There is no debate: Your website is one of the most important pieces of your business strategy.
Whether you define your business as B2B, B2C, non-profit, local, global – doesn’t matter. ALL companies need an online presence to reach and convert buyers in the internet age…and your website is your new storefront.
Seems obvious, right? Yet a recent survey by 1&1 Internet reported that up to 40% of small-to-medium sized businesses still don’t have a website -- and, no, social media accounts don’t count.
Maybe you’re looking to build your first website. Or perhaps your existing site isn’t performing as well as it could. Either way, You’re probably asking the same question:
What does it really take to have a great website?
The answer is…a lot! A website needs to not just exist - but to perform. It needs to attract and educate visitors, and convince them to buy.
Easier said than done, right? Well, that’s exactly why we’re here!
The first thing to understand is that your website is not an island. Successful digital strategies integrate search, social media, content, blogging, advertising, and more with the home site. We’re about a decade past the days where all it took was a URL, fancy Flash graphics, and an expensive advertising campaign to win traffic.
For that, you can thank your customer. Today’s buyer consumes information when they want, how they want, and often-times without the involvement of a single sales person. More importantly, they want to be educated - not sold to. As you can see, websites as well as other forms of inbound marketing content (podcasts, blogging, and social media) have become an accepted and expected part the buying cycle.
Unfortunately, making use of one, or even multiple of those inbound marketing techniques is a losing proposition without a proper website. In most cases, traffic from blogs, social media, organic and paid search will end up converting into leads or sales only on your main website. Without an online basecamp, it would be difficult to attract new business to one source.
Great! So, how do you ensure your new or current website is as effective as possible? We’re glad you asked!
A great website isn’t so great if no one visits it. This first chapter covers the very top of the funnel of your inbound marketing strategy: Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
SEO is an absolute must-have for any website strategy, but it isn’t particularly sexy--as it takes hard work and consistency. These tips will provide a blueprint for increasing your organic search engine rankings.