So why are some firms are often reluctant to use online marketing, when the benefits in terms of exposure and revenue is so great? We thought we would find them with the answers.
Directly from the source
We talked to CEOs and marketing directors of companies that have embraced online marketing. These industry leaders are quick to confirm that Internet marketing more than pays for itself. Moreover, in a short period of time online marketing has become a critical, indispensable channel for generating customer awareness and sales directly improve the bottom line.
The message from industry insiders is clear: The risk associated with online marketing is small. The rewards are endless.
We asked a number of your B2B colleagues what it would have cost them to delay embrace the power of online marketing. This is what they had to say.
Lost Business
Experts agree that online search is the primary source of information for them to B2B purchasing decisions. Most companies consumers only turn to a search engine in the investigation of their buying process, and almost all of them will use the Internet at some point during the decision-making. That’s right. Almost all of them.
It is an appalling fact, and those who have taken advantage of online marketing for this trend are some of the best news in decades for companies willing to exploit the new ways companies do business.
Dependence of search in the buying process means that your company has never had a better opportunity to reach and win new business. But it also means that every day you wait means lost business results to your competitors.
Online Marketing pays for itself
Industry professionals understand the bottom line, and the need for measurable return on investment, especially when it comes to use of advertising and marketing. They also understand that online marketing is one of the few methods that are guaranteed to pay for themselves.
Online marketing, specifically paid placement and search engine optimization, has a proven track record in providing companies with the highest yield of a vehicle in their marketing mix.
Moreover, online marketing a low-risk proposition because it is based on results. You only pay when a potential customer clicks on your ad. Advantage of this scheme, the cost of acquiring a customer is drastically reduced.
Insiders insist online marketing generates 20-50% of qualified sales leads to the industries that have traditionally put on sale to the investigation, word-of-mouth and trade shows.
The figures do not lie. What is your company waiting for?
Competition
Everyone wants a competitive advantage, but even well-tested methods can not keep pace with the monumental strides being made in online marketing.
With online marketing, you can prevent your competitors and dominate niche markets. Internet creates a level playing field where companies of all sizes can compete. Anyone can stake a position as a leader. What would it be worth to your business to be in this position?
And here’s another insight, we heard from B2B pros. One of the unique benefits of the Internet is that it gives small businesses the opportunity to appear bigger than they are. Online, a three-person operation can look slicker than an international group. You can turn this to your advantage with a minimal investment of time and money. Indextree can show you the path.
So why is it important to delve into the world of online marketing now? The hard fact, we hear from B2Bs is that when a company consolidates in a particular arena online, it is hard to dispel it. Currently, in most industries, search rankings and market dominance is not fixed yet. They will be, and it will cost you more down the road to accomplish what you can do now with far fewer resources.
As in most areas of business, in the rich online marketing, it pays to act decisively ..
Online Buyers are Ready to Buy
Those who have reaped the benefits of online marketing will testify that customers who research and compare products and services online are much more predisposed to buy. It’s just the nature of the medium. A large part of your job sales by the time someone reaches your site.
In a world of online marketing, your customer is already looking for your product. They are actively seeking to do business with anyone. Someone should be you.
New competitors
It is not something you want to think about, but they are out there, and they are after your business. New players are entering your market every day and they are to capture your market share.
The tools we are talking about is a double-edged sword. If you do not reap the benefits of online marketing, do you think your competitors will be reluctant to do it? Aggressive, are upstart companies prefer everything to exploit economies of scale and using online marketing to expand their reach.
Not just wait and see, while these companies undermine the fiscal health of your business. Can you really afford to have these competitors interfere with what you have fought so hard to build? It is time to regain what is yours, and online marketing is the answer.
Commoditization
Trust us, we do not just throw around big words, because it makes us feel smart. The Internet has given customers a unique ability to act and to compare, often reducing the purchasing decision to price alone. But this “commoditization” of products that do not do your business justice, and the bottom line may already suffer from it.
What is the answer to the problem of commoditization? How can you distinguish yourself? How do you communicate your differentiating qualities to potential clients?
Online marketing is an excellent tool for branding and also allows you to capture potential customers earlier in the buying process.
Quality of business interactions is more than just a price. Be heard. Stand out. Reaping the windfall.
Build Buyer Awareness and Drive Traffic
Here’s the ugly truth. Many manufacturers and distributors do not do a great job with their websites. We hear it again and again, not only from the CEOs and marketing managers, but also from consumers.
Visitors are often frustrated by poor online marketing. In fact, studies show that two-thirds of B2B visitors complain they can not locate what they seek, and nearly half never return to the site as a result. Now we do not say yours is one of those sites. But are you sure you turn site traffic into sales consistently? What impression you give potential clients when they visit your site? Are your customers telling other prospective clients how professional and easy to use your site?
Online marketing is much more to do than just to have a visually pleasing site. It is more than simply buying keywords and hope they will bring you more business. Buying unqualified leads from unknown sources is often to put your money into a furnace.
Effective online marketing requires knowledge, strategy, implementation, monitoring and follow-up. These are the skills and qualities, we are proud to Indextree.
The High Cost of Waiting on the sidelines
As you read this, there is a good chance your competitors are working on their online marketing strategies. It is even possible, they’re making inroads in capturing important customer segments, you may never be able to recover.
Is business good right now? Sure. Is it good? Could be better. With an effective online marketing strategy, it might be nice.
So what it will cost you to wait?
