Whether you want your new website to be a success right from the start or your existing website is not performing as expected: An online marketing plan keeps you focused and on track. Think of it as a GPS for your online business goals: it prevents you from getting lost.
If you are in the process of evaluating your website and its performance to establish if your site currently meets its expectations or failed to live up to them, you first need to assess what these expectations were. As simple as this may sound: Be honest and take a look at the initial list of your business goals, your strategy, your budget and the actual reasons and factors leading up to the development of your website.
OK, you can't find it. The person responsible is no longer with your company. Or there never was one. No problem. You're not alone.
You would not believe how many "big" companies face the same problem when it comes to their online marketing plans (or lack thereof). It doesn't need to be fancy and it doesn't need to be colorful. Just make sure you have one.
For many the Internet is still a new market, undiscovered territory. Contact Us, let's explore it together.
Think about your ultimate goal for a moment.
An educated guess: It consists of two words: Make Money (Something told us it wasn't World Peace). Keep the thought; we will use it later when we talk about your vision.
Seriously, what do you want to achieve? What purpose does your website have? Were particular milestones defined or measuring mechanisms implemented (1,000 products sold, response time < 24 hours, etc)? If you happen to have your original marketing plan handy, check if you have met particular goals or objectives defined in it.
You don't have to be a marketing expert to develop your own marketing plan. You simply need to know what you want, and then find the best and most affordable way to get there. You can do this.
An example:
You want to spend the next weekend at this fabulous golf course to play at least two rounds a day. You only need to get there, and a wonderful weekend of relaxing golf is right at your fingertips. All you need to do is find someone to watch your cat, buy a plane ticket, make hotel reservations, pack your favorite golf outfit and get to the airport in time. Easy enough, right?
