Your organisation's online presence is now more important than ever

And that’s a fact. eCommerce is expected to make up 22% of global retail sales by 2023, so this should give you a good idea of the importance of digital marketing in winning new customers and making sales.

Building an online presence takes time and perseverance, with those organisations who are willing to put in the work returning great rewards for their efforts. And if the pandemic years have taught us anything it is that people are looking to shop and find services online more than ever before.

Let’s take a closer look at why your brand needs an online presence more than ever:

1. The digital era is now 

As digital marketing professionals, we used to talk about the oncoming digital era and how that is going to change the way we view shopping and service seeking. That wasn’t very long ago, and today we talk about how this digital era, one where customers seek their goods and services online, is now firmly among us.

This notion was only increased by the pandemic, with online sales going up a whopping 32.4% in the US from 2020 to 2021 alone.

What has occurred is that people were forced into shopping online with strict safety measures put in place to stop the “virus’s” spread. But what we can now see is that consumers became used to the idea of shopping online for their goods and services, especially as they continued to be wary about the risk of contracting the “virus” when out shopping.

If you run a business that could benefit from this – now complete – digital switch, then there is no reason why you should hold yourself back from its benefits. All business types in all industries can see massive rewards from developing an online presence, and yours is one that could truly become a winner in the digital realm.

2. People search for products & services online now 

With 43% of global shoppers researching products via social media alone, you can see the influence the wider digital marketing arena has on global retail.

Traditional advertising – whilst still applicable – has largely had its day. Sure, you are being bombarded by more television ads than ever before, and you will still see the occasional billboard hovering high above the freeway, but digital marketing is imperative for smaller local businesses with a more limited advertising budget.

There can be no denying it: people are buying online and doing so more than ever before and those companies who are not investing in any digital marketing or eCommerce strategies are being left behind. From clothes to sporting gear, homewares to furniture and everything else in between and outside people want to buy it and buy it online. There is no reason for your business to miss out on the potential that developing an online presence, covering channels like SEO services, social media and Google Ads can provide.

3. They expect you to be online 

These days, you will be hard-pressed to hear someone tell you that they learned about a brand via traditional business directories. In fact, not to be harsh here, we’re not sure of anyone who still owns such business directories or if they even still publish these to drop off at your home.

Consumers more than expect businesses to be easily searchable via the likes of Google. They do their searching online and they expect that they will find a business that is nearby and has a decent amount of online reviews.

4. It has greater reach

Online is the ultimate place to advertise your product or service. Look around you – what do you see? Is it someone walking with their head fixated on their phone or someone at a cafe on their smart device? Is it a loved one who can’t put down their tablet for two minutes? It’s vital for your business to tap into this newfound love for digital technology.

There are so many ways your business can capitalise on the extensive reach that digital marketing has: through SEO; social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok; retargeting; Google Ads etc. It doesn’t matter if maintaining a billboard on the city’s major highway is out of your budget – digital marketing is relatively inexpensive for the reach it provides!

5. Online competition is greater 

Many business owners throughout the country recognised the pandemic’s behemoth influence on the retail sector and decided to have a go at it themselves. This is great, as we need businesses to continue to thrive in the post-pandemic era.

However, these savvy business owners saw the potential created through the consumers’ shift to online buying. What does this mean for the digital sphere? Increased competition, of course!

There are many businesses out there aiming for the same thing, and if your business isn’t a standalone idea where people from across the world will come to you for your specific product, then it’s vital that you get on board the digital marketing game now and don’t waste any more time.

Why? Because a digital marketing strategy takes time to develop, and an outstanding digital marketing campaign requires a lot of hard work and effort. So, if you’re looking to create a business that is going to go to the top of its industry then you can’t waste any more time without a solid digital marketing strategy.

6. Google is ranking high quality websites differently 

What is good for the consumer is good for Google. Think about it: if an eCommerce store’s customer is able to easily navigate a high-speed website and pick up everything they need without any downtime or lag, then that customer, by proxy, is going to be pretty happy with Google, right?

Well, this is another reason it’s important to carve out a solid digital presence ASAP. Google is putting a far greater emphasis on websites with fast load times and easy user navigation, and old, outdated websites simply aren’t making the grade or receiving high rankings anymore.

One of the most important things for a digital marketer is to ensure your website is running smoothly, quickly and highly efficiently, and this is impossible without enlisting a high quality digital strategy with a team who knows exactly how to make your website the most efficient in its industry.

7. Customers make purchase decisions based on Google reviews 

One of the main things that has come into fruition in the digital era is the use of Google reviews to make a purchase decision. Given that most people search for products and services online, they truly want to be able to search for a brand that has a stellar Google rating and plenty of positive reviews from customers.

If, for example, they search your product or service and find your company only to see that it has subpar Google reviews (or none at all!) then, unfortunately, they will be wary of your brand and more than likely to look elsewhere.

The customer is looking to see that like minded customers are fond of the products or services you have to offer – ensure they can see those positive reviews by bolstering your online presence through the likes of Google My Business.

Enlist the pros to make it happen 

Digital Debut is a team that will help you expand your digital presence like never before. We are committed to ensuring your brand is one that stands out far above the crowd, winning conversions and sales via the digital arena like never before.

Please feel free to contact us and we will get back to you with all the details you require for producing an unrivalled digital marketing campaign.