How to Get Noticed for a Startup Business

posted in: Business Strategy | 0

Recently we found about.me and created a page. The photo was taken at dusk, two photographers are taking pictures, as our photographer is taking a picture of them. It is much more in depth this way, more story. It is also pertinent to the “observation” aspect of Encole’s business – selling components for industrial process observation and control. There is a whole world of creative and fascinating people on about.me. The power of human connection is greater than any organic search results on the web. The web is an enabler to a sale, not the ultimate answer to a sale. Branding, naturally caring for the need of the customer is. It’s great at the end of the day to know we’ve helped solved some technical problem somewhere out there.

We fired our search engine optimization person today. I feel bad about it. But this is not about feelings, it’s about return on the effort. This was a contractual position and we did not get too deep into the project, so it was more like a trial.

This was another attempt for getting better noticed on the web. We’ve done a lot of on-site analysis already. First at the inception of encole.com, then at the implementation of a new design, then again, of the established site, twice, with different experts. This, the latest focused SEO effort over the last four weeks, was another attempt at getting our catalog on the first page of the search results. A very cool catalog by the way. Encole.com – we have complements from our customers all the time. On how well the products are presented in their catalog pages, easy to find, research and check out with a shopping cart.

We carry our very own  high temperature sight glasses, and all kinds of other process observation components. But this is besides the point, getting carried away here. What we need is a direct marketing strategy rather than SEO – only strategy. Let’s say Your Site is out there on the Internet. It’s like fishing in the ocean of possibilities. It’s exciting, anything can happen, but you never know what you are going to get. One day you can get what any startup company is aiming for – a big OEM contract from a multinational company, or huge success in the consumer market, or with government agencies, or you can get nothing for days. A better strategy is not fishing, not doing SEO to increase the site’s chances but rather simply telling your existing and potential customers about your solutions.

Following up with your customers in a personal way is a very rewarding thing. Not in a corporate email type of way, but in a personal way – from one engineer to another. Asking how things are going, if the product they bought is working well, anything else they wish. Anything you can think of to anticipate your customer’s needs would be highly valuable to the customer and also to add to the goodwill of your start-up. This sticks in the minds of your target audience. Now they don’t need to search any further, they found your business. Next time they bypass search and go directly to the source – your business. This is what we are trying to do, learning as we go, firing the redundancies in SEO consultants, not feeling great about it, but moving on with the greater marketing picture.

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