What we don’t know in business hurts our ability to close sales and increase market share. The good news is with awareness comes the opportunity for change and improvement.
Do what you’ve always done and get the same results. This is often true in digital marketing because many businesses ‘stick with what they know’ – they stay in their comfort zone, and many fail to implement key digital marketing tactics needed to improve.
It’s essential to understand why this is happening and to identify your blind spots. I’ll provide recommendations so you can improve and maximise your return from your website and digital marketing strategies.
Digital marketing and website awareness
Many marketers have seen digital marketing flourish in the past few years; however, they have yet to fully understand what is happening and how to take advantage of it.
These business leaders rarely visit their company website and review digital marketing metrics and data. Although this group has dwindled in size over the years, they are still prevalent, and their lack of attention results means missed opportunities for improvement.
Consider gaining access to Google Analytics 4 and having the data provided every month. To gauge your digital marketing effectiveness, consider your total monthly visitors, the pages they visit, and the website traffic sources.
Focus on specific pages that provide conversion opportunities, optimising high-performing examples and refining others that may be lacking.
Identify where website traffic originates – whether it be organic search or social media - to focus and fine-tune your efforts strategically. Make sure to track those who contact your business company and other online conversions.
You must visit your business website at least once a week to see what the world is seeing. Question your staff about the data and strive for improvements.
The ‘Know-It-All’ blind spot
A closed mind is a beautiful thing to lose! Success in digital marketing requires an open mind and the ability to test new approaches to learn.
This blindside is increasing as younger demographics come into the workforce. These people were part of the ‘digital revolution’ and grew up with the Internet.
That said, they need a comprehensive view of what works in digital marketing. They tend to focus on handling digital marketing themselves and, as mentioned, on persisting with what they are familiar with.
Digital marketing requires various skills, and knowing it all is nearly impossible. The result of this blind spot is trying something and then giving up when it does not work as expected.
We often hear that a particular digital marketing tactic has ‘never worked’. Today, the game has changed, and we see a variety of marketing tactics working together in harmony as the key to driving the best results.
Embrace a comprehensive digital marketing plan. Don’t rely on just one or two tactics to get results. Explore new digital channels and cover the essentials.
You should have a quality website that meets users' needs, and your business should be optimised to be discovered in search engines. Regular social media posts and a ‘content calendar’ are great ways to remain active, while email marketing and monthly newsletters keep you in contact with your customers.
New generation of digital marketers
Marketing is a discipline and requires a team effort with a comprehensive approach, along with input from experts.
A do-it-yourself (DIY) approach will dilute your ability to focus on what you do well. You most likely don’t do your own taxes or legal work! Marketing requires the same input and attention from experts.
Build a digital marketing staff and leverage experts to get results and complement your in-house marketing employees. Talk to experts and get feedback.
What’s needed is a new generation of digital marketers who focus on strategic intent and translating value with quality content.
They understand that websites are the centrepiece of marketing for most businesses and that digital marketing is essential to attract new customers. I hope this new generation is strong with data and uses metrics to drive tactics and make informed decisions.
It’s essential to be open to testing new ideas, leveraging AI tools to improve work, and embracing learning and constant change.
Finally, you must be willing to capitalise on the experience and insight of experts. This removes blind spots and generates ideas to leverage digital marketing's potential.
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