Add a New Sprinkler Head to Enhance Your Site and Get More Hits!

ENABLING BUSINESS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND TEAMWORK

Add one more Sprinkler Head!

Several years ago, I wrote a piece called “one more sprinkler head” and I thought I would reprint it because what I am seeing on the Internet and the growth of the interactive options, this dated article will hopefully “spark” your call-to-action button to improve your web site.

“Last week before the rains started, our lack or rain was destroying my yard and the flowerbeds. And for those of us who are married, flowerbeds are very important to our spouse, so we (she) decided to have a watering system installed. The great day arrived where we could test the system and it started to rain. As I write this article, it is still raining but the weatherman told us that we would have clear and sunny tomorrow so we will wait. Finally, the new day began and it was a perfect day to test our new system and it worked beautifully except for one corner. My wife’s comment is “if we add one more sprinkler head we can be assured that our yard is fully covered and that we do not need rain to protect my flowerbeds. She probably is right and I told the watering guy to add another sprinkler head. What has this to do with the Internet? Well, in theory I has everything to do with it!

Think about it. You have a nice web site, you hired an Internet marketing company or you are marketing the site yourself and the site is starting to be found, but the expected results are not happening! The answer is to add “one or more INTERNET sprinkler heads” and here is what you do:

1. You must have a way to review what is happening on your site and that is called a web trends report. If your ISP does not provide this service, move your site or get a third party to provide it (bolt-it-on your site…your ISP can do this for you).
2. Re-think about what people will type in the search box on the top 4 or 5 search engines to find your site. I am always amazed that web site owners do not pay attention to this critical action and prepare their keywords or keyword phrases appropriately. People surfing the net are NOT to type in one word unless they are looking for IBM or MIRCOSOFT (Branded names). If they are planning a trip to Savannah, they will type in a phrase (their interest) such as: “Savannah lodging” “Savannah golf courses” or something that provides the specific answer (web site_ that answers their search request. As one real example, I was sent an email from our one of our popular Savannah Travel web sites asking for information on housing for her daughter. The lady resides in Venezuela. For all of you real estate agents reading this article, why have not added an appropriate phrase (student housing or SCAD (local art college) apartments or?) to your web site that addresses this “sprinkler head”?
3. Always add more value to your site. For those of you, who sell a product; add a coupon or special offer. It has been my experience that offering something of value gets attention. Many of you use a direct mailing service to send your coupons to a targeted address. Why not offer the visitors to your site the same advantage? Obviously, if your are selling cement blocks this is not a good tactic but for those who get in-store traffic or have a product that allows your to provide an incentive, why not put the offer on the web? It works!
4. I am becoming a great believer in adding the ability to gather email addresses from visitors who want to be told of a new product offering or to receive more information on your product or service via a newsletter. Look, if I can write a column, you can compose a newsletter for your service. This is a powerful marketing tool and you can get repeat visitors to your site, which is the best tool you can employ. Consider, you’re a tour company and you want to increase the number of people who sign-up for your tour. This is what you do: (1) Add a coupon (2) Write a newsletter about your city or tour and (3) Capture email addresses from people who are planning to visit your city and found your site and (4) Follow-up emails to all. In the minds of the readers, you are an expert on your community and therefore, a logic choice for a tour booking. These are “sprinkler heads”.

Marketing on the Internet is not “brain surgery” work but it is hard work. The Internet allows all business sizes to compete equally and the only limitation is you mind and creativity. It is “thinking-outside-the-box”. If you add “one or more sprinkler heads” you will be the right road to gain positive results from planting your product or service on the Web…Just add water!

Chuck St. Arnaud is the Chairman of Systems Connect, inc., a leading ISP in Coastal Georgia. Chuck is also a featured writer on the Internet for a local business publication and a frequent speaker on the Internet to business groups, associations and for the University of Georgia Small Business Program. He is also an adjunct professor at the local business university and teaches marketing.

Visit his blog at http://www.sysconn.com