There are many different aspects to online marketing; social media, pay per click advertising and search engine optimisation to name just a few.  It can often be hard to understand which ones to focus your time on, after all, if you’re a small business it’s entirely conceivable that you simply won’t have the time to commit to all of them.

So which one or ones do you plump for and which do you spend less time on?

The first thing to say in response to this question is that they all have different benefits and merits; it will depend largely on what you are trying to achieve.  It will also be dependent on your starting point and where your business currently stands with its online presence.

The start should always be with your website looking, feeling and performing great.

It’s the face of your company and it’s your ultimate shop window.  Don’t believe me? Have a think – it’s the largest source of information on your company, products and services that your customers have access to.

Increasingly more of your customers will look to buy online and if not making the ultimate buying decision through the internet, at least use it to conduct their research and compare you with others.

When we build a website we understand the importance that it has for you and for your customers.  You need it to look great and to make your products and services look fantastic – which of course they are.

We thrive off doing them justice.

On the flip side it’s not just about you; your customers need your website to be easy to navigate.  They need to understand how to move around your site without having ever been on it before and be provided with all of the information that they need to support their decision making.  You want them to buy from you and if this experience is made difficult then the chances are increased that they won’t.

If it isn’t doing this then other aspects of online marketing will also not be fulfilling their full potential.  If you are spending time and money on driving traffic to your website, say through pay per click advertising or search engine optimisation and your site simply doesn’t work for your customers or do you justice then your spend isn’t going to be as efficient.

This is why we always encourage people to look long and hard at their website performance.  Is it ready for the world to see?  If you drive more traffic or build dialogue with more people online are they going to buy through your existing website?  If the answer is yes, then great news, lets build upon the foundations.

If not, it may be time to look at your website and take a longer-term view.  Just as your house is built on solid foundations, a website that works and performs well will be the platform on which you can grown and achieve bigger and better things.

For more information on how we can help you with digital strategy or work with you on a new website please give us a call or email on hello@mihidigital.co.uk