Online marketing has stopped being optional for a small business, because the decision it influences now happens before anyone reaches a shop. People research online, read reviews and ratings, and arrive already decided. Here is what these services do, and the barrier that stops most small businesses using them.
What has changed about how people buy
The way people find what they need now runs through a browser. Websites give access to shopping and, just as importantly, to reviews and ratings, so a consumer can make an informed decision about where to buy before ever stepping into a store.
Studies find that most small businesses do invest in social media management, content marketing, SEO, email marketing and the rest. Barriers remain, though, and the biggest one named is a lack of the knowledge and experience needed to deploy those solutions.
Keeping up is genuinely hard. New technology and new platforms appear constantly, and a small team feels every one of those changes.
- 1 — Reach makes the business findable when an interested person is looking
- 2 — Precision puts a relevant message in front of a more suitable audience
- 3 — Return improves when a business can reduce effort spent on the wrong audience
- 4 — Reputation grows through useful content, a working site and organised social presence
- A — Capability is the knowledge, experience and platform fluency needed to operate the four benefits
Benefit one: a bigger market
The goal of marketing is not only to publish a message but to get it in front of the people with a specific interest in what you sell. Most people now spend part of every day online, and search engine optimisation is the tool that widens the market you can reach.
Search performance is a competitive advantage rather than a housekeeping task, which is why it is usually the first thing a small business hands to a specialist.
Benefit two: precision about who hears you
Digital marketing offers precision targeting, which makes it easier to reach a customer base with an accurate message and gives a business more control over what those customers learn about it.
Automated email is the clearest example. Personalised messages triggered by what a customer has done or prefers keep a business in touch without a person writing each one. We have written separately about the email marketing tools worth using.
Benefit three: a better return
As digital marketing becomes more customer-centric, big data, predictive analysis and automation give access to a wide range of information about what customers prefer, which lets a business release products and services built for them rather than at them.
That specificity raises conversion and saves the money that would otherwise be spent on campaigns reaching people who were never going to buy.
Benefit four: a reputation you can build
Brand development is not a luxury for a small business. Establishing yourself with consumers and building relationships that last is what keeps a company alive in a market where new ones appear every day.
A well-made digital strategy gives a small business owner the environment to grow and cement a brand. Presence alone is not enough: it takes quality content, a site that works for the people visiting it, and social profiles organised so someone can find what they came for.
Why this is worth doing at all
Digital marketing raises brand awareness and brings in new clients, and for a business trying to grow quickly it is the fastest route to being noticed. High-quality content, focused social advertising and a site built for engagement are the three parts of that, and online customer service is what turns a first purchase into a relationship.
Summing up
Marketing is part of every business, large or small, because it is how a customer learns what you offer before deciding to become one. For a small budget, digital is the version that reaches furthest — cheaper and more effective than the television or radio advertising it replaced, and placeable on Facebook, Instagram and the rest.
Global Wizards is a technology consultancy, software company and marketing agency, and our teams cover marketing, software development and content creation. Our piece on why digital presence matters when you open a bank account covers what that presence is worth beyond sales, and our services page lists the rest.
If you want to talk about your project, leave us a message for a 30-minute consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Why do small businesses need online marketing?
People now research a purchase online before they make it, reading reviews and ratings to decide where to buy before they ever visit a shop. A business that is not part of that research is not in the decision, which is what makes online marketing a requirement rather than an addition.
What stops small businesses adopting these services?
Most small businesses do invest in some combination of social media management, content marketing, SEO and email marketing, but real barriers remain. The largest one named here is a lack of knowledge and experience to deploy the solutions, compounded by how quickly the platforms and technology change.
How does online marketing increase the reach of a small business?
The point of marketing is not only to publish a message but to put it in front of people who are already interested in what you sell, and most people now spend part of every day online. Search engine optimisation is the tool that widens that market, by making a business findable at the moment someone is looking.
What does targeted marketing actually mean?
It means precision about who receives a message and control over what they learn about the business, which traditional advertising cannot offer. Automated email is the clearest example: personalised messages triggered by what a customer has done or prefers, rather than a single message sent to everyone.
Why does digital marketing produce a better return?
Big data, predictive analysis and automation give access to detailed information about customer preferences, which lets a business tailor what it offers rather than guess. A more specific approach converts better and saves the money that would otherwise go into campaigns that reach the wrong people.
How does online marketing build a brand?
A well-made digital strategy gives a small business the environment to establish itself with consumers and build relationships that last, which matters in a market where new competitors appear constantly. Strong content, an interactive site and well-run social profiles are what turn presence into recognition.
