Marketing Plan

Refreshing Marketing Plan

Current Position

• My current position is that I am unable to compete with competition efficiently at present due to not having a web site, therefore I am not yet marketing my company to its true potential.
  
• I have received some enquiries through friends and through recommendations from existing clients. This has included search optimisation and also marketing.
  
• I believe that people are turning away from similar looking template designs, wanting something more bespoke and unique.
  
• Trends are showing a shift towards accessible sites, ajax coding (user friendly javascript), Web 2.0 style (very curved, retro, animation style buttons etc) and user generated content (e.g. blogging and Facebook etc)

Results

• Aug 2007 - Mar 2008 (8 months)
  
• Sales: £1,454.11
• Costs: £1020.36
• Profit before Tax: £433.75

• Apr 2008 - May 2008 (2 months)
  
• Sales: £1048.02
• Costs: £473.79
• Profit before Tax: £574.23

• No Customer Satisfaction data collection system implemented at present
  
• Frequency of purchase: Northern Commercials now spend approx £250 a month & Undercliffe £70 every month
  

Strategy

• Simplicity Strategy

Executive Summary

• The priority for Summer 2008 is to understand fully elastic web design, build a web site and use my search engine optimisation skills to boost my rankings as I believe this could be a major source of business. I have approx 10 leads for web sites to chase up. All these have been tentative enquiries, I estimate that two will develop into web sites in the next year.
• I will work on the company image ensuring all systems and procedures are as simple and clear as possible. This is extremely important as the strategy is simplicity
  

Objectives

1. To understand elastic design by July 2008
2. Build my web site by September 2008
3. Have all systems and procedures in place by October 2008 (see below)

• Enquiry Form completed with all requirements on
• Quotation sent to customer
• Upon confirmation of quotation, we take a £100 deposit before commencing
  
• Worksheet created
• Market research and initial designs created
• 2/3 alternative designs shown to client
• Re-work one selected
• Re-quote if required
• Proof of final design on paper
  
• Build web site
• Present to client
• Re-works if required
• Re-proof if required
  
• Invoice final balance and transfer to the internet
• Ask customer feedback from process

Proposed Marketing Activities

• Web site presence
• Search engine optimisation to bring in clients through Google, Yahoo! and MSN UK
• Letters / Leaflets out to local businesses promoting the company through the simplicity strategy. This will probably entail very striking, uncluttered literature explaining how easy we are to deal with. I may make each "level" of web site (eg basic, standard etc) a fruit and colour coded with fruit shaped flyers which will be memorable
  

Sales Projections

• Costs will only consist of time, web hosting and overheads for web design. If I branch out into graphic design that will change
• It is generally accepted that it takes approximately two years to get a new business off the ground. This will be reflected in my projections
  
• 2008 - 2009 Projections: Sales £4000, Costs £2000, Profit £2000
• 2009 - 2010 Projections: Sales £6000, Costs £2000, Profit £4000
• 2010 - 2011 Projections: Sales £10000, Costs £2500, Profit £7500
  

Learning Plans

• Approach friends on possible business list first before approaching cold customers or previous cold enquiries to enable me to develop a successful and clear procedure
• Learn elastic CSS design
• Learn how to use Wordtracker effectively (Keyword analysis tool)
• Research and develop Web 2.0 style as I think this will incorporate nicely into my Refreshing identity