My personal background is a degree in marketing from a top business university with emphasis on entrepreneurship. What does that mean for our clients? I know how to market small and start-up businesses. Our clients know that Wiregrass Advertising, Inc. is not a simple web design company. Instead we are a marketing company whose primary niche is internet marketing, but we can help our clients in many avenues of getting their message out to their target market. Yes, we build great websites that WORK for our clients, but the game does not end there. A small business should understand that a true marketing campaign is an all around experience.
Every marketing campaign needs to start with one question. “Who is my target market?” Once that question is answered in specific terms then the marketing falls into place. The website is designed to appeal to that group of people and the ads are placed wherever those people would be most likely to convert from a viewer to a customer. In addition, if the marketing model calls for it, the client should be willing to do additional non-web related advertising to reach their target market. This may include brochures, business expos, calling on prospects, developing a client list, direct mail and more.
This article stems from a wonderful conversation I had with new clients yesterday. They came into my office with the initial thought of simply having their website redesigned. Part of their problem is that they have been using Yahoo Web Builder. With limited website building knowledge they found making changes was time consuming, therefore the site did not get updated as often as it should. They had known for over a year they needed a new, professionally designed website, but were fearful of the expense. The bottom line is, their company has been in business for five years and only pays the bills. Like many other business owners they feel strapped, tired and depressed because they have not been able to successfully build the business to the profitability level needed to sustain the business.
I immediately understood the problem. Although the client does need a website that allows quick and easy updates, they need more than a website. The problem is, over the course of the past five years they have failed to effectively reach their target market. Today their primary source of future income comes from word-of-mouth from previous customers. Although word of mouth can be great, it is also one of the slowest ways to build a solid and profitable customer base. I showed them my recommendation that would solve the website update problem and provide them with a website that will WORK for them. But over the course of the hour we spent a considerable amount of time just brainstorming ways to get the message to their target market in addition to the website. The ideas we came up with were things the client could do today and tomorrow while the website is being developed and then continue as the business grows.
After our conversation I have a great feeling. It is going to be exciting to watch this fledgling company grow over the course of the next two years as they follow advice and properly implement a full marketing campaign that will certainly meet their budget and their needs and provide then profitability freedom. After all, that is what Wiregrass Advertising, Inc. does…
