The Question of the Week over at Software-Marketing-Advisor.com is about identifying the best digital marketing activities that could be adopted for software enterprises.
It’s a good question, even though a very general one, because there are many web software marketing options available for software companies, and most are very affordable choices especially for smaller software firms and those that sell primarily online.
I also find that many software companies just don’t make the most of their web software marketing efforts. The most important thing to remember is that having a website is no guarantee that your target customers will find you… it is too easy to get lost as just one of the hundreds of millions of sites out there. Your website needs a marketing plan, just as any brick-and-mortar business does too.
First, think about your target customer. Where do they go online to find information about the problem your software product or service is addressing? That is where your digital marketing efforts should focus:
- the search engines (Google is by far the most important),
- relevant online forums and blogs,
- relevant directories,
- industry websites, etc.
So, getting your website visible in those places is your goal. Make a list of the most important sites where you would like your website to be highlighted.
In general, these are my main recommended areas to focus on for internet marketing of software products and solutions:
- SEO – make sure you’re following proper use of keywords, meta tags, and building inbound links to your website.
- Blog – you should have a blog on your website that is updated regularly, and participate in other blog discussions and comments.
- Participate in forums & discussion groups, including links to your website where appropriate (don’t spam!)
- Write articles and publish white papers online
- Issue online press releases
- Advertising: PPC or online classified advertising relevant to your niche.
- Webinars and virtual trade shows
- Get listed in directories – both general ones, and online software directories relevant to your niche
- Newsletter & email marketing (always opt-in)
You can find more detail in this article on building your web software marketing plan.
Posted by jlc 
