Your alarm clock buzzes and you reach up to rub the sleep out of your squinted eyes. You roll over, stretch, and evaluate how much longer you can lay in bed before your time is up. What comes next in your morning ritual? If you’re like many, you grab your phone to check your email and text messages from the night. What have you missed? What’s happened in the minimal number of hours that you’ve been able to sleep away?
Stats from 2012 claim that more than 3/4 of the U.S. population is now online, as the population online has reached over 239 million. That’s likely not a surprise to many of us that are glued to the Internet through our laptops, tablets, phones, cameras, and desktops.
Something that you may not realize is that over 88% of all U.S. Internet users older than 14 are browsing and researching products, brands, and businesses online. Can you do quick math? 88% of 239 million is 191,200,000. That’s almost 200 million people looking for information online about things they need, want, or don’t yet even know that they need or want. What does that mean for businesses?
83.9% of of these Internet searchers made at least one purchase via the web in 2012. What is your company missing out on if you’re not found quickly with basic internet search options? Doing that math is absolutely necessary. U.S. consumers spend $1,200-$1,300 per year online, but that number will increase by 44% — to $1,738 — by 2016. In that year, eCommerce sales are expected to hit $327 billion.
Whether or not you have products or services available for sale online, your company needs a recognizable presence online. Why? You need accessibility. You need the brand building that comes from the online space. You need reviews. You need a bigger audience. Each of these factors can play into your bottom line.
Assign your company resources in such a way that you can maximize your company’s online reputation with the proper tactics needed to get the most out of your Internet marketing plan. Internet marketing can be an amazing promotional vehicle that is just as strong, or in some ways stronger, than more traditional advertising methods.
In short, the Internet is a fantastic marketing tool, but in order to maximize it’s potential for your company, you have to know what you are doing. To keep a respectable presence, you’ll have to keep up with the latest trends, technology, and an ever evolving platform.
Seem daunting? Hire an expert – there are folks that eat, breathe, and sleep this stuff. We may even have a recommendation for you.
