Many people look at a website as a separate expense from marketing. This is unfortunate and the reason why many websites under-perform in their sales potential. The Internet is still very much in its infancy and therefore our view of the web is still developing. It’s been a slow process, but many business owner’s attitudes towards website development and marketing has begun to evolve.
Unfortunately, far too many businesses still don’t consider website development as a part of their marketing efforts. They’ll pour thousands of dollars into traditional forms of marketing (which often produce significantly less return on the investment dollar) but fail to properly plan and execute their website or invest in effective online marketing strategies.
As you begin to put time, energy and (likely) significant sums of money into your online presence it is important that you consider your website as part of your overall marketing plan. Instead of being viewed as just another IT expense, your website should be considered as a marketing endeavor worthy of being incorporated fully into the marketing budget. Businesses that take this view are setting themselves up to have a long-term presence on the Internet as well as lasting success.
[Editors Note: This is the first in a series of posts that will look at what goes into creating and building a website that performs, not just for the search engines, but for visitors as well. Each post should stand on it’s own, however I will do my best to keep the newer posts linked to the previous so readers can follow the trail through the entire series.]