Welcome to Search Marketing 101 and hello from Hood River, Oregon. If there were a heaven on earth, it might look a little something like this. Nestled between Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood on the Columbia River, on any given day you may meet a world class athlete, entrepreneur, musician, artist or world traveler. We all have many reasons for living here, the endless parade of outdoor pursuits, the beauty, the peaceful quality of this place, the forward-thinking of its’ community members. But at the end of the day, we’re all looking for the same thing, to find ourselves, to find our voice and people that share that voice.
Search marketing is much the same, whether we’re looking to generate leads, sell something or share information-we’re trying to be found online, trying to find the people who have a need we can fulfill.
Let’s ponder a couple of questions. Why do you have a website? When I ask this question to different departments of the same company, I always get different answers, which is okay as long as you are creating an objective that you can fulfill. How do you know if your website is successful, if you haven’t agreed upon why you have one?
What do you want people to do once they’re there? I’m always surprised at how little this topic is discussed during web development, but it’s the most essential question you can ask…and answer. Do you want people to pick up the phone and call you, then don’t bury your phone number 3 clicks into your site. Do you want people to learn about your widget, then give them educational material
When potential customers “meet” your web site, what is their first impression? Just like meeting a person, your site is going to have a lot more to offer people than what they see in the first 6 seconds (all the time we have to make an impression in today’s fast paced web world). You have to give then something to make an impression, before you become best friends. Don’t be afraid to share a little something about yourself. If you’re a kayaker, tell me about the region, share your favorite kayaking spots, offer me something, get to know me. Chances are if I’m buying a new kakak and researching kayak shops I’ll give you a chance because you’ve made a good impression. It takes time to create a relationship, in life and in business. Ask a few people, friends or better yet customers, what they think they’re supposed to do on the home page of your site. If they’re not sure, you have some work to do.
Email me at lisa@mediafortemarketing if you’d like to share your results.