Most businesses have determined that they need an online presence. Many have had a website for years - some now counting the years in double digits. They serve their purpose and the business probably saw great growth when the site was originally launched. Now, results have leveled off and there is an itch to get some of that growth back. When should you consider building a new website? Here are some things to consider:
1) Are you actively engaged with your online customers? One of the most pronounced effects of the social web is the increase in customer expectation to interact with a company directly. Does your current website allow this to happen? If not, you may want to consider refining your current site to include interactive features so you can meet your customer expectations. This may require you to re-build your site completely if it was built on a older architecture that does not support current social media platforms. Be sure to add ways for your customers to connect with you directly as well as being able to share your content through the media of their choice,
2) Do you have a new corporate identity? One of the most profound transformations for a company is a change to how it presents itself to the public. Often a rebranding campaign includes a website relaunch. Be aware, however, that your current site may have links from other sites that may impact how well your site ranks in search results. As such, research who is linked to you and then determine how best to mitigate any negative impact a new website will should you break these links.
3) I've got a new product launching - does that mean a new website? Possibly, yet think about how to do it without having to relaunch your website each time you have a new product. Current trends indicate an increase in the deployment of microsites. These targeted websites just might be the ticket for a new product launch. They are particularly effective for limited time events as well. Consider adding microsites to your website portfolio to add depth to your core brand while providing a terrific asset for your social media marketing campaign: they act as the homebase from which you can interact with out posts such as social networks, email campaigns, tracking ROI, etc.. If your current website structure does not permit microsites, it may be time to look for a new provider.
Shameless Plug Yes, this post is based upon our real-life journey - we are in the process of launching a new product - with a brand new platform - very soon. One of our core launch activities is creating a new website for LoudClick to support this new product, increase our opportunity to interact with our customers and create a series of microsites. We are excited to share our new baby - which will demonstrate the new platform - with you soon so please keep in touch.
As LoudClick has evolved, we've recognized how difficult it is to market online - particularly if you have a national brand and would like to market locally. Since coming to this conclusion, we have been in development of a unique new product; an automated solution we've named ClickWrite. Read More
For a long time now we have been talking about the virtues of having an online marketing strategy. At the core of our idea is the concept of Content Marketing - but what exactly does that mean? Read More
Sticking A Toe In Social
Media Waters Series - Part 4 In this final post in the "Sticking a
Toe" series we will discuss what didn't worked in our experiment and
why. Read More
Sticking A Toe In Social Media Waters
Series - Part 3 Engagement without purpose is a recipe for frustration. Just being there is not enough - you need to add value to the conversation or you will end up being that person at a party that sits in the corner alone. Read More
Sticking A Toe In Social Media Waters Series - Part 2
OK, last week I started this experiment by signing up for a Twitter
account and built a Facebook Fanpage. Here are week one's results: Read More
I was chatting it up with my partners here at LoudClick about a new blog
post and we battered back and forth as usual. This time, however, we
came up with an idea that I'm going to pursue - something based upon an
off-handed comment of "Not a lot of people are understanding social
media so I'm going to write about my left big toe." Absurd, yes, but
there is something here.....you'll see. Read More
Much has been said of the importance of two way conversations online -
the very core of social media offering the ability to build genuine
relationships with potential friends and customers. Yet some continue to see this as a one way street... Read More
Just take a stroll down memory lane for the last 15 years......
Look
at where the recording industry was 15 years ago. Rolling along,
getting over 80's rock and not a competitor on the horizon as far as
the eye could see...
