Today I thought it would be great to start a new topic on why a good inbound marketing plan is necessary & how it has the potential to make any online and/or offline business a success.

Most people are no longer thumbing through phone books and scanning newspapers to find businesses. When seeking reputable companies, consumers are searching online for what they want and need. It takes more than memorable jingles and catchy ad campaigns to capture attention these days. Customers want assurance that companies of interest are reputable and worthy of their time and hard-earned money. They want the best for less. Repeat business hinges on honesty and professionalism, and it starts with a good inbound marketing plan.

Website Professionalism

First impressions are of the utmost importance, especially when it comes to attracting new customers. When a website lacks professionalism, potential clients back out within seconds. They will not stay to find out what the business offers let alone read on to seek any other pertinent information. A good inbound marketing plan begins with a sleek and professional looking website. After all, the content of the site will not matter if people leave within seconds. They will consequentially assume that the service is equally as unprofessional as the overall look and feel of the website.

Clear and Concise Content

Providing relevant information that answers product and/or service related questions is part of a good inbound marketing plan, but it must be clear and concise to be effective. Potential clients do not want to have to weed through long dissertations when seeking solutions or advice. If the information is hard to find or difficult to read or understand, they will most certainly go elsewhere within seconds of visiting the site. Quality content never includes words, promises and/or statements that subtly and unprofessionally change the meaning of the information. When info is the least bit confusing or misleading, potential customers will not stick around long enough to follow links that lead back to the business.

Relevant Backlinks

Quality advertising is also of the utmost importance when providing a good inbound marketing plan for clients, and not just the graphical kind. A picture is worth a thousand words, but well-chosen words are invaluable to businesses. Backlinks can be very effective contextual tools. They provide a different path to the same place, and in a good inbound marketing plan, they are strategically placed within the body of the content. They do not include instructions or demands for clicks either. They discerningly and tastefully guide visitors to other key areas of the website.

SEO Still Matters

Those who say that search engine optimization is a myth are not doing the most for their web content clients. SEO has always mattered in regards to search engine ranking, and it still does today. A good inbound marketing plan includes more than just clear and concise content with relevant backlinks. It must be search engine optimized to be effective. Bigger is not always better either, especially online. For a good inbound marketing plan, keywords and phrases must be within proper parameters to rank highest on search engine listings. Those that are too low will be lost under thousands of other listings, and those that are too high are ultimately penalized and not indexed at all.

Effective inbound marketing is not the wave of the future. It is the answer for today when it comes to the needs of webmasters and business owners. A good plan can mean the difference between failure and success. It is vital to select an inbound marketing firm that has the company’s best interest in mind. Not only does it provide a valuable service, but it also educates business owners, advertisers and managers on what they need rather than just providing what they want and demand for their website.

• business
• content marketing
• digital marketing
• inbound marketing
• marketing
• small business
• social media
• web design