Marketing Muse from Silver Square

What is your web strategy?

Let's begin with some facts:

• 43% of all retail sales are expected to be influenced by or made on the Internet by 2012 (Forrester research and the U.S. Department of Commerce)
• 83% of businesses use the Internet to research and find potential vendors (Enquiro b-2-b survey, 2007)
• 75% of web users admit to making judgements about the credibility of an organization based on the design and its web site (Fogg, B.J., Standford Guidelines for Web Credibility)

We all know website play a big role in business and the way an indivdiual interacts with your company - but did you know it was this significant? Do the numbers make you feel a little uncomfortable about your own website and strategy or are you ready for the world to bring it on?

We recently helped one of our clients position himself for his online introductions with the kind of face he needed to achieve his long-term business goals. Corinthian Construction was a remodeling company based in Indianapolis with big dreams to expand services and further position themselves as an estate custom home builder. Nothing says custom home like construction, right? Well, the first thing we did was adjust his company name to Corinthian Fine Homes and likewise take his branding up a notch to fit the level of client expectations for someone building a two million plus home. He had a cumbersome portfolio on his website with before and after shots that also did not speak to the type of client he wanted to reach, nor did it really show off his talents and great work! We changed that too.

Below is his new identity and we welcome you to visit his new site and browse his portfolio...he's ready for the web to start working for him. Visit Corinthian Fine Homes

Maximum impact for your advertising budget

You can tell when I'm in budget mode with my clients. You'll see Excel up on my computer instead of Illustrator. You'll see a ridiculous amount of media guides stacked up on my desk. You'll see an empty bottle of migrane headache pills. (just kidding, kind of)

Where are you putting the money for your advertising budget next year? Print? Internet? Direct mail? You have heard me say the magic is in the mix, but the mix is getting larger. Your ad options have expanded greatly in the last few years and you may be asking yourself what you're going to do about it. Well, my first advice is to tell you to set goals. What do you want out of all this advertising? Are you trying to make the phone ring or trying to establish your company as an expert in the industry? What factors make you different than your competition? Do you have something new to show or share?

Once you have defined your goals for your advertising, look at all the ways you can match your goals to the advertising options that are available within your target market. Now for the real advise - don't be afraid to jump out of the more "traditional" ways of advertising to the Internet-based options. In this New York Times article As Customers Flock to the Web, Intel Gives Chase with Its Ad Budget Intel talks about it's jump to online efforts.

If you're reading this and thinking, I need to get on this Internet thing, yes, you do. You're almost behind. Get yourself up to speed by looking in to these options:  blogs, web ads, micro sites, webinars, eNewsletters, social networks and podcasts/video, just to name a few.