WARNING: This virtual seminar should only be attended by firms that want to win more work!
Join AEC industry veteran Scott Mickle for an exciting four-part virtual seminar, A/E Web Site Essentials: A Results-Oriented, Creative, and Strategic Approach to Maximizing the Value of Your Firm's Web Site, and get an in-depth look at how to make your A/E firm's web site a central component of your marketing efforts. Oftentimes, your site is the first impression a potential client gets of your firm and its services. You need to make sure that your site is located where your prospects can see it and provides them with the information they need. Don't miss out on this golden opportunity.
This special four-part event runs Mondays and Tuesdays, April 21, 22, 28, 29 from 2:00 PM EDT to 3:30 PM EDT each session.
Among the many topics that will be discussed:
- The three rules of web site usability
- How to tailor your site to fit your clients' needs
- Why your search engine ranking matters
- Tips for attracting traffic to your site
- Case studies on the power of web-based marketing
- The impact web-based marketing can have on a firm
- How to analyze the five key web site metrics to measure the success of your site
Session descriptions:
Session 1: The User-Friendly Web Site
It really doesn't matter if your boss likes it. If your prospects can't find what they are looking for on your web site— they leave. They don't leave to call you; they leave to go visit your competitor's web site. How you name sections, place links, and utilize Flash are all important factors in the decisions a prospect makes about your firm based just on their web site interaction. There are a couple of proven rules that you need to know that will make your site easier to use and increase the probability of generating more leads from your site.
Session 2: Search Rank Matters
- One out of three people think top search-ranking firms are leaders in their markets
- 83% of AEC firms do not track the ranking of their site
- One out of seven brand-name searches result in a visit to a competitor's web site
Are you worried about your web site yet?
The good news is you do have some control over how Google, Yahoo, Ask, and other search engines rank your site. Search Engine Optimization requires you to look at your keyword selection, your site's technical design, and your linking strategy. Your search rank matters to your prospects, so it should matter to you.
Session 3: Traffic Strategies for AEC Web Sites
Imagine you are planning a dinner party for your clients. But while you were wrapped up in all the details, you forgot to send out the invitations. Sounds silly, right? Who would forget to send out invites? Think about your web site for a minute… are your invitations being sent? According to ZweigWhite's 2007 Marketing Survey of Architecture, Engineering, Planning and Environmental Consulting Firms, only 27% of firms report that lead generation is a goal of their web site. If your goals aren't to get people to your site, then why have a site to begin with?
Your web site can be a major business development tool for your firm, but it can only work for you if people know that it exists and can find it. Without spending thousands of dollars, you can drastically increase the amount of qualified traffic to your web site and, in turn, generate more work opportunities for your firm. But it comes down to knowing where to spend your money. According to ZweigWhite's 2007 Marketing Survey, nearly three-quarters of users report their willingness to click paid search links— a major reason why more than $6.5 billion was spent on paid search engine advertising in 2007.
In a world where 55% of surveyed internet users said they primarily used search engines to find local firms, can you really afford to not take the necessary steps to make your site more visible?
Session 4: Measuring the Success of Your Web Site
Explaining the success of your web site can be tricky. However, the data you need to determine its success is easy to get. There is a basic dashboard of metrics that you should track on a regular basis that will keep you informed of how well your site is working. Yes, a little math is required for this step, but you don't have to be a web junkie to understand this. You just need to know what to look at. If you can isolate the important metrics of success for your web site, you can give yourself and your firm's decision-makers a strong understanding of where your web site is, and where it needs to be. The metrics to look at include:
- Site visitors
- Page-specific traffic
- Exits
- Search terms
- Conversions
If you aren't currently monitoring these metrics, you owe it to yourself and your investment in your web site to learn them. If you ignore these metrics, then all the time, money, and energy spent to redesign the site were worthless. Understanding these key metrics will allow you to dominate your competitors online and always be one step ahead. |
