In this video we talk about the basics of formulating a web strategy. We cover the five phases of a web strategy – including technology, content and community strategy, internet marketing, and web analytics. And last, we go over a basic web strategy workflow.
Here is the the Web Strategy Basics slide deck used in the video…
If you have any questions, let us know in the comments.
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Does your business have a website? Then yes, you need a web strategy. Often times people think only E-Commerce sites need a web strategy. Even if you don’t sell a product online your business needs a web strategy. A good web strategy will help you build a community around your company, brand, or product. Using our techniques your business will become more findable on the web with organic search engine ranking and contextual advertising. And once you start tracking everything you will find new ways to attract and retain customers.
Building an online brand for your company is just as (if not more) important than building your offline brand. Think of your website as the first “touch point” to current and potential customers. Don’t you want that experience to be engaging? Do you want them to come back? Your web strategy is far more important than the window in front of your building or office. It gives people a first impression… shouldn’t you be optimizing that?
With defined goals you can develop an effective web strategy for your business. Want to get more people in your door? Optimize your web strategy to do so. Want to sell more widgets? Optimize your web strategy to do so.
Do you need a web strategy? Yes, you do. We’re here to help…
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What products are selling best? What AdWords keywords have the best ROI?
If you set up ECommerce Tracking with Google Analytics you can do all this and more. You will be able to track all the transactions on your site, as well as see quick stats including…
If you have integrated Google Analytics with AdWords, you will be able to calculate Revenue Per Click, ROI and Margin down to the keywords you are bidding on.
If you have an ecommerce site – or are selling anything online – this is essential.
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I know your excited – I always get excited too before launch. It’s never a great idea to launch a website without a web strategy plan, but if you don’t have time for a full plan – make sure you cover the basics. There are rare circumstances where a website is successful right away without up front planning. It has happened for me in one case with IowaFlood.com – but that was a good (lucky) implementation that was right place at the right time.
Before you hit the “ON” switch on that shiny new website (hopefully a WordPress site!) here are 5 things you should take care of…
1. Define your Goals
We always recommend you define your goals for the website before you launch. By defining your goals right away you have a clear focus and easily measured milestones. If you have no goals for the site – maybe you should think twice about launching. Afterall – it’s a lot of work.
2. Checkout the Competition
You probably already have an idea of another website you have used for inspiration for your idea – some that you wish to emulate. Combine that list with the first page of Google results for the search terms you are targeting on your website. Now visit those sites and simply check out what they are doing… How are they converting leads? What content are they producing? How is their site structured? If they are successful there are tangible reasons that you should emulate on your new site.
3. Analytics, Analytics, Analytics
Before you launch – make sure you have web analytics software installed – whether it is Google Analyics, Clicky Analytics or something else. Just make sure it’s installed and working before you publicly launch your website. You need to track everything – from the beginning. This data will be extremely helpful later on in your web strategy lifecycle.
4. Develop your Workflow
Admittedly this is something we have learned the hard way. It’s hard to keep our website running well without a schedule. This is analogous to scheduled maintenance for your car.. If you don’t keep servicing your vehicle it will break down on you. An effective web strategy should have a scheduled workflow associated to it. If not – I guarantee you will never check your web analytics, produce regular content, or find time to participate in your community. Set aside time for your web strategy. Add it to your calendar. Trust me – this will make you more productive and allow you to keep a well-oiled website.
5. Seed your Site with Content
Don’t launch a website without content – and please, please, please, please don’t launch with a “Coming Soon” or “Under Construction” image on your site. Nothing will deter future visitors more than being 100% underwhelmed on their first visit. Before you publicly announce your site be sure there is sufficient content to keep people there once you announce it. We recommend having at least five blog posts along with your traditional “about” and “contact us” content.
What do you recommend? Let us know in the comments
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