Even if you haven’t yet embraced online marketing for your business, you’re probably aware of some of the benefits it offers. Moving from a more traditional form of marketing and advertising to an online model may seem like a distraction, but it really is the only way to ensure that your business will survive in the digital age.
Those companies that are using online marketing effectively find many benefits such as nearly unlimited reach at very cost effective impact to marketing budgets. We’ve identified some of the top reasons that online marketing is important to both b2b and b2c businesses and share them here.
Your prospects and customers are looking for you online. It used to be that traditional marketing used a push approach to direct messages to prospects and customers in the form of advertising, direct mail and other vehicles. Today, the people you want to reach are already online and they’re looking for you and your products and solutions. So, why not make it easy for them?
A study of Internet users in America shows that 80% of people use the Internet to do preliminary research on products and services they’re interested in and may want to purchase.
Studies conducted by Forrester Research show that executives utilize online searches as their initial point of research for solutions. In addition:
- 74% of B2B purchasers do more than half their product and company research online before making any buying decisions.
- 81% of people do some type of online research before finalizing any large purchase.
Mobile rules digital marketing today because most people use it to search and make purchases. In fact, 18% of local searches conducted on mobile devices lead to purchases made within a day. Quite simply, if you don’t have a strong online presence, you’re losing sales. It’s just smart to be where people are—whether it’s primary research or actual buying activity—and a crucial reason for why online marketing is important to businesses of all sizes.
Online marketing increases user engagement. As opposed to traditional marketing tactics of advertising and direct mail, online marketing provides opportunities for prospects and customers to interact with you. This can take the shape of getting more information about your company as well as making direct purchases or driving traffic to your store.
Social media, blogs, chatbots and other interactive tools provide a format for two-way communications that encourage positive relationships. People view you as a source of support or provider of solutions as opposed to a company that just wants to sell them something.
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Turn organic visitors into customers. As opposed to traditional paid marketing tactics that direct people to a site, online marketing generates organic traffic naturally at no cost to you. Search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing, as well as social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest can direct prospects and customers to your site naturally based on keywords and searches that occur naturally in the process.
61% of digital marketers state that improving their SEO and organic presence is their number one online marketing priority. 72% of online marketers claim that content creation is the most effective SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tactic.
That leads to the art and craft of creating content that is SEO optimized. SEO sends signals to search engines to find websites with the relevant content. Savvy marketers know that writing great SEO copy will help those search engines direct prospects and customers to their site based on words that they would use to search for what they need. Website content needs to be carefully crafted with the appropriate keywords in order to improve rankings in online searches.
Online marketing is cost-effective. The days of huge ad budgets and mass communications are gone. Today’s digital customers want one-to-one interactions with as much personalization as possible. Fortunately, creating online marketing tactics doesn’t require big budgets. Investing in content writing, website development, campaign analytics and other elements are significantly lower than paying for mass campaigns with volatile returns.
Why is online marketing important? Companies of all sizes can generate higher revenue with less investment when utilizing online marketing initiatives. And while that’s a great incentive, it’s also important to note that online marketing never closes. Your business is open 24/7 to a global market, creating endless possibilities for engagement and revenue opportunities.
Traditional marketing pales in comparison to online marketing and the benefits it brings. Online marketing keeps your brand current, positions you as an industry expert and improves ROI for your business. Check out the eBook titled “The 8 Steps to Attract Qualified Leads for Your Business” to gain additional insights.
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