A Dozen Red Hot Web Marketing Resolutions For 2013
It's surprising how few businesses make real resolutions for their Internet marketing plans. After all, what better way to heat up your bottom line than by gaining more customers over the Internet in 2013? That seems like a big missed opportunity, so in case you haven't made yours for 2013, here are a dozen you can borrow from us:
1Focus your search marketing. Nearly every area of Internet marketing is getting more competitive, but the search engine positions are getting exceptionally crowded. Spend this year focusing on your most profitable niche terms, since they have the highest ROI and ensure the quickest improvement.
2Eliminate unprofitable traffic. It's important to remember that not every visitor to your business website is a good visitor; some waste precious time and money even though they are poor candidates to buy from you. Do what you can to weed them out from your search and PPC campaigns.
3Try something new every quarter. Internet marketing is constantly evolving. There should always be room in your budget and calendar for proven winners, but make a point of doing something different every few months. You never know when you'll hit on a hot web marketing idea that really works for your company.
4Make your social media profiles stand out. Although this starts with the design elements and visuals, it also includes the creativity of your posts and messages. If you seem like "just another company" on social media, you're going to have a hard time finding fans… not to mention customers.
5Track potential customers more carefully. Most businesses don't track incoming leads very carefully. The more you know about how people are finding you, however (including which pages drew their attention, which PPC ads are showing the biggest return, etc.), the easier it is to focus your efforts in the right direction.
6Split-test your most important pages and messages. Nothing in Internet marketing is ever perfect or finished, so it's a good idea to test messages, ads, landing pages, and other details against one another so you can keep improving.
7Double the size of your e-mail list. Few Internet marketing tools are as profitable and reliable as a strong e-mail subscriber list. Make a concerted effort to double the size of yours this year through interesting blog posts, targeted social messages, and other means.
8Think before you tweet. If there's one thing we can learn from celebrities, it's that you have to think before you tweet. Don't post anything without first considering whether you're sharing confidential information, making yourself look unprofessional, or otherwise saying something you shouldn't.
9Use your website for more than selling. Although Internet marketing is the top goal for most companies on their website, many forget that they can use their online presence to improve customer service, recruiting, and other parts of the business, as well.
10Spend 15 minutes a week studying your competitors. Do you know what your competitors have been up to? Although you don't want to spend a lot of time obsessing over them, devoting a few minutes each week to keeping tabs on them isn’t a bad idea.
11Go farther in emphasizing your competitive strengths. Do you seem like "just another vendor" to potential customers? If so, it might be time to think about developing new marketing messages that emphasize your competitive strengths.
12Find the right Internet marketing partner to help you out. While this might sound a little self-serving, everything on our list of resolutions gets a lot easier when you have the right team on your side. Why not let a trusted partner (like Kayak) help you reach your Internet marketing goals in 2013?
The new year is a great time for you to make personal improvements, to be sure, but it's also a great time to grow your business and make your Internet marketing plan more effective. Why not give these resolutions a try… Or better yet, call us today and let us help!
Don't forget to follow Mark (@MarkAtKayak) and Randy (@Kayak360) on Twitter and connect with Randy in Google+.
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