5 Common Online Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
Posted by clairejarrett | Posted in Social Media | Posted on 02-08-2011
Tags: business, Internet marketing, mistakes
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Online marketing is increasingly big business, especially with so many companies now competing for a share of an ever-more-crowded market. This means that it’s crucial you take the time to ensure your online marketing is completed to as high a standard as possible. To help get you on the right track, read on for five common online marketing mistakes you really must avoid.
Neglecting Websites and other Media
One big error is to set up a website and then ignore it or forget about it. The very best websites are dynamic; updated regularly and always full of fresh, relevant content. It’s important to do this for several reasons: one is that search engines like sites that have recent content; another is that web users like this, too. A website that’s glaringly out of date will put people off rather quickly.
Similarly, if you make use of other media such as social networking, it’s important that you keep on top of it and engage with your social media friends on a regular basis. It’s essentially an extension of traditional networking, so give it the attention it deserves.
Forgetting about the Competition
Another common online marketing mistake is to forget about the competition. Lack of research into relevant markets is one reason so many firms fail to have the impact they were hoping for online: make sure you know who you’re up against so you can find better ways of carving out your own, individual niche. You can also find inspiration from your competitors – if they’ve done something well, you could tailor it to your own online marketing and benefit as a result.
Not Proofreading Content before Publishing
One of the most common online marketing mistakes (actually, one of the most common marketing mistakes overall) is failing to proofread content before it’s published. From advertising banners with only a few words to an online magnum opus, you need to make sure that everything has been spell-checked, grammar-checked and generally been given a thorough going-over. Good quality content is useful for your SEO and it also helps to inspire confidence in the people who read what you write.
Forgetting the ‘Call to Action’
Some businesses spend ages on their marketing campaigns. They spend time on their SEO, they do their research, they write fantastic copy… but then they forget the call to action. It’s really important to get your message out there, but there also needs to be some sort of follow-up. If you’re promoting a service through blog posts, for instance, what do you want people to do? Most likely, you want them to click a link so they can find out more and (hopefully) make a purchase. Don’t forget that all important links so people know what to do next.
Not having a Clear Strategy
Finally, many companies fail to define a clear online marketing strategy. It’s amazing how much success you can achieve from even the smallest of marketing budgets, but without a plan, it’ll be hard to get anywhere. Think about it like you would any other aspect of your business: first define your aims, and then take the appropriate steps to achieve them.
We all make mistakes somewhere down the line – hopefully you’ll avoid these five now you’ve read this!
What mistakes have you made and learned from in online marketing?
