Does Your Business Need a Digital Transformation?

When someone is feeling not quite right they set about making changes; they eat better, they exercise more and when they see positive changes happening they learn that they get out of life what they put into it. The same can be said for your business, especially in the world of online marketing. So, is your business due a digital transformation?

It’s easy to set up a social media profile for your business, the hard part is turning it into something that makes people want to associate themselves with your brand. That’s what Digital Marketing is all about; creating a brand image that your target audience relates to and therefore wants to use.

alert-bullhornDigital Marketing, and more specifically, Inbound Marketing, is where its at when it comes to promoting your business to your target audience. If you are falling behind competitors in terms of your digital output, you are likely to also fall behind in lead generation and positive brand image.

So, how can you tell if your business needs a digital transformation? Here are some signs:

1. You rarely update your blog 

We recommend to clients that they should be updating their blog at least once a week. There are number of reasons for this, the two most important being, firstly, that it gives customers a reason to engage with your brand and visit your site and secondly, Google’s algorithm requires regular, coherent updates.

If you are rarely updating your blog you need to revisit your strategy, assess your objectives and plan some relevant, keyword focused content that will drive more traffic to your website.

2. You don’t even have a blog

As a content marketer, this one genuinely gives me nightmares. Ok, maybe not genuinely. Figuratively, though.

Businesses need a blog.  The reasons for this have been outlined above and in more detail on another blog post we’ve written: 9 Reasons Blogging for Business is Essential.  Make a note of the first reason; ‘Modern Businesses Blog’.

Whether you are offering a traditional service or something more new age, your target audience is moving away from traditional methods of marketing and you need to move with them. Blogging enables you to offer your target market information, advice and a glimpse into the personality behind your business which is an effective inbound marketing tool. Generate leads by offering potential customers something they really want to know!

3. Your website is old 

Older websites don’t perform as well as new sites for a number of reasons. The first reason being that it probably doesn’t look as well as other, more modern sites.

Take a look at Forbes.com in 2003. It’s not the most engaging of websites is it? The content is squashed, there are no images, it looks cold and bland. Would you be tempted to click on anything on this home page?

Forbes.com

Now, let’s look at the Forbes of today. It’s much more visual, there are videos to watch, the layout is easier to drink in and the navigation is much neater. Do you think Forbes would be as important in 2015, and as largely read, if it never updated their site?

Forbes 1
Forbes 3

Put simply, Forbes website is modern and this is part of why they remain such a huge online success; the content has always been informative and relevant but that is not enough if it’s not being delivered on a visually appealing and engaging site.

4. Your site isn’t responsive

87% of Irish Consumers log onto Social Media using a mobile device. Think about that figure for a couple of seconds.

If you are sharing links to blog posts or products and the website is not mobile ready i.e. responsive you aren’t delivering a positive user experience for potential customers. If someone has to pinch and zand scroll from side to side every time they visit your site they will find a similar business that caters to their mobile browsing needs.

responsive site designers

 

A responsive site makes it easier for your customers to see what they came to your site to look at. It means that whether they view on a laptop, tablet or phone, the content is laid out so they can simply scroll  through it and not have to move around the screen to read certain parts.

A bad website equates to poor lead generation, so if you are not covering mobile ground, you are losing a lot of potential business.

5. No one is managing it

How can your business make a digital impact if no one is managing the output? You might have spent 1000s on a state of the art website and even set up some social profiles, but there is no point in all this if you are not managing your online marketing.

Often clients come to us with a website already built and a dissatisfaction with the level of leads they are getting. They are disgruntled and have lost a little faith in the idea of digital marketing. When we take over the management of their inbound marketing; emails, blogs and social media, they realise quite quickly that a successful strategy doesn’t require a once off investment. It requires an investment of time and digital marketing skills on a daily basis; something a lot of businesses don’t have. This is why marketing agencies work; you’re effectively hiring an entire marketing team to craft an effective strategy for you.

Promoting  your business has become more difficult. Thereare more competitors, more methods and the market is much more vast with the marvel of online shopping. It is not enough to sit back and wish your business had a better standing when it came to digital marketing. Call us on 01 8081301 or click here to find out how we can give your business a digital transformation.

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Richard Coen

With over 21 years of experience in Digital Marketing, 31 years in sales and 25 years in business development, Richard assists companies to develop key growth strategies on a local or international basis. He can assist marketers to achieve balance in their approach to key areas affected by the growth in digital marketing.