When it comes to online marketing strategies and SEO campaigns, there are still a number of misconceptions that are made in regards to how these strategies work, how much time is needed, what skills are needed and even what to do once you start seeing results. All too often, people assume that online marketing is something that anyone can do, and by failing to understand exactly how much work, skill and experience goes in to every project, you run the risk of missing out on excellent results that can be enjoyed when an effective online marketing strategy is implemented properly.

Here are some of the most common misconceptions surrounding the world of online marketing:

1. All you need for success is a good product

While it’s true that a good product will sell, if you don’t have an adequate online presence, your product may as well be invisible. In the online world, word of mouth is never enough to generate the type of traffic that you need to succeed, which is why strategies such as SEO elements, social media marketing, good content and a user-friendly website are essential for ANY product to succeed online, regardless of what the product may be.

2. Online marketing is quick and easy

Many people assume that they can set up  an online marketing campaign quickly, and get results just as quickly. In reality, there is no quick fix for online success and it can take a while before you start reaping the rewards from increased traffic, social media success and boosted sales and conversions. A long-term approach is always the best way to move forward, allowing you to build your online presence with consistent effort to improve site elements, write engaging content and make your site as user-friendly as possible.

3. You do not need to spend money on online marketing

Another common misconception is that you shouldn’t have to spend much in order to get results online. Some people feel that online marketing and SEO companies charge way too much, without realising what these costs actually cover, and how much goes into a typical campaign. If you do not feel that you can afford an online marketing campaign, speak to a few companies about working out a budget that offers you basic services that you may be able to afford.

4. Anyone can do online marketing

You might be thinking that you don’t need to hire an expert, because you have a cousin who ‘does websites’ and is brilliant at Facebook. Maybe you think that this will save you costs, but ultimately online marketing is a full-time job, not something that is done on the side. If you want to achieve solid results, then you need to hire the right person for the job, who has the right skills and enough time to deliver focused internet marketing strategies to get you results.

5. Your site is ranking at last and now you can relax

One of the biggest misconceptions made is that once you finally see those results you have been chasing, you can relax and take it easy. In reality, this is quite the contrary – you will need to consistently work at keeping your rankings, and it can take a very short time for your rankings to drop back down once again. If you consistently deliver good content, and remember those SEO elements and keep your social media strategies running, then you will be able to grown and maintain your results. This is one of the most important lessons to learn when considering an online marketing & SEO campaign.

 

In order to effectively show the benefits of marketing your business and products and/or services online, we will need to compare online marketing with conventional marketing such as TV, radio, print, and outdoor advertising (billboards, flyers etc.)

The Consumer

Targeted Marketing – Shotgun vs. Sniper

The Shotgun Approach

Conventional marketing relies on a shotgun approach where ads are placed randomly without knowing whether the viewer will be interested in your product or service at any one specific point in time. Let’s take billboard advertising as an example.

You might be on your way to work or town using whatever means of transport, and you become vaguely aware of a huge billboard, advertising short term- or business insurance. Chances are you already have an insurance provider with which you are happy (this is assuming that anyone is ever happy with paying insurance). In all probability this means that you are not in the market for a new insurance policy and the advertisement passes you by without converting you to action. We could say that this would be the case with an average of 50% of all viewers of the ad.

This means of advertising would have a very low strike rate, compared to Online marketing which follows the sniper approach.

The Sniper Approach

Target Marketing focuses on a specific audience you want to target to sell your product or service to. The fact of the matter is the majority of people don’t need your product right now, so why would you target those individuals? Instead you should be targeting those consumers who do need your product right now. Target marketing saves you time and money by targeting smaller groups of people. Don’t target everyone and hope they want your product, rather target those who you know want your products. This ensures a much higher rate of conversion from mere browser to buyer.

You just bought your dream car which puts you in the market for short term insurance. You decide to go online to find some quotes from some of the insurance companies that are advertising online i.e. those insurance companies that use a targeted approach to marketing. You find the best policy that suits your needs and budget, and contact the company to write it up. You have just been converted from a browser to a buyer.

Can you see how the strike rate will increase by a very large percentage?

Availability & Information

Conventional Marketing

In traditional marketing the consumer has to rely on the available adverts to make a decision whether to buy this brand or that. If the brand is not actively being advertised the options diminish. Unfortunately, very few businesses have the budget to advertise actively by means of traditional marketing.

