The High Cost of Not Having an Online Marketing Strategy
The High Cost of Not Having an Online Marketing StrategyIndustrial firms and B2B are slow to embrace online marketing. It is a curious unwillingness given that online marketing is operation-driven, pays for itself, and consistently delivers new, competent company that could mean dramatic increases in growth and sales.
So, why are some companies sometimes reticent about using online marketing when the advantages with regard to exposure and revenue are so substantial? We thought we had seek out those with the answers.
Direct From the Source
We talked to Marketing Managers and CEOs of companies that have embraced online marketing. These industry leaders are quick to verify that Internet marketing pays for itself. Additionally, in a short period of time online marketing has become a crucial, essential channel for sales directly accentuating the bottom line and generating customer awareness.
The message from business insiders clear: The threat involved with internet marketing is not large. The benefits are boundless.
We asked a number of your B2B co-workers what it'd have cost them to delay adopting the ability of online marketing. This really is what they needed to say.
Lost Business
Experts agree that online search has become the main source of information for those making B2B purchasing decisions. Most business consumers turn during the investigation phase of their buying process to a search engine, and just about all of them will use the Internet at some point during the decisionmaking process. That is right.
That is a staggering fact, and those who've taken advantage of online marketing know this tendency is a few of the best news in decades for firms willing to manipulate the new means businesses do business.
The reliance on search in the buying process means your firm hasn't had a better opportunity to reach and get new business. But in addition, it means that every day means business lost to your competition.
Industry pros understand the bottom line and also the demand for measurable returns on any investment, especially when it comes to spends for promotion and promotion. Additionally they understand that online marketing is one of the few strategies ensured to cover itself.
Online marketing, particularly paid placement and search engine optimization, have a proven track record in giving companies the greatest returns of any vehicle in their marketing mix.
Additionally, online marketing is a low-risk proposition because it is based on performance. You pay only if a potential customer clicks on your ad. Utilizing that system, of acquiring a customer, the cost is dramatically reduced.
Those in the know insist online marketing generates 20-50% of the qualified sales leads in businesses that have relied on trade shows, word-of-mouth and sales prospecting.
The numbers do not lie. What's your business waiting for?
Opposition
Everyone but even tried and tested approaches can not keep pace with the monumental strides being made with online marketing.
You can fend off your competition and dominate niche markets, with internet marketing. The web creates a level playing field where companies of all sizes can compete. What would it be worth to your company to Springer Marketing be in that place?
And here's another insight we heard from B2B experts. A three-person operation can seem slicker than an international conglomerate. You can turn this to your advantage with a minimal investment of cash plus time.
Thus, why is it crucial that you dive into the sphere of online marketing now? The hard fact is that once a business entrenches itself in a specific arena online, it's hard to dislodge it. At the moment, in most businesses, search positions and market dominance aren't set yet. They are going to be, also it will cost you more down the street to realize what you are able to execute now with much fewer resources.
As generally in most areas of business, in the world of online marketing, it is worth it to act decisively..
Online Buyers are Ready to Purchase
Those people who have reaped the rewards of online marketing will attest to the fact that customers who research and compare services and products are far more predisposed to buying. It is just the essence of the medium. The time someone reaches your Web site does much of your occupation of selling.
In the world of internet marketing, your customer is already looking for your merchandise. They're actively searching to work with someone. That someone should be you.
New challengers
It is not something you like to think about, nevertheless they are out there, and they're after your business. New players are entering your market every day, and they're capturing your market share.
If you do not capitalize on the benefits of online marketing, do you think your opponents will hesitate to do thus? Aggressive, upstart firms using online marketing to expand their reach and are pulling out all the stops, exploiting economies of scale.
Don't just wait and see while these companies erode your company's fiscal health. Can you truly afford to have these competitors encroach on what you have fought so hard to construct? It's time to retrieve what is yours, and online marketing is the solution.
Commoditization
The Internet has given customers an unprecedented ability to shop and compare, frequently cutting down the purchasing decision to price alone. But this "commoditization" of merchandises doesn't do your company justice, and your bottom line may already be suffering because of it.
What's the solution to the issue of commoditization? How do you distinguish yourself? How do you convey your differentiating qualities to potential customers?
Online marketing supplies a great vehicle for branding and also enables you to capture prospective customers earlier in the buying procedure.
Quality business interactions are more than simply a price point. Be heard. Stand out. Reap the windfall.
Build Buyer Knowledge and Drive Traffic
Hereis the ugly truth. Many producers and vendors don't do an excellent job with their Web sites. We hear this again and again from consumers and Marketing Managers, but also from the CEOs.
Site visitors are often frustrated by poor online marketing practices. Actually, studies reveal two-thirds of B2B website visitors complain they don't find what they want to find, and nearly half never return to the site as a result. However, are you certain you are turning Web site traffic into sales consistently? What feeling are you giving prospective customers when they see your site? Are your customers telling other potential customers professional and simple - to-use your site is?
Online marketing has much more to do than simply having a Web site that is visually appealing. It is more than simply purchasing key words and expecting your customers'll bring you more business. Purchasing unqualified leads from anonymous sources is often like putting your money into a kiln.
Powerful online marketing needs knowledge, strategy, execution, observation, and follow through.
As you read this, there's a good chance your competitors are working on their online advertising strategies. It's even possible they are making inroads into capturing crucial customer segments you may unable to recapture.
Is business great now? Sure. Is it amazing? Could not be worse. With an internet marketing strategy that is effective, it may be wonderful.
So, what's it costing you to wait?
Take it from those people who have found the advantages of online marketing first hand. Standing on the sidelines has never been so costly.