The Internet is understandably bogged down with a wide variety of failed ventures. While web hosts and domain registrars have made the process of website creation extremely simple over the years, little has been done to teach webmasters how to transform their domains into places that web surfers want to visit. For any website, the prospect of creating a successful presence depends not only on an attractive product or theme, but also on a solid internet marketing strategy. No matter the niche, a successful website will be intellectually satisfying, visually appealing, highly usable, and easy to find.
An intellectually stimulating website contains high-quality original content that is relevant to the subject matter at hand and presented to appeal to a specific targeted slice of the web. If a website purports to be about fitness and health, its’ visitors will have little interest in reading about the latest-and-greatest in smart phone technology. As difficult as the gap may seem to bridge, visitors are more likely to find these scenario’s more often than websites that have well written, relevant content.
An attractive color scheme can set the mood for a web surfer and may be the difference between a quick stop-and-bounce or an extended stay. A fan page dedicated to the Green Bay Packers would do well to execute a green and gold color scheme as opposed to the wretched Vikings purple because its’ visitors will most likely be Packers fans. Webmasters who succeed in setting the mood for their visitors will do so because they think logically about important factors like content and color, and pay attention to what their visitors are looking for.
Quality content and colors that complement content are important, but these components of a successful website are worthless if visitors cannot use your website. The greatest products in the world will never make a dime if visitors cannot adequately navigate the menu to purchase them. Images and text should always be presented in a way to funnel visitors into taking a certain action such as purchasing a product, subscribing to a newsletter or making a comment. All too often, however, users have difficulty locating the proper places to act. The Internet is a fickle place and if the average user cannot figure out how or where to take action, they will leave to find a website with greater usability.
Perhaps the most crucial component of a successful website is its’ marketing strategy. The most intellectually stimulating, color-appropriate and easy-to-use website on the Internet will go the way of the Dodo bird if nobody can find it, and Internet Marketing exists for the sole purpose of making sure a website can be found. Although it is possible for a single well-disciplined webmaster to make an impact with an efficient marketing plan, entire departments are created for the sole purpose of executing Internet marketing strategies. Search Engine Optimization experts tweak content for perfect keyword density, seeking to rank well in search engines like Google or Bing. Link Builders work tirelessly to acquire quality inbound links from authority websites which act as votes of content-confidence. Paid Search specialists create high-powered pay-per-click campaigns that entice web surfers to click on sponsored links that lead to perfectly manicured landing pages. Social Media guru’s create buzz for products, services or content via hubs like YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter an much more in this growing sector of the web. If executed properly, a sound strategy that makes the most out of these four aspects of Internet marketing will surely be given an opportunity to shine on the first search engine results pages on leading search engines like Google and Bing.
Anyone who seeks to create a successful website that is well-traveled and provides quality information, products or services will quickly find that the prospect entails far more than purchasing a domain and publishing a hastily written chunk of content. Listening to the attitudes, desires and emotions of the visitors a webmaster targets is a sure-fire way to create a website that will stand the test of time online.