Harnessing the power of online should be an essential consideration when planning consumer marketing campaigns. The internet offers a huge opportunity for businesses to speak directly to consumers, be it to engage and educate or to simply stimulate purchase.
But the online landscape is changing rapidly and it is rare for a business in the fresh produce sector to have the capability to build and maintain its own website. Most will need to find a specialist agency to undertake such a project. Involvement should not be limited to the briefing and approval process; to maximise performance business owners need to understand the challenges presented by the online sector and how to respond to achieve the levels of success required to make the investment worthwhile.
Ten years ago the creation of a new website was of interest simply because it was new. This is no longer the case. With the huge amount of online content and services now available, a website has to work hard to differentiate itself from the competition.
Think of this: 37.6m people in the UK are now online. The phenomenal growth of broadband, now in the homes of nine out of 10 users, has changed online behaviour dramatically. Faster download speeds means easy access to increasingly exciting content, encouraging users to spend more time online - currently an average of 10 hours per week in the UK.
Now the internet forms such a significant part of consumers’ lives, users are no longer content with being talked at - they now expect to be talked to, and to be able to talk back. This emerging online force even has its own name: ‘Web 2.0’. The websites of the near future will be responsive, interactive and customisable - much more than simply words and pictures on a computer screen.
This new direction is being driven partly by technological innovation but largely by consumer demand. On average, internet users spend one quarter of their weekly media time online, with the internet being the second most used medium after television. Experts predict that these figures will continue to rise. Favouring of traditional print and broadcast media at the expense of online presents the risk of ignoring a significant consumer sector.
But in practical terms, how can the internet be used effectively as a marketing tool? We have compiled a bite-sized guide to what is most essential for online success, alongside the most common pitfalls.
The online world is fast and fickle - if you fail to give consumers what they want they will vote with their mouse and move on. The basic rules are: make it interesting, informative, relevant and concise, and keep it fresh.
Know your audience - design your site with your users in mind; do your research and tailor your website accordingly. Don’t limit yourself but conversely, don’t spread yourself too thin - choose your most important segmentation groups and focus on them exclusively. Also, familiarise yourself with visitor behaviour patterns for insight into how your site is performing, and don’t hesitate to make changes.
Put yourself out there - it is no longer enough to launch a website and hope for the best. 91 percent of all internet users use a search engine such as Google or MSN, which means that having your site optimised for search engines is crucial. Focus on your specialist area and avoid using general words and phrases. More targeted phrases will attract more targeted traffic from search engines.
Get linked to other sites - Google and similar will give a site more credence if other websites link to it, but not all links are equal. Aim to have established websites with relevant content link back to you. Simply email the webmaster to ask if they would be interested in setting up a reciprocal link with your site.
Use cost-effective online advertising - pay-per-click marketing has a part to play in attracting first-time users. A form of advertising on Google and the other major search engines, pay-per-click systems are flexible, easy to use and can support any budget.
Make them want to come back. A newsletter is a good way to prompt existing users to return, while referral incentives encourage word-of-mouth. Timely delivery of interesting content and well-considered offers can help build a brand and keep your website in the eye of the target audience. However, marketers need to tread carefully to avoid irritating their audience with unnecessary emails.
And above all, whatever your company sells, be it berries, broccoli or lemons, aim to make your website a hive of online interest and interactivity for everything and anything to do with that product. This is what will set you apart from the competition and ensure consumers remain engaged.
The consumer-facing e-zine www.superberries.co.uk - a joint initiative between Winter Berries and British Summer Fruits - launched in June 2006. Aimed at a grown-up audience, the site adheres to a magazine format and is designed to look contemporary, youthful and fresh, reflecting berries’ positioning as an everyday superfood.
Superberries is an effective marketing tool, underpinning offline campaign activity and offering the chance to present content which may not have a natural home in traditional offline media.
Strategic planning and extensive research has been instrumental for its success. All content is tightly targeted but designed to appeal to different consumer sectors, mainly men, women, the over 50s and parents, and themed to relevant seasonal events. The Superberries tone of voice has also been an important consideration - a friendly and informal ‘voice’, avoiding the use of jargon and aiming to both amuse and inform, ensures readers can relate to the site.
Regular topics include the latest health research, seasonally-relevant events, healthy recipes and a monthly celebrity interview; past interview subjects have included the Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens, award-winning producer Jill Fullerton-Smith, and model Sophie Anderton.
The monthly Superberries e-newsletter alerts our growing user base that the latest edition of the site is now live and offers regular subscriber and referral competition incentives - scrupulously avoiding any overt sales content. Unsubscribe rates are negligible and the list continues to grow thanks to referrals and new discoveries.
Our self-imposed performance target over the next few months is to reach 10,000 unique visits per month - a very achievable goal. We will be concentrating on improving search engine saturation for core terms, activity to stimulate word of mouth, and intensifying search database optimisation.
The next challenge for Superberries is to build in greater levels of interactivity, allowing users greater ownership and the chance to express their views. We are also planning new interactive content such as new educational activities for children, an interactive ‘berry body’ to deliver health messages and a series of targeted microsites.
If we want Superberries to continue to grow, we have to keep pushing forward, seeking new ways to engage with users and new opportunities to deliver key campaign messages. The one thing we won’t be doing is standing still.
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