May 16, 2016 Written by Guest
Do you remember in business school when you learned about the four Ps: Product, Place, Price and Promotion in your Marketing 101 class? A lot has changed since I was sitting in my first Marketing class 20+ years ago, however the 4 Ps are still relevant. While marketing professors still refer to the 4 Ps, the implementation is quite different.
Remember the days when you thought 'Place' referred to real estate, a good a visible store front? Then we hit the "dot.com era" and began to think beyond brick and mortar to having a website. In today's fast moving digital economy you need even more than just a digital presence.
Now you need a website that is mobile-friendly. The computer that we use the most, is the one that fits in the palm of our hand. In fact, by 2018, according to eMarketer, global smartphone users will reach the 2.5 billion mark. And nearly 86 million consumers will make a purchase on their device in 2016.
Remember the days when you thought 'Place' referred to real estate, a good a visible store front? Then we hit the "dot.com era" and began to think beyond brick and mortar to having a website. In today's fast moving digital economy you need even more than just a digital presence.
Now you need a website that is mobile-friendly. The computer that we use the most, is the one that fits in the palm of our hand. In fact, by 2018, according to eMarketer, global smartphone users will reach the 2.5 billion mark. And nearly 86 million consumers will make a purchase on their device in 2016.
Customers also expect more than just an 'About Us' page, they want to engage with your business and have a personalized experience. Think about what you are offering your client to engage them in your product or service. How are you planning to start a dialog with your customer? Are you reaching your customer where they 'hang-out' online?
If you are not reaching the right customer, with the right offer and message, and starting an ongoing dialog, you are doing a disservice to your customer and therefore to your business.
We recently released a free e-book and blog series around the topic of lead generation and how to start engaging you customer base.
Digital location, engagement, leadgen, customer experience are not going to go away. And if you think this is a topic for just B2C companies you are wrong. Even B2B customers are expecting more from their service providers. It's time to step up your game.
In a recent article by Forbes, Marketing's in Mantra, Location, Location, Location, they state "... location is fast becoming one of the most powerful means for identifying and delivering on consumers’ real-time intent. The goal is to create purchase incentives and foster engagement. As a result, location is now critical to tapping into these precise moments of decision making."
So what does this mean for you and your business?
The Good News:
The technology exists to specifically target your customer, learn their preferences, pin-point how they find you, where they go on your site and to others' sites. You can get important data to tell you what clients respond to which ads you place and therefore you can be very specific with your ad spend and marketing efforts.
The Bad News:
It can be very complicated for a novice to understand and implement. It doesn't mean that you have to go back to college to learn, there are free certifications and mounds of information online.
Unfortunately for most business owners, there isn't sufficient time in your day to learn the techniques, implement an effective strategy, monitor and adjust your marketing plans. That's why companies like mine, Marketing Eye Dallas, exist.
At Marketing Eye Dallas, we invest in learning the newest technologies, analytics and strategies that help small business owners reach more prospects, nurture more customers and ultimately gain more sales. Please contact us for a free consultation to discuss how we can grow your business.
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