Don't Stop at Website Design, You Need a Marketing Plan

Does your website still look like something from the 90s, and it’s long past time to revisit the design of your page? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to make a change for the better in 2018? Regardless of your business or industry, nothing changes the fact that a strong online presence can help boost sales. With this in mind, you may find yourself searching online for the top website builder or design professional to help you make your website more appealing to customers.

While it’s important for your website design to be up to par, remember that there is far more to your online marketing presence than your website alone nowadays. You need a concrete marketing plan to guide you as you post and interact online, day in and day out.

Chances are good that if your website design needed a full overhaul, you will likely come to find you ultimately need to revamp your entire online marketing plan. Here are a few tips for putting your business’s best foot forward in 2018:

1. Harness the Power of Social Media

Unlike your old web design, social media is not a blast from the past. In fact, it’s every bit as strong today as it’s ever been. Word Stream notes that “75 percent of male internet users are on Facebook, as well as 83 percent of female internet users.”

In other words, if you’re seeking ways to reach a large percentage of the worldwide population, you’ll want to start spending more time on Facebook and other social media platforms. The nice thing about social media is that you don’t have to spend any money to get involved. As long as you dedicate some time and execute a detailed approach, you can take full advantage of every platform even while spending little or no money.

Rather than implement a basic approach – one in which you do nothing more than post regular updates – search for bigger and better ways to generate more positive results. There is more than one way to hack Instagram and other outlets for optimal growth.

2. Focus on the Future

The problem with marketing success is that what works one year may not work the next; in order to successfully market your business year after year, you have to continuously adjust your focus and stay on the cutting edge.

Entrepreneur recently listed 18 marketing trends to watch in 2018. You may have overlooked lists like these in the past, but you don’t want to do so in the months to come. For example, AI and personalization are sure to be bigger than ever in the new year, and implementing that kind of technology into your business model takes time. When you stay updates about the trends your customers will come to expect, it’s much easier to beat your competition to the punch.

3. Combine Your Sales and Marketing Teams

Your sales and marketing teams should work together in perfect harmony. If you’ve noticed a rift between the two departments in the past, it’s time to address this potential cause for concern.

According to HubSpot, 40 percent of salespeople find prospecting to be the most challenging part of the sales process. With this in mind, you should find ways for your marketing department to provide assistance and support, such as prompting them to share leads in a more timely manner with sales reps. You should also look into strategies such as sales gamification, which can help your mid-performers reach new heights by dramatically changing their approach to the sales cycle.

You can have the greatest website in the industry, but if your sales and marketing teams aren’t on the same page, you won’t generate the results you’re looking for. You need both departments to work together like a well-oiled machine.

Final Thoughts

You may find your website is outdated and has even been putting customers off, and that demands your attention first and foremost. But once you have made the necessary changes to your design, the work isn’t over. Turn your attention to your marketing strategy, since it probably could use a few updates, too. Now that you have a killer website, it should be easier to generate new marketing strategies that draw the leads and conversions you’re seeking.

Take the time to revisit your website design and marketing strategy at least a few times each year. You never know what small changes could have the biggest impact on your bottom line.

What online marketing strategies are you looking forward to trialing in the new year? Share your latest ideas in the comments.