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Your website as a promotional tool

You probably created your website in the first place to promote your organisation and its activities, mindful that others are doing the same, and that you can’t really afford not to have an online presence. Now that many Australians shop around for information, products and services on the internet the ebusiness website is assuming a double importance, both as a highly effective promotional tool and an effective way of conducting business activities online.

However, a website is not the be-all and end-all of promoting a business. It is not necessarily better or more effective than traditional forms of promotion. It is simply a tool that should complement other promotional strategies.

A website provides some unique promotional opportunities because:

• it is visible to people interested in what your organisation has to offer 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from anywhere in the world
• a great deal more information can be provided on a website than in a brochure
• it is very easy to collate and analyse information about those visiting the site and equally easy to change the information and promotional content to emphasise different aspects of the organisation’s operation.

When developing a promotional strategy you need to consider why a particular technique is appropriate for your organisation, who it will reach and appeal to, and how it will be used. You also need to determine who is managing the strategy, the decision-making paths, the resources that are required - people, money and equipment - the expected benefits and how they will be measured.

What to do

Consult the following references for more information and inspiration for how best to promote your website.

The Managing section of the NOIE ebusinessguide deals in detail with the topic of promoting your website.

The following CARP internet development guides contain useful information on promoting your website:

• Guide 4. Is the internet for my business?
• Guide 9. I’m online. Now what?

The fuel4arts website contains marketing development tools and ideas. fuel4arts.com is a not-for-profit initiative of the Australia Council, the Australian Government's arts funding and advisory body.

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