Why Different Channels are Important
Many clients come to me looking for help with a new or existing website. They know what it can accomplish for them–and they know that it’s not working! The truth is, though, a website alone isn’t going to accomplish those major marketing goals. If you really want to see progress for your business, you need a marketing strategy that is woven through several different channels.
Channel #1: Your Website
Your website is one of the biggest interactions many customers will have with your business. Like a physical storefront, it contains all the material your customers need to make decisions about products and ultimately make a purchase. Your website, however, shouldn’t contain any surprises for customers who have already interacted with your business via your marketing materials, since they should flow seamlessly together.
Channel #2: Sales and Marketing Customer Relationship Management
How does your business manage its interactions with customers? There are several points of contact that many businesses have with their customers, and it’s important that you integrate both sales and marketing to ensure that customers have a seamless, streamlined experience. You don’t want to provide them with duplicate information; rather, you want to build a relationship with your company that they can count on. Great CRM software can track your interactions with customers, automate important tasks, and even ensure that you don’t end up missing out on important leads.
Channel #3: Email Marketing
How do you connect with your customers through email? Your email list should provide key insight that only subscribers are able to obtain while still integrating with the rest of the sales, promotions, and information on your website. Are you using your email marketing to provide customized marketing offers for your clients? If not, you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity to draw them into your website or tie together your other marketing efforts.
Channel #4: Social Media Marketing and Paid Advertising
Your social media marketing efforts may be the first contact many customers have with your business. Make sure they’re good ones! Your social media marketing should maintain the tone of your business while drawing potential customers to your website. Social media is an excellent way to meet customers exactly where they are, providing them with insight into your business. It’s also an opportunity to deepen your interactions with your customers, listening to their opinions and needs so that you can provide overall higher-quality interactions.
Your paid advertisements, especially on social media, may be the first time many of your potential customers find out information about your business. Those paid advertisements, therefore, should maintain the tone of your social media pages, your emails, and your website. You want to catch the attention of potential new customers, but you also want them to know what your business is really all about.
Channel #5: Sales Funnel
How do you move customers through your sales funnel? Your website is an amazing tool. It can provide customers with key information that will help carry them to the next stage of the funnel–but it can’t do it alone. Your sales funnel needs a little help from your customer relationship management efforts, your emails, and even your social media pages. By integrating these strategies, you can more effectively capture your customers and help them make critical purchase decisions.
Why All of These Channels Matter to Your Customers
Your marketing strategy doesn’t rely on any one of these factors. In fact, if you’re focusing on one factor in isolation, chances are, you’re missing out on a key aspect of your customer interactions. By integrating all of these channels, you’ll quickly discover that it’s easier to create a positive customer experience that will deliver on all of their expectations. It’s not just about the website. Rather, it’s about making sure that your website fits with the rest of your strategies to improve your overall marketing efforts. Want to learn more about how we can help you streamline all of your marketing efforts? Contact us today for more information.