Part 2:  The Internet Marketing Plan

It is widely accepted that the Internet has become the “go to” source to find products and services.  For this reason and in today’s difficult economy, it’s critical for every company to utilize the Internet to generate sales and/or leads to fuel their business.  Whether you’re an enterprise company or a small business, you should have an Internet marketing plan.  Obviously, a larger company requires a more sophisticated and comprehensive Internet marketing plan.  However, independent of company size, the central element of any Internet marketing plan is a search engine optimized Website.  This being the case, let’s examine what it means to have a search engine optimized Website.

A question I am often asked in my seminars and workshops is:  What makes a good Website?   The answer to this question is relatively simple:  It needs to be equal to or better than your competitors’ Websites and it needs to be easily found in the search engines.  There are all types of Websites and generally, the price of the Website is directly proportional to the level of sophistication.    It is possible to spend millions of dollars developing a Website.  Good examples of a multimillion-dollar Websites are Amazon and Dell.  These Websites contain some of the most sophisticated technology available.  However, the technology has only one goal: Meet the company’s online sales objectives.  So the complete answer to what makes a good Website is three fold:

1. It must be equal to or better that your competitors
2. It must be built to achieve your company’s online objectives
3. It must be easily found in the search engines for keywords that your target market is likely to use

If it doesn’t meet all three criteria, it isn’t a “good” Website.  No matter how attractive and sophisticated a Website may be, it must meet the above three critical criteria to actually do a company much good.  Think about it.  Let’s assume you have an attractive Website and when people see it they usually say “Wow.”  That’s really a “so what” if it isn’t easily found in the search engines.  The reason for this is that search engines account for almost 90% of all the found sites on the Internet.  That means that even a company like Amazon must be easily found in the search engines.  Do a simple search for any thing that Amazon sells, for example “gardening books” and you will find them on the first page of Google.  If the result isn’t in the natural listings it will be found in the paid listing (i.e. listings a company pays for when someone clicks on their advertisement).  They do this because even with their immense branding and online presence, they completely understand the power of search engine marketing.  In the example I just gave, as of March 8, 2009, Amazon had the number one paid listing in Google and the number one natural listing.

Do you have to spend millions to have a “good” Website?  The answer for most of the companies that will read this blog is no.  You will need to spend whatever it takes to meet or beat the competition and be easily found in the search engines. 

Another question I am often asked in my seminars and workshops is:  Can I do it myself?  For most companies, even those with Information Technology people on staff, the answer is no.  The techniques of building a competitive Website that is easily found in the search engines isn’t just a technology challenge.  Technology plays a role, but it also requires:
• A thorough understanding of user friendly, as well as attractive, Web design
• Online copy writing that compels the target market to take action once they get to the site
• A thorough knowledge of search engine optimization

Obviously, while a search engine optimized Website is the central element of any Internet Marketing Plan, there are numerous other elements to consider.  These include:

• Social Media Marketing
• Mobile Marketing
• Online/Traditional Public Relations & Branding
• Shopping Comparison Site Advertising
• Email Marketing
• Integrated Media Advertising (i.e. integrating Print/Radio/TV with Internet marketing)
• Blog Development & Promotion
• Audio/Video Production
• 360’s Panoramic Views
• Podcasting & Promotion
• Contextual Internet Marketing (example:  a hotel banner ad on a travel site)
• International & Multicultural Internet Marketing

All elements of the Internet Marketing Plan need to be responsive to the company’s objectives.  Some companies may stop with a search engine optimized Website, while others may utilize some or all of the elements delineated above. 

Once again, it’s not about technology.  It’s about using technology combined with marketing savvy to meet the company’s return on investment (ROI) objectives.