We are all aware of the numerous different marketing channels in existence but identifying the right one and ensuring the optimum rewards are extracted is the real challenge for a business.
When we are advising companies we quite often hear “well, we’ve tried that before and it didn’t work”. That’s as maybe but just because something didn’t work before it doesn’t mean it can’t work in the future – like any good recipe it’s all about the testing and refining of it and learning how to maximise results. More often than not people give up on things a fraction too soon – a little longer and the corner would have definitely been turned.
Now this doesn’t mean of course that everything will work as there are many ‘red herrings’ out there as far as marketing channels are concerned but trial and error can be a good thing, especially if exercised with a degree of control.
Experience and the fact that we, at Webserve, have been trading online for some considerable time allows us a unique insight into what’s out there well before it’s likely to confront most other businesses. The bottom line is – if you are going to do any marketing online you will need advice, the best you can source.
SEO is a prime example because while so many companies claim to offer SEO expertise most we come across only seem to have a grasp of the basics, probably learned on a course they have attended or a book they have read. These so called experts will make unrealistic claims and promise unachieveable results just to land a contract sometimes. Fortunately there are some exceptions to this rule and SEO really can work for your business. Webserve Development have actual hands-on experience of running successful e-commerce businesses, contact us now to hear how we ‘walk the talk’.
Take Pay Per Click (PPC) for example – this can be a really effective tool in the right hands and it can be a viable proposition especially when done in conjunction with organic SEO. It also has the advantage of being relatively quick to implement, however on the flip side there are occasions when in the wrong hands it can soon become an expensive nightmare!
Affiliate marketing can be a very rewarding marketing option. However, if you use the wrong company you could find yourself wasting precious time and effort. Problems if they do occur can simply be down to offering the wrong deal or having the wrong terms agreed with your affiliate partner. Call Webserve if you need any advice in this area as we do know of some affiliate companies that fail to pass on commission to merchants!!
Social media marketing is the latest fad that has brought us masses of “new marketing experts” but it’s rarely pointed out by them that it is only really effective for some types of business. Even Facebook has struggled trying to make their site more commercial knowing full well that people use the site primarily for social purposes rather than ‘need’, unlike search engines.
Banner advertising can also be effective marketing although this isn’t something we would recommend as a starting point. If you are going to go down this route remember above all things to be specific – it’s imperative with all forms of online marketing.
Business Directories meanwhile lack any real value for marketing purposes and this isn’t something we would recommend spending money on. Other online marketing channels such as e-bay, Google shopping and Amazon are among the ‘best of the rest’.
