Online marketing for businesses and non-profits is critical to success. No longer is it just a website; it is the whole online brand. If the goal of your company or non-profit organization is to generate leads, then you must have a plan that you can implement across several platforms to increase visibility through effective branding. The strategy is to create relevance, trust and authority for your business. To be effective, your plan must be integrated across multiple platforms to reach and engage your market.
Just like the contractor who builds a house begins with the architect’s plans, it’s no different in the art and science of marketing. To be able to build the best online marketing plan for your business, we always start with where you are today. Just as the contractor will survey the land, the successful marketer will take a virtual snapshot of where the brand exists online.
Here comes the part that many business owners lack. They don’t have a firm grasp on what is going on. They have hired a company to do work for them and they don’t have enough of an understanding of the process to feel comfortable inspecting what they expect. It is alarmingly common to meet with the key decision makers in an association, charity, business or corporation and discover they do not know the answers to key questions that are vital to their online marketing survival.
If for any reason a company who is running your online marketing should vaporize, can you manage your business’s online presences seamlessly? Take this 16-point checklist and secure your online marketing.
16-POINT CHECKLIST FOR ONLINE MARKETING SECURITY
- What is the name, website and phone number of the hosting company for your website?
- What is the renewal date of the annual subscription for your hosting company?
- What is the name, website and phone number of the company who has registered your domain name?
- What is the renewal date of the annual subscription for your website domain?
- What is the login and password to access your website control panel?
- What is the login and password to upload FTP files to your website?
- What is the login and password for your website’s Google Analytics account?
- What is the login and password access to your company’s Facebook page?
- What is the name(s), phone number(s), email(s) and website(s) of the administrator(s) granted access to post on your company Facebook page?
- What is the login and password to your company’s Linked In page?
- What is the login and password to your company’s Google+ page?
- What is the login and password to your company’s Twitter page?
- What is the login and password to your company’s YouTube page?
- What is the login and password to your company’s Pinterest page?
- What is the name, website and phone number of the company who holds your ecommerce website’s SSL certificate, if applicable?
- What is the expiration date of the SSL certificate for your ecommerce website?
Your company’s online branding must be protected, and it’s critical that you invest the time up front to save you from loss in the event that those you entrust with keeping your online presence secure do not/cannot perform their responsibilities. Take the time to learn more about what is happening “behind the scenes”. Be proactive rather than reactive and you’ll gain some peace-of-mind knowing you’re doing all you can to keep your online marketing secure.
If you have any questions about your online presence, visibility and security, you are always welcome to call 1st Straw Marketing & Promotions for a free consultation.