How to Leverage Websites to Drive Additional Business
From SEO to SEM, websites are an area of business where most custom integrators are missing out on a substantial revenue opportunity.
The CI industry as a whole is obviously very comfortable with technology, but when it comes to properly leveraging digital assets to generate additional business and build their brand, most dealers fall woefully short. There are any number of reasons for this.
The most common is a lack of time and resources to devote to making it work. Another is not knowing where to start. So let’s boil it down to the basics and discuss developing a digital marketing strategy that can accomplish the following goals.
When evaluating your current site, put yourself in your client’s shoes. Does it represent a high tech business that delivers cutting edge products, or is it still touting the stunning visual detail of HD DVD?
If it’s the latter, the first step is to get it redesigned. This can sound daunting, but there are companies out there that build sites specifically for A/V dealers and custom integrators. The cost is relatively low, and so is the turnaround time. As an added incentive, Google recently started giving preferential treatment to mobile-friendly sites so it’s worth the investment.
There are three crucial pieces to a successful website: engagement, trust and content.
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The vast majority of these companies have no idea how to perform proper SEO. They sell one size fits all packages that offer no real value to you or your business. It’s the equivalent of hiring a trunk slammer to install and program a Crestron system.
That being said, a website that ranks well in search engines can be an extremely valuable asset. Just like building relationships with industry peers like architects, builders, and interior designers can deliver a steady stream of referrals, a properly optimized website can be leveraged to generate a consistent stream of leads.
For example when someone searches for “home theater installation” these ads will appear above and to the right of the organic (non-paid) results. Every time someone clicks on your ad they are directed to your website and you pay a specified amount for that click.
Pay-per-click can be an effective way of marketing your business. However, to be successful it requires having highly targeted ads and a website that consistently converts visitors into leads. Without these two components you can spend a great deal of money on traffic that brings you little or no business.
SEO, when done correctly, helps your website rise to the top of the organic (non-paid) search results. This includes prominent positions on Google Maps (now called Google My Business). The Google Maps results are often shown in groups of 3, 5, or 7 within the results page. These spots are hugely important in terms of mobile searches as they show up prominently on phones and tablets.
SEO has a couple of important advantages over SEM.
1. Authority: Sites that rank well organically are viewed by search engine users as authorities in their industry. After all, if Google puts them at the top of their list, then they must be the best. In reality, this isn’t always the case, but sites at the top of the results do get the vast majority of the traffic.
2. Ad Blindness: Organically ranked sites are more likely to be clicked because they are NOT ads. Search engine users have developed what is called “ad blindness”. They know where the ads reside on the page, and often block them out subconsciously. As a result, click through rates of ads are significantly lower than those of organic results.
Think about it terms of magazine advertising. If a potential customer sees an ad for a A/V company in an industry magazine and then sees an article about different A/V company in that same magazine, which are they more likely to consider the authority?
Real SEO is not cheap, nor should it be. It requires a solid understanding of your business, a consistent commitment to the success of your site, and the knowledge of what makes a site trustworthy in the eyes of search engines. It establishes your brand as an authority in the eyes of your customers and builds an asset that consistently adds to your bottom line.
The most important are your close ratio of incoming leads, the average lifetime value of your customers, and average profit margin. This will allow you to roughly calculate your ROI based on their traffic projections. Pricing will fluctuate based upon the size of your market, the traffic you want to target, and the competition in your area. Integrators in cities like Dallas or Los Angeles will pay more than those in smaller cities and towns.
Most SEO services are billed monthly and some firms will require a contract. You should expect this to be a long term relationship. Search engines constantly change their algorithms and maintaining your position will take careful, consistent work. In the next article we’ll discuss increasing your brand awareness and enhancing existing client relationships by leveraging social media.
Source > cepro
From SEO to SEM, websites are an area of business where most custom integrators are missing out on a substantial revenue opportunity.
The CI industry as a whole is obviously very comfortable with technology, but when it comes to properly leveraging digital assets to generate additional business and build their brand, most dealers fall woefully short. There are any number of reasons for this.
The most common is a lack of time and resources to devote to making it work. Another is not knowing where to start. So let’s boil it down to the basics and discuss developing a digital marketing strategy that can accomplish the following goals.
- Leverage your website to target and acquire new customers
- Maintain and enhance your relationship with existing customers
- Increase brand awareness
- Increase the lifetime value of each customer
A Website That Converts
Let’s start with the website because without a website that converts, there’s no point in getting more traffic. The quick and dirty of this is that if your website sucks, it’s going to drive customers away.When evaluating your current site, put yourself in your client’s shoes. Does it represent a high tech business that delivers cutting edge products, or is it still touting the stunning visual detail of HD DVD?
