Mitch Joel
Sun
You thought this column was going to tell you that you’re missing the boat because your company is not on Twitter or blogging. Wrong. Maybe the problem is that you have not created an iPhone app yet, or that you don’t even know if there is a Facebook page for the brands, products and services that you sell. Wrong again. All of the attention you think you should be spending on online marketing in the many digital channels will bring your company zero return if you don’t have a website that is easy to use and findable by all of the search engines (yes, that includes Google, Microsoft and Yahoo!).
It’s time to get back to basics. It’s almost laughable to think that some companies don’t have a serious and up-to-date website in 2009. No matter what you do, everyone at every level of any organization always goes online to see just who they are doing business with. This could be potential customers, clients, vendors and consultants. As each day passes, we’re seeing just how significant a website is to the overall business strategy for all companies.
Here’s a scenario: You’re having lunch with a business colleague who recommends a new laptop for you to check out. Do you run down to Future Shop or Best Buy? Do you call your IT department and have them fax you over a spec sheet? No. You do what everyone does: You check it out online. You do a quick search, look for some reviews, and empower yourself with more knowledge than any retail clerk at any major electronics retailer could ever have. In fact, when you finally do hit the stores, you are so informed about the product that your advanced questions send the clerk to the exact same spot that you used: The manufacturer’s website.
Your website is becoming the primary connection that most people have with your company and brand. Remember the old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”? Each and every day, hundreds (maybe thousands) of people are thinking about your company, researching it online, and checking out your website. What does your website really say to that person if it is the first impression?
Here’s the good news: Fixing your website is probably one of the most cost-effective marketing solutions to multiple business challenges. Your online presence is no longer just an interactive brochure (that’s so 1998). Now, more than ever, your corporate website is the gateway to your business. It’s far too easy to get caught up in the latest shiny object to come along, but never let that shiny object distract you from taking a good, serious and hard look at what everyone sees when they come to your online home.
“It’s not that important for us. . . It really isn’t that big of a deal. . . Real people with real business opportunities are going to do more due diligence, and they’re going to connect with us in person.” That’s the most common rebuttal to the “get your website fixed ASAP” argument. But it’s plain and simple arrogance. It also demonstrates a true lack of understanding of the realities of the new business landscape. I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with many venture capital-types, and heard many stories about how they had heard about a particular business –whether they were looking for an investing or potential partnership opportunity. But all bets were off once they went to the business’s website (or lack thereof). The simple conclusion from these high-powered business brokers? How could these companies make good partners or a wise investment if they can’t even get a simple website together?
No phone calls were made. No further inquiries were needed. How many opportunities, sales or partnerships were lost? And the businesses in question would never even know.
The big idea here is to take a step back. Analyse what your current website looks like. Use one of the many free Web analytics tools (Google Analytics or Yahoo Web Analytics) to monitor how many people are coming to your website everyday, how did they find you, what keywords did they use in the search engines or what links to find you? Once you know that, you can start building your site around what matters most to your users. You can write copy in their language (not with your business jargon) and make the site flow better. Make sure that your site is built and programmed with “clean” language that is friendly for the search engines. Review your website, frequently. Buy some friends some pizza and ask them for their candid feedback on what you’re doing online.
Remember, even if your website is not perfect, great design and content will make up for any shortcomings. And having a clean and well-structured website will drive traffic from the search engines. Believe it or not, potential customers are looking for you right now. What are they finding? You, or your competition?
Mitch Joel is president of the digital marketing and communications agency Twist Image.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
