Creative Web Design – Like most businesses Cliqued Media, Ireland’s number one web design company realizes that today’s consumers have changed and whether you are in the business of B2B, or B2C, you need to be doing things differently.
Today’s online consumer is more sophisticated, has access to limitless information, is empowered and able to make their own decisions. In fact, research has shown, that over 75% of people are using social media and other online channels to educate themselves and to reach a informed decision.
Given that consumers have changed their habits, one has to have an honest discussion about our own businesses and ask the question “have we changed and strategically realigned our business models to meet customer expectations?”. In particular this question applies to the area of sales and the role that the online strategy plays in this function.
For this reason the business of digital sales has to become a main focus of any marketing strategy. Online selling requires a focused approach, aimed at converting interested audiences into loyal customers and is subtly different to what we might think of, as digital marketing.
Cliqued Media are well positioned to provide comprehensive advice and assistance in the developing field of digital selling, which requires expertise across all facets and disciplines of online marketing.
WHAT IS DIGITAL SELLING?
Digital selling is the online marketing process of leveraging digital channels to identify, engage and connect with prospective buyers. The goal is to build relationships using online platforms and to turn online audiences into offline sales conversations.
This does not mean that the role of the traditional sales will become redundant. Rather, digital selling should be seen as complimentary to the physical sales process. Digital selling greatly enhances our ability to identify the most relevant target audience and as a result, to more accurately target prospects exactly where they choose interact with their favourite brands. And we can reach literally hundreds of thousands of prospects, at a fraction of the usual price.
DIGITAL MARKETING VERSUS DIGITAL SALES
Digital Marketing In the traditional world of business there is often a blurred line between the functions of marketing and sales, and even a lack of understanding of the distinction between the two.
Put simply however, sales is a function of marketing, being the personal selling tool in the marketing arsenal. Marketing creates the awareness and demand, and sales department converts this into physical sales and ongoing loyalty.
The same applies in the online environment, where the business of digital marketing is to create awareness, connect with potential online customers, create positive perceptions and influence brand choices.
Digital marketing is a comprehensive engagement effort in the online space, incorporating a selection of online platforms, all working together to create awareness, loyalty and demand. It is a strategically driven approach to driving customer engagement. It targets specific markets with an appealing brand narrative directed at people’s specific needs.
Digital Sales
Digital sales on the other hand, focuses on converting online prospects into buyers and ultimately, into loyal customers. The digital selling process leverages the goodwill built up through the overall digital marketing effort and then focuses on conversion, building quality relationships and thereafter, customer service and support.
While marketing objectives focus on aspects such as image, awareness, interest and desire, digital sales objectives focus on the aspects of sales units and sales volumes, repurchases and driving revenues.
Companies with conscious digital sales strategies are proactive in attending to website visitor requests, searching for leads and potential customers. They will make use of a selection of online marketing channels to draw in prospects, identify potential customers, connect with these leads and then schedule interactions with them, whether this is online or offline. Prospects are often targeted with e mail campaigns, used to communicate the value proposition and to cement relationships.
It is important to note that, because of the synergy between the overall strategy, both digital marketing and digital sales need to work closely together, and to dovetail their messaging and selling strategies to meet the main marketing goals and objectives of the organization.
TRADITIONAL VERSUS DIGITAL SALES ROLES
For most companies (unless you are a full blown e commerce site), the advent of digital selling does not alleviate the need for the traditional offline sales effort. Rather, the two roles serve to complement each other.
While it depends on the product category, many customers still demand a delicate balance in their brand experiences, between the online and offline touchpoints. They find it easier to search for information and to make the initial contact online, but then want to experience the physical product in a traditional retail environment.
So, for most companies, the traditional salesperson’s role will still exist. Nothing can replace the face-to-face aspect of a relationship and the effect that it has on the final purchase decision. What changes however, is the ease and cost of prospecting for new customers, the potential number of new prospects and the way that companies leverage customer relationships into the future.
THE ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL SELLING
If you are wondering about the advantages and benefits of investing in a comprehensive digital selling strategy, then the following few should serve to silence any reservations that you may have:
Increased brand awareness
Increasing brand awareness is a primary goal for any company in its online strategy. And because the digital marketing and selling efforts work in synergy, both these activities and the interaction that they create with audiences, serve to greatly enhance brand awareness, at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing.
More inbound traffic
Digital sales activities online have the capacity to attract many thousands and even millions of interested prospects. This is contrary to traditional sales and marketing efforts, where it is sometimes difficult and certainly very expensive to identify the right target audience and to reach them in the numbers that make it cost effective.
Improved search engine rankings
High quality content, increased activity online and more interested customers generated by digital sales activities and promotions, are attractive to search engine bots, and have the capacity to improve the company’s search engine rankings.
Less wastage of resources
One of the most expensive and arduous activities related to traditional sales, is that of prospecting for new customers. It takes the time and expertise of professional salespeople to achieve success. Digital marketing and sales strategies are far less expensive than traditional efforts, because of the sheer volume of prospects that they attract for every Euro spent. Digital selling also requires the services of fewer staff.
Higher conversion rates
An effective digital sales strategy is more than likely to generate better conversion rates, because it allows for 24/7 interaction. Prospects have immediate access to better product information and demonstration, as well as instant answers to queries. All of these make for easier decision making and better sales conversion rates.
Better customer satisfaction
Modern customers are impatient. They want instant gratification. Digital selling methods provide this, leading to generally higher levels of customer satisfaction.
Improved brand loyalty
Brand loyalty is developed over time, as a result of positive experiences that customers have with a brand. The seamless nature of digital selling, the positive experiences that it generates, and the ability to extend customer relationships through communication, all help to build more loyal customers.
More brand authority
More exposure online, coupled with good quality digital selling activities, will create awareness, positive perceptions and more brand authority for the organisation, enabling it to compete against much bigger competitors on a more even keel.
Reduced cost of sales
Digital selling results in lower cost of sales, due to economies of scale brought on by the number of interactions online, and the higher sales conversion rates achieved. Digital selling capabilities also serve to replace many of the functions normally carried out by traditional salespeople, so helping to reduce employment costs.
CLIQUED MEDIA WEBSITE DESIGN, IRELAND
Cliqued Media are Irelands number one web design wizards. As such we realise the importance of a well-designed website to the digital marketing and sales strategy.
Website development is our speciality and our creative websites are the result of a commitment to providing beautiful and effective responsive websites, using the latest in website design technology.
Our web wizards are well versed in all of the facets that help make up an effective digital selling strategy and we provide a host of services including website design, branding, SEO, online security and comprehensive website maintenance.
We work closely with customers of all sizes in Ireland, to generate digital sales strategies that are designed to improve user traffic, increase sales conversion rates and deliver a better ROI.
