Make sure your website and other digital tools are as effective as possible
By Sherron Lumley.
Nowadays, the morning commute may be a sideways roll out of bed, then a flex of the index finger to power on the computer. We can attend a conference call in pajamas and chat online with a client over a bowl of cereal.
So what does it mean to be dressed for success when we don’t necessarily have to get dressed? The nature of interaction between businesses and customers has changed in the digital world, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the power of a first impression, a three-to-seven second event. A typical website visitor stays about 44 seconds then moves on unless this first impression presents a reason to stay longer.
“I call that short attention span theater,” says Stephen Goebel, Creative Director and owner of ToeShark Visual Communication in Henderson, Nevada. “Marketing must be crystal clear to engage people instantly and keep them around long enough to continue the conversation,” Goebel says. ‘
Know Your Netiquette
In the 1975 bestseller Dress For Success, author John T. Molloy popularized the concept of power dressing to convey authority and competence. Today, this competitive edge is just as relevant as it was then. “Your site can help position you as an authority—and you should aim for that,” says Drayton Bird, author of Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing. “Since most people seek information on the web, those who seem better informed are seen as better.”
Although content is fundamentally important, the brevity of website visits means that the visual element is crucial. An effective website is visually digestible, clean, simple and clear. It is focused and includes a value statement, so people know what the message is. “The human mind loves order,” says Goebel, who holds a masters degree in Visual Communication from the Pratt Institute in New York.
Beyond the Website
Although a company website is usually the most significant element of the digital marketing mix, as in all marketing plans, the medium should fit the objective. “I am all about results and top line revenue, more people through the door, more calls on your phone,” Goebel says. However, not all of his clients need or want a website. There are other digital resources available that are increasingly mainstream and easy to use.
“Social media is imperative now. I drag my clients into it. Setting up Facebook and Twitter is a must, and then you have to use these tools,” Goebel says.
Charles Hobson, founder of Vanguard Documentaries, has seen numerous technology changes come and go over the last four decades, but that has not changed his underlying love for documentaries and storytelling. His award-winning company has launched a website, Facebook page, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts and he regularly uses Skype for phone calls and videoconferencing and Google Docs for digital document sharing.
“I was always into technology,” Hobson says. “I’m what’s known as an early adopter.” Nowadays, he uses Skype’s free videoconferencing and Google Docs to communicate with colleagues abroad and he currently has about 1700 followers on Twitter. “My phone is always beeping,” he says. Twitter is a viral marketing medium, the modern day word-of-mouth, so it’s important to keep in mind that digital communication is not a one-way street.
Encourage feedback
In The New Handshake, by Joan C. Curtis and Barbara Giamanco, the authors talk about how to properly toe the netiquette line. “Do not talk constantly about yourself or your business,” they write. “Online, you listen by responding to other people’s Tweets and by joining a conversation in the LinkedIn discussions,” they say. Being able to listen to customers is one of the most useful aspects of interactive media. A company can know, practically instantly, customer response, and from this a business can learn and improve.
This consumer participation is what makes digital marketing so revolutionary. Therefore, providing an opportunity for interaction is going to be a top desire of a successful web strategy. The Vanguard Documentaries Facebook page features a preview of a work-in-progress documentary about the Flat Iron Building in New York. Visitors can watch the short film, make comments, send a link to others, and if they want, become backers of the film for as little as five dollars. The page is linked to Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects.
Figure as a rule of thumb that the annual marketing budget for a small business should be ten percent of the gross revenue for the year. To get in the game with a professionally designed website of eight to ten interlinked pages will cost about three thousand dollars.
When hiring a professional to design a website, it pays to shop around. To check credentials or find a website designer, head to the American Institute of Graphic Arts website.
