As with most things Internet based there is as much data around the necessity to optimise a site as is possible to publish, understand and put into practice, but, is it possible that there are some companies and websites that need to carefully weigh up the impact of a successful Online Marketing campaign.
Existing Internet wisdom would have you believe that the only way to do any business on the net is to be listed highly enough through efficient Search Engine Placement that your site is listed on page 1 of Google. Any and all companies are persuaded to buy optimisation services via a reputable Search Engine Optimization Company and carry out a process of ensuring that their website is visible to the virtual market. However an effective Online Marketing drive may well open the site and the business to far greater numbers of potential clients than can be handled using the existing business systems, resources and structure.
Unlike conventional retailing, where, to some degree, business hours and the accessibility of the product or service can be controlled, the fully optimised website is available for business 24 hours day, across several time zones and with a possible market of millions. If the optimization process has been taken on board as opposed to pay per click, it cannot be switched off. Even if the work is halted, it will take weeks, maybe a number of months before the company drops off page 1.
The initial results of a thriving Search Engine Placement scheme will be a massive increase in hits on the website and almost without doubt a massive increase in the qualification and follow up of larger numbers of leads. The question most firms will have to ask is whether they are able to cope with larger numbers of enquiries and requests for information, many of which will not end in a purchase.
If the SEO Company has done a reasonable job then increased visitors should, (assuming all other areas of the plan are in place), lead to massive increase in the volume of sales. Sounds great, but the question is can the Company support this heightened activity, I would suggest there is little that is more frustrating for both sellers and buyers than to have a queue of people ready to buy and the business being unable to meet demand. In most cases this will lead to clients dumping the Company in question and going to where they can get the service or product, even if they have to pay more.
The problem of course is that there is not a lot a company can do about the volume of enquiries once it hits page 1, the question the marketers need to answer in these companies is whether they need to be on page 1 at all.
The often quoted statistic of over 90% of all purchases being made from page 1 is only appropriate if a piece of the remaining 10% is all you need to meet your business objectives. Examination of the market may divulge that sitting on page four, five or six may be all that is necessary. More is not necessarily better.
