Word of mouth is still very important when it comes to publicizing companies. Small and medium-sized companies in particular often rely solely on direct recommendations from their customers. But why do without a web presence and thus potential new customers and additional sales?
The internet plays an important role in everyday life for many people. We are constantly communicating via our smartphones, informing ourselves, and often buying online at the same time. A large part of the decisions for or against a service, a product, or a company is made online. In most cases, customers are already informed before they make the first contact with a company’s salesperson or consultant. Therefore, online marketing has become indispensable for small and medium-sized companies. And here are 5 reasons why online marketing will also help your company:
1. Life is becoming more and more virtual
The Internet has not only conquered the world in recent decades, it has also changed it significantly. People’s lives are increasingly taking place virtually and, above all, on mobile devices. If you want to reach your target group today, you should no longer rely solely on print advertising. Online advertising is placed exactly where people are, namely on the Internet. Google, shopping websites and social media channels (Facebook, forums, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, blogs, Pinterest) can be used as social media marketing platforms.
In addition to social media marketing, companies can use what is known as search engine marketing (SEM for short) and opt for instruments such as Google AdWords. The crucial center for every company is its own website. This should be optimized for search engines such as Google & Co., because those who are found in the organic search have a clear advantage over their competitors. Customers expect an adequate internet presence from every company, whether sole trader or global player.
The trend goes one step further here: A few years ago, a kind of “business card on the web” served the purpose, modern websites are very informative and, in the best case, give the customer all the relevant information they are looking for.
“Show yourself from your best side on the web and collect plus points even before the first personal contact.”
2. Internet advertising is precisely tailored to your target group
Advertising on the Internet offers numerous advantages over classic advertising media such as posters or placements in trade journals. A big advantage of online marketing is that you can tailor your advertising to your target group and also measure the reactions.
Lots of people drive past a billboard on the road, but not all of these people are interested in the service or product advertised. The advertising is seen by many, but the wastage is large. The situation is completely different with advertising on the Internet: with a marketing tool such as Google AdWords, you can optimize your online ads for specific search terms. Your online advertisement will only be displayed if the internet user has searched for the relevant term. This enables your advertising to be distributed to specific target groups.
Anyone who not only uses search engine marketing (SEM), but also social media channels, can spread advertising messages even further and thus greatly increase their reach. Social media marketing can also be used with a relatively small budget and therefore also offers opportunities for small and medium-sized companies as well as entrepreneurs and startups. The right strategy is crucial here. A decisive advantage, using various tools, the effectiveness and reach of the advertising measures can be measured. This data allows conclusions to be drawn about the success of an advertising campaign and helps to optimize it.
3. Stay competitive
Anyone who does not exactly occupy a monopoly position with their products or services also faces competing companies. It is often said that the competition never sleeps. And this is exactly what many companies experience when they are very late in developing their own web presence. Because even if you don’t want to set up your own website or deal with social media marketing, the competition may have already done so and have become active in the areas of social media, recommendation marketing, content marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). Don’t be left behind by the competition and get into virtual marketing. Online advertising should not replace your offline marketing strategies but is an indispensable supplement.
4. Online presence opens up new opportunities for customer acquisition and customer retention
The Internet takes word-of-mouth to a new level. Many Internet users get information about companies, products, and services on the Internet and not only want to find out pure facts from the manufacturer but above all want to benefit from the experiences of others.
Recommendations, ratings, and field reports are incorporated into the purchase decision. And here applies, even if your company is not present on the Internet, people will still talk about you – that’s why you should check your online reputation always keep an eye on them and ideally control them positively. Your online presence encourages customers and prospects to get in touch with you and provide feedback in the form of ratings and comments in blogs and forums. Companies that allow feedback increase their credibility and also gain free insights into customer satisfaction.
You have the opportunity to communicate directly with your customers via social media channels or evaluation platforms and to incorporate the feedback into your business decisions. In the past, this required time-consuming and expensive market research. At the same time, with quick reactions to customer opinions, you create the incentive to remain loyal to your company.
5. Mobile Marketing – Advertising directly on the smartphone
In the field of Internet marketing, mobile marketing is becoming increasingly important. While the time on the notebook or computer is usually limited to limited sessions, tablets and smartphones are always carried along. This form of marketing includes various advertising strategies such as sending messages via SMS or MMS as well as online ads in apps and on mobile websites. Today, advertisements can even be placed in mobile games, which is a simple way of addressing a young target group. The smartphone is pulled out several times a day, which opens up numerous creative opportunities to communicate with customers, inform them, and place advertising where the purchase decision is made.
