If you build it, will they come?

21 tips for realistic results

by Mary Gillen

A small business owner I know called recently expressing dismay that "this Web site stuff doesn't work." Her site had just been launched and she was waiting for the success she'd heard so much about to start rolling in.

"I thought when you put your site on the Internet, everyone in the world sees it and the business just comes to you," she told me.

If you build it, they won't automatically come.

There's been so much hype about what a Web site can do for a small business. Many people think that once a site goes on-line, the work is over. But in reality, that's when the work begins.

But there are things you can do to ensure that if you build it, they will come.

You just need to roll up your sleeves and get to work promoting and improving your site.

#1: Be sure of your purpose before you start

What is the purpose of your site? Set some simple attainable goals at the beginning. Take the time to review and revise your goals constantly as your Web marketing adventure continues. Examples:

• "My goal is to add 100 new prospects to my on-line mailing list every month."
• "My goal is to have five new consulting clients in the next year due to the exposure generated by Web marketing."
• "My goal is to increase my product sales 10% through my Web site during the next year."

#2: Design your site around what your audience needs

Design your Web site to include the information your prospects and customers need. Most people who use the Web don't care about mission statements and organizational charts. They just want to get the info they need fast, without too much trouble. Designing your site content around the answers your customers are seeking can help shorten the sales cycle.

#3: Be patient

When Ray Cardinale, owner of Allergy Supply Company in Herndon, VA, launched his Web site in July 1995, he didn't know what to expect.

"When I first found out about the Web, I knew we had to get involved. The one goal I set for the site was that I wanted it to help us gain more exposure. That was my Web marketing plan. Grow the site's exposure. Everything else will follow."

Cardinale, a registered nurse and small business owner since 1985, works with his wife Jocelyn to sell allergy and asthma-related supplies. His off-line marketing was in place, centered around an 800 number and a print catalog. Yet Web marketing demands patience. "When we started marketing on the Web, it took at least six months before we got any notice. But once it began, everything else fell into place," Cardinale said.

#4: Expect the unexpected

The Web attracted overseas customers that were previously unavailable to Allergy Supply Company.

"We've attracted prospective customers we couldn't reach through our print catalog. We've fulfilled orders for folks in Japan, Finland, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and many other countries. We've fulfilled thousands of orders and have received constant e-mail requests asking for information about certain products. It has also boosted orders from hospitals, large practices, and government organizations. That's something we weren't expecting."

#5: Look professional

The importance of looking professional is critical for any business that wants to be taken seriously. This same fact is also crucial for your Web site.

"I think the key to marketing through the Web is to create an attractive, professional-looking Web site," Cardinale said. "Prospects aren't going to contact a company that sponsors a junky-looking site. I wouldn't."

If you can't afford a designer for a custom site, then take advantage of the professionally designed templates that come with software such as NetObjects Fusion.

#6: Work the search engines

It's also important to make sure your site is well "seeded" in the WWW search engines and directories. According to Cardinale: "It's one of the most important ways people find us on the Web." Check each of the major search engines every few months for your listing to make sure it's up-to-date. Read eFuse.com's article about search engines and check out Search Engine Watch's ways to check your URL. Every time you add a new page, add it to the search engines.

#7: Link, link, and link again

You've got a site. I've got a site. Let's make the most of both. Bartering links is a definite traffic builder for any smart Web marketer's Web presence. Use one of the powerful search engines (such as Alta Vista) to find sites that interest your target market. E-mail each site's Webmaster and invite them to view your site with the offer of reciprocal linking. A time-consuming job? You bet! Do a little each day. Set a goal to contact the Webmasters of five sites a day. Watch your traffic build!

#8: Add "client links" to your Web site

As more and more companies "get with the Web," there's a good chance your clients have established Web sites. Add a "Client Links" section to your own site, listing the company names, short business descriptions, and URLs. This can help increase customer loyalty, plus show that you have an established business— important in Web marketing. You can also ask your clients for reciprocal links, which can lead to increased traffic to your site.

#9: Use e-mail testimonials on your Web page

The "third-party sell" also works on-line. Use testimonials on your Web site (along with the individuals' e-mail addresses) to build your company's credibility.

#10: Make the most of your URL

Printing your URL on your off-line marketing materials is very important. "I've made sure that our URL is on all our printed materials such as the catalog, business cards, and letterheads," Cardinale said. You can also market your URL off-line by including it on your fax sheet, invoices, voice mail message, and store signage.

It also helps to have a domain name. Domain names look more professional, and they also tend to be shorter and easier to remember.

#11: Get involved

Another important part of succeeding on the Web is personal involvement. Use your professional experience to help others. This means taking the time to answer e-mail requests and to participate in on-line mailing lists and newsgroups pertaining to your business products or services. This, in turn, can bring more visitors to your Web site.

