Final Remarks

Coming into this class with very limited knowledge about online marketing, I have really had my eyes opened to the endless possibilities that are out there. Just from the beginning stages of creating a web site to tracking the use of it and creating the ever so important relationships with our customers. In the future I am very excited to be able to actually implement all the aspects of this new age of online marketing!

Advertising

This particular area of online marketing I found particularly interesting, online advertising. I have always been familiar with the ability to have adds on others’ websites, but now technology can even track the various sites you visit and have adds “follow” you. Before starting this class I had noticed that after visiting various sites I would then see banner adds for them while in my e-mail but never really thought much of it. Honestly I don’t think I’ve ever clicked on one of the adds, but I believe it definitely acts as a reminder about the particular product. I’m sure that if one of those adds also popped up at just the right time, there could definitely be a great benefit in it, why else would they keep doing it, right?!

No More SPAM!

SPAM! I think this is something EVERYONE hates! It’s annoying, it takes time to go through and separate from the good stuff, and it never really offers anything worth while! I think this part of e-mail marketing should just be banned! I have learned that there are healthy ways to e-mail market though too! For instance and a button “Sign up here” or an RSS feed, the same thing for those of you who do not know (I didn’t!), for people to sign up for a weekly/monthly newsletter or to receive promotional deals from your favorite store. These are informative and it’s something you’ve opted into, not something being forced down your throat! There are plenty of e-mail products out there that also help keep a database of the lists you have and send the content in a way so that it does not appear as spam. This type of e-mail marketing I can stand!

I think one way I can implement this in the future is by creating a list of those who wish to hear about different special events or promotions the range and pub are having. So not only could I tweet about it that day, maybe write a news release about the upcoming event, but also send it out to those who are interested! A very effective market tool when done correctly!

For my Future SEO Use

To start, before this class had you said to me anything about SEO I would have had no idea what you were talking about! Now I do! Search Engine Optimization is actually an essential thing when it comes to marketing your website. To me it's almost like marketing your website to the search engine. It's crazy to think that not only are we now advertising our business via the web, but we have to set these web sites up so that people can even find them when searching. I never thought I would be one to blog or tweet, but I now understand how important just those two things are when doing SEO. The constant information is like food for the search engine spiders. Crazy!

SEO does not just rely on blogs or tweets though, it has become clear that all the content in your site needs close attention on how it’s presented. To really optimize the information title tags are important, staying between 50-75 characters, how you structure your links within your page as well as the links from other peoples sites into your. Even where you have pictures, having it tagged as what the image is rather than the search engines just seeing it as an image. And then also the description, keeping it to 150 characters and the keywords to 5-10. All important when building the site to allow SEO.

I think just as marketing is all about relationships and the respect to the customer, SEO is quite similar. You’re trying to build a site which draws the search engines to you, they want to feed over the constant information, just as you would want a potential buyer to navigate through.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:

• Unique in the respect that there is nothing like it in San Francisco at the moment. 
• Indoors- year round friendly
• Positive/Social atmosphere
• Sells FUN!
• Entertainment
• Large number of ppl. who play golf
• Even larger # who like to enjoy a drink after work and watch sports
• Low overhead once open
• High traffic area b/c of AT&T Park

Weaknesses:

• High initial investment 

Opportunity:

• AT&T Park very close
• Many baseball players also golf
• Developing area near AT&T Park

Threat:

• Actual golf courses in the summer months
• Paying back initial investment 
• Other sports bars

Marketing Strategies

Since my company is not yet developed I have just taken the first couple steps to creating some basic new world marketing strategies for it.  The first step I took was creating a facebook group for the company http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=130864716963175. While there isn't a great deal of content for the page as of yet, I have acquired 18 followers in the past few weeks. I also created a blog for The Gopher Hole http://thegopherholesf.blogspot.com/ and have set up links between the two. On the blog, the first interactive device I set up was a short poll for some basic feedback about the company. My goal for both is to add content about different golfing tips as well as actual developments I have with starting the company. I would also love to be able to add photos of the development being built. It would be great to have an archive of the project from start to finish.  For a final step I secured the domain www.thegopherhole.com. My next step is to set up a holding page with some basic information and the logo, which I am currently working on. My thought was to show a few different logos and have a vote on the facebook group page for which one people liked the most.

Company Idea

For all of you who love golf imagine this; a place where no matter what the weather, you can work on your swing, perfect your putting techniques, just relax AND enjoy a pint throughout the process.  This is a place to teach children the discipline of golf and all the life lessons the sport provides.  It's also a place to just have a fun filled day for a birthday party.  
For all those corporate Americans,  come and drive a bucket before work or blow off steam at the end of a long day with some co-workers.  Also, a great place to go after a Giants game or on a day off to relax and enjoy one of the most frustrating sports ever!
In more of an educational sense it can also be used as a training facility for high school and college students to practice throughout the year.  This complex will provide all the essentials; an indoor environment with approximate 250 yd driving range, instructional optional; putting green and an open beer/ wine bar.  Thus allowing year long practice in a climate which is not always golf friendly.