Today’s online business operators need more than a website, you need a web strategy. Just as the Internet technology has evolved, so has the expectations of Internet users. Online micro-businesses owners are not the only ones jumping through hoops of fire trying to keep pace with the heightened demand for interactivity, social media, relevant content and oh yes, lest we forget–those precious back-links to authority and related content websites. What’s a webmaster got to do stay on top of it all?
If you are serious about making money online, then save yourself some grief and frustration by creating a flexible business/marketing plan. Forget the idea about “if you build it, they will come” that worked in 2002 but it won’t fly today with the latest stats from Netcraft’s survey putting the number of ACTIVE website at 644 Million- yes you read that right, that’s 644,000,000. Getting found in this maze definitely makes a valid case for search engine optimization, but all the techniques in the world won’t help you get the customers you want if you don’t have a web strategy in place.
The Internet is now a digital hub connected to smartphones, iPads, and tablet PCs. All of these devices are getting cozy with The Cloud and becoming more integrated into cloud computing systems where users access and integrate their data and preferences across several devices at once. Then there are the avenues, the channels your customers are using to tune into the digital galaxy of news, entertainment, personal interests and the world at large. These include social media, social bookmarking and sharing websites and search engines like Google and Yahoo!.
With all of this to manage your business/marketing plan gives you the fundamental information you need to know who’s interested in what you have to offer and how you plan to let them know you have what they’re looking for. Your web strategy is all about how you relate this information on your website, social media and mobile web; it’s a web platform that has several different components.
Your web platform has to be consistently tuned to your marketing, reflecting your business identity. Ideally you want to outfit your web platform with structure and tools to provide a singular point of focus for your information, services and products from any access point to the Internet hub.
Up Next: Organizing Your Web Platform to Maximize Web Strategy.