Businesses need to analyse their online engagement and determine if they are maximising the opportunities afforded by the world wide web.
Almost 16 million Australians currently use the Internet and statistics show an increase in Internet surfing as a national past time. This circumstance is not merely local but is one that is taking over the world through a myriad different forums. People of all ages, backgrounds, geographic locations and professions have some link to the Internet every day - for work and increasingly for leisure.
The quantity of online interaction and participation varies, but forums such as blogs, email, webmail, wikis, chat rooms, net surfing, online shopping, videos, music, games, downloads, sharing sites, etc. provide numerous opportunities for online interaction during down time or leisure time.
With the advent of these Internet forums and activities, the opportunities for interaction and engagement have never been so vast or so easy to participate. On the Internet - everything is just a click away. And unlike most other forums, participation through this medium is usually free.
The crucial thing for you as a business owner/CEO is to understand what this means for your business - how you can tap into this potentially huge source of revenue or promotion or consumer awareness or consumer interaction - whatever you want the Internet to be and do for your business.
- Start by understanding what kind of online presence you have. Conduct a review of your current online status by conducting searches on your business name and business products. If you have to scroll through several pages of search results to find a match, then you do not have a strong enough Internet presence. You should enhance your Internet presence through search engine optimisation, ad-words, advertising, etc.
- Determine what kind of online presence you need to have to engage with or to generate awareness among your customers or target audience. Research what online mediums your potential clients are likely to visit and then determine the best means to engage with them. This may be through banner advertising or sponsoring sites that they visit. Or it may be by encouraging them to visit your site for a specific purpose.
- Consider how your online presence supports, or should support, your marketing activities. For example e-marketing campaigns - whether they be direct mail, viral mail, surveys, free downloads, special offers, etc. - should all contribute to your overall marketing strategy.
- Consider registering products, service lines, websites, sub-brands, etc online. The Internet allows anyone at any time to register, set up, manage and even sell a business without ever leaving their home. These advantages apply to sub-brands and products, so seize the opportunity to do this.
- Consider your website as your main online marketing tool. It's your online presence and it's the gateway for you to communicate with the 790 million people worldwide who have access to the Internet. Consider what your website is doing for you and what it should be doing for you.
New web design techniques are based on web features that can breathe new life into your website by making it interactive, user-friendly and appealing to your target audience. Website strategies are predominantly driven by consumers and by website traffic.
Customising your website through search engine optimisation will make you more visible to potential consumers or clients in online searches.
Author Credits
Rebecca Laskary, Director, Profile Public Relations. Rebecca is a communications specialist whose career has developed rapidly through a number of positions in the corporate, non-for-profit and public sectors, in Australia and overseas. For further information please Email: contact@profilepublicrelations.com.au or visit the Web site: www.ProfilePublicRelations.com.au