The question shouldn’t be can you afford Internet marketing services?, the question should be can you afford not to? Internet marketing services can be an expensive venture, particularly if you want to improve your Internet presence. A professional website that compliments your business should be fully functional, easy to navigate and provide unique in-demand content. This won’t come cheap. Add to that the annual cost for hosting, maintenance, software and database programming, and you can easily spend thousands of euros.
However, most website owners are mistaken in thinking that because of the hefty expenditure the return on their investment should be sooner rather than later. A website designer invariably leads them to believe that an attractive website complete with cleverly worded meta tags are the key to increasing traffic and getting good rankings in search engine results.
The reality is different. Unless you actively promote your website, you will be one of the only few people who ever sees it. Think about it; there are a couple of thousand real estate businesses on the Costa del Sol alone. They all think that they have the best website on the Coast, they all use the same keywords and phrases in their meta tags, and they all submit to search engines. To make your website count, it is important to use the appropriate Internet marketing services. You do not spend thousands of euros on a website just for an online brochure that supplements your other means of advertising.
Here are the facts:
1. According to Forrester Research, Internet-influenced sales generate three times as much revenue as Internet-bought sales. In other words, people prefer to research their purchases online and then go the shops to actually buy them buy offline.
Source: Microsoft Business central
2. According to research company Nielsen, there are upwards of 34 million Britons with Internet connections. And as of May 2002, there were some 185 million Europeans with Internet connections.
Source: Microsoft Business central
3. Recent research reveals 58% of house hunters are using the Internet as a primary source of property information.
Source: HBF Press Release
4. According to a study at Stanford University, people do judge a company's credibility and professionalism by the design and content of their website.
Source: Consumer Web Watch
5. The biggest markets in Europe for Internet Marketing are; Germany- 21% of all European Internet users are German; the UK - 16% of all European users are British; Italy – 12.9% are Italian; and France, 11% are French.
Source: World Internet Stats
Conclusions
Most businesses in Marbella and the Costa del Sol do not realise the importance of their Internet presence and online marketing. In the past, customers weren’t too bothered about this part of a company’s profile, but nowadays it is entirely different. In fact, a good website is the single most important part of a business’s marketing strategy.
While some businesses still try to get around it and attempt to do it by themselves, many now account for a website and Internet marketing services in their budget.
In light of the above, you should ask yourself the following questions:
1. Do I have a website that enhances the professional image of my company?
2. Do I know how to market my Internet presence? If so, why does it not work?
3. After spending thousands of euros on a website, why am I not getting results?
4. Can I afford not to invest in Internet marketing services?
Think about it; how much will it cost your company should a prospective client choose to go to a competitor because your website isn’t up to scratch, or they couldn’t find it in the first place? It’s a scary concept.
|
