Does your business have a website or a webpresence?

During the last week I have had various very interesting discussions (online and off-line) about businesses and their use of the World Wide Web (offically E-commerce). In the early days "all you needed" was a web site and an email address. It's like placing an advert in a weekly paper and never changing the content because having an ad in the paper is all you need to get "exposure". As long as someone keeps seeing the ad, eventually they will decide to buy from you.

Nowadays, even with the increase of all types of Social Media platforms, that's still the only item most businesses have: one web site and I've lost count of small businesses' websites I've seen which are still the same as the moment they were built years ago.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that anymore - and it stopped working a while ago. Not just because of the Social Media 'craze' but more due to the advances in search technology. If your website is not found on the first two or three result pages you can forget any traffic, it is said. Getting ranked high in the generic search results especially on Google takes either a lot of time or a lot of money and there are plenty of SEO wizards out there claiming they can get your website on the first page, guaranteed. A lot of money is wasted this way, because even if they succeed in getting your site "up there", what is all that extra traffic going to find? Last year's special offer? (Like the banner ad I saw this week on one of the forums we frequent as part of our web presence)

One of the offline discussion I had - which continued "online" per email - was just about that: in this day and age of multiple electronic platforms: websites, facebook pages, YouTube, Squido lenses, blogs, twitter accounts, autoresponders, LinkedIn profiles, forums - have I left something out? - what is a business to do? Choose only one platform or opt-in for all, because you never know what platform one of your prospect is using and you don't want to miss out on any opportunity to be found (or to be regarded as "old-fashioned" because you haven't jumped on the latest internet craze where loads of others are making the big bucks).

But again, what is your prospect going to find when he/she follows you, becomes a fan, watches your video, reads your blog article, lands on your website, connects on LinkedIn, submits a name and email address in the box of your autoresponder? Do they find a consistent presence? A representation of you business that encourages trusting the presence your business portraits?

Because IMHO that should be the focus of any "WebPresence" your business is establishing, trying to establish: building trust with your prospects. No matter which platform you select or how many: all should work as "an invitation" to start a conversation, an invitation for arranging that next cup of coffee to keep the interest and relationship alive.

Every business should have a web presence, not just a website. The choices are plentiful indeed, but be wary of those choices that does not help you built trust. Ever left a comment on a business blog, tweeted a question to a business and never received a reply? Submitted your name and email address in the box only to receive a sales letter - every other day?

Social Media platforms are not "number games": look at how many followers, fans, subscribers, readers I have.
It's what quality you are able to give to those numbers. Focus on quality relationships instead of quantities in short term "profit", quality is what pays your bills in the end - it always has and always will.

(Maybe I should change the name of my E-training, from The WebMarketing ToolBox to The Web Presence ToolBox - something to ponder about this coming week.)

Comments

[Fred H Schlegel]

Hi Karin, Certainly brings up the question of 'few things well vs many things poorly.' I've always thought that one of the critical things to look at when evaluating a new thing or new opportunity is a simple resource allocation question. If your not going to put enough against the idea to do it well you need to rethink wether you should do it at all. I like the idea that the key deliverable is an invitation to conversation. That could be the constraining factor... too many inputs might make conversation difficult.

[Fred H Schlegel]

Hmmm, pardon my spelling. Must have slept poorly.

[Karin H.]

Hi Fred

Thanks for dropping by/in. Too many is too much really, and that works both ways. Too many sales messages too often does not generate a conversation either.
We are great believers in "the more you tell, the more you sell" (without having to resort to hard sales letters/messages). Stories portrait the real business, builds trust and long lasting 'profitable' relationships.

Karin H

[Karin H.]

Don't worry, since everything I write is double Dutch English anyway ;-) (And it's the thought/content that counts, not the spelling or grammar)

Karin H