Total Marketing Solutions

A recent article pubished by Deloitte has highlighted the fact that more and more CEO’s are now turning to marketing to deliver growth in this difficult economic climate. Malcolm Williamson, head of Deloitte’s marketing effectiveness team, stated:

“As market conditions deteriorate, growth is like gold dust. Our research has found that organisations believe that marketing is the driver for growth through its role as a generator of demand. It is now time for marketing to rise to the challenge.”

A total of 81% of all CEO’s contacted by Deloitte identified marketing as a key driver for growth and 85% identified it as crucial to devising corporate strategy. At the same time, only 20% of senior marketers surveyed by Deloitte believed that marketing in their organisation was truly effective. So whilst those at the top regard marketing as key to future success,  it continues to be one of the first budgets to be cut when the going gets tough. Why? Deloitte’s findings show that this is down to a lack of shared understanding of the role of marketing. Sounds familiar? It’s certainly an issue that resonates with us, where we find that all too often “Marketing” is seen as a tactical “cost” - rather than necessary element in defining the future direction - and success - of an organisation.

Those companies who are able to understand where strategic marketing fits into their organisation are those who are then able to fight for growth. Making sure your organisation is fighting fit is never more important than in a tougher ecomonic climate. As marketing strategy consultants, we not only help our customers define where marketing fits within their organisation we then help them develop effective marketing strategies to achieve their objectives for growth.

Time will tell if those companies who were able to use marketing to drive growth weather the storms ahead, but is it really worth the risk? Is it better to be a sitting duck or to come out fighting? To read the full and excellent article from Deloitte, click here.

When was the last time you took a good, long look at your website? It’s a process we’re undertaking ourselves at TMS, having realized that our own site was in need of a little attention. So we recognize that we aren’t perfect, but when did you last visit your own website from the perspective of a potential client?

It really is worth taking the time to walk through each page, following the “persuasion pathways” your customers are following - checking that you are persuading them to do what you want them to do along the way. If you’re website is feeling a little unloved and lacklustre at the moment, it’s time to bite the bullet and get stuck in. Try some of these ideas to get you started:

1. Take your time. It’s not a quick fix. Taking one page at a time will give you time to approach it as your customers do.
2. Does it hold my customers attention and stimulate interest? Don’t bore them with long paragraphs and wordy descriptions. Make sure they can find what they want quickly, without having to click their way to a well-hidden page only the most tenacious of customers can be bothered to find.
3. Does your website talk to your customers? When visitors come to your site, do they get a sense of who you are and what you’re about? Or do you just blend into the background like so many other faceless, bland websites? It’s important for customers to get a feeling for your company, who you are and what you stand for. It builds confidence and forms the basis of developing a relationship.
4. Get to the point. Don’t waffle on about stuff that just isn’t relevant to your customers. Keep it simple - flashy graphics and clutter detract from the message. Keep to the bottom line of what benefits you are able to provide. It’s easier said than done but Occam’s razor is a powerful tool when wielded correctly.
5. Take a look at your site map too, because too many clicks lose customers along the way. Make sure your pathways are clear and well-marked - only the truly bored can be bothered to spend time faffing around dead-ends and are far less likely to be real potential customers anyway.
6. Can your customers actually understand you? Sounds obvious, but even the most technically-minded consumer might struggle with some terminology known only to your inner sanctum. Revisit your site and make sure you have not only spelt out your message to your customers as clearly as possible but also that you hit them over the head with it.
7. Make sure your customers quickly understand what’s in it for them. You know you’re fantastic, but you need to communicate this in benefits for the customer, otherwise you will lose them at the home page.
8. Keep your blog up to date. If your last blog was three months ago, how is a customer going to feel about your company? Not that you should fill it with inane drivel (ahem!) but try to vent your spleen on matters of interest to your customers. It shows a commitment to your website and also provides another opportunity to communicate with your customers.

So pencil in some time to revisit your website - if you can’t be bothered, then why should your customers? A little time spent rekindling your relationship with your site will soon start to pay and you might fall in love with it all over again!