Do you view your website as an expense or as an investment?
Surprisingly, many companies seem to view their website as a
necessary cost of doing business, not an opportunity to
attract an audience and gain new customers. The following
five tips can help transform a non-performing website into an
effective sales and marketing tool.

1. Make sure potential customers can find you on the search
engines.
Most businesses don't take advantage of search engine
optimization, but few things on the Internet can be as
beneficial. A recent Forrester Research report showed that 80%
of web surfers discover the new sites that they visit through
search engines. According to iProspect, 85% of web users use
search engines to find solutions and vendors. A properly
executed search engine optimization campaign can drive
numerous, highly targeted visitors to your site, typically at
a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. Without
high search engine rankings, you will only get visitors that
find your web address through word of mouth, regular
advertising, or other limited means.

2. Use content to get repeat visitors to your site, not
flashiness.
Rich media, such as flashy graphics and audio, may impress
your visitors the first time they see your site, but they are
unlikely to come back for it (or recommend your site to others
because of it). If repeat visitors (meaning potential
customers) are your goal, you are much more likely to get them
to return if your site offers content that they find valuable
(and with any luck, indispensable). This helps to establish
your company as an expert in your field while building a level
of trust with your visitors.

3. Develop regular e-newsletters and announcements to inform
and keep up to date with current and potential customers (but
only those who ask for them).
A properly executed newsletter campaign can help your business
retain existing customers and attract new ones. Routinely
sending out informational content that your newsletter
subscribers find valuable is another excellent way to build a
level of trust with them while continually establishing
yourself as an expert in your product or service area. Over
time, your recipients will be increasingly likely to recommend
your products or services to others. A newsletter can also be
used to announce special promotions and sales. A recent
Doubleclick survey of more than 1,000 Internet users found
that more than 82 percent of them had made a purchase online
during the past year as a result of some sort of advertisement
they received through email. The study revealed, however, that
people were much more receptive to email from companies with
whom they already had a relationship.

4. Make sure your existing marketing materials promote your
online presence.
Make sure that all of your print advertising; business cards,
letterhead, etc. display your web address. In addition, you
should mention your website address on your phone message, in
the signature of the emails of everyone in your company, and
in any radio or television advertising. This simple step can
drive a good deal of highly qualified prospects to your site
for relatively little cost, but many companies are still using
the same marketing materials that they used before they had a
website (and missing out on a great opportunity to build
traffic).

5. Make sure your website content is focused on your
customer's needs and interests, not your company.
A common mistake that companies make on the Internet is
focusing their Internet marketing text too much upon
themselves. Visitors are more interested in learning about how
your products or services can benefit them than about hearing
about how wonderful you are or learning about the history of
your company. Unlike other media, on the Internet you have
very little time to communicate your company's unique selling
proposition (USP). The most effective websites are those that
quickly answer the question "Why do I need this
product/service?" Here's a quick test- does your Internet
marketing copy use words like "we", "us", and "our" more often
than words like "you" and "your"? If so, your copy may be too
self-centric. A change in focus would likely help you to
better connect with your visitors.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scott Buresh is co-founder and principal of Medium Blue
Internet Marketing. For more helpful tips, visit
http://www.mediumblue.com
Are you losing sales? For a free search engine analysis,
please visit http://www.mediumblue.com/analysis.html