The Chicken Or The Egg?

I had an interesting conversation today with some people.
The first guy was a prospect I was pitching web site marketing to. We were discussing the merits of various strategies:
* Search Engines
* E-mail advertising – with your own list
* Providing content (i.e. articles)
* Banner ads
* Offline advertising
* Encouraging word of mouth
* Etc
The client stopped me pretty quickly to let me know that his research indicated that 95% of web traffic to web sites (including his) came through Search Engines, so wasting his money on all other forms of web site marketing to attract the additional 5% just wasn’t worth it.
Another prospect a little later, didn’t want Search Engine marketing for his site because he had looked at his stats and knew that the vast majority of his web site traffic was generated from sources other than Search Engines. “Search Engines don’t work!”
Who’s right? Both of them.
Who’s wrong? Both of them.
And that isn’t some crazy pyschobabble. Let me explain.
If we develop a site and initially market it through Search Engines, I’ll guarantee that the vast majority of people who find the site will find it through Search Engines.
If we develop a site and initially market it through an opt-in email list and magazine ads, I’ll guarantee that the vast majority of people who find the site will find it through email campaigns and magazine ads.
The point is that web site marketing generally works.
Take a well rounded approach to the marketing of your site and you’ll end up with a steady flow of visitors to your site from a variety of sources. If you do nothing but Search Engine marketing, 95% of your web visitors might well find you through Search Engines. But you’re cutting yourself short.
(The best sort of marketing for a web site I have ever done has been offline PR. We’re talking 10,000 highly targeted and motivated buyers visiting a site within 30 minutes of the PR piece going to air. Now that’s marketing!)