Social Media Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition

Chapter 21

Practicing SMM on Your Website

IN THIS CHAPTER

Plugging your website into the social web

Streamlining the user experience on your website

Aggregating information for your customer

Corporate websites have gone through many changes since their introduction. When Stephanie began working at AOL in 1994, the companies she worked with to create their AOL websites were initially concerned that having a website might be too big a step, but as they watched some of their adventurous competitors do it, they started to become a bit more comfortable. Remember, there was nary a social media platform in sight at that time. Myspace didn’t come into being until the early 2000s.

Companies needed websites to be all things to all people. They had multiple audiences, they sometimes needed to sell the product directly, and they had to create a timeless, stable impression. The corporate site didn’t cater just to prospective customers but to existing customers, shareholders, members of the press, business partners, and suppliers as well. The site also needed to carry information and include functionality that met all their needs. What’s more, the corporate website needed to reflect the company’s ...