Enhancing Online Visibility

One of the principle concerns for companies trying to attract buyers online is visibility: How will your target buyers find you in a sea of websites and online listings? What is your best move? There are several options available to you to improve online visibility. Chief among them include:

• A website
• Banner advertising
• Search engine optimization
• Listing in online industrial directories
• Search engine marketing: AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing, Microsoft adCenter
• Industrial search engine marketing: IndustrialWebSearch.com versus Traditional Industrial Search Engines

Deciding which channels are right for you is determined by a number of factors such as:

• Reaching your target audience
• Conversion (critical step in the sales process) potential
• Long term versus short term benefits
• Overall value: return on advertising spend

Visibility Channels

Website

This is the fulcrum of your online efforts. All other visibility channels work to bring buyers to your website at some point in the sales process. It represents your professional image and gives a clear overview of what you have to offer. It may even directly sell what you offer. It should be a pleasure to visit, easy to use, up-to-date, informative, and provide the visitor with enough guidance to move them through the conversion process to the point where they are at least talking to one of your representatives. Too many businesses disregard the importance of website maintenance to keep information fresh and site visitors motivated. The most successful websites have tools in place to help buyers get what they want easily, quickly and cost effectively.

Average budget required: $2,000 to $25,000 depending on size and functionality.

Banner Advertising

Akin to placing a billboard on the highway, banner advertising is designed to attract the attention of buyers while they are engaged elsewhere, whether it is reading an online industry magazine or journal, or searching for something on a web page. Effective banner advertising requires not only great design but thoughtful placement. The banner has to appear where it will reach your target audience while they are in a mindset to receive the information it offers.

Average budget required: Minimum $500 a month to run an effective campaign unless you are paying for placement which runs anywhere from $1,000 per month and upwards. Cost factors can include where the ad is placed, for how long you rent the space, how many impressions or clicks it receives, or with some programs, how many calls it generates.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Preparing your web pages to be scanned and indexed by the major search entities like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft Live, is just something you should do no matter what. There is no question as to the importance they possess concerning matters of visibility and audience reach. The best time to do SEO is anytime; however it is practical to do it when your site is being built or updated. Generally when a site is being optimized for search the enhancements made to the web copy have a positive effect on website conversion too.

Average budget required: Depending on the size of the site and the fixes to the code that are required costs generally range from $1500 and upwards.

Listing in Online Industrial Directories

Focused to target industrial and commercial buyers these directories attract your audience. They also offer a host of services like integrated website and shopping cart solutions. To ensure you will be seen, banner advertising and paid listing placement is available as well. Two principle drawbacks are ownership and cost. If you choose an integrated website solution you will lose it if you decide to discontinue the service. That means you will have no website or shopping cart solution until you build a new one or sign up with another integrated service that builds one for you. Additionally, participation is very expensive. Basic participation requires you fit into a pre-determined category where visibility is limited among a sea of competing listings. Therefore, effective participation really requires you purchase one of the more expensive visibility solution options.

Average budget required: Depending on the advertising/website solution you select, an annual contract may be upwards of $20,000.

Search Engine Marketing

Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing, Microsoft adCenter
It seems like these programs are constantly in flux in order to offer advertisers effective advertising products. Basically ads, whether text or banner, are generated by keywords that have an associated click cost or CPM (cost per thousand impressions) associated with them that you select. Through competitive bidding and the decisions of a mysterious algorithm your ad may appear high enough in the listings to attract the attention of curiosity seekers, researchers, competitors, or actual buyers. This is truly a numbers game and those numbers can get pretty high very quickly if the campaign is not properly managed right through to landing page conversion.

Average budget required: Depending on the popularity of your keywords, it is best to start with a budget of at least $50 a day.

Industrial Search Engine Marketing

IndustrialWebSearch.com versus Traditional Industrial Search Engines:

Like the industrial directories, they attract focused, targeted industrial and commercial buyer groups. The launch of IndustrialWebSearch.com has changed the face of industrial search by facilitating communication between buyers and sellers on multi-platforms (desktop and handheld device platforms) through the use of keyword communication tools.

Traditionally industrial search engines allow companies to place a listing within a certain category, just like the directories. Visibility depends on selecting the right category and using keywords in the profile to generate the listing in a search result. Some offer the option to pay for placement but listings are still generated in the same manner and a lot is left to chance.

IndustrialWebSearch.com does away with chance by giving buyers and sellers full control. Sellers tag their content with keywords they manage online anytime 24/7. Buyers use keywords to search. In order to let sellers know what buyers are searching, sellers are provided with a keyword selection tool that shows them exactly what has been searched. Buyers, on the other hand, are given tools to help them discover additional keywords used by sellers to tag their content that will help them narrow their search to find the right seller. Additionally, buyers can select a zip code to find someone local. Search results are accurate based on the criteria a buyer has selected. Once a buyer has selected a company, the integrated .tel functions give him quick and easy connection possibilities to place a call, visit a website, or even send an email or text message with a single click. Visibility is controlled directly by the seller who manages how his listing is generated. The multi-platform availability of the tool, from a desktop/laptop at IndustrialWebSearch.com or a handheld device like a mobile phone at IndustrialWebSearch.mobi, also increases a seller's visibility and opportunities to reach targeted buyers. Additionally, a buyer using IndustrialWebSearch.com to contact a seller pre-qualifies himself for the seller by narrowing his search.

This new form of industrial search engine marketing saves the seller time by ensuring he is not only visible to qualified buyers but also contacted by those he can sell to. Early members of IndustrialWebSearch.com have reported the additional benefit of achieving greater visibility in Google for keywords important to the sale of the products and services. Below is a statement from Michael A. Kelly, President of Global Precision Ball & Roller: "We are very pleased with the results we are getting with our listing on Industrial Web Search. We are doing better with Google search ranking and new customers are getting better information, faster. The amount of key words for early signing was a real benefit. Thank you for your help in getting Global up and running."

Average budget required: $499 per year.

Conclusion

Multi-channel marketing is the best way to increase visibility in order to enhance your sales opportunities and effectively market your brand. It is always a good idea to align your long term goals with your short term ones and create a plan that uses your budget effectively. Look over your options. Find the ones that offer you both visibility and sales opportunities at a rate you can afford. Remember to track results so you can understand the "return on advertising spend" offered by each channel you utilize. Bottom line: go with what makes sense.

IndustrialWebSearch.com is an affordable solution that is structured to effectively serve both buyers and sellers. At $499 a year it remains the most cost effective solution offering the greatest visibility to targeted industrial and commercial buyer groups who are actively searching for a seller. If you would like to become a member please call (800) 399-9859 or follow this link to register online.

To speak with a web marketing specialist about increasing your online visibility, call (800) 399-9859.

If you prefer to have an IWS web marketing specialist contact you, contact us via our online form. Thank you for your interest.

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