Inbound Marketing: How To Attract More Customers To Your Website

Before the internet and social media dramatically changed the way companies and consumers did business, marketing strategies were mostly limited to advertising in whatever way possible. While traditional outbound marketing still plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining a successful business, the age of digital technology offers a wide range of new tools helping companies and retail shops reach out to and connect with their audience.
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The ultimate goal remains the same. It is all about growth and revenue. However, inbound marketing offers new possibilities and should be part of any solid marketing strategy. It is less about selling and more about helping people along their journey, about making your business visible to others by creating brand awareness and relationships.

The emphasis of inbound marketing is on problems your audience is having at this very moment and how to solve these problems fast and effectively. It aims to help current, as well as potential customers, by showing them that they are valued and appreciated. In doing so, inbound marketing can help you establish deep and meaningful relationships with your audience, increase their trust in your business and your brand and establish yourself as an industry leader and expert. Ultimately, your efforts will lead to an increase in revenue.

Advantages of inbound marketing

There are plenty of reasons why any business should use the inbound methodology as part of their general marketing strategy. Recent studies have shown that 68% of businesses using inbound marketing find this strategy successful in terms of effectiveness.

Cost-effective

Depending on the size of their business and where it is located, US organizations have been found to spend anywhere between US$1000 and US$20,000 per month on social media marketing alone. According to HubSpot, leads created through inbound marketing cost 61% less on average than those leads that come through outbound marketing.

Consumer-friendly

The average consumer does not like being sold to. A 2017 report found that 615 million devices around the world have ad-blockers installed, more than half of those are mobile phones. Inbound marketing aligns more with modern shopping behaviour. The majority of consumers prefers learning about a business, product or service through content rather than through advertising. Whichever purchasing stage a consumer is at, from being aware to considering to making a decision, with the right inbound marketing strategy a business can grab the attention of ideal buyers any time and give them what they want right there and then.

Ongoing momentum

Investing in inbound marketing strategies that focus on gaining and keeping customers bound to your business will have a major impact on your long-term success. Consumers that make a purchasing decision out of their own accord rather than being pushed into buying something they do not really need are far more likely to spread the word and tell their friends and relatives who have similar issues, problems or goals about it. Even more so if they are happy with the service they have received.

Inbound marketing strategies

There is a wide range of tools available to make inbound marketing work for you. Which particular strategy you should be using depends on at what purchasing stage you are trying to grab your audience’s attention.

Content creation

In the beginning, it all comes down to content creation and development. Reaching out to your audience through blogs and articles on social media will provide them with the information they need to gain knowledge, find answers to their questions and make informed decisions. A great way to start is by providing testimonials from previous customers on how your product or service helped change their life. Articles on how to use your products or current promotions are also a good way to attract people’s attention.

Search engine optimization

In order to get the right kind of people to find you, having a good SEO strategy is essential. After all, your chances of converting leads into paying customers are significantly higher if those visiting your website or online shop are already interested in or at least aware of what you have to offer and how it might benefit them. Your SEO strategy will ideally contain appropriate keywords and phrases tailored to your target audience.

Chatbots

A great way to automate business processes and get customers to engage with you, chatbots are extremely versatile, fast and convenient. They allow your users to get in touch with you 24/7, can answer basic questions on the spot even at 2 o’clock in the morning without wasting manpower and they enable your business to collect relevant data and information, making it easier to engage with clients in the future based on their preferences. They’re not suitable for all businesses but for some, they can be a real asset and a timesaver.

Surveys

If you get stuck on ideas about which kind of content your audience might find most valuable, surveys can help you engage with previous, current and potential customers. The feedback gained from surveys can be extremely useful for your business in many ways. Are there specific problems that you might be able to solve? Is there anything your sales or customer service team could do differently to attract more clients? How accurate and meaningful is the content you have so far provided?
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There are plenty more ways to incorporate inbound marketing into your business operations. If you would like to learn more about inbound marketing, how to create valuable content for your audience and build long-term relationships with your customers, call the friendly team at Energise Web today. We offer a range of website design and digital marketing services and can help your business generate more leads and ultimately increase sales and profits.