Everybody knows that advertising should help your business grow and that there are a million ways to advertise. Traditionally, businesses have used direct mail, billboards, and magazine ads. In the more modern era, businesses have utilized paid search ads, paid social media campaigns, influencers, email and even text messaging to advertise their products and services. Every industry is different and what works for one industry might not work for another.
For example, a women’s clothing company currently needs to focus on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, however a law firm should focus more on paid search via Google AdWords. In all practicality, it comes down to knowing where your customers are searching for you and meeting them in that space.
Although the highest performing advertising strategies and platforms vary from industry to industry, one thing stays constant. Check this out...
When you send an email blast out to your customer list, where does your call to action take them?
To your website, of course.
When you craft a highly targeted paid search campaign on Google, where does your ad link to?
Your website.
And when someone sees your billboard or commercial (whether on TV or radio), where will they go to get more information?
Your website.
Do you see the trend?
Everything ties back into your website.
Now think about this. If you are a consumer and you receive an email that has compelling copy and a great offer for a product or service that you actually want, you’d probably click the link in the email to learn more and make a purchase, right? Now, if that link takes you to a website that has a terrible layout, is hard to navigate, and looks like someone just threw it together, would you be inclined to make your purchase? No. The truth is, you probably wouldn’t have much trust in the business and you’d probably go somewhere else.
The same ideas apply to Facebook or Instagram ads, or really any form of advertisement. If you click-through to make a purchase and the website is slow, doesn’t work or doesn’t provide the information you expect based on the ad messaging, you’ll probably click off and go buy from a competitor.
So what can we learn from this?
The important message is that a good website is really the core of every business in the online realm and it ties into every aspect of the marketing and advertising mix. If your website isn’t dialed in to perfection, then every other piece of your puzzle will suffer in some way.
Can you still make sales and turn a profit with a poorly performing website? Sure. You probably can. However, if your website is the weak link in your advertising mix, your cost per sale will be higher than it should be, which means that your profits will be lower than they could be.
By focusing on your website, you are able to effectively improve every aspect of your advertising mix. If your website converts better, your return on ad spend (ROAD) will be higher, the ROI from your email marketing will be higher, and your organic conversions will increase.
As the diagram below illustrates, all roads lead back to your website. By improving this core element of your online presence, you can sit back and watch each of your marketing channels improve and your overall net profits increase.
Do you need help making those much-needed improvements on your website? Send us a message and let us help you make those changes that will make all the difference.