We ourselves were once a start-up, local business and we have never lost the mindset that with the support of community and help from professionals, businesses can get past the dreaded “first year” and build something that thrives. We also work hard everyday, all year, to support the business. Just like you do!
But, it is simply not true that “if you build it, they will come.” Businesses have to be tended every day, and so does the strategy to market the business. This is not easy, nor fast. It takes a lot of time, and attention, and dedication. In addition to managing cash, inventory, quality assurance, staff, resources, time, budgets, sales, customer service, and new business development a business owner has to put marketing on the top of the priority list. But how? What? Where? When?
So, today, what is marketing? Advertisements in newspapers, magazines, websites, on the radio? Ads on place mats? Billboards? Indeed all these may have a place in your overall strategy, but you need to have a strategy first. And one that is flexible enough to change with the seasons, the community, the potential customers. Oh, and enough time and insight to actually to it!
Marketing is much much more than the traditional advertising. Marketing is no longer simply placing an ad every week in a paper and hoping people will eventually come. It is a long-term plan that is carefully designed to attract, engage, and maintain customers; every day without down time. One of the biggest failures in a plan is to “take a break” or “cool down as business is strong.” These are the exact conditions when marketing should be at its strongest. More importantly, in our communities the most painful failure is forgetting, or ignoring, the base of customers who will support your business.
CMS is part of your communities, we know what it is like to have a business here, and whether your market is one of our large or small towns, all of us that live here do so by the basic principles. It is understanding this, and being able to effectively communicate this, that makes the marketing difference!
So why is an internet company talking so much about marketing? Well, CMS is much more than a web-development company. At it core, CMS is run by business owners who love business, who know business and who understand what it is to own a business.
While we know that an effective web site is an important part of an overall strategy, we also know that it can not be the only part! And, we happen to be here to help you with your business marketing needs. Branding, logos, advertising campaigns, print design – you name it! With CMS you have access to people who can help you in all aspects of your marketing needs.