Online Marketing Court - The Defendant: Your Website

As I sit on jury duty this week, I can't help but think about the power we have as a community. As jurors we have to review facts, testimony and expert witnesses to form an opinion about a case. These collective opinions determine the fate of the case and the lives of those involved.

As a digital marketer, I can't help but notice the parallels of the justice system to online marketing. Online, your website is the defendant, your competition the plaintiff and your jury is the community at large.

As the defendant, your number one goals is to make sure you get a fair trial, by hiring the best lawyers and expert witnesses to present your case. Unfortunately, in the online world, your plaintiffs (the competition) does not have to play fair.

So how do you win your case?

1. Hire a great agency.

Perhaps the most important aspect of your defense is to hire great representation and expert advice. Like a top notch legal team, your digital communication agency will avoid the pitfalls and mistakes more novice teams will make, saving you thousands of dollars in lost revenues and lost sales.

A great agency knows the rules and helps to level the playing field. A great agency can present the facts and the proof needed to win against larger competitors. A great agency knows the questions to ask your team and presents a testimony that challenges your competition's claim. A great agency will research your competition and find holes in their case, positioning your business as the clear winner to your jury.

2. Present a strong case.

Your website and your ongoing content publishing strategy should present a strong case for your business to every jury member, regardless of who they are. You need to win at every level, so start playing to win. The keys to building and presenting a strong case are:

Present the facts:

• Offer case studies, user ratings, testimonials and other success stories to support your position
• Know your customer's needs and prove your value by addressing these needs
• Be social and publish content often to position your business as a leader
• Be specific about what you do, why it matters and how you help your customers
• Know your competitors and position messaging accordingly

3. The Closing Argument

As your jury collects the facts and you have presented your expert testimony, your closing argument is critical to winning every case. Online, the closing argument is all about engagement and conversion. So how do you engage your customers (jury) and convert them to customers?

• Create a conversion funnel on your website. A conversion funnel is a strategically designed flow that routes visitors to specificl landing pages on your website
• Create calls to action throughout your website to drive visitors into and through the funnel
• Convert visitors to prospects by providing remarkable content in exchange for their email address or other identifier
• Nurture each conversion and further convert these prospects to leads or customers by providing additional information over time

4. Conclusion

Your digital communications and marketing strategy is a vital component to your business' success. How your business is presented online and the voice you present can have a significant impact on your success or failure. So don't go it alone. Hire a team of experts to present your case and never lose a case again.

Image courtesy of suphakit73 via FreeDigitalPhotos.net