Money For Nothin' And Hits For Free
Wally Bock is one crazy guy. I like that about him. He's also one good friend, and someone I call on to help me and my audience understand the virtual marketplace; this cyber-phenomenon that is transforming virtually every aspect of our lives. Wally consults with companies and organizations nationwide concerning their online marketing strategy, and he's a member of our Brain Trust.One of the cyber-myths out there is that in order to become one of those instant Internet millionaires, all you have to do is get a website and submit it to the search engines. How much spam have you gotten with this message? "Earn thousands overnight from your website." Ghrrrr!@#*
To make sure that you get the most out of your online marketing effort you must understand what your website can realistically deliver, and what to expect from the virtual marketplace in response to your site. Site?! You do have a website, right? Anyway...
At the core of your plan should be an understanding of what kind of site you want, or if you already have one, what it is. I really like what Wally says about this. He says there are three basic kinds of websites:
1. Informational. This kind of site is basically a virtual brochure. If you don't have a site yet, start here. Depending on your business model and online plan, it may be all you will ever need. The objective here is to make information about your company available to prospects and customers. It's relatively inexpensive, and changes can be made quickly. DON'T FORGET to provide a LINK to your email (don't just list it) on EVERY page. And of course, list phone numbers and your address, just like on a brochure.
2. Transactional. When you have this level of website, in addition to the "information" described above, you are also providing a forum where visitors can interact with the site, and therefore, you and your business. There might be a newsletter, an online poll, information to download, links, etc. That's right, content. (Remember what we said about content last week? "If you don't have it, they won't come.") With a transactional site, you have the ability to develop a spirit of community with your visitors.
3. E-commerce. Have you noticed that we haven't actually "sold" anything yet? If you want to play baseball, you must have that round thing with stitches, and that long thing with a trademark. If you want to actually "sell" something online, you must have a site that is capable of exchanging a real product for some form of currency, typically by credit card, on your site. This level is the most technologically advanced of the three, and therefore, the most expensive. Some cost thousands, some millions, and some tens of millions.
Write this on a rock... Owning a website WILL NOT create some kind of magic that causes other people's money to come and play in your backyard. Whatever kind of website you decide to have, make sure it fits your online marketing plan.
