In 2011, it’s not enough to simply have a website for your business. Companies of all sizes are competing for your customer base and if you’re not staying in the mix with all the latest marketing tools, your business will get left in the dust.

We’ve put together some essentials you need to know in order to rise above your competition and push your business to success. In addition to the general tips below, Old City Web Services can also give you a one-on-one evaluation with specifics on what you can do to improve your business through marketing.

Call us if you would like to schedule an evaluation of your business. Old City Web Services offers all the tools of a big city marketing firm with a small town, personal touch.

Marketing 101: What you need to know about marketing your business.

1. Identify your target market.

Who is the ideal customer for your product or service? Are they soccer moms or young bachelors? Business professionals or college students? Knowing who is most likely to purchase your product or service will tell you in turn where to spend your marketing dollars. For example, if your target market is under the age of 30, social media will be critical for your business plan. But if your target market is business professionals, your focus should be making your website easy to navigate from a mobile device such as an iPhone or Blackberry.

2. Use multiple marketing tools.

A successful marketing campaign uses one consistent message across multiple marketing tools to reach your customer base from different angles. Funnel customers to your door by driving traffic to your website from brochures/rack cards, e-mail campaigns, online advertising and social media. Every piece of the puzzle should carry your brand colors, logo and feel to build familiarity with your customers.

3. Analyze the results.

Use website statistics and other measurements to determine what works for your business and what doesn’t. We can show you how to use Google Analytics to find out who is visiting your website, when they visit and most importantly, where they find your website (i.e. search engines, online advertisements, etc.). We can also help you add special codes to your print advertisements to measure the response you receive from a specific ad.

Old City Web Services can assist you with all of the services listed above. Over the next four weeks, we will provide you with more information about each of our key marketing services and how you can put them to work for your business.