Online Marketing

Online marketing uses the web and access to the internet for advertising and promoting. It is one of the best ways to spread a company’s brand, product, or service to potential customers. It allows business owners to experiment and optimize with the budget they have freely.

There are many types of online marketing available; some use all of them, while others use only one. It comes with lots of benefits; however, you will also face some disadvantages and challenges due to its easy access and high success rate. It is a way for people to advertise using channels such as social media, search engines, websites, mobile apps, and many more. This is important because nearly half of the world’s population is online.

Online Marketing at its Best

You may think that business owners are the only ones who need online marketing; however, many people can also benefit from it. As we browse through the online community, we’ll see that there are many big and small companies that use online marketing. There are differences and similarities that big and small companies share. If you think you’re suited for online marketing, there are things you should know before getting started. Online marketing can get tricky, so follow some tips and tricks to avoid unnecessary problems!

A Brief History of Online Marketing

When talking about online marketing or the internet in general, Tim Berners-Lee is a must. Tim Berners-Lee and his team created the World Wide Web in 1991, enabling us to use the web in the way we do today. Over the last three decades, the use and adoption of the internet in our daily lives have dramatically changed. The more users, the more the web evolved.

In fact, the creation of email search engines, such as Yahoo! (1994) and Google (1997), became the perfect place for marketing. The entrance of social media sites, such as Myspace (2003) and Facebook (2004), enabled internet users to share more data, leading to online marketing.

Types of Online Marketing

There are 10 essential types of online marketing that are frequently used. The top 4 types that most people use are SEM, SEO, PPC, and Social Media.

• The first type of online marketing is SEM (Search Engine Marketing). SEM relies on keywords, which are essential because they identify your business and give potential customers a glimpse of what you can offer.
• The second type of online marketing is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO also uses keywords; however, it also includes ranking analysis. The ranking analysis determines how relevant your site is to the user. The higher your ranking, the higher you will be placed on search engines such as Google and Bing.

The next type of online marketing is PPC (Pay-per-click). PPC depends on SEM and SEO. Having your website in high rank and frequently searched keywords, you can get a chance to make money every time someone clicks on your website. This could be difficult because companies like Google only have four spots for Ads.

The last type of online marketing is social media. This is probably the most well-known out of all types because it is evident and effective. Social media platforms are constantly growing in the number of users, making them the perfect spot for advertising. Some of the most popular social media sites with ads are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many more.

Benefits of Online Marketing

One of the biggest advantages of online marketing is its convenience. Nowadays, the internet is easily accessible for everyone and anywhere in the world. Consumers can navigate and shop within their comfort and convenience. Another big advantage of online marketing is the low cost. Advertising online is a lot cheaper than advertising in a newspaper, tv, and/or radio. You can also save money with how you are contacting your customers.

With online marketing, you can reach on a global scale if you desire to. Anywhere that has internet you can market there. Online marketing gives you the ability to multitask. Whether you have 1 customer or 1 million customers, you can handle them simultaneously as long as your website is built efficiently. You can market 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Unlike any other type of marketing, online marketing doesn’t have any time restriction. Whenever someone has access to the internet, your marketing can be seen. If you decide to change your advertising campaign or tweak some parts, you can easily do so.

Although there are so many benefits that come with online marketing, you should also know some disadvantages. One disadvantage is that you need to have the skills and knowledge. Creating an advertisement or website is not an easy job.

The web is constantly changing with new tools and trends; you need to be up to date to maintain an efficient ad. If you don’t have that experience, it may cost money to hire a web designer. Online marketing can be time-consuming. Creating online advertising campaigns/content can take a long time to perfect.

If you have complaints, negative feedback, or criticism, it can be visible to everyone. This can damage your brand’s reputation if you fail to respond successfully. Lastly, because online marketing is so efficient and accessible, you will have high competition. Whether your competitors are on a small scale or a global scale, you need to stand out. Whoever your target audience is, you need to make sure you can grab their attention.

Who needs Online Marketing?

