Promoting Your Business Online Session 3: Planning Your Website Chris Wellings TVP, 23/07/2012

On the Internet… Ready to do business… Global market… Level playing field… Working for you 24/7… not that simple?

World Internet facts and figures WorldYear 2000 (Dec)Year 2011 (Dec)Growth Population6.115 billion6,930,055, billion Internet usage360,985, million2,267,233, billion528.1 % Penetration ( % Population )32.7 % Source:

Europe Internet facts and figures EuropeYear 2000 (Dec)Year 2011 (Dec)Growth Population816,426, million Internet usage105,096,093 – 105 million 500,723, million376.4 % Penetration ( % Population )61.3 % Source:

UK Internet facts and figures UKYear 2000 (Dec)Year 2011 (Dec)Growth Population62,698, million Internet usage52,731, million234.0 % Penetration ( % Population )84.1 % Source:

UK Internet Usage Facts & Figures million households (77%) had Internet access 32 million adults (66 %) used the Internet to purchase goods 45% of Internet users used a mobile phone to connect to the Internet 91% of 16 to 24 year olds took part in Social Networking Source: Trends are changing…

UK Internet Facts & Figures per cent of businesses had Internet access 79% of businesses had a website 15.3% of businesses sold over a website £95 billion of eCommerce sales in 2010 Source: Can you afford to be left behind?

Planning Your Website (1) You need to consider: Who your target audience is? Where they are located? What they will type (or do) to find you? What is unique about your product or service? Why they should buy from you? What you can do to make sure they remember you (and buy from you again)? It’s all about your brand

Planning - Before You Start You will promote yourself by: The marketing mix – extending the brand

Planning Your Website (2) The steps you will take: Identify which words visitors will use to find you (Keyword Analysis) Get your website designed – Layout – Navigation – Colour scheme – Logo and images Plan your content “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!”

Think Like A Search Engine

Planning - Keyword Analysis Identify the words people will type to find your website: – NOT the words that you THINK they will type – But the ACTUAL words Perform an analysis on and/or Remember: – Synonyms – Misspellings The result – a list of search terms or “keywords” that you can use to optimise your site. The aim of optimisation is to drive a regular supply of targeted visitors to your website

Search Engine Optimisation Identify the words which people will type to find you (keyword analysis) Apply those words to your website content Submit to search engines or let them find you Gain a high search engine ranking (in Google) Encourage click throughs to your site by writing your HTML Titles and Meta descriptions carefully Drive focused (relevant) traffic to your website Search engine optimisation is part art & part science

Think Like A Search Engine

Planning Your Website (3) When visitors arrive at your site, we need to decide: What you want them to do? – Make an enquiry (by phone or ) – Request a call back – Sign up for your newsletter – Register to download an eBook – Request a quote – Purchase a product (or service) – Make a donation – Other? How you are going to get them to do that? – Call to action? Get your visitors to do what you want them to do

Planning Your Website Content (1) Page specific: Keyword Focus Call to Action Search engine optimisation is page specific

Planning Your Website Content (2) Site map: Google likes dynamic content

Practical Example: Going for Gold