The Internet is here. The value of an online presence for companies continues to increase annually. Some statistics show this trend:
- Companies spent 25% of total marketing budgets on digital. The number is expected to jump to 75% within five years.
- 78% of companies say they have social media teams, up from 67% in 2012.
- 80% of consumers do “a lot” of online research before major purchasing decisions.
- 46% of those customers rely on social media to inform decisions.
While understanding the value that both companies and consumers are placing on the Internet to guide buyer-seller transactions, it can be difficult to see how a particular company, especially one with a lack of resources, could stand out. The emphasis in this particular article is on that aspect: What tools can a company use to stand out from the rest?
One key component of any business to gain more web traffic is content creation. Content creation and management of content creation now account for the second largest share in digital marketing budgets. Content creation can mean many different things but one of the most important aspects is the blog.
With 27 million pieces of content shared per day, it is almost a must for any company that wants to compete to add content to their website. For most though, it may be too time-consuming to craft a blog post every three days, especially for smaller companies where everyone wears a lot of hats.
62% of companies outsource their content marketing and one of the benefactors of this would be a digital marketing agency. A digital marketing agency can specialize in many services: search engine optimization, web design services, social media marketing. All of these are key aspects to developing and maintaining a strong brand on the the Internet.
Content creation relies on search engine optimization techniques. These can include using keywords to lead the user to your website. Search engine optimization companies can develop leads for a company that have more opportunity than cold leads like cold calling.
Web design services fill another important role in a company’s Internet presence. Websites are often judged within seconds and credibility is determined through visuals–is it laid out in an easy way to comprehend, is it organized, etc. 46% of users say that a website’s design is the single most important criterion for judging a company’s credibility.
More and more users are reaching the websites of companies through their mobile devices. While a mobile website used to be seen as the lesser of the two options (desktop versus mobile), they are both very valuable and 48% of users say that if a company’s mobile site isn’t working well, that the company simply isn’t caring enough.
Web design is critical for a company to excel in the competitive online environment. Many companies opt for web design services to fill the gap where they might not have expertise.
