If You Build It, Will They Come?

By: Chris Behan - President, Socius Marketing, Inc.
Posted: 11-21-07

In the late 1990s and early into the 2000s, the web was flooded with the websites of companies thinking they could simply put a website up, and sales and sales leads would start pouring in immediately. Most of us can remember a Super Bowl commercial a couple years back, featuring an eager bunch of employees watching the order ticker on their newly launched website race from zero to 5000+ orders in the time it takes to run a 30-second commercial. However, the scenario presented in that commercial has probably never occurred in the history of the web.

The fact of the matter is, marketing a website through search engines has become extremely competitive. Large and small companies alike are realizing the power of search engine optimization not just to create online sales, but for lead generation, corporate branding, product and geographic expansion, as well as adding to the bottom line value of a company. And, it will only become more competitive as consumers gain more and more confidence online, and the web becomes more integrated into our lives.

So back to the question … If you build it , will they come?

Yes and No. Yes, if you work with a reputable company that continually optimizes and adds new content to your website, then search engine optimization can be a windfall of both sales and sales leads. Many of our customers have ended their agreements with the Yellow Pages, ceased billboard advertising, and in some cases, completely ended all of their traditional marketing campaigns due to the success of their website.

And no, if you have a small 10-, 20-, or 30-page website that is as neglected as my neighbor’s lawn, you should never expect your website to become an integral part of your company.

In short, you get out of it what you put into it. Do nothing, get nothing. Do something, and it has the potential to repay you 1,000 times over.