SEO Part 1.1 - Proposition Development

When starting a website, many companies begin with buying a domain name (a name for their website, ie: www.yourcompanyname.co.uk) and building a webpage that is little more then a brochure. Very few companies think about how they are going to optimise their site or how people will find their products until after they have designed and developed the website. Even fewer companies look at their business and how the internet can best promote their products or services.

The best way to succeed with search engine optimisation is to build it into the business strategy from the outset

What are you sell?

The first thing is to evaluate exactly what you want to sell online and set goals for your website. The internet is not for everyone and by its very nature some services struggle to bloom online. For example a hairdresser struggles to cut hair online!

So what would be the best outcome from a visitor to your site:

1. Download a brochure
2. Sign up for your mailing list
3. Request a product sample
4. Purchase a product

Users of your website can be placed into four categories, similar to offline market: a suspect, a prospect, a lead and a sale.

A suspect are those visitors who may have a passive need for your product and services. A suspect becomes a prospect once the express a active interest in what you are offering. A lead is a prospect who meets the criteria of someone who is 'ready to buy' and a sale is when a lead becomes a customer.

Any searcher who visitors your site is a prospect, when the book a sales consultation or enquire about your services they become a lead. When they purchase your products or services they become a sale.

Who are your customers and what do they want?

This part of search engine optimisation is similar to offline marketing a PR strategies. It is important to know what your customers are looking for and who they are:

Here are some questions for you to consider:

1. Are your customers local, nation or international? Is language going to be a barrier from then doing business with you?
2. Are your customers business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) or maybe even both. If they are both do they need different treatment? The answer is probably yes!
3. Do your customers differ be demographic? Are they mainly of one sex?
4. Is time a factor for your customers? Do they need to buy quickly?
5. What is the potential for up-selling customers to more expensive products? Can you cross sell?
6. What is the prospect for repeat business. How many of your customers are likely to return and give you more business.

Who are your competitors and how can you learn from them?

No strategy is complete without looking at what your competitors are doing. Analyses their websites objectively by looking at their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Take the best parts of their sites and leave the rest.

The internet becomes more competitive every day. If you think its hard to get to the top now just wait and see how hard its gonna be in 5 years time! The internet at the moment is all about find a niche and then dominating that market.

The APL Team
Website Design, Online Marketing & Public Relations In Norwich, Norfolk

Norfolk's Leading Design & Marketing Agency

Wood Farm, Deopham Road, Attleborough, Norfolk, NR17 1AJ

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