"I've learned that another very important part of Web marketing is taking advantage of the Usenet newsgroups and Internet mailing lists," Cardinale said. "I believe that my consistent participation in these groups and lists has really helped bring a lot of people to our site. It's a lot of work. I personally answer every e-mail inquiry that is generated by the site. I spend at least a couple of hours every day reading and posting answers to questions posed on the Internet in the allergy and asthma-related newsgroups and lists. Every day. I make sure I include a "signature" about Allergy Supply at the bottom of each message I post, which can attract a lot of site visitors. After you answer questions for a while, people start to view you as someone who is an authority. They're starting to say 'Check with Ray...he seems to know what he's talking about. You can't find a better customer than one who you've really helped.' "

#12: Offer a free e-mail newsletter

E-mail is a very effective communication tool and smart marketers use it to continually draw attention to their Web sites. Many marketers change their Web site content every week and publish a weekly e-mail newsletter that is sent to clients and prospects to inform them of the latest Web site offerings. If you don't have the time or staff to publish weekly, shoot for once a month. Offer those who visit you on the Web the chance to sign up for the newsletter via e-mail through your site. And most of all...make sure your Web site content is interesting and useful...the kind of stuff that keeps people coming back for more.

If your mailing list is small, you can manage it using your own e-mail program. One of the most important things to remember is to always put your list in the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field. If you don't, everyone on your list sees the entire list—and this can make people angry, open people on your list to Spam, and decrease the value of your list.

As your mailing list grows, you might want to use a mailing list service. eGroups and Topica are two free e-mail list management services to look at.

#13: Check your success

It's also important to check your progress. This keeps you motivated and gives you ideas on how you can adjust your plan to keep progressing.

"One way I've measured our Web marketing success is the number of acknowledgements we've received through reciprocal links from other sites," Cardinale said. "Every few weeks I conduct a search for our company in the major search engines. The number of search results that is returned indicate to me how well we're doing with gaining exposure over the Web."

#14: Be consistent

Your e-mail box is full of responses. More visitors are viewing your site every day. Keep your head and continue the efforts that brought you these rewards. The golden rule of any marketing effort—on-line and off—is consistency in your promotion. Work the plan. Continue to add new and exciting products and info to your site. Always be on the lookout for what's new on the 'Net. The opportunities for cross-marketing are endless.

#15: Keep improving your site

As your Web business improves, be on the lookout for ways to make your site better. Allergy Supply Company is in the process of adding an electronic shopping cart to the site, which will automate the ordering and content update process. "It's important for us to keep improving the site," Cardinale said. "Our customers are requesting a fully automated on-line ordering process. It's important to listen to what your customers need and act on it. This will keep them coming back and recommending your company to colleagues and friends. And the automated ordering makes it easier on us."

Cardinale also feeds every new HTML page that he adds to the site to the major search engines. "Every page URL that appears in a search engine concerning Allergy Supply is one more way for people to find us."

#16: Postcard portfolio Web marketing

A Web site designer we know keeps prospects and clients informed of her growing portfolio of work by creating a postcard that announces each site she has created on the Web. The postcard cover always includes the URL and Home Page graphic of the site she has completed. The message on the postcard back encourages her clients and prospects to visit the site. This sends the message of her continual success to her client/prospect base and brings more visitors to the new Web site, which leads to more hits and business for the customer.

#17: URLs...They're everywhere

You see URLs on business cards, TV ads, signposts...but how about on shoes? Simple Shoes, a division of Deckers Outdoor Corp. that specializes in boots and clogs, has its URL manufactured into the bottom of each shoe it makes. Talk about leaving tracks.

#18: Frequently asked questions

The most effective Web sites are designed around the information the user needs. If you are in the process of planning or revising your Web site, take the time to find out what the customers really want. Make a list of the most frequently asked questions you receive from customers and prospects. You can then design your site into sections that hold the answers to those questions.

#19: E-zines: ISSN number lends credibility

We all know that books have ISBN numbers. Did you know that you can officially register your e-mail newsletter with the Library of Congress by applying for an International Standard Serial Number, or ISSN? It's free, can lend credibility to your electronic publication, and is usually processed within a couple of weeks of application. Check out more at http://lcweb.loc.gov/issn/e-serials.html.

#20: Why folks buy--and don't buy--on the 'Net

Why do folks buy on the 'Net? Because it saves them time. Why don't they buy? A recent survey concludes that folks don't buy because they can't see the product first. All the more reason to include professional digital photos of your products on your Web site, along with a 100% money-back guarantee and customer testimonials. Important: Make sure your Web site graphics download quickly. A rule of thumb: It takes 1 second per 1K to download a graphic at 14.4 modem speed.

#21: Web business success depends on you

Focus on your company's difference and promote that through your Web site. Don't be afraid to be unique and to try something new with your site. According to Ray Cardinale:

"Everybody's different...that's the beauty of the global marketplace. There's a lot of potential there. You have to be patient, consistent, and willing to try new things. Let the Web work for you."

About the author

Mary Gillen is a Web developer, writer, and marketer based in Mason Neck, VA. She is co-developer of Idea Site for Business, offering useful ideas for creative business people. She can be reached via e-mail.

Illustrations: Rob Cilvin, big ideas, Artville