According to a Constant Contact marketing survey, 66% of small business owners stated that finding new customers is their top concern. They also noted that email, website, and social media are among their top three marketing platforms. Finding success, bringing visibility to their brand name, gaining new customers, and retaining old ones on any marketing platform requires skill, experience, the right tools, and techniques.
Marketing can bring in a significant amount of revenue if a strategy is executed efficiently, but business owners need to put in some time and effort into it. Here’s a look at marketing by numbers and why businesses should invest time in it.
81% of All Online Shoppers Conduct Online Research Before Buying (Retailing Today 2014)
Customers have information at their fingertips and can access this information quickly at any time. The free access to information has made them more circumspect, so they rarely make impulsive purchases or rely on recommendations from paid television advertisements. Modern customers research online, look at reviews, watch a few videos featuring the product they’re interested in, and look for more information about the company that manufactures the product or provides the service.
In short, modern customers rarely make purchases on a whim, which is why it’s essential to have a substantial, authoritative presence online. Providing customers all the information they need to make the purchase decision, gives businesses the opportunity to earn customer trust and gain some revenue.
78% of Local Mobile Searches Have Led to Offline Purchases (HubSpot)
Local mobile search has seen significant growth in the recent years and has leveled the playing field for business owners. Developing a good presence in local search delivers high ROI and is very useful in bringing in new customers. While local search is highly competitive, a good strategy can help a business stand out and gain more recognition on this platform.
50% of Search Queries Online are At Least 4 Words or Longer (WordStream 2016/HubSpot 2017)
Achieving success and visibility on search engines relies on different ranking factors, but keywords are the most critical aspect of it. Keywords act as magnets that attract the search engine’s attention. The right combination of keywords can show how relevant the content is to the user’s search phrase; it increases the website’s ranking on the search engine results pages.
More extended and specific keywords are proven to be more efficient and have gained popularity in the recent years. Search engine users want search results tailored to their requirements and will use a combination of keywords to get the most accurate results. Developments like voice search, personalized search results based on search and browsing history, machine learning, etc., have led people to ask entire questions rather than using generic single-word keywords when they search for information online.
Mobile Search has Surpassed Desktop Search in 10 Countries (Google)
According to a Google survey conducted back in 2015, mobile search has surpassed desktop in 10 countries, and that includes the US and Japan. It’s very likely that many more countries have been added to this list over the past couple of years thanks to the growing popularity of smartphones.
Mobile has become so popular that Google and other search engines are now moving towards “mobile first” in their ranking strategy. The current search engine rankings are based on the quality and efficiency of desktop websites, but future rankings might be based on the quality and efficiency of mobile sites.
66% of Marketers have Produced Leads with just 6 Hours a Week on Social Media (Social Media Examiner 2015)
Social media is a significant influence on branding, visibility on search engines, control, and authority in the industry. Many customers connect with and follow subject matter experts and brands on social media. This is an excellent platform to help build brand loyalty and develop a good relationship with customers. Engaging with audiences on social media doesn’t just improve customer relations, but can also have an impact on search engine rankings. Around 66% of marketers who invested six hours per week on these platforms experienced improvement in their search engine rankings.
86% of Consumers are Open to Promotional Emails Monthly, While 14% Are Open to Them Daily (Statista 2015)
Email marketing is one of the oldest digital marketing strategies, but is still quite useful and delivers a substantial amount of ROI. If the campaign is planned well, it can lead to increased revenue, better relationships with customers, and higher customer retention. Email can also be used to retarget customers who have forgotten about their association with a business or have abandoned a cart. Email campaigns are very successful and don’t require too much effort.
Website Pages on the 1st Page of Google have an Avg. of 1,890 Words (Backlinko)
Content is still king, even in this environment of content saturation. Google and other search engines consider the quality and relevance of material to be one of the most important ranking factors. It’s no longer enough just to create a generic piece of content and stuff keywords in them. Search engines will rank well-written or designed long-form content with good keywords, more current information, and backlinks higher than other forms of content available online.
By 2020 50% of all Search will be Voice (Comscore)
Voice search is already becoming more popular as voice assistants like Google Assistant, Cortana, Siri, and Alexa become more advanced and precise. According to Google, 20% of all mobile search volume is voice-based now, and this number is only set to increase. Marketers need to alter their strategy to accommodate the rise of voice search, especially in the local search field.
All of the statistics mentioned above relate to different aspects of modern marketing. Keeping track of these numbers and weaving your marketing strategy with these in view can go a long way in increasing your visibility online and helping you succeed in your business.