television, radio, signage, and print…and that’s just the traditional stuff.
Most of us can’t listen to Spotify, play a video on YouTube, or even scroll through our Twitter feed without seeing, and/or hearing material that has been produced for the sole purpose of being strategically placed before us in hopes that we will develop an attachment to a particular company’s brand.
That was a long-winded way of saying that marketing is a big deal in the 21st century.
No one really questions this anymore, but there is something that anyone marketing his or her business needs to be aware of: your website should be the center of your marketing strategy.
*says again for emphasis* Your website should be the center of your marketing strategy.
Now let’s talk about the three main reasons why:
1. Your web address appears everywhere.
If you have a good website, chances are you’ve either (A) spent a lot of time developing it or (B) paid hard-earned company capital to have it constructed. Based on either of these two possibilities, it’s likely that you’re splashing that URL any place you possibly can.
As soon as you grab your customer’s attention, you’re hoping they like what they see well enough to check you out. AND BOOM. With Phase 1 of your strategy complete, your clientele is now in the process of visiting your website. Now that they’re here, what are they looking at exactly?
Have you tailored your online HQ to be a streamlined continuation of your original marketing mission? Does your call to action fit the goals your company is striving for right now? Is it branded the way your followers would expect? Does your design exude the right vibe?
These are certainly questions to ask yourself during evaluation time.
2. Customers will verify information on your website and judge you accordingly.
If a customer feels the need to verify information found on social media or one of your paid advertisements, your website will likely be the first place he or she checks. If a customer hears about an event you’re sponsoring on the radio and wants to know more information, he or she might run a Google search. Your goal: be the first result.
You may have already ensured your SEO is tailored to the highest degree, but it’s critical that you maintain an equally high standard for your website content.
Your website is your virtual headquarters. It’s your Internet home base. Social media changes every day, but your customers should rest assured knowing that whenever they have a question, all they need to do is visit your online doorstep. You won’t let them down, because you have ensured that the copy and content your company produces is focused, accurate, and clean.
When your content is streamlined and consistent with the marketing messages you’ve been launching at the world, when it’s genuinely helpful, and when it’s updated and relevant, your website will become the tool you need to catalyze a long and trusting relationship between your company and your clients. By the same token, however, you must take care to ensure your website encompasses all of these characteristics. Should you show your customers that your website is a space dedicated to housing out-of-date, inconsistent, or non-informational content, any trust you hope to establish could be seriously damaged.
3. Your website can and will enhance your marketing efforts.
A typical paid advertisement is fairly short and very concise. But sometimes the concept you’re attempting to get across isn’t so simple. When it’s necessary to explain a topic in further depth, the first step of your marketing strategy often has one particular mission: convince your potential clients to visit the place where they can learn more.
Your website is there to inform. It’s there to showcase. When your customers come to your website, it’s time for them to see what you’re really about and why making the choice to buy your products or your services is, indeed, the right choice. It only makes sense for every component of your website to be built and customized with your marketing goals in mind.
So let’s look at the big picture:
Phase 1: hook clients’ interest.
Phase 2: DAZZLE EVERYONE WITH YOUR WEBSITE.
Phase 3: seal the deal.
See? That website is quite literally the CENTER of your marketing strategy. So go out there and seal some deals today, fellow innovators. And don’t forget about the importance of your website.