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In the little North Carolina community of Jameson, the Jameson General Store was a historical treasure. The owner, Jim Jameson, had been a part of the Jameson family for almost a century. The company has been through difficult times in the past, including the Great Depression. Their dedication and consumer loyalty, on the other hand, had ensured the company’s success.
Customers remained loyal even after a nearby community opened a Walmart Marketplace Store. Jim was an outspoken opponent of online advertising and social media platforms. He thought these activities were just a passing trend. However, because Jameson General Store’s product options were limited, their clients gradually began to purchase online.
In fact, Jameson Store lost the majority of its sales to online vendors rather than local competitors. Jim was resolute about not succumbing to the lure of online purchasing. However, Jim had to reconsider his present marketing plan in light of the changing landscape in the country when he watched his own 10-year-old grandson purchase a difficult-to-find item in the area online at large expenses.
Customers can now buy a wide range of products online with little effort. As a result of this situation, brick and mortar businesses are trying to stay afloat in the face of severe internet competition. According to a 2017 study of 1,164 U.S. business owners performed by Square and Mercury Analytics, the following observations were made:
- 96 percent of internet users in the United States have made an online purchase at some point in their lives, with 80 percent doing so in the last month.
- Online shopping is preferred by 51% of Americans.
- Online shopping is preferred by 67 percent of Millennials and 56 percent of Gen Xers.
Millennials and Gen Xers spend roughly half as much time (six hours) shopping online every week as their older predecessors (four hours). - Seniors have shopped on marketplaces 51%, large retailer sites 66%, web stores or independent
- boutiques 30%, and category-specific online retailers 44%.
Marketing professionals are aware of the importance of the internet and how to make the most of it. 90 percent of marketers use social media for their company, according to Socialmedia.com. Unfortunately, many small firms are unaware of this. Many companies chose to bury their heads in the sand, hoping that the “internet thing” would go away. It hadn’t happened!
In reality, e-Commerce is expanding at a rate of more than 23% each year; nevertheless, according to Square and Mercury Analytics study, 46% of American small companies do not have a website. This article focuses on how small firms can use digital marketing to increase their market potential and achieve better success.
Every serious small business should make use of digital marketing as a tool. E-commerce marketing, online marketing, and internet marketing are all terms used to describe digital marketing. “The marketing of products or services through digital channels to reach consumers” is how digital marketing is described. The main goal is to promote the use of the internet by brands.
Digital marketing includes outlets that do not require the use of the internet in addition to internet marketing. Websites, social networking platforms, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), blogging, podcasts, and online advertising are just a few examples of digital marketing channels. Aside from technological gimmicks, firms should be familiar with their customers and fundamental capabilities. There is no such thing as a silver bullet when it comes to digital marketing. The intelligent company expert can use digital marketing as a tool.
Internet Marketing: A Practical Guide by Catherine Juan, Donnie Greiling, and Catherine Buerkle is a book written by Catherine Juan, Donnie Greiling, and Catherine Buerkle. According to Start to Finish, good digital marketing necessitates a great deal of forethought. They continue, “The key to achieving significant traction from your internet marketing programme is to use analytics to connect marketing and sales data. Keep track of what you’re doing, how it’s affecting you, and how much money you’re making as a result.” Small businesses should consider the following five digital marketing trends as they consider the landscape of technology and online innovation:
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Some people create intricate doomsday scenarios in which robots take over the world. Artificial intelligence (AI) is, on the other hand, becoming a way of life in marketing. The theory and development of computer systems capable of doing activities that ordinarily require human intelligence is what AI is defined as. Voice-activated technology, such as Amazon’s Echo, is bringing AI into the spotlight. Customers will be able to complete 85 percent of their transactions without interacting with a person by 2020.
• Internet Searching – With access to the internet, buyers are more informed than ever before. In fact, 81% of customers do their research online before making large purchases. Exploring how to use search engine optimization to get your firm to the top of search results is thus a crucial step.
• Mobile Communications – Most people in the United States have become accustomed to rapid satisfaction and easy access to technology. By 2018, mobile and tablet e-commerce will be worth $293 billion. This wave of innovation includes smartphones and tablets. By 2019, mobile will account for 72 percent of all digital ad spending in the United States. Mobile marketing is an underutilised business tool, according to marketers.
• Social Media – Social media sites, such as Facebook, allow buyers to digitally connect with one another. LinkedIn advertisements have brought consumers to 65 percent of B2B enterprises. This is something that marketers are aware of.
• Web Material – Customers will be drawn to good content. Customers are more likely to buy from suppliers who have high-quality, relevant videos/photos on their websites. Video is the content category with the highest return on investment, according to 52 percent of marketing professionals worldwide.
When confronted with the realities of competition, small businesses must turn to digital marketing. Due to a lack of trust and understanding of the internet, several small businesses may be hesitant to pursue digital marketing. “Top organisations are comfortable using technology to improve the way they conduct business with their business-to-business customers,” say Philip Kotler and Kevin Keller, authors of Marketing Management.
This article illustrated how small firms can take use of digital marketing to expand their market reach. Hopefully, obtaining this knowledge will assist business owners in avoiding burying their heads in the sand. The internet isn’t going away anytime soon. Please pray that you are receiving this message.
© 2017 by DD Green
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