Creative Partners Group MarCom Minute

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Rather than focus on entertainment, flash, and useless splash screens, the most effective sites are those that help people get the information they want when they need it. Straightforward data, information that invites comparison, and straight talk are going to win the day.
–Jay Conrad Levinson, author, Put Your Internet Marketing on Steroids

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Reach Creative Partners Group at
310-378-8043

April 24, 2002

If you build it, will they come?
4 ways to increase traffic to your web site

You’ve spent a great deal of time and resources on your web site because you know every business these days needs a robust, information-packed Internet presence. You’ve worked hard to make your web site a reality. But is it working as hard as it can for you?

Success in the online world is a numbers game: The more people that come to your site, the quicker they can find you—and the more often they return—the more likely your site will start paying off. Here are four proven ways to increase web traffic…

1. Get the best rankings you can with search engines.
In a recent Internet research study, search engine positioning was the top method cited by web site marketers to drive traffic to their sites (66%)(See Note 1). But how do you “position” your web site? There are several ways to get optimum ranking status. Some of these involve programming issues, like using meta tags (special coding that many search engines look for when ranking a site) and having the right mix of static and database-driven pages.

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97 percent of Fortune 100 companies have some type of site architecture problem that might give them problems being found by search engines.
–iProspect, May 2001
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When and what you submit to the search engines can also improve your ranking. “I have an awesome site called specialty-electronics.com,” you say. “Yet why am I not listed in the search results for ‘specialty electronics’? It’s the NAME OF MY SITE, for crying out loud!” Most search engines don’t just go out randomly and pull information from sites that haven’t registered with them. There’s usually a submission process that you need to perform three or four times a year to keep your site high on the list of search results. And the submission process can be different for each search engine. Each search engine or directory (there is a difference) utilizes different rules to “rank” submission results. Body content, meta-tags, page titles and other factors are analyzed through automatic algorithms to determine your place in the rankings. Professionals like Creative Partners Group have experience with both the programming issues and submission process and can help advise how best to improve your rankings.

2. Drive people to your site through email contact.
In the same research study cited above, email contact was the second most used method for directing people to web sites (54%)(Note 2). It’s quick, it’s targeted and just a click away. If you’ve read this far in the article, then you’re living proof that people do follow the links in an email if their interest is piqued. Emails can be in the form of a newsletter, special offer or announcement, but they should all take the recipient back to your web site.

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With all the attention Amazon.com and other consumer Web sites receive, one would think the big money is in business-to-consumer e-commerce. The real story is that business-to-business e-commerce is a much larger market. Forrester research estimates that…b-to-b e-commerce will reach $1.3 trillion by 2003. The Aberdeen Group estimates actual b-to-b commerce at ten to twenty times that of b-to-c commerce.

– Peter De Legge, “The Current State of Business-to-Business E-commerce”

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3. Create a “brand awareness.”
A study performed by Search Engine Watch shows that more people than ever before (52%) are finding web sites via direct navigation (entering a URL into a browser or connecting to a bookmarked link). “Surfing” links (coming to a site via search engine or another referral site) is down from 46% just a year ago to 41% now (Note 3). These statistics underscore the importance of having strong collateral material to support your web site: magazine advertisements, your URL on product labels and brochures, or press releases that send readers to your site for more information or to order online. Your URL needs to be part of every communication with the public, so the next time a potential client thinks about the product or service you provide, your web site address will be the one he types in.

And remember…

4. Make your site a good experience for vistors.
Geoff Johnston, vice president of product marketing for StatMarket, calls it the “search gap”: A search engine can deliver your site a good number of initial visitors, but a poor experience there may not compel them to return for repeat visits. Think of your own Internet habits: The sites you bookmark are helpful, informative and easy to use. If a site is loading too slowly, too difficult to navigate or doesn’t give you the information you need, you probably won’t be back. Your customers feel the same way (Note 4). An integrated marketing effort is the best way to get potential customers to discover your web site and keep them coming back for more.

Contact Creative Partners Group for more information on how to improve your web traffic through search engine positioning, email campaigns, effective advertising, press relations, collateral material and a stronger web presence. We can help with one component or all. It’s all about getting the best return on your marketing dollars!

Discover the advantages of the “disappearing ad agency.” Article Notes:
1.	“Web Marketers” cite this as the top method, but do not confuse “top method” with “most effective method.” While achieving top positions in search engines and online directories is a solid marketing goal, what search engine specialists often fail to mention is that the typical manufacturer’s web site receives fewer than 8% of its visitors from search engine referrals. The fact is that a proactive program of advertising and publicity through traditional channels of industry trade journals will generate a far greater number of new visitors to a web site.
2.	The language of the study once again needs scrutiny. Even though rated 2nd as “most used” emailing is far more effective in bringing new visitors (i.e., new prospects) to your site than search engine rankings. Emailing is a proactive course that takes more effort than passively waiting for someone to use a search engine to find your company. That’s why it is the “second most used method.” Email, however, shouldn’t be considered “second best.” Targeted and relevant email should not be considered spam, and marketers should not be ashamed to use it responsibly.
3.	This study refers to all web sites on the Internet. As previously stated the use of blind searching or surfing for industrial, business-to-business sites is much lower.
4.	The key statistics we like to watch at CPG are the number of unique visitors, the number of repeat visitors and average time visitors are spending on the site. Keep those trending up and you can consider yourself doing something right.