These common errors can cripple your online marketing program.
According to leading Internet consultant, Ross Jardine, 'Whether you're already experimenting with the online market or just beginning to consider it as a way to expand your business, knowing the pitfalls can help you make the most of this high-powered marketing tool.'
Listed here are the six most common mistakes agency owners make when going online to market their products or services.
Mistake 1: Having Unrealistic Expectations
This doesn't sound serious, but it's a common mistake. Online marketing is designed to work in conjunction with traditional marketing, not as a replacement.
Build your Internet site to support your traditional marketing efforts. For example, if you do most of your business in your agency, use your Internet site to drive traffic to your agency. As a secondary objective, you might offer a limited line of products or services for sale over your Internet site, but the primary focus should be to drive customers into your agency. The success of your Internet effort can then be accurately measured by the increase in overall sales.
Mistake 2: Not Promoting Your Site
If you don't promote your Internet site, you'll fail. So publish your Internet site address at every opportunity. Put your Internet address on stationery, business cards, brochures, even billing statements. Everywhere prospects see your telephone number, they should see your E-mail address. Everywhere they see your street address, they should see your Internet address.
Seek out competitors or companies that service your industry and approach them about establishing a link between your site to their Web pages. Sharing links is a great way to expose your site to potential customers.
Mistake 3: Participating in Spamming
'Spamming' is the term for sending unsolicited advertising messages to people via e-mail. It's considered one of the worst sins in the online world. If you want to destroy your online business, try spamming.
Instead of spamming, consider using bulk E-mail. Bulk E-mail companies maintain large databases of people who want to receive information on specific subjects. You pay the company a fee to include your advertising message in E-mails that go out to people in the database. Bulk E-mail providers offer co-op advertising that groups your offer with others in the same E-mail message. Or you can purchase a stand-alone E-mail for a bit more money.
Bulk E-mail is inexpensive when compared with traditional mail, but it does have drawbacks. Some people consider bulk E-mail a subtle form of spamming. If you use bulk E-mail, be prepared for some negative response.
Mistake 4: Using Too Many Graphics
When someone visits your site, the first page should say, 'Come in and look around,' and direct visitors to areas of interest through a table of contents or directory. The first page should be straightforward and should load quickly. Too many graphics and pictures slow down loading. Although graphics add interest, they do little to keep people browsing through your site. Text, not graphics, sells your products or services, so use graphics or pictures sparingly.
Mistake 5: Never Updating Your Site
Make frequent changes and additions to your Internet site. You needn't redesign your site, but you should provide new information that will keep customers coming back. Try posting a monthly or weekly article about the insurance industry or a monthly newsletter about your agency. You can also feature an 'Internet Site of the Month' or add new links to related pages.
If you hire someone to help you build your Internet site, be sure to discuss the cost of making changes. Most companies charge for every change, so negotiate this fee in advance. Many service providers and design companies build simple forms that enable you to make your own updates from your computer. This is the best way to make revisions because you're in control, and the price is fixed regardless of how many changes you make.
Mistake 6: Responding Slowly
Internet users want information fast, so communicate quickly with customers and prospects who visit you online. Pick up your E-mail at least once each day and respond to every message immediately. Or designate a person to respond at least once a day to E-mail messages generated by your Internet site. Slow responses to E-mail questions, inquiries, or orders causes customers to lose faith in your business.
Learn to avoid these hazards, and you'll give your online marketing program its best chance for success.