Automation has become a hot topic in recent years, and for good reason: It represents the next logical evolution in finding customers through the Internet.

That's because, even though a good website can attract visitors, leads, and even online sales, an automated web marketing system makes each one exponentially easier, and more profitable.

Here is why: Automating websites involves setting up individual, timed responses and follow-ups with prospects. So, for example, if a potential customer read your blog one day and signed up for a downloadable document, then after a set period of time they are sent an email inviting them to try something else – usually a slightly bigger commitment, but with a slightly bigger payoff.

As a result of this dynamic, two important things happen: First, fewer leads slip through the cracks. Because you aren't limited by your own time and schedule (or that of your sales team), you are always "following up" with possible buyers through your automated system.

The second thing that happens is that, when customers do contact you or your team directly, they do so being more prepared to take the next step. Because they've already gotten lots of information from your company, been exposed to the important sales point several times, and seen that you are knowledgeable and trustworthy, prospects enter the sales process pre-sold and pre-qualified.

What these two benefits really boil down to, of course, are time and efficiency. Or, to put it differently, working smarter so that your marketing reach can go farther while simultaneously taking less effort on your behalf.

So, the first thing you really need to know about automating a website (besides what it is and how it works) is that it's extremely effective. If you've never had a campaign like this in place, you might be blown away at just how many customers you can attract with the right kinds of content information. There are few things as powerful as having a steady line of qualified customers coming directly to you, sometimes from organizations you wouldn't be able to reach through other, more direct methods like telemarketing, direct mail, etc. That's because these buyers are looking for solid information and answers, not sales pitches.

The second thing to know about automating your web marketing is that it’s almost entirely dependent on the quality of content you use in your marketing. It takes a different kind of approach than most organizations are used to, and requires that every update, post, and downloadable item has a few distinct qualities:

It needs to be interesting and thoughtful.

No one is going to bother registering on your site, or downloading a piece of information, unless it truly engages them in a meaningful way. To put it in simpler terms, it has to be the kind of offer they can't get out of their minds, even if they try to ignore it.

It helps if the content is timely.

If the Internet has taught us anything, it's to place a lot of value on what is new and current. For that reason, it's important that automated content not only be up to date, but also that it’s described and marketed in a way that lets potential customers know that it offers a fresh, current perspective.

It needs to have the right delivery and distribution.

If potential buyers don't hear about what you're offering, they can't look for it and enter into the sales process. That's why you need search engine optimization, social media, and other tools funneling targeted prospects towards the content you are offering.

When you take these three needs together, you begin to understand why so many organizations struggle with automating their web presence. It seems simple in theory, but creating something that will keep customers flocking to you week after week is both an art and a science.

If you'd like to see the kinds of marketing miracles that can happen with an automated system firsthand, stop putting out the same kinds of content as everyone else, and let us help you shape all the elements into an effective tool that can work for months or years on end. Automated web marketing might be a simple concept, but the keys to success lie in execution. How can we help you get started?