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Mastering the web: How to have a professional presence
Does your website extend your marketing presence, take orders, and help you collect data? If not, you may want to consider a marketing makeover to make the most out this important business tool. Industry experts agree that the Internet has become vital for small businesses, and there's a push to get more sophisticated. A good home page is no longer enough. According to James Okamura, a senior partner with a marketing and research firm that tracks Internet trends, a company's website should be a clickable catalog, with robust product content, good visuals and contact links, and it should serve the company as a database resource. If your website isn't measuring up, you may want to consider the following advice.
Hire help
If you don't have the time or Internet expertise, hire a professional. Chicago Classic Coach, a new tour and charter company founded by Richard Hausman, has turned to Pervaiz Karim to create the company's website. A former taxi and limousine fleet operator, Karim got into the Internet business after inventing a dispatch software system in 1991 that's still used today. "To be good at the Web, you have to be in it full-time," says Karim, who recommends leaving this part of the business to experts "so that you can carry on with growing your company." Karim also recommends querying colleagues to find web developers with experience in transportation or related industries.
Balance your budget
Website development is becoming big business. A recent study predicts the U.S. market for web services for small- and medium-size companies will grow 7 percent a year to $4.1 billion in 2010, from $2.9 billion in 2005. As far as your budget, know where you want to spend your dollars. Web services range from basic design to web hosting and search-engine optimizing. "You don't have to impress visitors with glitz and flash," says Alice Lemon, MCI's in-house web developer. "You need to budget for search engines to draw people to your site." Be sure your company is listed in online ads, online city guides, Yahoo Local, Google Maps and Yellow Pages sites.
Make a good first impression
Clearly the Internet is giving even the smallest businesses new marketing opportunities and reach. Recently the Wall Street Journal pointed out a study by the Yankee Group, a Boston consulting firm, that found that 66 percent of businesses with two to 499 employees have a website of some kind. Many times the Web is the first place customers turn for information on a company and its products. With nearly 4,000 motor coach businesses out there, it makes sense to have a cyberspace presence.
To make sure your website stands out, MCI's Alice Lemon and Jim Dietzel, a consultant with Ripple Communications who assisted in MCI's website design, have developed a "best practices" guide that includes the following advice.
- Your webpage should reflect the personality of your business and demonstrate that you care about your customer's experience as a browser. Your site should accurately reflect your brand, using your logo and colors correctly.
- Think about the type of information your customers are seeking when they speak to you. Then be sure the site features the content important to your visitors, such as company information, photos of your equipment, online reservations, safety ratings, news and customer testimonials.
- Keep information current and correct. Check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. Review your site every 14 days, changing coach photos when you add new equipment. Include exterior and interior photos of your coaches. Show happy passengers and the places your coaches travel.
- Provide plenty of opportunities for customers to contact you. Include email addresses, contact forms, phone numbers, company address, forms to request a quote, brochure downloads, and "have someone call me" telephone call response forms. Guarantee a response time.
- The site should include at least 30 percent "value-added" content such as tips, membership affiliations and additional links.
- Site displays should work with both PCs and Macs. Keep font size readable. Sites should load within 5-10 seconds.
Build relationships, build a database
Websites are a great tool for maintaining customer relationships. "There's no way to stay in touch with customers over the telephone today," said Karim. "If you want to grow, technology is the way. Online auto responder lets you keep your clientele apprised of what's going on. Use it to broadcast seasonal discount offerings, upcoming trip schedules, or new hires." Don't constantly blast messages. Karim suggests broadcasting no more than once every two weeks.
E-newsletters are another effective medium. FYI by MCI, the company's monthly newsletter, began in April 2003 with a list 400 subscribers. Today, it reaches over 3,500 industry readers. "Every communication that comes off your website should go into a database," said Lemon. "With the user's permission, use it to build your client list."
Blogs are also becoming a way to create dialogue. Peter Pantuso, CEO of American Bus Association, has a weekly blog that invites readers to post their responses.
Build traffic
There are two ways to get visitors to your website. First, be sure that your web address is featured on all advertising, promotional, marketing and business materials, as well as on your coaches themselves. Second, optimize your visibility on search engines. Google, MSN and Yahoo are the three largest engines in the U.S., and all offer key-word advertising and pay-per-click advertising. You can purchase keyword advertising at www.google.com and www.overture.com.
Both Karim and Lemon suggest expert help with search engines. "You have to be concise. There can't be more than 85 characters in your company's description for links," says Karim.
"It's impossible to make sure you have every conceivable key-word term accounted for," says Lemon. "Someone comes up with something like 'machines on wheels,' and you may never think of it, so you constantly have to keep up and audit searches."
Ramblin Express recently won a webpage makeover from MCI during an International Motorcoach Group meeting. Not only did the company use the home page makeover provided by MCI, but it also decided to update its entire website. Ramblin Express president Todd Holland reports that he consistently receives seven to 10 new leads each day with the new website. He has also made further updates to help ensure that these leads receive prompt responses. Working with Ripple Communications president, Jim Deitzel, Holland's company continues to grow and enhance its website and is very happy with the results. Click to view the Ramblin Express website before and after the makeover.
MCI recently updated its home page as well, adding more visuals and less text. "The new look is more inviting," said Lemon. "We think visitors will find it easier to navigate, too." Click here to view changes.
Should you need advice from the experts mentioned here, please email:
Jim Deitzel - Ripple Communications: jim@ripplecommunications.com
Pervaiz Karim - pervaizrk@gmail.com
Mention "MCI Article" in the subject line.
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