Navigating the Digital Landscape

Digital is not a phase we are all going through, it’s a trend that is taking businesses by storm and those who don’t embrace it will miss out. It is no longer a question of should we embrace digital, it’s when will we embrace it?

Many of our clients are confused by the whole idea of digital marketing, so we have decided to provide a "Digital Roadmap" of sorts, starting at the top. 

Websites

Websites aren’t new. In fact, they have been around for over 20 years (if my research is correct). A website is your online identity, and when integrated with social media & other digital activity, can define your online brand.

A website is your digital shopfront, with people more likely to go online and research your business before they make a purchase or interact with your brand. Think about your own shopping behavior and how it has changed from even just 12 months ago.

One of the biggest mistakes we see is assuming people will be able to find your website. Unless you’re promoting it, or utilizing the right tools, they just won’t.

You need to be asking your website designer (or yourself) the following questions to ensure your receiving bank for your digital buck:

• Do I have Google Analytics installed?

• Is SEO built into every page on my website?

• Is my website taking advantage of keywords?

• Am I integrating all my social media platforms?

• What links can I take advantage of to ensure my website is ranking high?

You should also be ensuring that your website is mobile responsive!

What we mean by this is, can your website be easily accessed from a mobile phone? Yes, it loads on a mobile phone, but how easy is it to navigate? Do you have to pinch the screen to view the content? Yes? Then it’s not mobile responsive. See some examples below.

Apps

Apps have revolutionized the way we access content on a day to day basis. When sitting down to write this I thought – “Do I even use apps?” – in short…yes. I use them every day, without even thinking about it. I use apps for my banking, social media, the weather, searching online….heck I even downloaded a torch app to find my way through my handbag!

Now I’m not saying every business needs an app, because they don’t. Apps are meant to be an add-on or an enhancement to an existing online platform such as a website. The whole idea is so your app exists on someone’s phone and they don’t need to go looking for you online, like they need to do with a website. They are also handy to directly target your audience through the use of push notifications and updates.

Before you invest money into an app, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the purpose for your app?

• Is it going to be helpful for customers?

• Is it going to improve your customers experience & access to your products/services?

• And an obvious one....will you customers use it?

Content Marketing

You may have heard this word floating around, and basically content marketing is the art of communicating to your customers and prospects without selling! It is all about creating and distributing valuable and relevant content utilising videos, articles, infographics, webinars and blogs. We would always recommend that content marketing frames your marketing strategy in terms of ‘themes.’ This allows for a consistent communication to your audience as well as positioning your business as subject matter experts!

Direct Marketing

This isn't a new concept either – think catalogues and sales flyers. It has now simply been replicated online through the use of email, which also isn’t new.

89% of people say that email marketing is their primary channel for lead generation, and we would have to agree. If done correctly, email marketing can deliver the greatest return on investment.

If you want to learn how to utilize direct marketing, contact us today!

Social Media

The majority of businesses are on social media now right……right?? It is the most cost-effective way to build ongoing relationships with your customers online, whilst also increasing brand awareness. It allows you to communicate directly with your audience and ultimately generate new leads. It is the modern word of mouth.

There are so many options when it comes to social media – Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin…………. You don’t need to be on all of them!! Spend the time to understand which platform your customers are using and click here to read more about each individual platform.