Why All Businesses, Wherever You are, Need to be Utilising Digital Marketing

Customer behaviour has changed considerably over the last 10 years. When we begin our purchasing journey we inevitably start our research online, and businesses who fail to recognise this trend are losing out.

Think about it? Your phone is broken. You’re considering getting a new one. What do you do? You go online of course, Google the latest models, check the spec and then compare prices and deals. And it doesn’t just go for phones, it can be applied to almost any area of retail or the service sector; from plumbers in your area to a new coat; if we need something we Google it first. The buyer journey essentially, begins and ends on the internet, and the smarter companies are the ones who are facilitating the consumer’s journey before they ever reach their site.

Remember how it used to be?

Many companies, especially in rural areas, believe that this rule only applies to the bigger cities. But, it’s really not the case. I was born and raised in a small village in Lincolnshire, called Heckington. It’s famous for a windmill and an annual agricultural show. When I was growing up I thought it was the backend of beyond where nothing ever happened. Our school had one computer (an Archimedes) and we would fight over it to play James Pond. After a few years here and there, moving to Sheffield, then Bath, I am now living back in that very village, I thought I would never go back to. Why? Well because it has changed and so have I.

Heckington is a small village in a county most people haven’t heard of, but even it has moved with the times. We now have fibre optic broadband. The windmill has its own website and brewery who regularly market online. The local school even has 50 computers. What’s more is that, in marketing terms, if you do a Google search for a Hairdresser in the nearby town of Sleaford, you will find 110 people on average searching for this information each month. 

 

 

 

Now I know from first-hand knowledge that there are at least a dozen hairdressers in Sleaford. That’s some competition if you’re fighting over spots in the local newspaper or Yellow pages, you’ll probably need to spend a small fortune. With digital marketing and Google Adwords however, you can target those 110 people directly, with an average bid price of 15p. It’s a no brainer right?
So how do you get online?

If you’re a hairdresser in Sleaford, or any other small local business for that matter!

1. Get yourself a website, or even a Facebook Page.
2. Add in some testimonials and reviews.
3. Take some nice shots of the salon... tell a story
4. Write a blog or two and show people the awesome stuff that has been happening.
5. Then all you need to do is direct people to your site, using a low competition keyword phrase on Google and let the search engine do the work.
6. Those 110 people could then potentially turn into regular customers who spread their experience further through word of mouth. 

Still not convinced?

Well think about it this way. People reading your ad in the paper are not actively seeking out your services. People on Google are! They have typed in your keyword because they are looking for YOUR service in YOUR area. They need it, so they’re already a long way down the sales process.

 

 

So, if you think you can rely on word of mouth, or can’t be bothered with internet marketing or a website, because it isn’t worth the money, think about the investment and what it will bring in terms of targeted sales. Then take a look at the competition, my bet is, they’re already online.

If you'd like to find out more about digital marketing and getting online... Did you know we are holding a FREE training session at Wellingore Hall, on the 17th November at 9am?

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW CLICK HERE. 

Until Next Time

Kelly

The Marketeer

Somewhere in the Shire