I believe there is beauty in simplicity. I love the practical
architecture of a Frank Lloyd Wright designed building, the precision
engineering of a BMW automobile, and the technically brilliant
functionality of the Apple iPhone. There is also a need right now for clear thinking and simplicity in
marketing. So, in keeping with the philosophy of “Do Fewer Things Better,” I
recommend a three-point strategy for maximizing the
effectiveness of your marketing programs by investing your marketing
budget on those things that have been proven to deliver the best
results, something I call the Triangle Offensive.
Companies that are highly successful in developing and retaining
customers are
very good in the three pivotal stages of customer development: attract, engage and serve.
First, attract. To be successful in selling and serving customers, you need to become
very good at attracting potential customers to your brand. That means
you have to be good at attracting the right people to your Web site –
namely decision makers and decision influencers. And the number one tactic for
attracting prospective customers to your Web site is organic search.
Web sites have become the “hub” of marketing. It’s where prospects begin
the process of researching solutions to their needs. According to
Forrester Research, 87% of commercial Web site traffic is the result of
organic search – namely people using the search functions of Google or
Yahoo to locate websites that have content matching the keywords typed
in the search box.
To make the most of this, do some research. Talk to Google or Yahoo and study the keywords that are attracting visitors to your site. Then use these words in content throughout your site and in your
blog posts. By “tagging” these words, you are “optimizing” the
searchability of your site.
The second step is engaging your customers. Successful one-to-one-marketers understand that the buying process
begins with website visit. Forrester Research reports that 92% of
business buyers go online to research products and suppliers. Make sure
your site is designed to convert visitors to e-mail subscribers.
Design your Web site to engage visitors. Provide internal search
capability to make it easy for the visitor to access the information
they are seeking. Also, give Web site visitors a reason to become and e-mail subscriber.
Explain what’s in it for them. Show them a sample of what they will
receive.
E-mail has emerged as the single most effective tool available for
aiding the decision-making process. Once a person has been attracted to
your Web site, e-mail can move the prospect through the consideration
and evaluation stages . . . all the way to purchase. In fact, the
Direct Marketing Association says that “E-mail produces the highest
response rate of direct marketing methods studied.”
Invite subscribers to identify their information needs and
preferences when they subscribe. Give them a voice. Let them tell you
how they want to be served. Use this information to personalize the information and offers
you send subscribers. When you serve subscribers by honoring their
content preferences, they will reward you.
