Internet Marketing Strategy
If you’re the owner or manager of a an entrepreneurial company with big hairy goals and you want to grow right now, then this message has been written for you.
And no-one else.
My name is Rhys Coffin. I’ve been involved successfully in internet marketing strategy and lead generation for nearly a decade.
I know,…big deal.
But what you should know is that I’m not a geek or an IT Guru [although we employ some of the best!]. Rather, I am regarded as a street-smart entrepreneur and internet marketing strategy specialist. I’m a business owner and have been since I was 12 years old when my Mum used to wait in the car while I sold kiwifruit door-to-door.
I have a passion for Internet Marketing strategy that borders on the unhealthy. Just like how some alcoholics dribble on about how red wine is good for you because it has heaps of anti-oxidoodads (or whatever), and then in the next 30 minutes proceed to get sh**-faced; I’m a bit like that with the ’net.
I find new developments in Internet Marketing trends fascinating and compelling. Yes, I know it’s all a bit sad really. In 2007, I stopped ’sharing’ these incredibly compelling internet developments with my wife, after doing so resulted in a stint in the spare room.
While you may not share my passion either, it is a fact that I understand the utter joy and puke-inducing pain of growing a company from scratch, because I’ve done it numerous times.
You should also know that some of these enterprises (two of them) have ended up losing me many hundreds of thousands of my own dollars. Don’t worry, I’m OK. I don’t need a hug anymore. But I do like telling people at parties that both of these businesses were not-for-profit organisations…That wasn’t the intention when we started out, but that’s what happened in the end!
And so you might be asking why I would want to share this morsel of information about these ‘failures’ when the thought of sharing it would scare the bejesus out of most people if it were them?
Good question, Here’s why:
I share it because as a business owner who regularly seeks guidance from other successful business owners, I will always try to listen to those who have made mistakes, and who have moved on to greater achievements. Kudos to them I reckon.
And perhaps by reading on, you may feel the same way.
While my internet background may not qualify me to be an analyst or a software developer, what it does qualify me for is to help. All you need to do is get in touch.
Geek-free, strategic and holistic help to be successful online is what’s missing today for business owners.
Of course, that’s what we do…But more about that later.
My Web Designer Will Look After Me
Is it me, or does it seem that every web designer who gets spat out of Polytech with a Diploma these days is setting themselves up to be an Internet Marketing or SEO Expert?
Paah-leese. Give me a break.
You’ve probably already got a ‘web guy’ or a web-design company who built your site . They’ve possibly done a good job of ‘looking after you’ for I don’t know how long.
If you’re serious about ramping up your business growth, you will already know this: That the internet – especially search, social networking and online reputation management – will be an increasingly important part of your success…or failure if you chose to ignore it. If you agree with this then trying to win without getting strategic help (no, not from your geek) is like trying to fish for marlin at the viaduct without leaving the jetty. It’s doomed before you start, no matter how many blogs you read or how cool you think Twitter is!
Look, I have nothing against web designers or web developers. How does that saying go? …Every home should have one, and some of my best friends are web designers (LOL).
While some of them have nice hair and are great executors of strategy, I wouldn’t get one to tell me HOW TO MAKE MONEY. That would be like getting Michael Laws to do a Power Point presentation explaining the benefits of Tino Rangatiratanga to the Business Round Table or the Sensible Sentencing Trust. Even if it happened, it just wouldn’t work.
Yet that’s what we business owners do, eh? Anything to do with the internet and we immediately get onto the web guy! Yep, that probably worked OK 5 or 10 years ago. Back then, lots of business owners thought the interweb thing was a bloody waste of time anyway and besides the whole bloody thing would blow over any bloody minute…
But it bloody didn’t.
Instead, it took off faster than it takes to admit that you slept with Tiger Woods.
Success online is not just about IT. It’s about strategy, technology, marketing, communication and old fashioned selling skills.
Mainly though, success is about strategy and the execution of that strategy. It’s not about shortcuts or the latest WordPress Plugin or CMS Platform or whatever…
What is Internet Marketing Strategy?
To me, strategy is about the holistic analysis and examination of important success factors that when executed, will result in business objectives being met. It’s about principles that were true B.G. (Before Google) and are still true today. And they’ll be just as relevant into the future, too.
Sadly, I see too many fellow business owners being romanced by (mostly) well-intentioned web designers, web developers and SEO consultants who make dumb recommendations without any application of important strategic principles.
I like this definition of strategy… In their book Exploring Corporate Strategy, Johnson and Scholes define strategy as follows:
“Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long-term: which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations.”
I’ll keep it brief because sometimes this stuff can make even my eyes glaze over; but in a nutshell, strategy (including Internet Marketing Strategy) is about these six things:
- Where is your business trying to get to in the long-term (direction) and what part does the internet play in that?
- Which markets - both online and offline - should a business compete in, and what kind of activities are involved in such markets? (markets, online analysis & scope)
- Online, how can the business perform better than the competition in those markets? (analysis & advantage)?
- What resources (skills, assets, finance, relationships, technical competence, facilities) are required in order to be able to compete online? (resources). And what methodologies and technologies need to be applied (e-commerce, seo, lead generation, online convesion, web platforms)
- What external, environmental factors affect the businesses’ ability to compete? (environment)?
- What are the values and expectations of those who have power in and around the business? (stakeholders, owners)
I could go on about Internet Marketing Strategy, but I won’t. You will find lots of other articles on this site if you want to want to learn more about this subject.
But Here’s My Point…
Who do you have on your team who has built businesses online and offfline, who understands and lives for the net, who isn’t a ‘technician’ or a Geek, who can prove the claims they make (and not just regurgitate buzz-words or popular thinking)?
If you have no-one, or the person you have isn’t driving a constantly growing stream of funds into your operating account…then call me.
Planning your online strategy is just as important as planning your offline strategy. It may be even more important depending on your business.
Your online success requires serious online strategic thinking.
While your IT guy or web designer play critical roles in the execution of strategy, there could be serious risks and implications if you don’t treat your internet marketing strategy in a holistic way, and with the importance it deserves.
Some of these implications might be:
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Engaging an SEO consultant to get you ranked higher in search engines only to find that the extra visitors to your site don’t translate into extra turnover or adequate ROI
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Going along with your web company or advertising agency who build you an overpriced website that has all the bells and whistles that you’ll never need, that looks pretty but makes no money…and then having to pay the price of a new Aston Martin every time you want to make a tweak
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Entering into an arrangement where you are locked into your web company’s proprietary CMS or CRM system that you have to pay for every month…without the perceived extra value
And others…
These implications lead to one thing. Wasted time and wasted money.
Free Online Strategy Meeting
We have limited resources (my time) to make the following offer, but for now anyway, I’d like to offer you a Free Strategy Meeting. It’s up to 1 hr of my time and includes some research, ideas and concepts that will give you valueable options for business growth.
Go ahead and click the button below or else call or txt me directly on (021) 024 86566. My promise: no hard-sell, just information you can use.
Thank you for reading this.
Rhys Coffin
Internet Marketing Specialist
CEO, Internet New Zealand Ltd
E: rhys@internetnewzealand.com
M: 021 024 86566
P.S. My special offer is valid only while time-resources permit, and I reserve the right to end it at any time.
