COMMENTS
It's kind of like the age old question "If a tree falls in a forest and there's no one to hear it would it make a sound?" Same can be asked of a website sometimes. You spend all this money on this awesome redesign and introduce video, social networking, etc, but without the marketing nobody comes to visit it.
People come to me wanting to do all these awesome fancy things on a site and I don't want to discourage them, but sometimes you have to bring them back down to earth and explain why an updated text site is more relevant than an amazing looking flash site with outdated content because nobody knows how to update the flash.
The main goal of any site is to bring qualified traffic, period. To generate traffic you need to market the site and create buzz. In order to do this you need marketing.
Well said, Kyle.
People come with so many ideas about what their web site should look like and what it should say. As web marketing professionals, it's our job to educate people that they should set their business goals first. Then, chart their plan. Then, build.
The best analogy I can come up with is, "Would you build a new house without drawing house plans?" Or maybe, "Would you launch a storefront without thinking about where it was going to go?"
As a website developer, I like to put a lot more focus on the planning part of the puzzle. Do you have a core message, a message that permeates throughout your organization? Do you know your target market? Do you have a marketing strategy that will carry you forward through the next 6 months, 1 year, 2 years? Have you ever done a complete marketing analysis for your company or are you going by "feel"? Does your marketing or website vendor set up deliverables? What would you consider a successful website?
So many questions and, for many companies, so few answers. This should be the foundation for any marketing your company does. By setting this up, your "internet marketing" becomes a done deal. It's great to bring in leads but are they qualified? Is your conversion rate where it should be?
Pete, you've got it right: "people should set their business goals first. Then, chart their plan. Then, build." This is a major component that shouldn't be left to chance or emotions.
This blog post couldn't be more right on my concept of web design. While some web design companies can do good work, most of the time, they are focused on that check, getting the project over and moving on to the next check.
My concept as yours is that billing on a monthly basis (consulting) is the best bet, because the effort and time you will input into the project requires that it be ongoing.
The traditional strategy and business model of boutique web design companies is no longer relevant if you ask me.
All great questions, Paul.
I'm going to be doing some follow up posts to this and will be including some of your questions in it.
I agree, Israel.
I'm going to be writing a follow up post titled, "How to Transition Your Cash Flow Struggling Web Design Business into a Cash Flow Consistent Internet Marketing Business."
Let me know if you have some thoughts on that and if you'd like to contribute?
You assume that people starting new web businesses actually have the money to hire an outside Internet marketer after they pay for web development/design.
If you have a great online business idea and not a whole lot of cash, your best bet is to learn how to market your business on the web yourself. It's not really rocket science and all the 'how to' information is out there for free on the web.
Except for the rocket science part...
You are So Wrong. So Wrong, John.
That used to be the right way. Then, came along HubSpot.
Using HubSpot tools, you can build an attractively designed website, get trained to become an internet marketing expert and have all the content management, lead capture, SEO, social media and analytics tools automatically integrated with your website.
And it's probably the same investment you'd make in having a website developer build you something.
Also, what's the time you're going to spend reading a bunch of blogs and trying to figure it out yourself?
All that said, you're not the only one that thinks this way. I'll lay out "all the options" in a future blog post.
Great advice, Pete.
I can't tell you how many businesses we've seen get burned by unreliable web development and SEO firms. It is extremely important to have a plan in place, and to know what questions to ask when assessing Internet partners.
HubSpot is doing a great job of educating the market. Keep it up!
@Paul Roetzer. I'm planning a follow up post on questions to ask a web design/internet marketing firm when interviewing them. Let me know if you'd like to contribute.
John mentioned starting a business without a lot of cash, which is tough, you need to prioritize where to spend those precious few dollars, and learn to do what you can yourself. To be successful in business (either big or small) you need to put the money where you get an ROI and then build on that success. Paying 5k one time for a web site to validate your brick and mortar site is good, but paying $250 each month for a site and Internet marketing software and getting lots of leads that pay for the $250 tens times over is better.
Of course I can say that because I paid my dues. Prior to being a Hubspot client I paid the 5k to create a site. My background is in sales, not in web design or Internet marketing. In fact my web site was an after thought. Planning?? Strategy?? I was worried about making sales to pay my rent. I didn't have the site to bring in leads I had it to validate being in business. I was fine with that because my brain was wired as an outside sales rep, making outbound calls, follow up e-mails, VITO letters, drip campaigns and the like.
If someone had told me I could get leads from the web site I would have laughed because I wasn't ready to hear the information. My guess is many small businesses; either new ones or long time existing businesses aren't ready to hear it either. They're of the mindset I had, stick to the traditional, web site designer, (preferably a friend of a friend) and put up a site to validate the "brick and mortar" business. What they don't understand, (I didn't either) is that you only need to make a few modifications to an existing site, or start over as I did using the Hubspot CMS and whamo the site becomes alive with ranking keywords and targeted traffic.
