We have some clients who have a very limited understanding of what a website with an ecommerce component does. They think that a well-designed site with relevant content, and search engine optimization services will soon turn them into millionaires. This mentality is what we refer to as the ”if you build it, they will come” syndrome.
These clients totally miss the way Google works. True, DDA designed the site well; true, it has relevant content; true, our search engine marketing specialists do a good job of optimizing the site, but how does it compare to the competition? If company X has 100 great pages, and the competition includes sites with a 2,000 great pages (all things being equal), the heftier sites win out when a customer Googles.
DDA absolutely can accomplish first-page rankings on major search engines, but website development must be based on our keyword research, competitive intelligence, content planning, and optimization. We understand what needs to be done, and when given the resources, anything is possible. Clients need to fully understand the process and realities.
What many clients fail to realize is their placement in the spectrum of their particular product. If company X sells a product that competes with similar product in the big box stores, guess where the customer ends up buying. There are some caveats to this simplified statement, the most important being selling to the local customers, but using the website as a sales tool and catalog not for actual online sales.
Concentrating on a specific trading area is a very wise strategy for many businesses. The really savvy clients get this, and work accordingly. Paying attention to their site daily, keeping it up to date, coming to us for changes and maintenance on a regular basis. Just like everything alive — a website needs to be nourished or it will wither.