CMS Web Solutions

The thing I love most about computers is that people communicate one-to-one through them no matter where they are in the world. What an incredible opportunity for having someone’s undivided attention! But the internet also makes us speed up. So we need to communicate information faster. Our brains process visuals quicker than words.With most having high speed, video is a wonderful and emerging tool that businesses need to take advantage of. Sounds obvious doesn’t it? So why aren’t more businesses doing it?

It’s time for the brutal truth. 95% of the business websites we see need help. Many not only don’t help a business get sales they drive prospects to the competition. How do I know this? We’re the company working for your competition! The multitude of self proclaimed web designers in Durham (most now out of business) built business websites that are now antiquated and poorly built. Many can actually harm a business. How? Don’t you do research on the Internet and judge a company by its website? Ever not do business with a company with a poor website? Now here’s the tough part. Be honest. If you looked at your website from a visitor’s standpoint, would you buy from you? Like you, your market is migrating to the Internet in droves to do their research. It’s time to take your website strategy more seriously. There I’ve got it off my chest.

Last week CMS Web Solutions Inc. began reselling the services of The Search Engine People (SEP), an Internet marketing firm in Ajax. They are one of Canada’s premier search engine marketing companies with clients such as RIM, ING and Canwest Global just to mention a few. Although SEP have been clients for a number of years now, their target market has been bigger than ours. Recently, they’ve created packages that meet our 5 – 50 employee target market and we agreed to be resellers. What does this mean to our clients? It means that some of the money currently going to off line marketing can shift to where the market is…the Internet. It means clients can go after specific market niches locally and around the world. It means, unlike many offline marketing initiatives, actual data can be extracted and measured, allowing for fine tuning based on fact. Properly built search engine friendly websites need to go hand and hand with well planned and executed Internet marketing strategies. Together, from our little place on the planet, we can now help clients capture new markets that at one time would have been cost prohibitive. What an exciting time to be in business!

In an internet marketing consultation session this morning, I reviewed a client’s website contents with them. What I noticed was a common occurrence that is subtle, yet has enormous implications. The client forgot that they were talking a single real-live human being who, like themselves, had their one head and 2 eyes glued to their monitor screen.

The client’s communication was similar to what you might find on a brochure, speaking to the masses rather than to one person. It wasn’t personal and it actually distanced themselves from the visitor. If people don’t feel connected to your content, they will simply leave. How do you do that? Simple, write as though you are speaking to only one person (because you are). Put a face on top of your monitor if needed (call it your ideal client), and write directly to them. What interests them? How do they like information presented to them…a picture, video, story?

Use technology to get closer to your audience. Write content that is personal and practical to them. The better and more useful the experience is to your ideal client, the more effective your website will be.