John is right on one account when he says “learn how to market your business on the web yourself” I would add, and do it using a proven methodology and experts, then add the hard work. Why John is out searching the web trying to find the short cuts and getting “free” info I’ve already designed my site, ranked my keywords, gotten leads, made sales and taken my $250 investment and made thousands.
Noel. That's an awesome comment and testimonial. We're glad you're doing great with HubSpot.
You are right: many small business owners are still convinced that their website is meant for people who want to "check them out" after they've heard about them. I speak to prospective clients every week who just want to be findable for a search for their name and a few uncommon search terms. They don't really get that if they think a little broader, and think a little beyond SEO, that there are people out there searching, browsing, etc for solutions like the one they provide.
In short, you're right: very few business owners know what's possible.
@everyone. I didn't mean this post to be a HubSpot pitch or lovefest. But, I guess that's cool.
If anyone wants to see more detail about Noel's story, there is a video here: http://www.hubspot.com/customer-case-studies/bid/4042/Vocio-Increases-Targeted-Traffic-and-Leads-to-Website-Using-HubSpot
I only posted this because Noel commented about his experience above. Normally I would not promote a case study on the blog.
Great blog and comments-mind blowing for a 50's something small business owner, trying to drive inbound traffic to our site. Of course we did it backwards and created the site first. So is there no hope to make it right with hubspot's tools, or do we build it again from the ground up?
I am absolutley convinced and committed to the benefit and need for inbound organic traffic to generate leads and convert them to new clients. Can an overstetched small business owner with limited budget who only heard the term SEO two months ago do this himself?
Great questions, Rob.
I always ask people, "What are your goals? And How are important are they for you to achieve?"
If your goals are to grow your business and it's important because you want to retire sooner, put your kids through college or just take more time off, than it might make sense for you to make the investment of time and money.
But, that's a question you need to answer. I will say this... it's about setting priorities and it's sometimes about making short term sacrifices to achieve your longer term goals.
You should call us. We'll educate you on what you'll need to do to take your website to the next level, so you can make an informed decision whether this is an investment that will help you, and if the short term cash flow and "extra time now" is worth sacrificing for your longer term dreams.
And age has nothing to do with it. My grandmother just started her first business at 72, because she wanted to. Not because she needed to. I have a handful of clients in their 60s. They typically have a little bit longer learning curve with using the tools and learning the concepts. But, once they learn them, their accumulated years of business skills make them more equipped to leverage the internet's ability to connect with people.
Rob I feel your pain, as many folks at Hubspot are domain experts they can rattle off numerous, sometimes overwhelming, explanations on an array of SEO and web site topics. Honestly, while I'm plugged in to listen to their information via the blog and forum, I maybe absorb and comprehend 5% of what I hear. Each day I start out with the best intentions to spend time planning, strategizing and setting goals but the reality of running the business gets in the way. I look back after a 12 hour day and think tomorrow I'll get to it. The old "working on" versus "working in" your business dilemma.
In any case that aside I have been able to dedicate some time to update my web site, now on the Hubspot CMS, which allows me, a neophyte wed designer, to create a site. Now I could greatly improve it but the point is I created a site and blog with no prior experience and pretty much every day now I get qualified leads.
Here's a quick example to sum it up. We had a promo for a free Blackberry 8830 when you activated a new line with Sprint. I sent out an e-mail to clients and we received a few orders, during the middle of this month (April 2008) I decided to create a page dedicated to the offer. I copied an image of the phone from Blackberry, copied some of the plan info from Sprint (we're authorized to do that) and made the page in a few minutes. I then forgot about it. Within a couple of days I received a couple of inquiries and made some sales. We made a total of 7 sales (we receive about $200 per activation). The customers were happy (the same phone was $180 going through Sprint) and we were happy we made some sales with a low acquisition cost. When I researched where the leads came from I found that we were the #1 search term for "free sprint blackberry 8830". So this is the type of stuff you can do to get inbound leads and sales. It doesn't have to be super complicated and you don't necessarily have to take time away from your core job of running your small business. By the way the Blackberry offer expires today. It wasn’t meant as a sales pitch, it was to show a real world scenario for folks like me that struggle with running a business and keep up with all SEO stuff.
Noel. That's a great example, actually. Thanks very much for sharing it.
I think the important part for anyone, if they hire an expert, is to follow the advice to the T, dedicate the time and do the work.
It comes easier for some. But, it works for everyone if they stick with it.
Great article. Just one caution, good site today is best site never!! I always believe think big, start small and scale fast.
It would be also helpful if you could recommend some companies in different sectors ($5K range for SMBs Vs $50K for big companies).
@PeterCaputa : I did write a post a while back called "There's no money in web design anymore" on my personal blog .. check it out here: http://israel.com.bz/post/6253225
Some people can consider it a rant but i'd say its the realities of the web design industry ... the traditional business model is dying if not dead. I was to follow up a post touching on internet marketing/consulting and how being a trusted advisor can make you more money.. but never got to it.. maybe your follow up post can be part 2 :-)
@PeterCaputa: Thanks for the comments on my personal blog, what are your comments/thoughts on the post "no money in web design?"
