Helping Customers Find You and Your Business
- Written by
- Erin Harrison
More than 80 per cent of consumers do research online before making a purchase decision – which is pretty much everyone, right? They read reviews, compare prices, download information and check out company websites – all before even getting in touch with a business. So are you putting your best foot forward online?
What exactly is ‘digital marketing’? It basically covers all types of marketing that businesses do online – from websites, to SEO (search engine optimisation), Google Ads, social media, blogs and more.
For those who are still adjusting to what being online means, it can be rather overwhelming. But as they say, the best way to get something done is to begin.
All customers go on a journey – map it
To better understand how to capture more customers, it’s a good idea to find out how your current ones made it to you, and why they decided to buy from you, and not your competitors. This is called a customer journey – with your business as the end destination!
Plenty of businesses have also clued into the benefit of ‘gently guiding’ customers with their decision-making process, by offering free, informative content that adds value to their journey – this could be things like eBooks, whitepapers, how-to guides, infographics, webinars, checklists and more. It’s about being helpful, without the ‘pushy sales’ aspect, and letting them know you’re there if they need further information.
How can you improve your online presence?
The world is a big place, and the internet is even bigger. Unfortunately you can’t just rely solely on your website alone to bring you new leads – especially if it is not optimised correctly to help people ‘find you’.
Ranking in Google is key to improving your website visibility, and this can be achieved through a number of ways, for example: knowing the keywords potential customers are searching for – and using them correctly in your content, ensuring your metadata is complete and regularly updating a blog with relevant content.
Creating engaging social media channels is also important, as is ensuring your communication is appropriate, that you’re quick to respond to requests and that people are easily able to find what they are looking for. You can also pay for greater ‘discoverability’ with Google Ads, Facebook advertising and remarketing – just to name a few.
The importance of the ‘customer experience’
The customer transaction is no longer just about a sale, it is about an experience, building a relationship, and the potential for repeat business – if you play your cards right.
Remember the journey we were talking about? This is about considering what people ‘feel’ when they interact with your business. By using digital marketing in the right way, you have the ability to influence decisions – which is often based on an emotional response to your online presence. If someone likes what they see and read, they are more likely to buy from you.
Consistency is key
Other kinds of marketing and advertising (print, radio, signage etc.) are definitely not obsolete – in fact they are a very nice accompaniment to online. Potential customers often need at least three ‘exposures’ to a brand and/or product before being engaged with it, so a variety of touchpoints is crucial.
But here’s the key to this aspect being successful – it must always be consistent. Whatever appears in a magazine, newspaper, on a display ad, or any other marketing activity, it must provide the target audience with the same message, look and feel.
Need help with your digital marketing?
Contact ninetyblack – Taupō’s design, web and advertising company in the industrial area.