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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 17 April 2008 |
Web marketing to existing customers
Recent statistics indicate that 14.3 million households use the Internet and 69 per cent have a broadband connection. 78 per cent of London households with Internet access actually have broadband, which is approximately half of all households in the London region.
A website is essential for any business that is serious in marketing to their existing customers, especially in London. The website should convey professionalism in both its design and content. Customers should be immediately impressed at first sight and want to recommend your website to family, friends and colleagues.
The website should be mentioned on all stationery, signage and reminders. Each patient should be shown the website by the business owner or manager on a company computer whilst showing them what your business can offer. By personally going through the website with your customers, not only do you have an opportunity to personally inform them of the various business products and services you offer but you are also teaching them how to demonstrate the website to others; an important training session for your free ‘word of mouth’ marketers.
Once the website design and animation has captured the customer’s immediate attention, the usefulness of the site’s content is extremely important. Content needs to be educational but not boring. Professional photographs of the building, reception, products, staff, services etc. should be available, especially to show off new or refurbished businesses. Brief descriptive text should be complemented by well cropped before and after photographs if you offer a service or product shots if you offer products.
Attracting prospective customers
Everyday, people turn to the most popular search engine, www.google.co.uk, and search for a business in their location, either near their home or work..
The website needs to provide clear details on how to find, telephone and email you. Your telephone number and address is best placed on every page to make it extremely easy for both existing and prospective customers to contact you. Visitors should be able to email you especially if they are surfing whilst at work or at night when you are closed. The main email address should be professional and go hand-in-hand with the web address, i.e. a web address www.my-business.com should promote the email address
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. It is important not to use a personal or free email address such as @hotmail.com or @btinternet.com. This simple consistency is important for credibility.
Your website should use an online Php form as the means for visitors to email. The form should request simple contact details, information on how they found you, as well as order or booking details with space for additional comments. Online forms make emailing you easy whilst allowing you to capture relevant data, which may not be provided otherwise.
Emails should be checked at least once a day and genuine hot enquiries should be responded to as soon as possible with a phone call to secure and confirm an appointment, booking or sale. Prospective customers are likely to email more than one website. Thus new leads need to be acted on immediately otherwise there is no point in even marketing the website.
Five tips to remember
Your website should:
- Be attractive, educational and impressive, not boring
- Be easily found on Google.co.uk through search engine promotion
- Increase credibility using business owner or manager profiles and testimonials
- Allow you to be contacted easily, especially by email
- Have advanced web statistics
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 April 2008 )
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