In this day and age, a website is an essential marketing tool. It functions as another ‘shop window’ if you like, available for the world to view. If you decide to set up a website for your business, be aware of the basics before you start . . .

How do customers find my website?

To find your website, most internet users will type a word or phrase into a search engine and then follow the results the search engine generates. Alternatively, they will see your website address printed somewhere and type it or follow a link from another site.

What is Website Search Engine Optimisation? (SEO)

This is the process of making your website more likely to be found than your competitors’ and is based around the keyword phrases people type into search engines like Google and Yahoo. If I type ‘Scuba’, I will see results about Scuba equipment, dive shops, training courses, holidays and much more. If I am running a Scuba holiday company in the Red Sea, I really need to worry more about phrases like ‘Red Sea diving holidays’.

Using tools like Wordtracker and your own knowledge of your business, you can make your website match the relevant searches that people are using, generating relevant traffic to your site.

What is Pay per click (PPC) advertising?

These are the sponsored links that appear above and to the right of the search results pages. They work in a similar way to SEO, as they use keyword phrases to match adverts to phrases, but you have to pay when a user clicks on your advert.

They are an excellent way of driving relevant traffic to a website, but need to be handled well to make sure the money spent generates a good return.

  • Jo Spencer heads up the Lake District branch of GAP PR and Marketing Ltd with colleague Polly Winder. Together, they help local businesses decide on the right marketing strategy for them – www.gapgb.com