Success always starts with a good plan. As Thomas Edison once said, “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.” Online planning should revolve around your Web site — the heart and soul of an online niche marketing strategy, says Susan Orr, senior director of strategic marketing at ThomasNet, which helps industrial suppliers create Web sites to grow their sales revenues. She offers these two steps to boost the success of your Web site:

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1. Compile and evaluate research about your customers. Whether you have a market research department, survey your customers, monitor their activities on your own, or listen in to calls to your customer service reps, it’s important to continually learn as much as possible about your customers’ needs and expectations. Find out what they like (or possibly dislike) about doing business with you. In this research phase, it’s also important to evaluate your Web site’s overall effectiveness in meeting your customers’ needs. A great way to do this is by following the “VSET” concept:

• Verify. Think of yourself as a potential customer, and visualize your Web site. Does the homepage or landing page have the information you want?
• Search. Can buyers quickly search for the exact products and/or services they need? There should be obvious, multiple, and intuitive paths to your products and services.
• Evaluate. Do you provide enough detailed information? Can buyers easily evaluate the information so they can make a buying or specifying decision? If you offer multiple products with different specs (dimensions, materials, etc.), can they compare the products side-by-side?
• Take action. Can buyers immediately take action on your Web site? For instance, do you make it easy for them to request more information or to buy from you right away? Can they download a white paper from your Web site (if applicable)? Do you provide e-commerce capabilities, complete contact information (including a phone number), request for quote (RFQ) links, and email links on every page of your Web site?

2. Consider your Web site your company’s “top sales performer.” Focus on your Web site as a sales channel for your business. Just as you outline objectives and goals for your salespeople and hold them accountable, you should do the same for your Web site. And make sure you understand how visitors interact with your Web site so that you can gain more business from them in the future. Additionally, check in with your customer service reps to learn what questions your prospects and customers are asking. If your Web site isn’t already answering them, make changes to the type and depth of content you offer. You will gain a competitive edge.

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