With consumers increasingly demanding personalised experiences online, digital giants such as Google and Amazon have worked tirelessly to create a totally bespoke experience for each user – but that just isn’t practical for smaller companies.
Digital marketing has become more than just another marketing channel and is now a crucial way to measure consumer engagement and, through that, customer satisfaction. There is over half the population of the planet online at over four billion internet users. There are over five billion unique mobile users with around three billion active social media users.
According to Statista.com, over £69 billion was spent online through retail channels alone. Success online depends on a successful digital marketing plan executed well.
Most businesses are aware of the potential of digital marketing but few take the time to stand back and really assess the current state of their digital marketing efforts in order to better serve their customers.
Whether a large B2B firm manufacturing equipment or a small online party supply shop, oftentimes a company website is the first, and only, place a potential customer visits. This makes the experience of the website a make-or-break experience for future sales, as well as marketing activities to attract them to the website, essential.
Trade shows, television commercials, and related activities which were once the mainstay of business sales and marketing, have seen their dominance usurped by digital as well as being transformed by digital, with some television services offering targeted TV commercials which show to certain areas of the UK only.
Digital marketing brings potential customers to the site, lead them through the decision making process, and ultimately convert them in to a sale or lead, often with no human interaction before conversion (even with B2B websites). Understanding paths to conversion, customer needs, and analysing whether your website fulfils those needs is as important as planning and executing marketing activities through digital marketing channels.
