Guidelines for Online Marketing

Appleton Creative recently had the opportunity to present at an Athena Powerlink Orlando roundtable discussion on online marketing. Web strategist Jamie Kruger provided the sixteen businesses in attendance an overview of what makes a strong brand, the difficulties and unique opportunities of online marketing, and strategies for developing and maintaining an online marketing plan.

The main focus of the discussion was how good online marketing remains strongly grounded in perception and communication, despite changing technologies and a sense of “flavor of the month” when it comes to emerging social networks. A business needs to discover not only how it perceives itself, but how its customers and critics perceive it. The web is a strong equalizer when it comes to speed of publication and scope of reach — consumers can carry as much weight, if not more, than an established company.

Attendees were encouraged to reflect upon the following questions as a starting point for their individual online marketing plans.

Is your brand, including logo, visuals, and tone of voice, consistent both online and offline?
Does your Home Page clearly state your services and location?
Can a visitor still understand your brand and fulfill an opportunity to convert if they enter your Home Page via a secondary page?
Are all elements and functions on your website brand-consistent or do they look like they come from another source?
If you have a mobile website, is it optimized for an audience that browses on-the-go and is location-dependent?
Is your brand still recognizable if syndicated on Facebook, LinkedIn, in search results, etc.?
Do you have a system for ensuring all of your content is written in a clear, consistent voice?
Do you have a regular schedule for news and social content, with committed authors?
Are you tracking how your visitors are finding you online and what they’re doing when on your site?
Do you frequently connect with your customers and peers, either via e-blasts or social networking?
Do you regularly evaluate your website and brand strategy?