Your 2006 Web Marketing Plan

With the New Year right around the corner, we often resolve toimprove our behavior, health, or personal relationships. Let metell you, you're wasting your time. I'm OK, you're OK. It's ourWeb marketing that's a mess.We've got out-of-shape Web sites, directionless Web marketing,and we're lost at the search engines. It's time to stopworrying about self-improvement and start worrying about Webmarketing-improvement!While every business has different goals and needs, pleaseconsider these twelve items in creating your own Web marketingplan for next year. Rearrange the order to fit your ownschedule in 2006.January: Set up a Web marketing budget. I know, this is yourfavorite part: the budget. However, once you've decided howmuch money you plan on spending quarterly or monthly, decidingwhat to spend your marketing dollar on becomes much easier.You'll also want to carve out some time for your Web marketingendeavors. After all, a lot of the following to-do's are moreabout time than money.February: Audit your Web site (beginner.) Often we'resurprised or dismayed at the material that's on our Web site:bios of ex-employees, links to sites that no longer exist, a2001 pricelist. Spend some time reviewing the content on yourWeb site and get rid of anything that's out-of-date or nolonger expresses who you are. Nothing turns off prospectsfaster than a neglected Web site.March: Audit your Web site (advanced.) Review your trafficreports and decide if your navigation needs to be updated.Maybe certain parts of your site are getting a lot of trafficand should be further promoted on the home page. If othersections or pages are being ignored they may need to beremoved...or promoted. Fill out all the Web forms (contact,search, etc.,) and read the "hidden text" that appears onlanding pages. Rewrite the copy that seems dated or incorrect.April: Start reading blogs in your industry. Download anewsreader (I recommend NetNewsWire for Mac users) or set up afree account at Bloglines. To find blogs in your industry youcan do searches at Technorati or check out BlogCatalog amongothers. Make sure you're reading the blogs of your competitionand your clients.May: Start your own blog. You knew that was coming, right?Blogs are becoming an important, perhaps essential, part ofbusiness communications. No matter the size of yourorganization, a blog can be a great way to connect with yourclients...and your clients-to-be.June: Subscribe to your competitors' email newsletters. Thisis a fantastic (usually) free resource of advice that istargeted towards your clients. Shouldn't you know what yourcompetition is recommending? Maybe they know something youdon't!You probably know many of your competitors already and canvisit their Web site to see if they offer an email newsletter.However, you can Google "your industry + email newsletter" tofind some ezines that are new to you. (You should also bereading your clients' newsletters as well; you can't know toomuch about their business.)July: Start your own email newsletter or jumpstart yoursubscriber rate. If you're not publishing an email newsletteryou're missing out on one of the most cost-effective Webmarketing tools at your disposal. Use an Email Service Provider(ESP) to manage your subscriber list and publish an ezineregularly.If you're already publishing an email newsletter try some newideas to increase your subscriber base . Offer a free articlefor new subscribers, raffle off a prize to one subscriber eachmonth, or advertise on a complementary newsletter.August: Troll discussion boards in your industry. There arediscussion boards on every topic under the sun, and certainly afew in your industry (or your target audience's industry.) Byreading posts at these discussion boards you can get anunderstanding of what prospects are looking for and createproducts or services that meet their needs.By posting responses you can quickly establish yourself as anexpert and create links that drive traffic to your Web sitewhile improving your site's ranking at the search engines!September: Start listening to podcasts. The New Oxford AmericanDictionary named "podcast" its 2005 word of the year, so maybeyou shouldn't wait until September before you tune in.Whether podcasting ever becomes a part of your Web marketing,it's important to understand how podcasting works and how othercompanies (including your competition) use it. Visit the iTunesMusic Store or a podcast directory like Podcast Alley and startsampling some podcasts. Not sure where to start? Adam Curry'sPodFinder show (available at the iTunes Music Store) highlightsnew podcasts each episode.October: Consider starting your own podcast. I can't recommendpodcasting for every business, or even most businesses. I stillbelieve there are more effective ways to communicate withprospects and clients. However, some businesses will benefitfrom offering a podcast. Keep in mind your target audience, andwhether they will be downloading audio to their computer or mp3player.November: Submit some of your articles to article directories.A great way to increase your "findability" at the search enginesis to have a lot of quality incoming links. One proven method todo this is to have articles you've written appear on other Websites that link to yours. To get your articles posted at otherWeb sites check out article directories such as The PhantomWriters and iSnare.December: Add share this page functionality to some or all ofyour Web site. As people suffer from information overload,they rely more heavily on the recommendations of friends andfamily. Make this word-of-mouth advertising easier by allowingsite visitors to quickly "share this page" with a friend orcolleague. You can even include your own marketing messageembedded in the email that arrives at the friends' mailbox.