Web Marketing and the Santa Cruz Chamber

Kirsti Scott Scott Design Inc

Quick introduction

•  Kirsti Scott, Creative Director at Scott Design •  20+ years of experience in design and marketing •  Scott Design creates websites, e-mails, web banners,

online apps, and integrated marketing campaigns •  We recently completed the Chamber web redesign

What’s the big deal about web marketing?

•  90%+ of people search online before making decisions, big and small

•  Search engines find content, categorize it, and connect people with what they need

•  To get found, you need online content that’s relevant and fresh

How customers find you on the web

•  Google/Yahoo!/Bing search for your business name, description, location, or words in your listing

•  Chamber site search for your business category, name, location, keywords, or phone number

•  Navigating through the site or the directory

•  A link from another site such as TripAdvisor

What are you selling?

Describing your business - Branding 101

•  What are you selling? •  If you run a health club, it’s not fitness.

It’s sex appeal, weight loss or a longer life. •  If you manage a restaurant, it’s not food.

It’s escape, camaraderie and not having to wash dishes. •  If you own an auto repair shop, it’s not repairs.

It’s trust, safety, cleanliness.

•  How do you help your customers? •  What are 3-5 things that make your business better

than your competition?

Tip: Attend one of Lisa Orrell’s branding workshops at the Chamber

What is your brand personality?

Define your brand personality

•  What 5 adjectives to describe your company? •  Apple: cool, hip, playful, cutting-edge, fun, irreverent and

they spin PC as old, frumpy, slow, bloated, nerdy •  Motel 6: honest, simple, friendly, humble, reliable,

unpretentious •  Charles Schwab: direct, approachable, honest, smart, expert

•  Reflect your personality in your website, collateral, messaging, business description…and how you interact with customers and run your business

Tip: Ask Karen Kefauver to write your description and keywords at a reduced Chamber rate

Target content to what people are looking for

Selecting Keyword Phrases – SEO 101

•  Keyword phrases should tell what you’re selling and reflect your brand personality

•  Balance relevance and popularity •  Use phrases 2-4 words in length

that your customers use •  Include “negative” words •  Check out your competition •  Look at analytics

Tip: Use Google Adword’s Keyword Tool (just google Keyword Tool}

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz hotel wedding

allows dogs

100 words: Concise, precise, and design to entice

•  Explain what your company does, who you do it for, and why your company is different from your competition

•  Use the keywords you developed. Think about what customers are looking for online, the good and the bad

•  Stress the benefits to your customers, not the features •  Include special events and prices in your description, e.g.,

“Mention Santa Cruz Chamber for special discount” or “End-of-Summer Special!”

•  Make your description friendly, inviting, and easy to read

Working in, Living in, and Visiting Santa Cruz

Benefits of your Chamber listing

•  Site provides resources for people making buying decisions—working, living, and visiting SC

•  International exposure through TripAdvisor •  Member listings displayed 3,700,000 times in 2009 •  Listing includes direct links to your website, e-mail,

map and detailed information about your business •  Just as Chamber membership bestows a “seal of

approval” on your business, the Chamber site lends “authority” to your site

Your Chamber listing markets your business

•  If you don’t have a website, this is your web presence •  If you don’t buy online advertising, your listing

provides click-throughs to your site •  If you don’t advertise in the

yellow pages, your listing is like an ad in the “online yellow pages” for Santa Cruz

•  Oh, yeah, and it’s free!

Making the most of your free listing

•  Make sure your listing shows: •  An image that represents your products or services •  Correct business name •  Current contact information •  Correct website, e-mail address, map location (Click them!) •  Complete description

•  Make sure you are in the right category(ies) •  Remember that listings are alphabetical (Santa Cruz

Dream Inn vs. Dream Inn)

Listings in the online Business Directory

Free marketing options on the Chamber site

•  Add a coupon to your listing for a special promotion •  List your upcoming event in the Business Calendar •  Share news about new

products, special deals, and business successes in the Member News section

Multiple listings in the Business Directory

Priority Listing in the Business Directory

Events and banners on Visiting Santa Cruz page

Banner advertising on the Chamber site

Tip: Ask Melody Sharp to design your banner ads at a reduced Chamber rate

Advertising options on the TripAdvisor page

Thanks!

Questions? For more info: www.hotdesign.com

kirsti@hotdesign.com

©2010 Scott Design Inc. All rights reserved.