Online Versus Print Marketing – Dynamics

Ok, my title is a bit misleading..it’s not a competition and you can, and possibly should still market both online and off and in any other way you see fit depending on who, where and what your potential customers are. But I wanted to convey an important point I heard at a creative workshop I attended recently. I’ve talked about the virtues of online versus print marketing before but never included this particular angle. Print marketing is still relevant especially here in Leitrim where there are still plenty of people without internet access or even computers and where the local newspaper still has a decent circulation and where everyone seems to know everyone else however, there’s one important other thing print ads can’t do that online can.

No matter what kind of print ad you see whether it’s a glossy flier, banner stand or 2 lines in the yellow pages, the ad is static and paid for with no referral or organic value, ie – no one to say this is the company you need, they are the best. In a list of ads for companies offering the same service  in the yellow pages for example, no one ad stands out above another unless the advertiser pays a premium for a fancier add or bold title. Organic Google ads for example on the other hand will put the best and most relevant results first based on your search term. Google will usually place at the top of the search results list the companies with the best website presence, ie – the one with the best traffic, most links in, best social media presence, etc.. It may be safe to assume in most cases that a website with all of the above has got to number one because of conscientious business owners and it should be a company you can trust to do a good job.

It’s this online dynamism versus the static nature of print ads that is perhaps the single most important benefit online has over offline marketing especially now that more and more people are turning to online reviews and referrals to help them choose the right company.

Leon

What use is your Website if it’s not in Google?

Ideally, your website would come high up the list of results on page one for a large range of Google keyword searches. Each potential customer would click on your entry in the results, land on your website, be impressed and sign up to your service or buy your products with hesitation. This is getting harder and harder to achieve as more businesses go online, more websites exist and more competition ensues. Gone are the days when just having a website and sticking a few keywords on it would bring hits. You really have to work to get a website found these days. You can do it by:

  • Promoting your web address online and offline,
  • Blogging, writing news posts,
  • Social Networking,
  • Link building,
  • Online Ads,
  • etc..

Doing all of the above should give you a good chance but it’s time consuming and not for everyone. I find it effective but I’m in front of a computer all day anyway! What about businesses or tradesmen who rarely get to go online?

Google

If you don’t have time to market your site and it’s not getting hits and making you money and you’re wondering why you have one and whether to keep it or not, please bare in mind the following few important points:

  • For less then €100 per year (My prices!) you get to have as much information about your business as you like online 24/7. It would cost a ton more to have a tiny spec of info in something like the yellow pages,
  • A Website is a great informational resource you can send people to manually/offline,
  • A professional website is a mark of quality and trust for a business,
  • Analyse website traffic for customer intention and trends,
  • Customer service, support and information for existing clients and customers,
  • Easier for others to refer business to you, ie – a web address is easier to remember than a phone number,

So if you’ve spent a relatively large amount of money on a website, please don’t let it go to waste over a few euros a year because it’s not bringing in business. It can prove very useful in many other ways.

Leon