Five Components of an Online Marketing Plan Translates Into Increased Business

Online marketing is an extremely effective way of casting your marketing net far and wide to capture as many ideal customers as possible. It is no longer enough to take out a newspaper ad and wait by the phone. Your potential client base is shopping online for products and services much like the ones you offer – so how can you ensure that those customers find their way to your business? Put effort into creating an online marketing plan that involves these five major components, and you will see results.

Social Media

That’s right – social media is no longer the sole domain of teenagers and indie bands. Maintaining your company’s social media channels is actually considered work! Sharing relevant content daily on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and other platforms is a great way to create buzz about your products and services, which will channel more traffic to your website. Social media is also the perfect opportunity to position yourself as an expert in your field who stays abreast of the current events that pertain to your clients.

Web Design

Excellent web design is important for keeping visitors lingering on your website. Your website layout should be visually appealing, and navigation should be presented in a logical flow. Make it easy for visitors to find what they want or need. Avoid using obnoxious colors, excessive ads, or confusing navigation.  Most importantly, be sure to engage a web design expert that understands Search Engine Optimization so that you have a site that can be found on Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is both an art and a science.  You’ll want to engage an SEO expert that has a track record of helping clients reach the top.  Many SEO companies send emails, make outbound phone calls, and send mass emails to try to bring in new business.  A good indication of whether or not an SEO company knows what they’re doing should be based on their search engine rankings.  An SEO consultant will help your small business attract traffic from the search engines through ethical means. Interesting and relevant SEO content should be included on each page of your website. In addition, maintaining a blog on your website will keep the fresh SEO-rich content flowing, which will continue to attract more search engine traffic.

Email Marketing

Somewhere on your website should be a contact form. Whether this little box offers a free e-book, a newsletter, or simply an offer for more information, this is where you will capture your customers’ email addresses. Once you have a list of email addresses from people who are interested in your product or service, you should begin sending them periodic emails. This process can be automated with a variety of online tools, but each email should answer a question, or present and solve a problem for your customers.

Analytics

The fifth element of online marketing is the one that is most overlooked. Analytics are exactly what they sound like – they will tell you how effective your online marketing efforts have been. If your click-throughs, conversions, and overall sales are not at the levels you want, then you know it’s time to make some tweaks to your content in the other four elements of your online marketing plan.

Hopefully all of this does not sound too complicated – because it isn’t. Once you have certain elements in place, online marketing can largely be systematized, automated, and scheduled. However, if you feel like you could use the expert touch to help you outline the components of an online marketing plan, call PersistSEO at 770.580.3736 for a free onsultation.