Web Marketing 101
Let’s face it — every Web site is a “marketing Web site.” Whether it is a company trying to sell a product to a customer or a 15-year-old high school girl trying to connect with her friends on MySpace, Web sites are designed to promote a brand, product, person, company or idea to a global audience.
The question, then, is how to transform your site to rise above the rest.
For more than a decade, the Web Marketing Association has watched Web sites evolve and become important communication tools for marketing and commerce. Based on research from its award program, the following four ways can help ensure a Web site’s effectiveness.
Focus on Content
Content is what people come looking for. And they expect much more than just words. They want links to manuals, customer testimonials or ratings, and virtual demos. Content needs to be as entertaining as it is informative.
Make the Site Come Alive
The experience is what makes a lasting impression. Sound can be a powerful tool, as well. For example, one WebAward winner allowed users to click on difficult medical terms to hear how to pronounce them. Appropriate use of Flash can also add much to a site. Flash can enhance navigation and be used to create 3D product demos and virtual tours for restaurants and hotel Web sites. At the same time, don’t overuse the technology; it can make a site seem cluttered and overwhelming.
Personalize the Experience
Databases changed the face of Web sites by allowing pages to pop up “on the fly” based on the needs of the user. Amazon.com is a great example. Every time a user returns, he or she can see past searches and purchases, as well as what other buyers of those products were interested in. Some Web sites make it difficult for users to return by not remembering their user names and passwords. Security feature? No. It’s bad customer service that may send users running to another site.
Create a Consistent Brand Experience
What consumers experience online should be complementary to what you are trying to accomplish offline. All too often interactive developers lose sight of the brand intent when implementing the online strategy. An excellent example of how to do it right is the UPS Whiteboard Web site at www.UPS.com/whiteboard, by IQ Interactive, that makes the TV and print ads come to life. The Internet can help you target your brand messaging to a tighter audience, but the brand values must be consistent everywhere the consumer interacts with the brand.
Bottom Line
A Web site is too important as a branding and sales tool not to make the effort to make sure that you stay on the cutting edge. Remember, it does not matter what Mercedes is doing on its site — unless you are BMW. Focus on what your competitors are doing and make sure you are one step ahead so that your efforts will put you in a good light when a potential customer is choosing between them and you.
Bill Rice is President of the Web Marketing Association. He can be contacted at [email protected].
For more articles on interactive marketing, go to http://promomagazine.com/
