Why investing in marketing is important

When times are tough companies often think of marketing as an extra luxury. Therefore it can look like a big and decisive move to cut marketing to concentrate on “more important things.” However short term savings can often lead to longer term problems…

 

SEO and PPC

 

This is an area that is very important to invest in. It is often said that your website is a shop window. With the right SEO and PPC you can be sure that your shop is in the best location in the online high street.

 

While it is true that you can do SEO for yourself (ie tag pages with relevant search words, use relevant search words in social media posts etc) this does not necessarily mean you will be able to keep at the top as search engine sites often change the rules on this which is why it pays to have an experienced consultant with up to date experience.

 

The same is true of PPC. In the wrong hands PPC can be very expensive and may not result in the sales you crave. It helps to have someone who knows what are the right terms that people will click on and will result in the conversion rates you want.

 

Email newsletters

 

In the age of social media it is easy to forget about email. However the email newsletter is something that can be very useful. It is an opportunity to remind customers of who you are and to give them information they need. This is a useful additional tool alongside other forms of online marketing and should not be neglected.

 

A good looking website

 

An up to date website is vital. The fact is that as businesses change what they need from their website changes. However you should not solely think about it from your point of view- get feedback from your clients and customers to see what they think. For example you may decide you want to sell products online. If you haven’t done this before then you have to be sure this works efficiently.

 

However what cannot be emphasised enough is that a lot of the time your website will be the first impression someone has of your business- when you click on your site ask yourself “If I was looking at this would it entice me to know more? Would I want to buy a product from this site?”

 

Your website is an extension of your brand- it should make people feel like they want to buy from you, that you care what they think. It should be well presented and feel user friendly. Even the most basic websites can still look and provide people with the access they need- a cluttered menu or hard to read text will not impress!

 

In short how you market your business online is an extension of how you market in general. It is vital to be observant and to update your online marketing as often as possible in order to get the level of return that you want from it.