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FEEDBACK/ STORY OF THE MONTH

vice-president, Inventure Global Inc, who talks about the importance of deploying web marketing techniques for better results in business.

One of the greatest challenges facing any international export or import business across the world today is being found on the Internet by prospects. The Internet provides instant, real time answers to many of our daily commercial and personal questions. Especially in the US, the first step for most buyers is to search the Net for relevant information. Chances are that when another domestic or international business seeks to find your products or services, they will not find you. While the search does not usually lead to an immediate buying decision, it's the starting point. And like in any race, if you are not at the starting line, then you cannot win the race!

For most SMEs, getting into the starting list is the biggest problem. If you are a typical SME, the buyers don't even know you exist. This is where web marketing can help you. My company has been doing it for a while now with good results for US customers. In this article, I share my experiences on using the web as an effective sales medium. Whenever I ask SME owners/decision makers about their web marketing plans, I get the same response: "We do have a web site but in our business, you don't get leads through the web. The website is just there to show our catalogue/samples."

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Millions of sites get added every month, so how does someone looking for your products find your site? Based on my experience, I have noticed that one can generate leads for any product or service through the web. I have seen industry after industry, from cars to training products, industrial suppliers and IT services, generate sales through the Net. In fact, it is easier to sell through the web and like most, if you believe it cannot be done, your competitors are likely thinking along the same lines and not doing anything about it. What can be better than not having a competitor to worry about?

Let's talk about a few things you can and should do to promote your site and online sales. If you want to be found when a prospect is searching for related products, then you must do at least one of the two "� rank very high in the search results for relevant terms on leading search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN and AOL. The other is to use paid listings for terms where you do not rank high, so people get a chance to get to your site.

A high ranking on search engines is a tricky business requiring a sustained effort. It involves well-written copies, correct website name, entry in web directories and linkages with lots of other sites. It also requires a very active and professionally managed PR effort, in that the paid listing too requires well-written copy and correct bidding strategy to get maximum traffic for a given budget. The search ranking takes longer, but is cheaper; the paid listing is expensive but is faster. On an average, it takes three months for our customers to start showing high up in search results.

Once a visitor gets to your website, you want him her to buy/enquire about your products. This brings us to another very important juncture, where the content on your site and how it is optimized to convert a visitor into a buyer. It requires lots of structured experimentation to get the content right and must be done professionally to get the right results. With one of our customers, we increased sales by 300 per cent just by changing a few elements on the product pages.

Another thing worth remembering is that your content must be written in a style that resonates with the buyers. If you want to sell in the US, use PR and copy professionals who have experience selling in the US and know how to connect with buyers there. When you are looking for a firm to manage the web marketing effort, look for someone with expertise in the target market, not India. You don't just want people to find you"� you also want them to buy from you.