BTW, i have some questions to ask about hubspot, where do i email u?
Yes, it is true that web design firms are doing just web design, not even thinking about how their design affects seo work. They use javascript for navigation, dont use heading tags, instead use css to make fonts bigger. I know few marketing firms those are doing seo as different contract, too are doing the same mistake.
The reason is they don't ask for the opinion of SEO before making site layout or site mockup. I recommend asking for SEO opinion before starting your design in white paper. Write down what to do and what not to do and hand over this to the web designer. It will save lot of time later on, when doing seo.
@Israel. Email me. First initial + Last name (no spaces) at hubspot.com
I read your post. I don't necessarily agree with you. I do think there is money in web design. Frankly, I just think you need to figure out how to get some of it and stop making excuses. If you're truly good at what you do and you have good sales and marketing skills, there's work for you out there.
@SEO India. I am writing a follow up post about the SEO steps required when relaunching a website. Send me an email if you'd like to contribute.
this is a problem that happen most of the times. the point is that sometimes is not the fault of the internet marketing company, but of the client, that thinks that is not necessary to pay every month for that kind of service.
@istioselida If internet marketers and web design companies were better at "advising" clients about what's the best thing for them and why, companies would have no problem paying them. I don't think it's the job of the client (or prospect) to write monthly checks just because they're asked to write them. It's our job, as internet marketing professionals, to educate them so they realize the importance of this stuff, whether it happens through a blog post, webinar or sales call.
Hi,
Excellent blog - I really appreciate your blog about "Cheers.Plan Your Internet Marketing Strategy Before Launching Your Website", I have bookmarked it for later viewing and forwarded it on.
Cheers
Good post. As a partner at a web design firm, I completely agree that too many firms are just focused on ending each project rather than building a longterm sustainable site and partnership. At our firm, we make sure to always build the sites with the best possible SEO practices and help our clients down the road as well. I think (and really hope) this is starting to become more of the norm as people start to realize that the uber-expensive flash sites just don't meet their marketing needs. I think there are shops out there that do both design and marketing well, just be sure to do your due diligence before committing to one.
@Nancy. Thank you for bookmarking and forwarding.
@Clay. Amen. I see the trend of more web design/dev firms trying to figure out how to provide ongoing online marketing services. You're a smart firm if you're at the forefront of that.
I think a big part of the problem is that most firms don't understand the concept of consultative needs-based selling. They're too busy writing proposals and trying to have the prettiest designs and being the smartest, instead of asking questions about the business and finding out what's important to the client.
Over the years working with alot of different companies mostly small to mid size they are really looking at the internet as new yellow pages directory. Most believe we just need a website and do not want to spend money in SEO. I believe it is because alot of information out there talks about how easy it is to setup a website and really do not talk about how to leverage the internet to grow your business. I have seen better information getting out there regarding SEO but the business owners are still not there yet. I think it will be some time before they really get this concept.
Well said indeed. I'm launching a new site soon, and I haven't really thought much about my marketing strategy.
I'm planning to use
Megastarmedia.com to help me build a social networking site of my own. I figure it will help me retain customers and keep them coming back (aside from several other benefits)
I guess that would be my main strategy, along with traffic generation and great content. I hope that work..
Great post.
We're one of those anomalies: a web design firm that knows design, coding and SEO. It's a rare breed, but I think more firms will join us as clients clamor to be found online.
It definitely takes some knowledge, though, and a desire to keep up with things. And I think for many design firms it's more profitable right now to focus on selling design and ignore SEO, SEM and SMM.
Once it's easy for clients to start objectively comparing websites for marketing effectiveness - using tools such as Hubspot's own Website Grader - the jig will be up.
Has anyone on this blog heard of "Wealthy Affiliates"? If so, have you seen any negative comments? If so, can you repeat them here?
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This post was totally on target. We are in a situation in which small business owners have no clue what it takes to make a profitable website.
My experience has been that 90% of the clients I work with don't even know why they need a website. Any time I bring up the marketing plan they look like deer in the headlights of an oncoming truck. It is far easier to get the website designed and completed than it is to get people to it consistently. You are right; time is the essential ingredient that each website owner must personally confront in the effort to drive targeted traffic and convert that traffic into sales.
Hello sir ,
I read your article about web designing you are putting all points regarding development of sites is very good and aspects or web marketing but you are not disusing about search engine optimization. It is so beneficial in development of website .
I like this. However, whether the information provided herein is useful or not shall be decided by the specific outcome after putting into use in real world practice. Will try all next time to see if the results are obvious.
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I used to be a web developer, but I now drive online strategy at a marketing firm. Simply having a website is not enough. You should hire a web development firm based on their web skills, which is NOT the same as a marketing firm. I actually recently blogged about this -
develop an effective marketing strategy by asking why, not what. You need to have a clear sense of what you want to achieve before simply building something.
very interesting makes you focus
great post. I should one the marketing before i design the webiste.