For many technology companies, organizational growth can stall as word-of-mouth referrals run dry, and they are forced to think about marketing in a more strategic way. With Partners and Owners already short on time, it can feel overwhelming to identify where to start or how to develop an effective marketing plan. But as the technology services market becomes more saturated and competitive, effective marketing is critical not only in achieving growth objectives, but also in keeping a company in business.

Let’s outline 3 key marketing strategies to improving your technology company marketing plan:

Gather Market Research

Market research is arguably the most critical component when developing a marketing plan. It allows you to better understand who will buy your product or service, what their expectations are, and how you can better meet their needs. This research also provides knowledge and insights into how your competitors approach the market, allowing you to more efficiently identify any existing challenges and opportunities.

Most importantly, market research provides data to make better, faster decisions. Technology companies often waste valuable time and money on activities that even basic research could identify as misplaced, and having information about customers, competitors, and market needs aids in avoiding unnecessary mistakes.

Put simply, market research is the backbone to any good marketing plan, so take the time to do it right.

Create A Beautiful Storefront

No, don’t build a brick-and-mortar storefront, but rather a website
— as this is where your company makes your first impression. While technology companies may have been able to get away with bad website designs or user experiences in the past (as being the only game in town can mask many deficiencies), in 2019 you better have an impressive website.

It is important to remember that an impressive website isn’t about just looking nice (though more on that later). A great website is a key tool in explaining your products or services to prospective customers, showing how your company can meet their needs, and educating them as to why you’re the best at what you do.

Take a look at your company’s website. How effectively does it speak to people that know nothing about your company? How clearly does it address their issues? How does it differentiate your company against the competition?

Looking good online means more than having a flashy homepage. Technology companies need to be certain that their website works on all web browsers and devices (phones, tablets, desktops). Search rankings are directly impacted by how well a site works on various devices, so it’s important to make sure your website is cross-platform and that the user experience is considered during the design process.

How can you tell if your site is meeting these needs? Check your analytics to see how much time visitors are spending on various pages, what the bounce rate is, and what devices they are using.

Content, Content, Content

Blogs posts. E-books. Videos. Whitepapers. Guides.

These are all pieces of content that your technology company should be producing consistently. Many times we encounter companies that have not been producing content because they simply don’t know what to write about.

So what, exactly, should the content you produce be about?

This is where market research becomes critical. Understanding your customers and what their needs are is a good start. Ask existing customers what their pain points were and what aided them in their decision-making process. (Why did they choose you?) Dig into the relationships you’ve developed with your best clients and why they’re successful. Next, look at your competition and see what topics they are consistently writing about.

This should give you enough information to understand what topic areas your content should address. It should also give you perspective into how you can address them in a voice and style that rings true to your company.

So why is it important to have this content if it doesn’t immediately lead to a sale or conversion? Targeted content will start to appear in search rankings and bring in visitors who may not have otherwise found your company. The higher your company ranks for relevant keywords, the more you will be perceived as a thought leader in your field, and qualified leads will be driven to your site organically (meaning without using paid search, or in other words, FREE!). To ensure our clients are consistently optimizing their site content, we also use keyword research to advise content strategies.

Get Started

Many times, developing a strategy is too time-consuming for a company, or they may not have the right staff to properly develop or execute one. Marketri’s strategic marketing consulting services are able to take the marketing and revenue growth burdens off of technology company executives.

To learn more, you can also download our guide to strategic marketing plans. It offers a broad overview of the power of marketing plans and offers insights from our experience in creating and implementing them for our clients: