Thinking...

Inquiries

It really drives me crazy, so I'm sure it drives you crazy too, to see a pile of inquiries come in one week and then few, if any, the next.

During the first four months of the year I think they should be pretty consistent.

In most major markets and in most categories, you probably should be able to pull 10 to 30 inquiries a week from your website - with a comprehensive Internet Marketing plan (including buying targeted PPC traffic). Maybe more.

But through the rest of the year, it's not unlikely to see them drop off.

It's normal, you're not alone, it's seasonal, and it's been that way for the ten years I've been in this business!

It's also a good reason to be VERY CAREFUL about using the Internet exclusively as your source of new business (i.e. integrate your online AND offline marketing to get the best results from both!).

Conversion

All the inquiries in the world are worth nothing without CONVERSION - turning the brides who visit your website into inquiries or sales.

Search Engine Optimization

Is getting TOUGH. I mean TOUGH. Getting a top position takes longer, is more involved, and especially at Google it's really frustrating.

You can do EVERYTHING right and still see little as a result.

One of the challenges at Google is that the competition is unbelievable. Keep in mind, someone has to FALL OUT of the top ten for you to get INTO the top ten.

And your website will need to be ready from A to Z with a comprehensive, managed, search engine optmization strategy. Meta-tags and a few keywords aren't going to get you much (in any competitive category or city).