Business growth is what we all want. Digital Marketing presents a host of opportunities for that growth.
How to Look at Online Marketing
We talk a lot about channels. Channels in digital are, in the main, where traffic comes from. In Google Analytics these are divided into (if the correct tracking code is installed):
- Organic Search
- Direct
- Social
- Referral
Plus
- Google Ads
- Branded Paid Search
- Generic Paid Search
- Display (Ads)
Then Social Ads, Facebook in the main, which has it’s own Insights.
Other Channels:
- Events
- Partnerships
- Print Ads
Campaigns
Campaigns can be ‘organic’ that is using content (video, copy, images etc) on your website (Organic Search) or on social.
Campaigns can also be something like the popup, offering a deal or just encouraging visitors to your shop.
Ecommerce
If you are selling on your website, then you’ll have conversion tracking set up. Let’s have a quick look at a typical ecommerce site’s conversion figures (taken from a client’s Google Analytics, 1 week of data).
- Organic Search: 3.94%
- Direct: 6.10%
- Social: 3.58%
- Email: 6.48%
- Referral: 8.47%
- Branded Paid Search: 10.56%
- Generic Paid Search: 4.20%
- Display: 5.88%
Does This Tell the Whole Story?
Where Should We Invest for Business Growth?
These figures are misleading. Which channel is producing the most revenue? In this example its Branded Paid Search followed by Direct, then Organic Search.
So, we should invest more in our Google Ads? Well, this is brand terms so no. Yes. Keep doing it as you don’t want a competitor bidding on them. But a brand term is a short cut. People just type it into Google. So, invest more in Organic Search? Yes.
I could go on. The answer is in your email list. That’s right. When you look at this client, when an email goes out all the channels increase in revenue.
Remember I said these figures are misleading? Well, they are because they are not painting a true picture.
Organic Search will increase after an email goes out. A significant amount of people prefer to open a browser and search, then click on a website rather than a link in the email.
Google Ads revenue increases because of the same thing, only people don’t realise or don’t care that those entries at the top of the page are ads. Would you believe 70% of people don’t realise these are ads!
Direct Traffic
You would expect this to be wholly visitors who have bookmarked the site or are typing in the domain name. Not necessarily, as this traffic could also me ‘dark social’ and dark social is the key that unlocks a lot of business growth. That’s your brand term and variants.
‘Dark Social Traffic’
The ‘dark social’ traffic is traffic that comes from people sharing, liking, reacting and it is seen by ‘friends’ and this also includes email and private messaging. Also a favourite here is people talking to each other, the wonderful word-of-mouth.
Conclusion
ALL the channels are important. They work with each other because we live in a device driven world of distraction.
For sustainable business growth you have to make all these channels work. That starts with a great product or service, fantastic customer support, desire for your offer, solving a problem and adding value in a friendly story-driven and honest manner.
The ‘Hub’
The ‘hub’ of all the channels is two things: the website, the email list. The website because you own it, you put content on it and people will find you. The email list as you have direct control and are not relying on the whim of a social network algorithm.
Digital marketing promises great business growth potential when you know how the channels work with each other in regards to multiple touches, how brand name acts as a ’shortcut’ and how important ‘the hub’ is.
Read a little more about Conversion Detectives and Business Growth here.
About Conversion Detectives
We offer a range of digital marketing activities including creative and original content marketing.
Other Services
Digital Marketing Strategy | Creative Content Marketing | Email Marketing | Lead Generation | Content Strategy |
Social Media Marketing | SEO (Basics) |
SEM | Video Marketing |
Shopify Marketing
About Post Author
