Benefits of Online Marketing.
“How am I going to sell these amazing products if no one knows about them?” This is a pretty common question which is being asked by local business men in St.Lucia. They contain these brilliant and sometimes futuristic goods and services but sadly it remains in the shadow of their minds, their store and other big companies which have an advantage almost impossible to eclipse. What if there was a way to showcase their products without breaking the bank? What If there was a way to enter into the market and be instantly acknowledged? Fortunately, there is. It is called online marketing.
Online marketing refers to the techniques available to a business to market, promote and advertise their products, services or brand on the World Wide Web. This comes with an enormous number or benefits which include convenience, reach, cost, personalization, relationships and a social aspect.
Online marketing is convenient not only for you but it enables your business to be open virtually 24/7, even when your office staff have long since went home (Hooray for no overtime fees!). Customers can browse your online store at any time convenient to them. They will also be notified of any possible promotions you may have currently.
The reach of online marketing exists because you can overcome barriers of distance. (And we all know about location, location, location!) Goods can be sold or viewed at any point in time. This creates a significant advantage in the sense that you do not need to have any specific distributors as you make and sell your own goods through your physical and online store.
Marketing has always been a burden on a business in terms of cost but it is an aspect of business ownership which cannot be ignored. A simple recurring fee through an online directory website such as stluciabusinessonline.com or having your own personal website is at least 3 times cheaper than advertising on the television, where costs can skyrocket if you want your Ad to be aired during primetime.
It is tremendously easy to form relationships with your customers via online marketing. They can save your webpage and/or listing through their browsers and some websites even enable customers to have their own log-in information. When a customer purchases or calls to enquire information you can send them a follow-up email for example that the transaction has been placed and give them a warm thank you. Although simple, this can go a long way in maintaining customer loyalty. Customers can also submit product reviews on your listing/website which builds a sense of community which helps promote your product even further through word of mouth.
Lastly, social media is rapidly becoming the go-to form of communication these days and being on the internet allows a business to directly interact with their customers by means of Facebook, Instagram etc. This can have a healthy effect on sales by maintaining a social feel with customers as these are outlets they often frequent.