You read a lot of articles these days about how online marketing “levels the playing field.” There is definitely truth in that. On the internet, smaller companies can compete with larger ones. Overseas businesses can go head-to-head with local vendors. And, companies with huge budgets and established track records can be outdone by plucky upstarts.
In more than a decade of experience in the web design and online marketing industry, however, I’ve learned that the professionals (and the business owners who trust them) generally come out on top. This is partly because creative professionals are better-suited to coming up with websites and marketing pieces. It’s also because we follow a systematic approach to finding customers over the internet. We’ve been around enough to learn important lessons.
Because I don’t want you to miss out or undercut the profitability of your company, I’m going to share some of those tips with you today. Here are a few things the pros know about online marketing that amateurs and newbies sometimes forget…
Old Offline Marketing Principles Still Apply
For all of the talk about the ways digital marketing has changed everything, there are still rules that have always applied since the invention of business. If you don’t know your customers, aren’t any different from the competition, or can’t explain your value, no amount of social media posting or search engine optimization is going to change anything. Nothing beats a bit of strong market research and brainstorming, regardless of what you’re trying to sell to the public.
Online Marketing Takes Time to Build Steam
There is a perception, in some circles, that internet marketing yields instant results. It’s quick, but not that quick. Doing something like earning a top search position on Google, or building an email list of thousands of subscribers that actually open your messages, can take many months. Unfortunately, a lot of newer marketers tend to give up too soon because they mistakenly think things “aren’t working” when they simply haven’t hit the tipping point yet.
It’s Best to Approach Online Marketing With Firm Goals
Undisciplined marketers like to try a little bit of everything. They read about fads and trends and want to take part, or decide to imitate what they’ve seen on a competitor’s website without any real plan for what should follow. Those might make online marketing more fun, but a better approach is to set firm goals and then look for ways to achieve them. If you aren’t sure exactly what you’re trying to accomplish with your website, chances are you’re going to be disappointed in the end.
The World of Online Marketing is Always Changing
A little bit of online marketing success can be a dangerous thing. Often, business owners gain a few customers following one technique or another and then decide they’ve gotten the internet figured out. They may have the answers they need, at least for the short term, but things are always changing.
If you aren’t committed to switching up your approach to online marketing over time, there will eventually come a day when you’re out of touch and wondering what you have to do to jumpstart your website again.
Are you handling your company’s online marketing like a professional? If not, what are you doing to change things up going forward? I encourage you to contact the Biondo Creative team today to see how we can put you on a more profitable track.