|
|
|
The keys to a successful web site strategy |
|
|
|
Angela S. Charles John Inama |
|
President Director of Sales |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
87% of B2B consumers look |
|
to
white papers and other online research |
|
before
making any purchase. |
|
|
|
|
A
survey of engineers, technical buyers |
|
and other members of the industrial sector |
|
indicates that 73% use search engines |
|
or online industrial directories |
|
ahead of trade publications |
|
or printed directories |
|
when seeking product information. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Web site doesn’t guarantee visibility |
|
5.5 billion web pages |
|
Competition for visibility on search engines |
|
User behavior favors professionally developed
sites |
|
Google sandbox |
|
|
|
|
Good content |
|
Good navigation, coding |
|
Professional design |
|
Clear call-to-action |
|
Easy to find |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Misused technology (ie frames, flash) |
|
Too little useful content |
|
Distracting, unprofessional or dated design |
|
Slow download time |
|
Poor search engine position |
|
No call-to-action |
|
|
|
|
Does the web site load quickly? |
|
Can search engines spider the site? |
|
Does site layout and graphic design convey brand
leadership? |
|
Is navigation intuitive and the overall site
structure user-friendly? |
|
Are your products and services presented in a
logical and informative manner? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Does content compel visitors to take action? |
|
What Internet marketing strategies do your
competitors use and do they work? |
|
Does your site perform well on search engines
for terms prospects would likely use? |
|
How does your site perform on search engines
compared with competitors? |
|
Does your site have links on relevant sites? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Good content |
|
Good navigation, coding |
|
Professional design |
|
Clear call-to-action |
|
Easy to find |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Does content accurately and clearly describe
what your company does? |
|
Does your site differentiate your company from
competitors? |
|
Does site give user enough info to do
something? (ie call you, make
a purchase decision) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
57% of B2B consumers |
|
share 1 of every 2 white papers |
|
they read with someone else. |
|
|
|
|
White papers/technical articles |
|
Data sheets |
|
Product catalog |
|
Case studies |
|
Testimonials |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Detailed product information, |
|
including technical specifications. |
|
|
|
|
E-commerce, on-line ordering |
|
and
on-line order tracking. |
|
|
|
|
The
best-looking sites won’t perform |
|
if
the site content fails to tell the company’s story |
|
well enough for a search engine to index it properly. |
|
|
|
|
Good content |
|
Good navigation, coding |
|
Professional design |
|
Clear call-to-action |
|
Easy to find |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Site organized logically |
|
Nav buttons good indicators of content beneath |
|
Site structure that doesn’t have too many layers |
|
Site map |
|
All the internal links work |
|
No hidden “gotchas” in coding |
|
|
|
|
Good content |
|
Good navigation, coding |
|
Professional design |
|
Clear call-to-action |
|
Easy to find |
|
|
|
|
|
|
“Many websites are only doing a mediocre job of
intriguing users and inviting returns to the websites.” |
|
|
|
“There are many reasons a user might not return, but for many it is
simply the layout of the site.” |
|
|
|
-- BizReport, April 17, 2007 |
|
|
|
|
Search engines don’t care what your site looks
like, but site visitors do. |
|
|
|
Some sites that perform well on search engines
fail to convert the visitor to a serious lead because the site looks
unprofessional or does a poor job of conveying the company’s value to the
prospect. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Properly sized graphics and photos that download
quickly and aren’t fuzzy |
|
Appropriate use of graphics, photos without
being too busy |
|
Call-outs in text to keep readers’ eyes moving |
|
Attention to detail – graphics, type line up
properly; no trapped white space |
|
Readable type – proper use of fonts and type
size, no distracting background colors |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Good content |
|
Good navigation, coding |
|
Professional design |
|
Clear call-to-action |
|
Easy to find |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Site content should support the action you want
visitor to take. |
|
Ask the site visitor to do something. |
|
Repeat your call-to-action on every page. |
|
Provide full contact information on every page. |
|
Give your visitors multiple means for contact. |
|
|
|
|
Controls what user can ask for. |
|
Can require certain info from user. |
|
Directs leads based on geography, products. |
|
Can be set up to control spam. |
|
No control over what user provides, or asks for. |
|
Spam. |
|
Little ability to direct leads in multiple
directions without manually handling. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Good content |
|
Good navigation, coding |
|
Professional design |
|
Clear call-to-action |
|
Easy to find |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-line promotion |
|
On-line promotion |
|
|
|
|
Off-line promotion: |
|
Print Ads |
|
Business cards |
|
Direct mail |
|
Trade show booths |
|
|
|
On-line promotion: |
|
Online via trade sites like www.polysort.com |
|
