Having a website is one thing, but making it work to produce enquiries and sales is quite another.

In simple terms your website should achieve 3 things:

• Attract visitors
• Engage them so they stay on your site
• Convert them from visitors to customers

Here are 7 tips to having an effective website marketing solution.

1. Define your website target audience

Who do you want to visit your website? Millions of people use the internet every day, but don't be lulled into a sense of complacency by believing anyone will do. Draw up a profile of your ideal visitor. The criteria you use should be relevant to what you want your website to do i.e. sell, provide information, or even both.

2. Website content is king

The content of your website should be both appropriate and relevant to your target audience. It should contain both text and images. Try to see your website from the point of view of a visitor, so you can provide them with what they need or want, not just what you want to tell them. And don't forget to include clear 'calls to action' to get visitors to DO something. You could also add a blog; forum, or a message board to further engage visitors.

3. Tell people about your website

This seems obvious, but believe me there are businesses who launch a terrific website but forget to let people know it exists! Follow a golden rule; at the very least nothing should leave your office, not a letter, business card, compliment slip, email, fax or even a pen without it having your website address clearly displayed. You can also promote it offline through advertising, press releases, direct mail, leaflet drop, SMS text, telemarketing, seminars, events, networking or radio to name but a few.

4. Website search engine optimisation

What do people do online when they want to find something? They use a search engine like Google, Yahoo! or Bing. How you perform in being ranked on search engines is a vital key to the success of your website. 92% of people never go beyond the 2nd page of a search engine, so you need to ensure your website benefits from natural Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). In addition, you should consider a Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign to further enhance the online visibility of your website.

5. Make sure you measure

How will you know how successful (or otherwise) your website strategy is? You need to ensure you have tools available to you to measure what is going on. There are several web analytical tools available, a well known one being Google Analytics. Typically there are three main metrics used:

• Traffic - i.e. number of visits; number of pages visited; time spent on the website etc.
• Transactions - i.e. online sales; offline orders etc.
• Customer Satisfaction - i.e. surveys; rate me; forums etc.