If it’s the latter, the first step is to get it redesigned. This can sound daunting, but there are companies out there that build sites specifically for A/V dealers and custom integrators. The cost is relatively low, and so is the turnaround time. As an added incentive, Google recently started giving preferential treatment to mobile-friendly sites so it’s worth the investment.
There are three crucial pieces to a successful website: engagement, trust and content.
- Engagement: Engagement starts with pictures or video. Clients absolutely love them. Get some quality pictures of your best projects on your home page. We’re not talking about snapshots you took with your phone here. Hire a professional photographer. It will be expensive and it will be worth it.
- Testimonials: Next put testimonials on your homepage. Customer testimonials are the most effective way to overcome skepticism and build trust. You’ve put late nights and weekends into building that sterling reputation. Now put it to work for you. Most clients will be happy to offer a testimonial or at least sign off on one that you’ve written.
- Content: The content of your site should include all of the services you provide, the products you use, a contact page, a portfolio page, and an ‘About Us’ page. The About Us page is the second most visited page on a site after the portfolio. Don’t skimp. Tell people who you are and what you’re about. It creates a connection.
We Are Fossasia Stay Connected With Us On Twitter . . . ! ! !
Getting Traffic to Your Site: SEO and SEM
As the owner of a custom integration business you are probably bombarded with calls trying to sell you on search engine optimization (SEO) services. These companies often promise to improve your website’s rankings in Google and add thousands of dollars to your bottom line.The vast majority of these companies have no idea how to perform proper SEO. They sell one size fits all packages that offer no real value to you or your business. It’s the equivalent of hiring a trunk slammer to install and program a Crestron system.
That being said, a website that ranks well in search engines can be an extremely valuable asset. Just like building relationships with industry peers like architects, builders, and interior designers can deliver a steady stream of referrals, a properly optimized website can be leveraged to generate a consistent stream of leads.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) vs. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEM is essentially paid advertising. Google, Bing and Yahoo all have pay-per-click programs that allow you to buy space on their page when someone searches for a term that you want to target.For example when someone searches for “home theater installation” these ads will appear above and to the right of the organic (non-paid) results. Every time someone clicks on your ad they are directed to your website and you pay a specified amount for that click.
Pay-per-click can be an effective way of marketing your business. However, to be successful it requires having highly targeted ads and a website that consistently converts visitors into leads. Without these two components you can spend a great deal of money on traffic that brings you little or no business.
SEO, when done correctly, helps your website rise to the top of the organic (non-paid) search results. This includes prominent positions on Google Maps (now called Google My Business). The Google Maps results are often shown in groups of 3, 5, or 7 within the results page. These spots are hugely important in terms of mobile searches as they show up prominently on phones and tablets.
SEO has a couple of important advantages over SEM.
1. Authority: Sites that rank well organically are viewed by search engine users as authorities in their industry. After all, if Google puts them at the top of their list, then they must be the best. In reality, this isn’t always the case, but sites at the top of the results do get the vast majority of the traffic.
2. Ad Blindness: Organically ranked sites are more likely to be clicked because they are NOT ads. Search engine users have developed what is called “ad blindness”. They know where the ads reside on the page, and often block them out subconsciously. As a result, click through rates of ads are significantly lower than those of organic results.
Think about it terms of magazine advertising. If a potential customer sees an ad for a A/V company in an industry magazine and then sees an article about different A/V company in that same magazine, which are they more likely to consider the authority?
Not All SEO is the Same
Real search engine optimization that gets real results is an investment. And as an investment it should offer a real ROI to you and your business. Companies that offer services for $299 or $500 can only make money by taking shortcuts. This will only negatively impact your site and can actually cause long term damage.Real SEO is not cheap, nor should it be. It requires a solid understanding of your business, a consistent commitment to the success of your site, and the knowledge of what makes a site trustworthy in the eyes of search engines. It establishes your brand as an authority in the eyes of your customers and builds an asset that consistently adds to your bottom line.
Getting Started
Do your due diligence when selecting an SEO agency. Their primary goal should be to clearly understand your business so they can maximize your return on investment. They should ask questions like, “Who is your ideal client?” “What is the most profitable part of your business?” This information can then be used to prioritize which traffic to target, giving you the most bang for your buck. It can be helpful to have a good grasp on a few metrics of your business before starting this process.The most important are your close ratio of incoming leads, the average lifetime value of your customers, and average profit margin. This will allow you to roughly calculate your ROI based on their traffic projections. Pricing will fluctuate based upon the size of your market, the traffic you want to target, and the competition in your area. Integrators in cities like Dallas or Los Angeles will pay more than those in smaller cities and towns.
Most SEO services are billed monthly and some firms will require a contract. You should expect this to be a long term relationship. Search engines constantly change their algorithms and maintaining your position will take careful, consistent work. In the next article we’ll discuss increasing your brand awareness and enhancing existing client relationships by leveraging social media.
Source > cepro
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