Building a Successful Web Presence

Considering the increasingly more business opportunities on the Internet and the new technologies of communication, it is essential for any company to be represented online. Any serious business man or woman understands the Internet as a dynamic media tool, even if they don't understand the internet itself - that's what Design FIrm is here for. Having a website proves that your company is open towards the future, that you accept the change and you are ready for any challenge, without being afraid of the competition.

Online branding involves the user’s experience in contact with the online presence of a brand. This experience is determined by three categories of activity:

• Creating the online presence (the development strategy, choosing a domain name, the graphic appearance design, information structure, conceiving the content, functionality, errors management, etc);
• To maintain and develop further the online presence (website’s update, public relations management, traffic reports analysis);
• To develop online promotions (search engine optimisation / optimization, banners campaign, email marketing, viral marketing).

The first question you should ask when we start a web site is: “Why do I make this website?” Many companies make the mistake of asking “How” prior to “Why”. By asking “How”, you will have a good website with a wrong direction. Your site is just another communication channel. Just as in print, TV ads or outdoor, the website represents your message and image on the Internet. It should essentially be a part of the company’s marketing strategy. Once you have a marketing strategy for the whole business, asking “Why” regarding your website is like asking the same question for any other environment of communication or research.

How to achieve your goals

The main facts you have to consider is an easy navigation through the website, high-quality text (copy / copywriting), education and suggestive advertisements.

What are the benefits of developing a strategic web presence planning?

• The business presence in a dynamic environment, with a large audience, at small fees’
• To maintain/ improve the relation with current customers;
• To gain new customers;
• To ensure fast access to complete and well structured information about company and offers;
• To increase the company’s development potential;
• To save time;
• To save resources and money;
• Online promotions and advertising campaigns are less expensive than any other advertising techniques;
• Making online transactions, which require less time and effort;
• Improving the company’s image.

A website doesn’t bring increased value to customers; the online services offered by the company do it. A web site does not allow companies to benefit from the extraordinary power of the Internet; this can be achieved only when the web presence was established strategically.

The strategy

The strategy is a long term plan, developed to achieve a specific goal. What does this actually mean? The strategy is the idea, the concept that will indicate you the right direction. For example, a company’s strategy can be a niche leader. Your online strategy may provide the most complete services on the web. Or it can offer more information about products than your competition does. Education of the client can be a key to your online success.

Tactics

The tactics refer to the methods used to develop a strategy. The strategy is the general plan. In online marketing, tactics could consist in determining customers to come back, through newsletters, articles publication to provide maximum information, the use of contextual advertising, etc…

What is important to remember is that tactics depend on strategy. In this case it becomes clear how important it is to have first a clear strategy and then to move to implementation. You do this in all your projects. The online environment shouldn’t be an exception.

Marketing is the engine of today’s business. A well-done marketing strategy will bring your company in the top. Therefore, it is important that a marketing strategy to be qualitative, because it makes the difference between success and failure. Take into account the following attributes that will increase the value of your presence in the online environment:

• Coherency. The marketing strategy should be coherent regarding the company’s values and possibilities.
• Flexibility. Even if the strategy involves a long term plan, some flexibility is still needed. If your plan is to dominate a certain niche, and even to get there, but suddenly the niche becomes significantly smaller, you need to re-evaluate the strategy. If you will to achieve a certain goal and discover that the goal wasn’t exactly the desired one, the flexibility is required. So the best thing you can do is to make a step back sometimes and to overview the entire situation. If your purpose doesn’t meet anymore the market’s requirements, then you should change direction.
• Sustainability. When you create a strategic web presence planning for your company, it is important to reach a certain balance. The balance between willing to achieve a top position on the market and the available resources must be moderate. A sustainable strategy can be support tactically in time. It is better to choose a strategy that you can support to an end, than a strategy that you can support only on a short term.

These are the most important attributes of a successful strategic web presence planning. It is important to consider them when conceiving your online marketing strategy, in order to plan for a successful website.

Design Firm Pty Ltd have been writing, constructing and managing online marketing and website strategies for over a decade, and we can manage yours. From planning through to design with our multiple international award winning agency, through to the implementation and even promotion and monitoring of your new strategy and website.

Take the Next Step - Call Design Firm

Contact Design Firm Pty Ltd to discuss your requirements or call immediately on 0488 747 046.

We are an internationally recognised multi award winning agency and we can tailor a solution that perfectly reflects your business' requirements and its future marketing goals.

We are based in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia and service a multitude of businesses and companies Australia Wide - and even a couple overseas.

Here are some of the areas that our clients reside:
Torres Strait, Townsville, Carins, Mackay, Airlie Beach, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Noosa, Maroochydore, Caloundra, Beerwah, Brisbane, Coffs Harbour, Forster, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Warrnambool, Portland, Albany, Mandurah, Bunbury, Rockingham, Perth, Geraldton, Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome, Darwin, Tamworth, Richmond, Footscray, Shepparton, Mooroopna, Wangaratta, Horsham, Ballarat, Bendigo, Albury, Wadonga, Mildura, Echuca, Alice Springs, Kalgoorie, Mt Isa, Ayr, Cloncurry, Broken Hill, Fairfield, Campbelltown, Sutherland, Manly, Hornsby, Penrith, Chatswood, Morewell, Moe, Traralgon, Sale, Geelong, Colac, Bacchus Marsh, Warragul, Yarra Glen, Healesville, Roxburgh Park, Melton, Dandenong, Springvale, Ascot Vale, Cranbourne.

We do apologise to any clients if we have missed your area in our client location listings, as always please feel free to email us should we have done so!