Yahoo directory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1994 – Yahoo started out as a listing of
favorite sites. |
|
|
|
Late 1994 -- WebCrawler first search engine to
index full pages. |
|
|
|
1995 -- Lycos, Excite, Infoseek. |
|
|
|
1996 – Lycos is largest search engine, with
index of 60 million pages. |
|
|
|
1996 -- AltaVista developed natural word search
and ability to add URL in 24 hours. |
|
|
|
1997 -- Google launched, using a ranking system
determined by incoming links. |
|
|
|
1998 -- MSN and Open Directory Project
(human-editors, now known as DMOZ). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.3 billion searches conducted daily in U.S. |
|
|
|
Search engines organize and prioritize the 5.5
billion web pages that compete for Internet users’ attention. |
|
|
|
85% of Internet users use search engines. |
|
|
|
|
|
Achieving high position on a major search engine
through a proactive process that leverages performance keywords. |
|
|
|
High positioning: First 3 pages of search engine results |
|
Major search engines: Top 3 – Google, Yahoo, MSN |
|
Performance keywords: Terms shown to be effective at converting the most
number of qualified prospects. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Organic, natural search |
|
Paid listings on search engines |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pros |
|
Instant results |
|
Control placement & frequency |
|
Direct traffic to any page you choose |
|
Control your message |
|
Instant results |
|
Self-management |
|
Cons |
|
Position can be bumped |
|
Pricing can quickly sap your budget |
|
Pay for each keyword |
|
Ability to be positioned on multiple terms
limited by your budget |
|
Click fraud – under 10% |
|
Internet users prefer organic results – 72% of
the time on Google and 89% of time on Yahoo. |
|
|
|
|
Also known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
or Search Engine Positioning |
|
|
|
Leverages Search Engines’ desire to display most
relevant pages that match users’ target keywords |
|
|
|
Involves an integrated approach to web site
development that recognizes the specific content, coding and promotion
requirements for good search engine placement. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pros |
|
Top placement can last months, years |
|
1x SEO project can position your site on
multiple terms |
|
Over long term, far less cost than paid
placement |
|
Side benefit -- More effective message for end
user |
|
|
|
Cons |
|
Potentially significant expense early on to
correct site problems |
|
No instant results -- change in SE positioning
can take up to 6 months |
|
Needs regular monitoring for SE changes |
|
Needs ongoing attention to link building |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paid-per-click cost |
|
Depends on keyword popularity |
|
“Rubber” -- $0.73 average cost per click |
|
Annual cost depends on your budget |
|
|
|
Organic Search cost |
|
$5K to more than $50K |
|
|
|
|
Costing Example |
|
During March, 25,386 Internet users searched
Google for “rubber”. |
|
|
|
Paid Search Cost: |
|
25,153 x 1.1% = 278 click-thrus |
|
278 x $0.73 = $202.94 monthly cost |
|
|
|
Organic Search Cost: |
|
89% of clicks come from organic results |
|
Total Clicks x .89 = 2,249 click-thrus per
month |
|
Annual SEO Cost/ 12 months / # visitors = cost
per click |
|
$9,430/12 = $785.83 divided by 2,249 = $0.35 cost per click |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last year $4.77 billion spent on paid search vs.
$977 million on organic search |
|
Paid search costs continue to rise |
|
Only 38% of users recognize difference between
paid and organic listings, but 72% select organic listings on Google, 89%
on Yahoo |
|
Dollar for dollar, organic listings more
effective |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Optimized content |
|
Search Engine-friendly web site design &
structure |
|
Comprehensive online support program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Identify Performance Keywords |
|
Analyze your target keywords against
competitors’ keywords and those used most often by search engine users |
|
|
|
Determine number of Performance Keywords needed
for project |
|
|
|
Develop appropriate content |
|
|
|
Use meta tags wisely |
|
|
|
Update content periodically according to SE
industry best practices |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most common area where companies inadvertently
sabotage SE rankings or user conversion |
|
Technologies that compromise SE ranking: |
|
Java |
|
Flash |
|
Frames |
|
Pop-down menus |
|
Confusing navigation |
|
|
|
|
|
Incoming links from relevant, highly ranked
sites |
|
Industry sites like Polysort.com and Rubber
Division |
|
Reputable general business sites that are
well-ranked by search engines |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thorough site analysis |
|
Site construction |
|
Layout and design |
|
Navigation |
|
Content |
|
Current SE performance |
|
Analysis of competitors’ performance |
|
Discovery of Performance Keywords |
|
Identify online promotion opportunities |
|
Execution of SEO project based on research |
|
|
|
|
Redesign site, then think about SEO |
|
Overemphasizing meta tags |
|
Keyword spamming |
|
Ignoring design issues |
|
Neglecting online promotion |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Polysort |
|
Rubber manufacturers |
|
Rubber processors |
|
Rubber news |
|
Rubber directory |
|
Rubber jobs |
|
Rubber classifieds |
|
|
|
|
|
Client X |
|
Neoprene |
|
Closed cell foam rubber |
|
Foam rubber gaskets |
|
|
|
Client Y |
|
Thermoplastic elastomers |
|
TPE compounds |
|
Thermoplastic rubber |
|
|
|
Notes