You need online marketing if you want to;

• build a strong customer relationship. By advertising online, you can engage with your customers, and you can do it frequently. You can gain their trust and make sure they revisit. Sending emails to your customer or having them visit your social media accounts will keep whatever you are advertising fresh in their mind.
• Know what your customers need. If you know what your consumer wants and need you can fulfill them. By knowing their interest, you can advertise and approach them with a personalized proposal. You will have a higher chance of succeeding this way.
• Improve your marketing strategies. Even if your business is doing fine without online marketing, you can still benefit from it. You always have room for improvement. To meet your business goals and boost your business, online marketing is the way to go.
• Help to find your purpose and goal. By utilizing online marketing, you can see what you are lacking and what your target audience needs. From there, you can find your road map to success.

Small Businesses also need Online Marketing.

Although bigger businesses don’t need to stand out as small businesses, it is important to stay relevant. By using online marketing, current customers will be able to keep the brand fresh in their minds. If they were to come out with a new service or product, they could use online marketing.

The top 5 businesses in the United States (2020) are Microsoft, NVIDIA, Apple, Intel, and Alphabet. All five of these companies use online marketing to their best advantage. From SEM, SEO, PPC to Social Media and more, they create a well-balanced and efficient marketing strategy. One of the biggest reasons they are highly successful is because of how they utilized online marketing.

For smaller businesses, online marketing can be beneficial. If you find the right strategies, you can create a budget-friendly campaign. In return, you can get big results and spread wide awareness. Just like big companies, you will also use the same types of online marketing.

The competition will be rough, but you can slowly grow and reach the top. It is important to be frequent with whatever you are marketing to create an engaging audience. Even if they don’t buy anything, they will remember you when the time comes. If you need to invest, only invest in things that you definitely need. Unlike big companies, smaller companies have to work with a smaller number of resources and budgets, but you will reach success if you do it right.

Where to Start with Online Marketing

Focus on your Target Audience

Your customers are what you should think of when you are building your marketing strategy. Think of what you are offering and think of the best way to provide that for them. What do they want? What do they need? How can I present my product/service in a captivating way compared to my competitors?

Develop your Brand’s Story

Making people spend money is not an easy task. You should appeal to their rational and emotional brains. This is the best way to build a connection with your customers without actual interactions. Storytelling allows you to express your values and what you want to sell.

Build Strategies for Driving Sales

For your business, find the right equation that can turn first-time visitors into customers. Turn customers into repeat buyers. Once you persuaded your audience into being a customer, it is important to leave a strong impression, so they come back.

Connect through Content Marketing

Content marketing can be a lot more effective than you think. Articles and videos can be a powerful booster if you build trustworthy and quality content.

Spread the word with PR

You created an amazing product/service. Now, you need to let people know about it. This would be highly effective if you wanted to appeal to the general public’s attention. Be careful of who you hire and make sure they know what they are doing.

Tips and Tricks to Online Marketing

Now that you know the basics of Online Marketing, here are some tips that will be helpful to know:

• Have relevant social media platforms. Social media is always growing in the number of users, so it’s a good way to find new customers. Think about your target audience. What type of social media networks would they most likely be using? Pick the ones that are appropriate for your brand and audience. Social media platforms with the most users are Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and more.
• Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. Whatever your content, maybe it’ll be best if it is accessible on any device, especially mobile, desktop, and tablet. Whatever screen size, your content should be available.

Create an Awesome Design. Whether you are creating an ad or website, it is important to make your design unique and captivating. From color schemes, fonts, to pictures make sure they are aesthetical.

Seattle Online Marketing

Online marketing utilizes electronic channels to spread a message about an organization’s image, items, or administrations to its potential clients. Website developers use many strategies and procedures. The results showcase email, web-based life, publicizing, site design improvement, and Google AdWords, and that’s just the beginning. The goal of showcasing is to arrive at likely clients through the channels where they invest their energy perusing, looking, shopping, and mingling on the web.

As Seattle Website Developers, we help our customers browse among the alternatives accessible and set up a modified, essential arrangement. Whether it’s an e-commerce website or a simple small business, our Seattle online marketing services help companies toes succeed.