Does online advertising (think internet marketing here) have an effect on offline sales? Many people view the traffic reports they get on their websites after they launch an advertising campaign and wonder why they are not also seeing a spike in sales through their websites. But you have to keep in mind how customers purchase! Especially now, with savvy consumers who like to do their research and form their decisions well in advance of the purchase. This leaves people wondering if it is really worth the investment in online advertising.
There are many factors that contribute to the purchasing process, some of them predictable and others not so much. So when you find an opportunity to influence and attract customers in a targeted and measurable fashion; that translates into profit for your business and satisfied customers!
A recent study by Google partnered with clients and vendors to test ad metrics like in-store sales lifts and returns from online ad spending. They asked the question, “Does online advertising affect offline purchasing?” The results they found were a resounding “Yes!”
What Google’s test subjects noticed there was an overall effect, known as the “halo effect,” that resulted from the boost in online advertising; which not only boosted products and services in the targeted margins, but businesses saw an overall increase in traffic to their off-line stores, and more purchases of other products and services they offered.
Here are some of the numbers that came in for these test projects:
By researching and targeting specific keywords, you can create a streamlined and predictable internet marketing strategy that will not only increase traffic to your website, but one that will also increase traffic and purchases to your brick and mortar stores! Remember that what you do online will have a huge effect on all areas of your business, so don’t overlook the power of internet marketing techniques like ad campaigns, email marketing, coupons and promotions, social media, and other internet marketing strategies.
Not sure where to start with all this? We are a Montreal internet marketing company who can help get you on the right track with your online strategies. Give us a call and we can discuss your marketing ideas, and help you discover some that you hadn’t thought of yet!
