Every business, organization, activist, hobbyist, [you fill in the blank] needs a strong web presence if they have a product, service, or unique message they wish to promote.
This is especially true for brick and mortar storefronts competing for local customers, as most potential buyers perform online searches before making an offline purchase.
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Maximize Your Online Visibility
A web presence typically begins with the development of a website, but maximizing your online visibility requires that you ride the Web Marketing “merry-go-round” (or, if you prefer, roller coaster).
These carnival rides are fraught with distractions, peaks & valleys, and surprises – and can ultimately lead you back to where you began.
Please note! These “pitfalls” are not necessarily ranked by importance, but rather presented in a way that represents the cyclical, ongoing nature of the web marketing process.
Web Marketing Merry-Go-Round
Here are the 8 major pitfalls and why they DO or DON’T matter:
First Impressions
Owning a website doesn’t matter if…
# 1: It is unattractive, unprofessional, and doesn’t immediately grab one’s attention.
Customer-centric
Developing an attractive, modern, eye catching website doesn’t matter if…
# 2: It doesn’t contain up-to-date content that addresses a website visitor’s needs by answering a question or solving their problem.
Website Usability
Publishing compelling content that addresses a website visitor’s needs doesn’t matter if…
# 3: They cannot successfully navigate your website or complete their desired task.
Search Engine Optimization
Providing a well-organized website with intuitive navigation doesn’t matter if…
# 4: Your website cannot be found, understood, and indexed by the search engines so that it’s “findable” by potential customers.
Search Engine Results Page
Being indexed by search engines and found by human searchers doesn’t matter if…
# 5: Your website doesn’t rank well for the search keywords used by your potential customers that are relevant to your business, products or services.
Click-Through Rate
Being highly ranked on the search engine results page (SERP) doesn’t matter if…
# 6: No one clicks on your website link.
Mobile-friendly
It doesn’t matter if web surfers click on your website link if…
# 7: They cannot easily view and navigate your content on all devices. (see Responsive design)
Keep Riding
It doesn’t matter if web surfers can easily view your website if…
# 8: See #1 above.
Continuous Monitoring
And finally, riding the web marketing carousel doesn’t matter if…
You aren’t constantly monitoring, analyzing, adapting, and improving all of the 8 potential pitfalls of the process.
The Take Away
The “rules” for web marketing are constantly changing.
New technologies and web-surfing habits, volatile search engine algorithms, and changing personal preferences all contribute to the complexity of the carousel – it is a constantly moving target.
As the merry-go-round spins, be sure to take in all of the scenery.
But be flexible and willing to evolve when the surrounding landscape changes. You can weather the ups and downs with a well-executed web marketing plan.
Consider hiring a Web Marketing Specialist if you don’t have time to devote to these tasks or if you need help getting started.
Most of all, enjoy the ride!
“Life’s a roller coaster. Best damn ride in the park. You don’t close your eyes, hold on and wait for it to be over, babe. You keep your eyes open, lift your hands straight up in the air and enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.” ~ Kristen Ashley