Gain more web development sales - marketing strategies

[vharris]

My company (a small company) is mainly a business software and network management provider. The web development department recieves a majority of its web clients from customers whom these departments currently or previously have done business with.

I wanted to know if anyone could give me tips or strategies on how I could gain more web development leads/sales for the company. I'm tired of relying/waiting on leads from other departments. We've done pay-per-click (and its to expensive) and mass email. What other ways can I make the web department more visable to potential web customers.

[ctabuk]

There is enough work here to keep someone in full time consultancy for quite a while. The first thing is to start submitting to Local Directories. Business to Business, etc. The Company is extremely diverse, but you are right, No one is going to find this website leaping out at them and saying, 'Buy from us' - You need pages headed up with topics like 'Internet Business Solutions' - The pages just don't grab attention, they are boring. Nothing hits you and say's Great Site.This is a classic case of probably a very good company, that has great staff, but has lost direction. The whole thing needs a 'makeover'.

[greeneagle]

vharris,

I don't want to turn this thread into a Site review but I want to make a few observations and let you decide what to do.

First Impression "Another Corporate Blue Site", even the pictures blend away into the blue fog, without changing to full color with a roll-over or anything.

You have a PR3 on the Home Page and GOOSE eggs everywhere else. I haven't looked real deep at the cause, but you need more traffic all the way around.

I would almost be willing to bet that if you check your stats that you are getting more traffic from YAHOO than GOOGLE. I make that guess because your Site's pages have about as much intra-linked navigation as they do usable content. The ratio is very high. IMO - GOOGLE tends to not like that high a percentage.

Let’s take a closer look.
Here are your Site’s top 5 optimized 1, 2 and 3 word keyphrases and the associated GOOGLE total SERP returns:

Single Word:

Software: 823,000,000
Solution: 200,000,000
Network: 555,000,000
Solutions: 400,000,000
Business: 1,120,000,000 (One Billion +)

Two Word:

Business software: 327,000,000
solutions network: 118,000,000
best software: 204,000,000
process manufacturing: 28,700,000
software solutions: 200,000,000

Three Word:

Solutions network monitoring: 17,200,000
Texas business software: 15,400,000
Certified solution provider: 1,590,000
Novell platinum Partner: 158,000
Texas certified training: 2,390,000

Whew, that’s some of the stiffest competition I have seen. You will be lucky to find yourself in the top 500 for your least competitive: (Novell platinum Partner: 158,000
). It’s pretty safe to say: “Forget the rest for right now.”

It doesn’t appear there has ever been a real concerted effort in SEO or SEM there. Why can’t I find any Press Releases, Articles or other digital doors? OOPs, there is one, one link I saw in one of the top 3, to a WebProWorld Thread.

Checking your IBLs:

GOOGLE only lists 2 out of 6
MSN only lists 23
YAHOO only lists 35

POINT BLANK: This is just dismal!
You guys spend quite a bit doing research and development of new products and services. Every single new launch aught to be accompanied by other digital media: Press Releases, Articles, Forum Posts… Where’s your “Texas Business Software Blog”?

Someone over there has to get up dust their pants off and get real. Funds have to be allocated to Marketing! You can’t print a brochure and stack it in a closet, and expect business to pour in the door.

This is probably one of the more extreme cases of a “lack of targeted SEO and SEM” I have ever seen. That’s why I have spent my time here.

Start by submitting your site for review and then progress toward the Marketing Forums. You say the PPC was too expensive, but if you don’t do something to bring around SERPs, things aren’t likely to change!

I sincerely hope this helps,
Ken