Make email and internet marketing work for you

Smaller companies often neglect the web in their marketing strategy. Phil McCabe revisits some of the basics

It seems unlikely that people will actively seek out products or services under their own steam. Clearly, without an effective marketing strategy, small businesses even in the ICT channel may face losing their competitive edge.

For cash-strapped small business owners, internet marketing can provide a way of reaching these potential customers without breaking the bank.

With just a little effort - and the right approach - entrepreneurs can reap the benefits of e-marketing and even compete with larger companies which enjoy huge advertising budgets.

However, marketing itself is often way down the list of a company’s priorities. This is particularly true in more traditional sectors such as manufacturing and construction.

There is still some unwillingness to even learn how to market a company effectively, but there has been a post-recession shift in the mood of small businesses as far as marketing is concerned.

Aim for a targeted approach

Our research suggested that during the worst periods of the slump in 2008 and 2009, business owners were focusing their energies on cost-cutting and survival. During the past year, many forum members began to seek guidance on their marketing strategies, to boost sales and prevent their businesses stagnating.

Indeed, in a recent FPB survey, about a fifth of business owners cited sales and marketing as their top priorities. And more than a quarter of respondents also cited the difficulty of learning how to reach emerging markets as a key concern.

Email marketing is well worth considering. There are two approaches: the first is where people register an interest and request their details be added to a mailing list, the other is unsolicited mail - familiar to the IT channel as spam.

Company websites are great tools to promote potential customers who want to hear from you through email alerts or newsletters, often referred to as “opt-in lists” because subscribers must choose to join them. Sending unsolicited mail can alienate potential customers, but it can be used to raise awareness of new marketing material such as podcasts, sales or new offerings.

With the increase in internet-enabled smartphones and mobile devices such as tablets, channel firms should ensure they optimise their websites for mobile devices.

Smartphone use increased by almost half in the first quarter of last year, with usage growing faster in the UK than anywhere else in Europe.

This has been driven largely by social networking sites. It is highly likely that the future will lie in handheld devices.

Some firms still do not have a website, even though the internet has become the first port of call for the vast majority of people looking for a product or service, so it should be embraced with open arms.

Beware the legal pitfalls

With some forethought it is relatively easy to produce a first-class, easy-to-navigate and well-written website that highlights a company’s unique selling points. But there are pitfalls that must be avoided - including a new EU ruling on cookies which means that firms flouting the law could be fined up to £500,000.

In addition, when looking for images to bring a site to life, it can be easy to forget that copyright laws apply online too. These laws can be complicated, but in general images that you have not created from scratch or that otherwise do not belong to you cannot be used without permission - although often permission will be granted freely if you take the time to contact the image’s owner.

Many businesses also have not invested in proper search engine optimisation (SEO), which will keep their website at the top of search engine results.

Entrepreneurs can teach themselves how to maximise their online presence, but this takes time. Using social media effectively is also time-consuming, so investing in a specialist in SEO and internet promotion could be money well spent.

We at the FPB can help businesses develop a cost-effective marketing strategy.

Phil McCabe is the media and PR manager at the Forum of Private Businesses (FPB)