Getting my feet wet within a new company has allowed me to gain a lot of knowledge in a short period of time.  I have learned more about internet marketing in two weeks than most college graduates do in half a year.  That being said, I have noticed a very interesting trend among companies both in the Cincinnati area, and through research and time spent playing on the internet, companies across the world--Websites.  While many companies put a lot of thought and time into making sure their website not only educates readers, but is aesthetically pleasing, many do not. 

A lot of content among websites is either poorly written or is not helping the company in any way, shape, or form.  Content among websites is extremely important for companies to get ahead among their competitors.  Not only does it tell a story about the company and their mission, but it is an essential tool when pulling customers to the site.  Through techniques, such as search engine optimization, companies can see how the content and the way it is written, helps the website become top ranked among search engines like Google and Yahoo.  By having their site toward the top of the searched sites, companies can draw consumers to their website easier and hopefully gain an advantage over their competitors. This is the same with the aesthetics of the website as well.  Sure a website may have great content and be extremely well-written, but without a good layout and a strong color scheme, the website can be easily over looked.  It is important for companies to create an attractive page that is not cluttered or one that makes your eyes jump from an important part of the page to a less important part.  For example, taking the customer's eyes away from content related to the product/service to look at a picture in the opposite corner.  Clearly, we need more websites to capture an audience for more than just graphics!

It also amazes me that many companies are unaware of the advantage gained through strong websites--especially when they only have a small marketing budget to work with in the first place.  I feel as though many companies cut corners to save money and time by creating their own website without the proper knowledge of how effective their website can be.  Little do many people know, even just taking the time to write an effective and detailed script for websites will help draw consumers more than one that is written so poorly it cannot make it to the top of the search.  I believe more marketing consulting companies need to focus on this branch of a company's marketing strategy.  They need to push this idea of a stronger website so that companies can get ahead easier and more effectively.