 Is Your Web Site Lazy?
Your Web site can be the hardest-working member of your marketing team, but only if you make it so. Many companies invest their time and money on the appearance of their Web site with Flash intros, fancy graphics, layouts, branding, etc. However, a good-looking site provides little marketing power if your visitors simply browse through it and move on. Instead, you should focus on speeding up your Web site's metabolism and enhancing your marketing strategies by testing what your visitors are interested in and respond to. Your objective should be knowing who visits your site and why. You will have more marketing success with an ugly site and a good data collection plan than with a hot-looking site that collects no information. The secret to transforming your Web site from a 90-pound weakling to Mr. Universe lies in capturing visitor information. By providing visitors with opportunities to sign up and/or register for free products and information, you can build your database, generate leads, open lines of communication, and develop marketing strategies based on qualified information. In short, you can market back to them. For the small price of your offering, you'll get a wealth of information in return. And unlike staying on that exercise routine, it's easier to do than you think. So provide your visitors with a chance to sign up or register. Here are a few successful ideas other companies have used to obtain visitor information and to give your Web site some muscle: 1.eNewsletters: eNewsletters not only let you stay in touch with your audience, but they keep your finger on the pulse of your customers' needs and interests on a regular basis. 2. Free software demos or product samples: A great way to introduce and/or showcase your product is to offer free samples or demos of it to your customers. 3.Free reports: There's no such thing as too much information, and if yours is pertinent and relevant to their needs, visitors will gladly exchange their contact information to get it. 4.Contests: Most people are willing to enter their contact information for a chance to win free merchandise or a trip. To ensure the most qualified contacts, try to make your contest relevant to your industry or audience. 5.Promotional items and give-aways: Who doesn't like a free coffee mug or T-shirt? Promotional items are a small price to pay for qualified leads. So yes, you can have it all. One of the strengths of Web and email marketing is that you can reach your company's branding objectives and implement direct response marketing both at the same time. Good marketing means good planning — and you can't market back to someone who visits your site but never returns again. So what is your plan to capture visitor information? What is your plan to stay in touch with visitors? A well-written eNewsletter can be a great solution to both of these questions. Contact the pros at Proven Systems for help on how to use an eNewsletter as a strategic weapon in your marketing arsenal. | 
