Why You Can’t Ignore Online Marketing

Someone once said that ignoring online marketing is akin to opening a business without telling anyone. They were right. In an increasingly digital first environment, businesses that ignore online marketing do so at their own peril. It is no longer enough to have a website and some business cards. Today’s consumers expect engagement through multiple channels, including Facebook and Twitter. Businesses stuck in a Web 1.0 mentality are sure to be left behind.

Blogging and social media are both seen as vital and valuable tools for businesses, with approximately 95% and 93% using each respectively. Again it is not enough to have a Facebook or other social media account for your business; you need to use it to engage your audience and make sure that they remember your business. Digital marketing using social media is all about the conversation, especially given that close to half (47%) of American customers say that Facebook has the greatest influence on their purchase decisions of all social networks. Almost a quarter (23%) of Facebook users check their account as much as five times daily!

This means your audience is engaging in that medium almost constantly offering you an ideal platform to reach them with your message. Doing so is difficult, though, given how many messages the average consumer is bombarded with every day. Marketing firms can help you tailor your message to cut through that clutter and reach your targets more effectively. They can also offer advice on getting the most from your online marketing campaigns.

Another area of importance for all businesses is search engine rankings. More than 93% of all Internet experiences begin with a search engine and more than three-quarters of search engine users never make it past the first page of results, meaning that your business must be on that first page to get the attention it needs. Google remains the giant of search engines, accounting for between 60 and 75% of the total search engine market globally. The top driver of traffic to content related websites is still search engines, but increasingly this is done through mobile devices.

In addition to outward-facing marketing activities, many businesses, especially smaller ones, can benefit from managed IT support services that can offer them great customer service experiences and take care of their IT needs. Managed services providers offer a host of options to suit every budget and need.