Your marketing isn’t working as well as you want for you so do you just need a new website?

So your website doesn’t work as you want it to and you even think you might need a new logo so do you just jump in and get these sorted to save time or think about wider marketing issues? - READ ON to find out

So often the obvious thing that makes you discontented with your marketing is your website or you think your logo looks dated on your business cards and banner. You look at other companies in your sector and you’re jealous they seem to do it so much better. You start getting quotes for a new website and ask if they can look at your logo or you need new business cards so you think this is the chance to update your design. You worry about the cost, how much should it cost? But is needs to be done

STOP – don’t spend a penny yet

You could just be papering over the cracks if you don’t think about your marketing fundamentals. Despite what many marketing people imply, marketing is not just about promotion, it is not about the superficial, successful marketing works because it addresses all the essentials in your business that affect your relationship with your customer.

So before you tinker with your logo or get a new website consider the following questions about the business and the key elements of marketing:

What is your essence?

I like to call it your corporate personality including:

Your niche
Who you work with
How you change the world
Your values
Your vision

All these need to be reflected in your marketing both in how you visually appear and the way you talk about yourself, the language you use, the stories you tell, the photos you use.

Have you got the right products and services?

When did you last update what you sell? Do you have a subscription model or a premium offering? What is selling well, what has declining sales? What is special in your range that others don’t offer? What do people repurchase? What makes you a good margin? It could be pricing that is impacting your margin so next let’s look at that.

What does your pricing say about you?

How do you set your prices? When did you last change them? Are you priced to imply quality or value for money? Do you have some higher priced products/services that make your mid-range product look good value?

When research with done and a higher value product was added to increase a range of two to make three with low, medium and high prices for similar goods the number purchasing the mid range priced product moved from 50% to 57% and only 22% chose the cheapest, it had been 50% when there were just two. And this brings us nicely on to how we sell.

How do you physically sell to your market?

Do you sell from your website and if not could you? Do you sell through other people either as agents or as a collaboration? Do you have sales people or account managers?

Currently the companies that are having the most success make it very easy to buy. Do you?

How do you promote yourself?

Does what you do to promote yourself fit with your corporate personality? If you are quality do you have spot laminate on your business cards or a heavy weight card? If you are about personal service do you have photo? What does your logo and corporate colour say about you? Where do you promote yourself, where do you network? Do you have calls to action?

And finally does your website work and reflect all of the above?

So now

Be honest is it just the website you need to update, is everything else right? If not, then just like painting over the cracks it will only be a temporary fix and a waste of money.

If you need help about where to get started then contact us for a free chat on 01709 810080

If you want some more ideas to get you started you may find these helpful:

Pricing strategy

What makes a business successful?

And for fun but he’s pretty successful

7 marketing tips from Father Christmas

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