You likely are already implementing some elements of social media. But what's missing? In my view the biggest missing piece is implementing social media into the very fiber of your company. And we can help you do that. Read More
Social Media Rites of Passage signifies steps in a process. In this
case the process is gaining expertise and comfort in using online
communication, social media, etc. Some specific milestones can be
identified and are a good way to gauge a person's ability to interact
online. These milestones include: Read More
In this weeks edition: Blogging Rules, Twit Tip 2009 recap article, The Best of Pro Blogger, Small Business Becoming More Social and The Best of CopyBlogger 2009. Read More
When you complete this list you will find you have better search engine
results, your site will become more interactive and you will be able to
engage people in the social media age. Read More
The skills necessary to be successful with social media are not necessarily technical skills - they are more people skills. What? People skills? When using social media to market your company or product - a huge
component of content marketing - the need to be socially adept is even
more critical. Read More
Google search is undergoing change in upcoming months. Just the thought
of it makes some people upset; particularly website owners concerned
they may not get the same search ranking as before the change. Is this
concern justified? What should you do about it? Read More
Facebook's deal to allow Bing to index public statuses has some
relevance to businesses with Facebook fan pages. This is the first time
Facebook has allowed a search engine to index pages to this degree. So, what does this mean and what should you do about it? Well, as a
business, it may be a good time to get yourself a fan page on Facebook.
Just keep in mind the following before jumping in: Read More
Knowing how valuable the concept has become is the proverbial
carrot to dig in and learn what you can. There are a few
basic themes that apply to most social networks and provide a roadmap
of what you can expect as you begin to use them. Read More
In this week's edition: tips for business using twitter, the internet as a content platform, truths about corporate blogging, creating a social media footprint, and creating a successful email signature. Read More
Every day I set aside some time to comb through my twitter account, RSS
Reader and social networking sites. I believe that when you run a
website/blog it is important to stay on top of it, get involved in
social networks, attract new readers through social media and just
generally stay informed. The online landscape changes so quickly - you
have to commit to it day to say on top. Read More
As we've previously discussed, the most effective search engine friendly content is text. This is because images, video and audio are
not easily scanned by search bots. However, there are ways you can add to your site's search engine effectiveness. Read More
One thing I love about Social Media is the good stuff gets promoted.
Articles and blog posts that are helpful and informative get passed
around. So here I am doing my part - passing on the good stuff to you. Read More
BMW's scheme points out a very important axiom regarding social media: Try. It really is that
simple. I've run into several people who are not yet convinced that
social media is important. I can't decide if it's because they are not
willing to try or not willing to fail. In either event, they miss the
opportunity that comes from expanding your box and learning something
new. Read More
Whenever I hear content is king I smile. Despite the fact that
this phrase is overly used it remains true. However, not all content is
king when trying to develop successful content. Read More
This overview allows you to see how your traffic is getting to your website. There are 4 main traffic sources tracked by Google Analytics Direct, Referring, Search Engines and Other. Read More
The map overlay allows you to see where your traffic is coming from.
This is done by displaying a map of the world and highlighting the
countries that have provided traffic to your website. Read More
Think of your website as a garden and content is the water that feeds
it. You need to create content on a regular basis or your website will
wilt and die.
Content is your best marketing asset. Sometimes it is easy to write -
sometimes it is downright painful. When those days arise that are
painful, look to some resources. Read More
The Google Analytics Visitor Overview tells you if your traffic is coming from a few people visiting you many times or several people visiting once. It also allows you to see how sticky your website is and what technical issues may be impacting your traffic. Read More
RSS stand for Really Simple Syndication. It provides a way for you to distribute your frequently updated content - often called an RSS feed (or just feed). Read More
Google Analytics is one way to determine how people are using you website. Many people use this free service yet do not know exactly what they are looking at. Google Analytics is a very powerful tool with lots of features. Consequently, this series of posts will concentrate not on every detail but on the features you will interact with frequently and those that provide you a basis to know how it can make your website successful. Read More
Social Mention is a social media search engine that searches user-generated content such as blogs, comments, bookmarks, events, news, videos, and microblogging services.
It allows you to easily track what people are saying about you, your company, a new product, or any topic across the web’s social media landscape in real-time. Read More
When talking about SEO, Google should be your first stop. They have many tools to help you optimize your website and get the best possbile search engine results. Read More
Most businesses have determined that they need an online presence. Many have had a website for years - some now counting the years in double digits. They serve their purpose and the business probably saw great growth when the site was originally launched. Now, results have leveled off and there is an itch to get some of that growth back. When should you consider building a new website? Here are some things to consider:
Shameless Plug
