Posted 11 weeks ago (December 6, 2011 at 10:00 AM) in Strategy
Why should your company invest in an online presence? We’ve got 230,000,000 reasons why your business not only needs to be online but needs to be set up to exceed expectations.
We get it. The possibilities can be overwhelming and if you’re starting from scratch, you might feel like you're already buried six feet under.
One of our favorite parts of doing what we do here at Rise is helping you to connect and build meaningful relationships with your customers. If the best way to do that was through sky writing, we'd all be experts in parachutes. The truth is, though, the Internet is one of the biggest mediums out there these days and we're only going to see it grow in the future.
So who's online?
If it's not enough to consider that by reading this very blog you've already personally signed into the digital revolution, think about how much time you spend online communicating, researching, and surfing.
Now multiply that by 230,000,000.
According to eMarketer, as of January 2011, 75.5% of the US population uses the internet. That's more than 230,000,000 potential customers on your home turf alone.
So really, if you're not doing it for you, do it for your clients.
What are they doing there?
57% of people talk more online than they do in real life (Alex Trimpe via Ogilvy). Future social implications aside, that means that people are using the Internet for more than just mindless surfing. Digital word travels at the speed of light – and so can interest in your company if you use it to your advantage.
Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Yelp, LinkedIn, MySpace, Ning, Meetup – these are great tools but none of it matters if your company's information isn't accessible online. By 2012, 88% of US companies over 100 employees will use social media for marketing (eMarketer). People love to give and take recommendations, use it to your advantage.
Work smarter, not harder
The Internet has grown up a lot in the past decade. Information is more diverse, prolific, and trustworthy than ever. Want to find the best washing machine repairman, dentist, or cup of oolong tea in your area? What's your first impulse? It's probably not to lug out the Yellow Pages from under the leg of your coffee table. Think your customers are any different?
67% of consumers researched a purchase online before buying it in a store (Google/OTX, January 2011) – but research isn't limited just to holiday purchases. Let the net work for you!
If you're not online, your advertising is limited to print and word-of-mouth. While these two mediums have worked great in the past, they're just not enough anymore.
If a potential customer likes what she sees when she visits your website, she becomes a customer. Plain and simple. You can reach more people in less time by having a well-designed, cohesive site than you ever could taking out ads in magazines or investing in a giant inflatable gorilla sign. And if she really likes you, she’ll connect with you on her social spaces - choosing to integrate your message in her daily life.
More than PCs
People aren't just online anymore, they're mobile. According to eMarketer, as of August 2011 there are 90.1 million smartphone users, but Google/Ipsos/TNS tells us only 33% of advertisers currently have a mobile optimized websites. Still don't smell the potential? Think people aren't hooked on mobile access?
43% of US adults say they’d be willing to give up beer for a month if it meant they could keep accessing the internet on their smartphones (Google/OTX). No beer! For a whole month! If the addiction to mobile internet access trumps even alcohol, it's got to be good.
But what does all this mean to you?
It means that if you're not online – and mobile – you're not easily accessible in the minds of your customers. The Internet isn't changing the world – it's already been changed.
So you're convinced but don't know where to begin? It's a big digital world out there, but the best news is you don't have to do it alone. Drop us a line to have your questions answered and your fears assuaged. We're experts so you don't have to be.