Simple Plan for Online Success

Bringing your company or organization online is simple, affordable, and smart. You don’t have to know anything about computers or technology; you just have to use the right company to help build
your online organization. Some of the benefits of being online:

• The cost, in comparison to offline marketing and operating costs is very small.
• You can save on printing by offering your print materials online for download.
• You can measure the effectiveness of your online marketing in real time, so you will know how your dollars are being spent.
• You don’t have to pay your Web site a salary with commissions and benefits, it just works 24/7.
• The internet gives you access to customers outside of your local community.

To grow your Web site you have to create a plan and remember that your online operations isn’t much different than your offline operations. Here are some things to think about for your online organization:

• Define the Purpose and Goals of Your Web site
• Define the Structure of Your Web site
• Get a Name for Your Web site
• Get a Home for Your Web site
• Build an Attractive User-friendly Web site
• Promote Your Web site

Define the Purpose and Goals of Your Web Site

The first thing you need to do is define what you expect out of your Web site. Do you want it to help increase name awareness, increase your revenue, and build loyalty…what is the goal for your Web site? Then define your competition and the potential visitors you are competing for: who they are, what they need, their expectations… You should also define the action that you want your visitors to ultimately take: make contact, purchase online…change behavior.

We provide planning and consultation services to help shape your vision.

Define the Structure of Your Web Site

Next define your Web site’s structure. Visit some Web sites (competitors, industry sites, and others) and evaluate what you like and don’t like about them. Then make a list of all of the pages you want on your Web site. Think about the color scheme, theme, and content you want on each page; the text, pictures, forms, functions, audio, video, etc. Make sure you structure your site to address your goals and especially the needs of your potential visitors. Content is the biggest task in getting your Web site online so take time to really think about what you want on your Web site.

If you need help, we provide professional writing, photography, and content development services.

Get a Name for Your Web Site

In order for visitors to visit your Web site you have to have a domain name. A domain name is a unique name that identifies your Web site and allows a web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer, Netscape) find your Web site. To get a domain name you have to register the name with a registrar. Make a list of possible names that are:

• Unique – unique names can help brand your organization. If possible, use the name of your organization in your name. Dell.com instead of goodcomputers.com. If your name is too long or taken, try to use a name that describes your product or service.
• Short – shorter names are easier to remember and it will be less likely to make a mistake typing it. Yahoo.com instead of onlinesearchengine.com

Next you have to determine if the names are available. There are many online services for registering domain names (we also provide domain registration). If possible, you should register all of the names on your list to limit the chance that a competitor might use a similar name to take advantage of your online success. You may also want to register common misspellings of names to increase the likeliness that visitors will find you if they make a mistake typing. Lastly, you can register names that end with .com, .net, .org, .biz, etc.

We provide a domain registration service where we will help you come up with names, register names, and manage all of your names for you.

Get a Home for Your Web Site

Next you need to find a hosting company for your Web site. A hosting company provides you with a place to store your Web site with access to the internet so visitors can get to your site. Once you have your hosting company you will point you domain name to the hosting company’s computer. Make sure you select a hosting company that provides you and your staff personalized email accounts (yourname@yourorganization.com). This will add to the professionalism of your email communications.

We provide hosting services that take all of the technical head aches out of hosting your Web site.

Build an Attractive User-friendly Web Site

Now everything is in place to create your Web site. Whether you do it yourself or you hire a professional company, make sure your Web site addresses your goals, the needs of your visitors, and delivers your site structure in a visually appealing yet easy to use fashion.

Promote Your Web Site

After your site is launched, you have to get people to actually visit the site. You can optimize your site to position high in search engines, create web banner advertisements to be placed on other Web sites, submit your site to online directories, and several other web promotion techniques. If nothing else, put your web address on your business cards, emails, brochures, letterhead, and any other communication that you send out. If you have radio or TV commercials make sure you tag the Web site address. Basically, when you promote your offline organization make sure to let people know that you are also online.

We provide Web site marketing services and low cost graphic design, printing, and other marketing services.

Manage and Maintain Your Web Site

Overtime you are going to need to make changes, if only to keep the site interesting to repeat visitors. You should think about who is going to manage your Web site. Will you take the time to add and change text and pictures or will you contract someone.

We provide Web site management services that let you concentrate on what you do best.

We Can Help

Bringing organization online and helping them to realize success is what we do. If you need help developing your online organization contact us at (904) 683-9516, GetResults@UrbanMarketingNetwork.com, or visit UrbanMarketingNetwork.com.

• Web site Design and Development
• Social Media Planning and Management
• Event Planning & Management
• Internet & Off-line Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Domain Name Registration
• Graphic Design & Printing
• Corporate ID & Branding
• Ad Planning and Buying
• Strategy Development
• Grant Writing Seminar
• Business Plan Writing
• Creative Writing
• Web Site Hosting
• Photography

Tags: web site planning

1 Comment to Simple Plan for Online Success

Leave a comment