A New Approach Will Take You Far
A new approach to your website can be a total game changer for you. If you want better results you’ll have to do things differently. Reconfigure your thinking and use targeted channels to create forward momentum. The key to turning your web site into a sales tool is to anticipate your customers’ objections with the answers they need to hit the ground running. Keep all channels open and engaged with these simple and quick to implement tactics.
As you’re developing a marketing plan, there are a few things to keep in mind. The first: It’s 2017. Your website is now the center of your marketing universe. It is the most valuable marketing asset your company has, and your plan should incorporate it to full effect. Next, your plan needs the ability to scale if necessary. Keep your company’s goals and objectives in mind. Over the next year, where is your business headed? Think about the markets you’ll exist in, the markets you plan to enter, the products or services you already offer and the ones you’ll introduce over the next 12 months. From there, figure out what success looks like, both to you and to those running your business. Can your marketing plan scale up for success beyond that? If it can, and if you can get your marketing plan to align with your executive team’s goals, selling them on it will be a much simpler task.
You’ve got a great communication strategy, dynamic marketing resources and sales team, but the full impact of these smart assets are not being fully realized with the faster ROI and increased sales you had anticipated. Statistics suggest that as much as 80% of marketing collateral spend is tossed aside and left unused by sales. At the same time, sales spends 30% of their time re-creating that same 80% of collateral to build something more relevant to their needs.
Communicating a Value Proposition that Resonates
All companies have a value proposition, but many make the mistake of creating a value proposition that doesn’t work very well for customers. How does this happen? Companies become internally focused and create value propositions centered around their own goals and priorities, not on their customers’ needs.
Many content marketing metrics are used for determining the success of gaining new traffic and customers. While these are definitely important considerations, some businesses make the mistake of not serving the customers they already have. Many customers -- 68% according to Socially In -- will find a new place to purchase their products or services if they feel you’re indifferent to their status as a customer. Others may think they’re getting a better deal elsewhere. These can lead to high churn rates and lost profits.
In today’s business environment, marketing must generate a measurable revenue stream. This means that when you invest in marketing strategies, tactics and tools, you must be able to capture and measure the return. Taking this revenue generating approach will allow marketing to become a stronger sales partner and take on more and more of the heavy lifting in the sales process. But what tactics can you use to pivot and make revenue marketing a reality in your business?
Bridging the Gap
If you think of yourself as a Marketing or Sales professional, then you likely have direct experience navigating the chasm that can exist between the Marketing & Sales teams. Even though both teams are working to achieve revenue goals and company growth, Marketing & Sales have very different approaches. The difference in these approaches is equal to the gap or chasm between the two sides.
Our name is changing but our core remains the same, to facilitate sales & marketing alignment and create positive customer experiences from the inside out.