2014 is right around the corner and it is time for you to rethink your online marketing strategy for the New Year. Web trends and tactics change so often that you can’t afford to not revisit your current web strategy and consider some changes and updates. We have outlined some key elements of your web strategy to review and consider changing up in 2014.
Email Marketing
No, email is not dead. Email marketing is still alive and kicking, much more than snail mail at least. If you do not currently send out e-newsletters, you will want to begin. If you do, consider a redesign of your template. Also, people love “top 10” lists so start including one or two in your e-newsletter to keep subscribers engaged.
Social media
We may sound like a broken record by now, but we will keep saying it…you must be on social media! 2014 is the year that all companies should finally have a social media presence. If your company is already on social media, reconsider your efforts to make sure the time put in is worth it. Also, keep your eyes open for additional sites popping up over the next year and consider joining some of the newer mobile sites, like Instagram, Vine and Snapchat.
Blogging
Blogging is the perfect way to add fresh content to your site. If your company is not blogging, you should start. If your company is already blogging, make sure you are using your keywords, linking to other pages on your site, and consider integrating the blog within your actual website to help your overall SEO.
Responsive design
Responsive design is another must of 2014. If you do not have responsive design you will want to make sure you update your site in the New Year. Responsive design helps with your SEO and offers great functionality for your many customers visiting your site from various devices.
Analytics
Are you monitoring your web analytics to see what kind of traffic your site is receiving? Web analytics let you know that the time and money you are putting into your website is totally worth it. You will also be able to track your progress over the years and see exactly what your visitors are interested in. If you do not have a web analytics package, consider investing in one for 2014.
Review Content and Keywords
The start of the New Year is the perfect time to review your site content for accuracy and frequency of your keywords, as well as the relevancy of your keywords in general. Make sure that the keywords you are optimizing your site for are still relevant to what you do and what you would like to be found for in search engines.
SEO/SEM
Begin working on your SEO/SEM campaign, or if you already have one, review it to make sure you are covering all of the elements. You may want to consider creating a budget for PPC (pay per click) but do not neglect your organic search initiatives. Most importantly, all of the strategies mentioned above play a part in your SEO, so if you are looking to increase your SEO efforts, consider implementing the above recommendations.
Integrating Offline and Online Efforts
Remember that online marketing is a part of your overall marketing strategy, so make sure that you are integrating these online efforts with your offline efforts for overall cohesiveness.
We would recommend implementing all of the above marketing tactics in the New Year; however, you may need to ease your way into your new online marketing strategy. Many of these tactics can be time-consuming and require a lot of extra attention. Start with a few easy fixes and gradually work your way toward a cohesive marketing strategy. If you need help with any of the aforementioned marketing tactics, Informatics has an experienced digital marketing team. Contact us for help or with any questions you may have.
