Q: Do you think it's important for SMEs starting out in online marketing to have an Internet marketing strategy?
A: An Internet marketing strategy is absolutely crucial these days. A solid Internet marketing plan can help a company build strength in existing relations, build new relations and allows businesses to market and sell services to a global audience.
Q: Where should SMEs wanting to forge an online presence start?
A: The first thing that business owners, new to online marketing, should do is make sure that they have an effective, well optimised website. Having a website offers a huge number of benefits for small and start-up companies. Having a website means that you can provide information to your customers 24/7, through online newsletters, brochures and news pages. It also offers another point of contact for potential customers and enables you to showcase your products and services worldwide.
Q: Is setting up a company website expensive?
A: It is no longer extortionately expensive to develop an online presence. The average cost of building a website has gone down significantly, meaning that smaller companies can compete against their larger counterparts on a much more even playing field.
Q: What else can SMEs do to make their mark online?
A: In addition to setting up a company website, blogging can also be a fairly inexpensive and effective online tactic. Blogging is, in effect, the keeping of an online journal. It can demand quite a bit of time and effort but keeping a blog can also be a great way of communicating with your customers and potential customers.
Other ways to get your company online include the use of email marketing and listing your company’s details on some of the many free online directories.
Q: What key mistakes do business owners new to online marketing make?
A: One of the main mistakes that business owners make is not keeping their website or blog fresh and updated. It is imperative that these online tools are kept up-to-date so that your customers and regular readers keep coming back.
Also, make sure that any contacts are followed up on immediately. The customer service that you deliver online should be the same level as the service you offer in-store or on the telephone.
Q: Where can SMEs find more information on online marketing?
A: There is a wealth of information out there for people new to online marketing. There are many specialised companies, such as Microsoft, that can help you get started or, if you are on a slightly tighter budget, there are unlimited online marketing articles, blogs and forums available to anyone with an Internet connection. Another great way of learning about online marketing is to look up your competitors and observe what they are doing.
You can also go to http://www.microsoft.com/nz/smallbusiness/default.mspx for a variety of online Internet marketing training modules from Microsoft.
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