5 replies to this topic

[Jill]

Just in case there are a few of your forum readers who don't get the newsletter, I wanted to point out today's article as I think many of you will be able to relate.

Sales are down for many businesses due to the slow economy. Business owners and CEOs are looking for that one thing that can pull them through the hard times and keep them afloat. When times get tough, many turn to SEO, hoping that it will be the ticket to increased sales. While SEO is almost always a good idea, if you're counting on it to save a failing business, you may want to rethink things.

SEO is Not a Last-Ditch Effort

[nethy]

That'd apply to any marketing tactic, no?

[Randy]

Yes and no nethy. Depending upon how one defines marketing.

Conversion testing can actually help companies when sales are down and need to be improved. This is a marketing tactic by most people's definition, but it's different than most in that it makes better use of traffic the site already receives, as opposed to finding ways to drive more traffic.

[1dmf]

wouldn't you try to do both anyway regardless of a 'Credit Crunch' ?

Though you forever come across that cliche where it seems some companies spend more time and effort trying to accquire new customers rather than looking after the ones they already have!

[Jill]

That'd apply to any marketing tactic, no?

Yeah, pretty much.

It may happen with other marketing initiatives as well, but for some reason SEO seems to be notorious for being a last-ditch effort among companies.

[nethy]

Yes and no nethy. Depending upon how one defines marketing.
Conversion testing can actually help companies when sales are down and need to be improved. This is a marketing tactic by most people's definition, but it's different than most in that it makes better use of traffic the site already receives, as opposed to finding ways to drive more traffic.

Actually I think Conversion testing & SEO (as is ppc or sponsoring or any other 'tactic') are both reasonable places to go when you you want to increase sales. Neither should be a last ditch effort. But that's not really because they don't raise sales, but because they are (like 1dmf says) something you should have been doing regardless of market conditions.

Conversion testing tends to get more neglected by the sophisticated marketers. For that reason, you may have easier wins with it then with SEO. But for that same reason, the first steps are harder (train staff, bring on staff or hire a consultant).

wouldn't you try to do both anyway regardless of a 'Credit Crunch' ?
Though you forever come across that cliche where it seems some companies spend more time and effort trying to accquire new customers rather than looking after the ones they already have!

Yeah that's what was my immediate reaction too. But if we are comparing how suitable these tactics are to last ditch efforts, then going after new clients with seo/ppc/testing is probably better then then raising client retention rates.

It may happen with other marketing initiatives as well, but for some reason SEO seems to be notorious for being a last-ditch effort among companies.

Maybe your just sensitive to the area that you are involved in. TV ads are also a possibility.