With the downturn in the economy encompassing nearly every aspect of our lives, growing businesses are feeling the pinch. Many companies have slashed their marketing budgets significantly this year and are hunting for cost–effective, measurable solutions to stem sagging sales.

Not surprisingly, integrated Internet marketing has become de rigueur for generating sales leads and getting new customers. If you can improve your site’s conversion rate, you will decrease the cost per acquisition and spend less on advertising. But for that to happen, contends Jon Wuebben, author of Content Rich: Writing Your Way to Wealth on the Web, you must recession–proof your online content and marketing. “It all starts with a powerful, search engine–friendly Web site that converts leads,” he explains. “Companies today need to focus on the words they use to communicate with their prospects and on how they leverage this content to maximize their online exposure. When more companies are chasing fewer prospects, you need to ensure your online copy is strong and that you’re using the viral nature of the Web to promote it.”

To harness the full power of online marketing, Wuebben suggests these six steps:

1. Embrace the basics. Start with the easy stuff. Take a look at your existing copy. Is it optimized to attract prospects to your Web site via the major search engines? Conduct keyword research using Google Analytics to determine how visitors are making their way to and through your site.

2. Expand the breadth of your content. To build a long–term relationship with customers, it’s not enough to have a static Web site. For example, are you offering a daily e–newsletter? Do you have a blog? Develop new content and then get it to those who are most likely to respond.

3. Create a content distribution strategy. What channels are you using for your online content? Use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. Start blogging. If you have a great product, consider an affiliate network.

4. Leverage your content. Once you write a blog post, a press release, a Web page, an article, or a white paper, you can repurpose the content in other ways to engage customers and prospects.

5. Optimize your online content for social media. Is your content suitable for social networking sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, and Facebook? Customize your content to Web sites’ exact specifications to maximize response.

6. Make your content “conversion friendly.” Make sure your copy includes specific calls to action that move your visitors to the next step in the sale. Are the words “Order Now” next to your product? How about “Get Your Free Newsletter”? Add these calls to action to get visitors to take a more active and involved approach.

“The combination of winning copy, strategic SEO, and off–page factors will put your Web site on the right track to make your business a success — no matter what the economy is doing,” Wuebben says.

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