If It Isn't On Your Website Today, It Doesn't Exist! Tuesday 19 February, 2008 by Chuck Sink It doesn't matter if you know you're good. Why would anyone believe you if you don't bother to accentuate it in the most visible place for prospects to see - the Internet! Good intentions and positive affirmations about how you position your brand matter little if those ideas are not accessible to your prospects and customers. I was once guilty of slogging along, promoting my company's core strengths without integrating those brand attributes online. It was like trying to separate grains of sand while wearing boxing gloves. I might engage one prospect at a time for a brief period but my pitch had nothing to readily back it up or visually reinforce it. Meanwhile, hundreds, if not thousands, of potential customers eluded my grasp. I needed a place where those prospects could see, hear and feel the value of what I was trying to tell them. At the time, that place - my web site - was an incongruous collection of dated words and images. Have you ever been eager to check out the web site of a company in which you were interested, only to be disappointed by the meager portions of food for thought? You may have seen something like "© 2003" or "Site last updated January 12, 2005" at the footer of the home page. The good stuff To breath life into your website: Publish relevant product and service information and update as it becomes available. Ensure recent company or industry news is prominently displayed. Include rewarding images and valuable information so that it jumps out at the viewers and draws them into the site. Ensure the menu regularly has something new. Make your "best-sellers" easy to find. Speak precisely about the nature of your business. Reward visitors in some way. It is far more engaging than a print or broadcast ad. It can even be the preferred alternative to a friendly, helpful salesperson. Now, tactically reinforce your brand promise Podcast video testimonials from the world's best salesperson - YOUR CUSTOMER! Apply consistency of branded images and navigation routes within your web site. Reinforce online what your salespeople are saying (or should be saying) to customers and prospects. Update information appropriately and visibly as soon as it is relevant. Give the visitor something of value, which they might consider worth paying for. Change the value offering often enough to continually re-engage visitors. These are some brand building tactics that assure clients and prospects that your value proposition is alive and well.

If It Isn't On Your Website Today, It Doesn't Exist!

Tuesday 19 February, 2008

by Chuck Sink

It doesn't matter if you know you're good. Why would anyone believe you if you don't bother to accentuate it in the most visible place for prospects to see - the Internet!

Good intentions and positive affirmations about how you position your brand matter little if those ideas are not accessible to your prospects and customers.
I was once guilty of slogging along, promoting my company's core strengths without integrating those brand attributes online. It was like trying to separate grains of sand while wearing boxing gloves. I might engage one prospect at a time for a brief period but my pitch had nothing to readily back it up or visually reinforce it.
Meanwhile, hundreds, if not thousands, of potential customers eluded my grasp. I needed a place where those prospects could see, hear and feel the value of what I was trying to tell them. At the time, that place - my web site - was an incongruous collection of dated words and images.
Have you ever been eager to check out the web site of a company in which you were interested, only to be disappointed by the meager portions of food for thought? You may have seen something like "© 2003" or "Site last updated January 12, 2005" at the footer of the home page.

The good stuff

To breath life into your website:

1. Publish relevant product and service information and update as it becomes available.
   
2. Ensure recent company or industry news is prominently displayed.
   
3. Include rewarding images and valuable information so that it jumps out at the viewers and draws them into the site.
   
4. Ensure the menu regularly has something new.
   
5. Make your "best-sellers" easy to find.
   
6. Speak precisely about the nature of your business.
   
7. Reward visitors in some way.

It is far more engaging than a print or broadcast ad. It can even be the preferred alternative to a friendly, helpful salesperson.

Now, tactically reinforce your brand promise

1. Podcast video testimonials from the world's best salesperson - YOUR CUSTOMER!
   
2. Apply consistency of branded images and navigation routes within your web site.
   
3. Reinforce online what your salespeople are saying (or should be saying) to customers and prospects.
   
4. Update information appropriately and visibly as soon as it is relevant.
   
5. Give the visitor something of value, which they might consider worth paying for.
   
6. Change the value offering often enough to continually re-engage visitors.

These are some brand building tactics that assure clients and prospects that your value proposition is alive and well.

Tuesday 19 February, 2008

by Chuck Sink

It doesn't matter if you know you're good. Why would anyone believe you if you don't bother to accentuate it in the most visible place for prospects to see - the Internet!

Good intentions and positive affirmations about how you position your brand matter little if those ideas are not accessible to your prospects and customers.
I was once guilty of slogging along, promoting my company's core strengths without integrating those brand attributes online. It was like trying to separate grains of sand while wearing boxing gloves. I might engage one prospect at a time for a brief period but my pitch had nothing to readily back it up or visually reinforce it.
Meanwhile, hundreds, if not thousands, of potential customers eluded my grasp. I needed a place where those prospects could see, hear and feel the value of what I was trying to tell them. At the time, that place - my web site - was an incongruous collection of dated words and images.
Have you ever been eager to check out the web site of a company in which you were interested, only to be disappointed by the meager portions of food for thought? You may have seen something like "© 2003" or "Site last updated January 12, 2005" at the footer of the home page.

The good stuff

To breath life into your website:

1. Publish relevant product and service information and update as it becomes available.
   
2. Ensure recent company or industry news is prominently displayed.
   
3. Include rewarding images and valuable information so that it jumps out at the viewers and draws them into the site.
   
4. Ensure the menu regularly has something new.
   
5. Make your "best-sellers" easy to find.
   
6. Speak precisely about the nature of your business.
   
7. Reward visitors in some way.

It is far more engaging than a print or broadcast ad. It can even be the preferred alternative to a friendly, helpful salesperson.

Now, tactically reinforce your brand promise

1. Podcast video testimonials from the world's best salesperson - YOUR CUSTOMER!
   
2. Apply consistency of branded images and navigation routes within your web site.
   
3. Reinforce online what your salespeople are saying (or should be saying) to customers and prospects.
   
4. Update information appropriately and visibly as soon as it is relevant.
   
5. Give the visitor something of value, which they might consider worth paying for.
   
6. Change the value offering often enough to continually re-engage visitors.

These are some brand building tactics that assure clients and prospects that your value proposition is alive and well.

Source:ceoonline.com