Online Marketing

Consumers today are very knowledgeable and research their options when considering a product or service.

• 95% of purchasing consumers use the web to research products and services – B2B Magazine Survey.
• 85% of internet users are also internet shoppers – The Interactive Consumer.

The consumer is able to find a much wider variety of brands and products online.

Convenience

Customers can shop 24 hours a day from anywhere without going to a physical store. Buying online is also interactive & immediate. Consumers can interact with the seller’s site to find information on products or services that they desire and order straight away.

The Marketer

Online Marketing and Advertising hold huge advantages for the marketer such as:

Cost

Marketing your business online can be much more cost effective when compared to the traditional means of marketing and advertising. By merely targeting your market effectively online you will cut costs.

Measurable

There is a multitude of site analysis tools that will accurately measure your site performance by means of traffic statistics; conversion rates, geographical data to target locally and a whole bunch other metrics.

Analysis and Decision Making (Real Time Data)

Analysis tools allow you to track:

• How visitors found your site
• How visitors use your site
• What is the most popular sections or areas on your site
• What conversion funnels work best

Using this data and other stats you will be able to make on the spot decisions and also test what works and what doesn’t and then make the necessary changes.

Constant

Conventional Marketing mediums have a limited shelf life (30 seconds per TV ad, printed ads get thrown away, etc.) On the other hand, Online Ads and Marketing is always present when the user needs it or wants to research possible products. Potential Customer can find you and your products and services at any time, day or night. The Search Engines will funnel the right prospects to your site if Online marketing is done correctly.

Social Media

The web has gone social with users, business owners, and consumers alike are turning to online platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to get their message out and to build relationships which drive more traffic.

The rest of 2010 promises to be a big one in the history of South Africa and the world! Not only have we successfully hosted the 2010 Soccer World Cup, but with advances in online business in South Africa, this year could and should be a year of enormous growth for our economy and for each and every individual.

Let’s take a look how you can drive your online business to new heights in 2010.

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The importance of good SEO has become apparent throughout the last decade and will continue to have an enormous influence on your online success in 2010 and beyond. The good news is that good SEO will continue to be cost-effective to small business but are sure to become more expensive as the market gets more competitive. It is therefore essential that you make room for SEO in your online advertising budget in 2010.

2. Twitter Marketing

Twitter has taken off big time in 2009 and will continue to be a huge entity in 2010. The importance of Twitter Marketing lies in the fact that average business can capitalise on Twitter for top exposure as it is a viable marketing channel. There is also some speculation that Twitter will implement some form of paid advertising model, much like Facebook is offering at the moment.

3. Facebook Marketing

Facebook has become part of 29% of Internet users’ daily web activity. As a business owner advertising on the net, it is imperative for you to realize the benefit of Facebook marketing. This year will see more and more people joining this phenomenon and Facebook’s paid advertising offering will continue to give businesses the opportunity to advertise to a targeting market.

4. Mobile Marketing

Using mobile phones as a medium for advertising has endless possibilities in South Africa. The challenge in 2010 is not only to make your site visible to those accessing the Internet via their cell phones but also to use SMS message to communicate you services of products.

5. Bing

Although some believe that Bing, Microsoft answer to Google, will not reach its full potential in 2010 it is definitely worth implementing into your SEO campaign.

6. Video Marketing

With the promise of faster and cheaper Internet coming to South Africa, more and more local business owner will look to video marketing to advertise their product and service and to increase their conversion rate.

7. Pay-Per-Click Ads

As discuss before, sites like Facebook and possibly Twitter, will offer a good alternative to Google Ads but 2010 will continue to be a popular advertising strategy. Bing is also likely to start offering PPC ads which will offer just another way to increase your Internet exposure.

8. Online Business Networking

Connecting with other business owners and industry leaders on the Web became an effective way to build business contacts and leads in 2009. Prepare to take this to the next level as more and more social media sites are looking to cater for online business networking. Some believe that 2010 will see face-to-face networking opportunities within online business networks , and face-to-face networks will begin to integrate online networking more effectively into their programs.

9. Top Content

You don’t need a crystal ball to figure out that content will continue to be king in 2010. You can guarantee that the marketing of you good content will be just as significant as the quality of your content.

10. Innovative Design

Staying ahead of the curve in 2010 is extremely important for any successful online business. No matter how good your content is or how high you are ranking in the search engines, the appeal of your site as well as its functionality will contribute a great deal to your conversion rate.