Avoid these top 10 mistakes in online marketing
There are many things to be aware of when developing a marketing strategy. Here is a list of the top 10 risks in Web Marketing.
Risk 1: Doing nothing
The biggest mistake you could make is to do nothing. The Internet is old news at this point. It has become an indispensable part of the way we live. Your business needs to have an online strategy. Additionally, in many ways, the Internet rewards experience. Those sites who have been online longer have better search rankings. Those owners who have been experimenting and testing online methods have learned many lessons and have optimized their process. The longer you wait, the deeper the whole you will be in the marketplace.
Risk 2: Not asking for action from customers
One common mistake that many new websites make is that they do not ask for an action. They can put up the prettiest website in the world, but if it has no ‘call to action’ on it, then it accomplishes nothing for the business owner. Knowing the right call to action is critical in the Internet business. It could be asking users to call a phone line, fill out a form, or create an account, but it needs to be something users can do right then and there. Just doing web ‘branding’ is better left to the companies with the million dollar budgets. You need to get a return on your investment right then and there.
Risk 3: Under-investing in marketing
While it is often accounted for as an ‘expense’ on the balance sheet, we at Element Chain believe that marketing is an investment in the future of the organization. Like real investments, it takes money to make money. Whatever you do with marketing investments, you need to put your money to work for you. Investing in marketing can take the form of driving new sales, maximizing the value of your current customer base, or educating and entering all new markets. Additionally, you need to be a smart marketing investor. We advise clients to diversify their marketing dollars and to test different methods in order to find what works for their business.
Risk 4: Over-spending on marketing
On the other side of the marketing investment is the risk of spending too much. A business owner needs to learn what works and constantly be adjusting their efforts after that. It is too risky to spend all your marketing dollars on one promotion or one advertising medium. It is much smarter to test and validate methods while constantly knowing that customers may change so your methods need to be flexible. We also understand that every business is in a different stage of its evolution. Some businesses may not be ready for a heavy investment in marketing, but might be willing to lay the groundwork with tests of different methods. Whatever their stage, Element Chain works with all types of companies to find the right custom solution for their needs.
Risk 5: Not focusing your message
Many companies do not focus their message on one type of customer or segment. They do not think about who they are selling to and why. In marketing, we talk about segmentation, targeting, and positioning. Element Chain works with clients to segment their markets, target the right segments, and then position the messaging of the client’s products and services to fulfill the goals of the target segment. It is a continuously evolving process that can always be improved and, in fact, requires refreshing from time to time to avoid becoming stale and dull.
Risk 6: Not understanding your customer’s perspective
Along with focusing on the right target segments is the need to empathize with your customers. Sometimes business owners are so used to seeing their own perspective that they need an outside agency to come in and help ‘step outside’ of their arena and see the big picture. Element Chain helps clients step into their customer’s role and understand their goals, objective, fears, and desires so that they can improve their messaging and really connect with their clients.
Risk 7: Wrong, misleading, or just plain bad information
The Web is a wild place. There are all kinds of pieces of information out there. There is always a risk that customers might find an old reference, an old address, or an incorrect, inappropriate, or misleading piece of information on the Internet about YOU. We help clients ‘scrub the web’ for information about themselves and find out what clients, competitors, or the press could find out about them. We then help clean up this information, post correct information, and monitor the Web for any changes or updates that may come out.
Risk 8: Not testing and optimizing your advertising spending
Many people spend money on advertising and marketing but have no idea what their real return is for that spending. Today we have the tools to change that. On the Internet, there are ways to monitor how every penny spent for every click converts into sales leads for your business. Element Chain is committed to accountability when it comes to advertising. We want to make sure that we design an advertising program that will add value to your business. If it does not add value, then we may need to go back to the drawing board and find and test a new solution. This is called constantly optimizing, and we believe in it.
Risk 9: Looking unprofessional and amateur
Today, just about anyone can build a website with the many website building software tools such as Microsoft FrontPage or online tools such as GoDaddy’s Site Builder. These tools allow individuals to build their own websites in a few minutes with what are called WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editors. These solutions are often very cheap, sometimes costing under $20 a year. There are also companies that will offer a consultant-by-phone solution that claim to build a site for you instantly over the phone. In fact, many of these companies just have the so-called consultant use a typical WYSIWYG editor to build the site for you, but often charging hundreds of dollars. Unfortunately, the results are too often sites that are not unique and that look unprofessional, unpolished, and amateurish. Many business owners do not want their companies to come across in this manner. Your website says a lot about your business. It is often the first impression users have of you. Therefore, it pays to put some money into a high quality website that is custom-built for your needs.
Risk 10: Looking like a spammer or an unethical marketer
Finally, the biggest mistake that web marketers make is looking like a spammer or an otherwise unethical business person. This can happen in many ways on the Web, including not removing people from email mailing lists, not offering secure online payment services, and misusing or selling customers’ private information. We at Element Chain hate spam and we work every day to help reduce this appalling abuse of the Internet. Additionally, Element Chain abides by a strict privacy protection policy about which we make no exceptions, ever. We work with clients to educate them on the need to set and abide by strict policies in order to maintain the trust of your customers and develop a strong and valued relationship with them.