How Does Online Marketing Even Work?

05 Nov How Does Online Marketing Even Work?

Web marketing might seem like a mystery, but it’s actually a pretty simple process. Here’s how it works.

Increase Online Visibility
One of the main goals of an online marketing company is to improve clients’ web visibility. In other words, get them seen. The most important way this is done is through search engine optimization (SEO). On average, there are about 12 billion online searches done each month. That’s about 400 million searches a day. Considering the fact that 61% of global Internet users research products online, many of these searches are done in the hopes of learning more about products in services. By increasing a site’s online visibility, web marketing services get clients seen by the people who need to see them — consumers who are looking to buy.

Garner More Web Traffic
Of course, it’s not enough to be seen by these consumers. They actually need to go to the site. The key to building more web traffic is to get a site’s search engine ranking up to the top of the results page. Because about 75% of users never scroll past the first page of results, and because the first three results get the lion’s share of traffic, a site needs to rank very well in order to get more web traffic, which is what web marketing services can help with.

Convince and Convert Leads
Now, not everyone who goes to a site is going to actually purchase a product or service there, but the more web traffic there is, the more leads there will be. What small- to medium-sized businesses need to understand is that these leads are not insignificant. They’re highly valuable. If someone is searching for a product or service, they’re more than likely looking to buy it, which means they’re already primed for a sale. This is a proven fact. Research shows that search leads have a 14.6% close rate. That might not sound too significant, but research also shows that outbound leads — one gained from billboards or cold calling — only have a 1.7% close rate.

This is essentially how online marketing works. A site improves its online visibility, gets more web traffic, and consequently generates more leads. It’s really that simple. If you have any questions, feel free to share in the comments.