The world of online marketing is a tenuous slope. What might have worked well yesterday could be slightly outdated today and entirely relevant tomorrow. There are two reasons behind this observation. The first involves how the Internet and the online business community is continuing to evolve. The second is associated with the changing needs of the average customer.
Online shoppers are now more discriminating than ever before in terms of website layouts, e-commerce solutions, accessibility and product development. This presents marketers with a very real challenge, as there are a number of pitfalls which could quickly torpedo an upcoming campaign. Let us take a look at a handful of the top mistakes to avoid in 2019 as well as some of the best practices to adopt at an early stage.
Marketing Mistakes: A Lack of Specificity
The most ubiquitous marketing error that continues to haunt online businesses is that they fail to address a specific audience. The notion still persists that quantity trumps quality. There are several dangers associated with this approach:
- A great deal of time and money will be wasted.
- The correct audience may never be reached.
- The company could attribute these shortcomings to unrelated issues such as employee performance or product development.
A fisherman possesses a certain lure for a specific type of fish. This same approach needs to be taken when referring to modern online marketing methods. What type of customers are you looking to attract? What are their buying habits? How often will they visit your website? Where are they geographically located? What products resonate the most with this audience? Answering each of these questions will enable you to develop an efficient and reliable marketing framework.
Another mistake to recognise in the coming year involves how customers are accessing your website. A growing number now choose to visit with the help of a phablet, a smartphone or a tablet. Some business owners fail to appreciate this trend and as a result, they have yet to develop a mobile-responsive website. Pages will not display correctly and checkout processes might take much longer than required. Both of these situations can strangle a sale before it has ever occurred. The era of the mobile shopper is here to stay and there is no better time than the present to finally embrace this fact.
A final mistake involves erroneously believing that the product alone will make or break a company. Nothing could be further from the truth. The modern online market is all about presentation. Showcasing those aspects which set a business apart from its competitors is essential in order to leave a lasting impression. Not only does this help to further define the products or services that you are offering, but it will foster brand loyalty over time. You will be pleased to know that there are several ways in which this can be accomplished. Some of the most potent include:
- Adopting a smooth and fully functional e-commerce platform.
- Providing targeted customer service solutions to address questions or problems.
- Developing a strong social media presence.
- Leveraging the insightful tools associated with a professional slogan maker.
This last point is particularly important, as there are literally thousands of new online businesses entering into the marketplace every month. The ability to define your operations through catchy slogans and mission statements is one of the best ways to reinforce your growing presence.
Additional Tips and Tricks: The Right Place at the Right Time
The early bird gets the worm. The concept of “tomorrow” has little significance within the world of online business opportunities. Do not wait for 2019 to arrive before enacting positive changes. Having said this, the first step is to identify any problem areas within an existing campaign. It is wise to use proactive tools such as Google Analytics to develop a clear picture. An issue can only be corrected after it has been recognised.
Responding to client feedback (both positive and negative) will be essential in 2019. This helps to illustrate that you care about how your business is perceived and that you are willing to make changes based around the needs of your audience. Such publicity can represent a potent tool within your arsenal.
2019 will likely be defined as the year of cross-channel marketing. Static websites will be augmented by a strong social media presence, uniform advertising campaigns and regularly updated content. This approach will influence your SERP rankings as well as your overall brand presence.
It is not likely that the coming year will seek to reinvent the wheel in terms of marketing. However, the trends witnessed in 2018 are set to become even more prevalent. Taking the appropriate actions today will save time and money in the not-so-distant future.
