5 false assumptions about digital marketing which small businesses often have
During our years of working with small businesses across different industries, we saw many misconceptions about online marketing in today’s digital age. In this article, we will point out the common ones and explain why they are false assumptions. Let’s get started.
- Why should I have a website while my competitors are doing good without one?
Answer: Because it is wiser to take initiative, especially when it comes to the internet. Today, Internet users account for 47% of world population, and the percentage soars to 81% in developed countries (based on International Telecommunication Union 2016 report). The internet is absolutely where your customers hang out now and going forward. If your website presence is still neglected in the coming years you will most likely lose your chance of gaining new customers.
- We already have strong business leads from referrals, is it unnecessary to have a website?
Answer: Don’t put all eggs in one basket. The problem with referral is that your business at the mercy of others, thus you are vulnerable to changes. Online presence, on the other hand, is a good investment as the Internet is constantly growing with more and more customers prefer to search for providers online prior to contact.
- Would Yellow pages and newspaper ads enough to reach my customers?
Answer: Unfortunately, those approaches are outdated, even if you target senior citizens. Six in ten seniors (age over 65) now shop online (Pew Research Center 2013). This number is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5%. Your customers are moving online, why would you insist on sticking with bulky pieces of paper?
- We’re already spending $5/month in website, isn’t that enough?
Answer: It’s satisfying if you just want a modest return of less than 3 figures. Return on investment (ROI) is great but profit is marginal to grow and expand your business. To generate bigger figure, you need to invest in premium web design, premium host, helpful content, then promote your content strategically to get in front of your target audience.
- There is nothing wrong with our 5-year-old website, why should I change?
Answer: 55% visitors spend fewer than 15 seconds on your website (Chartbeat 2014). Given consumers’ short attention span, you need to make your website extra user-friendly and helpful. Without a good website, along with a visitors’ tracking tool like Google Analytics, you can’t estimate how many customers had silently left your site. To prevent new customers from leaving your site, review your site periodically to make sure your website is user- and search-engines-friendly.
For more helpful articles, please visit our website at ProWeb365.com/Blog for online marketing resources. We promise you will find more insightful articles there.
