Modern customers search on Google, use Facebook, read blogs and visit many websites and apps hundreds of times a day.
The use of the internet for them is an important part of life and there are many benefits and uses of the internet for them and that’s why they are using it.
Customers use YouTube for entertainment and education, they do online courses, they use social media to connect with their interests, they read blogs to get educated, they buy online to save time and money and they use the search engine to find local and international information on anything such as educational subject, product, and services. Today, the customer is more powerful, advanced, educated, technical, and clever.
The reasons behind this change are the evolution of information technology such as the use of apps in mobiles, computers and communication tools, etc. And the low cost of using the internet benefited customers, common people, and companies in big ways.
All of this revolutionized the marketing methods, techniques, and tools. This change is known as Digital or online marketing, advertising, and selling. But the question is how online marketing helps customers, how and why it is beneficial for customers etc.
In this post, we will try to find the beneficial points of digital marketing for customers with examples. Hope you will like it:
So let’s get started
What are the benefits of online marketing for customers?
1. Easy to find your business
Online marketing helps customers to find solutions and businesses. For example, if you’re running a homestay You are looking for guests and tourists to stay there. But how do people know that your home stay exists at the destination they are traveling to?
The answer is that they know it by searching on google. They see it on the map. They visit your home stay website. They see reviews/feedback from the previous guest about your homestay. They find and select the best room categories. And they contact to you.
Now they are doing it from home or while traveling in the car. Is it possible to find your homestay in the middle of the mountains that are covered by forests without the internet? No, it’s not.
That’s why digital marketing efforts such as homestay listing on Google Maps and google my business, homestay website and homestay social media page helped them to find the information and rooms to stay they are looking for.
This is how online marketing of your home stay helped the tourists and travelers to contact you.
Explore: What are the things that make a website good?
2. Customers can find your product and services in the market:
The worldwide use of the internet helps people to find any type of information they are looking at at any time.
For example, there are people looking for home interior/exterior designs and materials such as paints, plywood boards, Bath Water Taps, Exquisite Wash Basins, Rain forest Shower, etc. in the market. But unfortunately, they haven’t liked the quality, prices and seller behaviors.
Now, what is the option for them when they are in the mood of purchasing and they don’t know about any other hardware shops or stores in the market? The option is the Internet.
They will search on the Internet and if there is someone selling the items in nearby places they will visit that shop. Even before that time, they will check the color, features of the items, brands, prices, etc. If your hardware store existed in the market or even outside the main market, they can visit your store by driving the car. That’s the power of the internet + business+online marketing.
Related: Uses of the Internet in our daily life
3. Customers can plan strategies before bookings:
Online marketing and the internet provide options for consumers to build strategies before booking a tour package. Almost all kinds of travel agents, tour companies, tour guides, and websites are promoting and advertising tour packages and travel destinations. They are doing online marketing by targeting travel-related search queries on Google search ads, they are doing search engine optimization of their tour agency website, running a travel blog on the business website and they are also paying money to third-party websites/digital marketers to generate tour leads for them.
All these online marketing practices of tour agencies, companies, and agents help people to plan/select the best traveling destination they want to travel to. It will help them to compare the travel packages, prices, features, hotels, food, and vehicles.
Travel blog on the tour agency website benefits customers to find knowledge about the places they are looking to travel to. This is another example, of how online marketing benefits customers not only to save time, and money but also helps to build proper and systematic travel plans with their families before paying any money.
If you’re running a travel agency or providing travel services for people in India, Himachal, and anywhere in the world or looking to start a travel business then having a tour agency website, content marketing strategy etc. is a must. You can build digital marketing strategies that help and inspire people to travel with you. If you execute your plan successfully it will also double and triple the tour bookings.
4. Easy to compare prices and quality for customers:
Online marketing and promotions of business help customers compare the prices and features of products. There are many websites/blogs/applications promoting and advertising businesses worldwide so that let customers can think and make the right buying decision.
For example, there are hotels listing websites/applications in which all hotels/rooms are listed with prices and features. Now this allows customers to find out which one is most suitable for them to book. It allows them to compare the prices of different rooms and features. It helps them to find everything from prices of different hotels, features and availability of rooms in just one place.
This is an online marketing and it’s helping people even get discounts on booking hotels. Now it benefits customers in many ways such as saving time, getting discounts, and getting everything about the hotel in one place. Else they have to spend hours comparing the prices, features and reviews of hotels by visiting each website. That’s how digital marketing applications/portals/marketplace helps people to save time, money, and resources.
5. Many ways to know previous customer experiences:
Today’s wise customers use the internet and visit product reviews blog, watch review videos and understand past reviews/feedback of sellers. Today, they don’t want to invest money anywhere and on anything without confirming the actual ROI.
That’s how digital marketing helps them to make shopping decisions intelligently.
For example, if they want to buy a brand new laptop for the working range between 60,000 to 1,00,000+ range, they will take 5 to 10 days to make the buying decision. It’s because before investing that much amount they want to understand every aspect of this case. They will watch their selected Laptop reviews on the YouTube, Blog. They compare prices offline and online. They see delivery services. They compare 2-3 companies’ laptops. And also they see the innovative features. After they trust the laptop brand and its features, they will buy it. They can do it online or they can do it offline. It’s all about their trust in the brand and website.
And this trust is created by laptop brands and sellers through online advertising by using search engine ads, display advertising, video advertising and paid reviews, and even paid ratings. To be successful in building trust, they have used attractive models/celebrities in the advertising, they have used big fonts, enchanting content and pricing strategies, and everything that is important in online marketing to generate more sales.
In this way, the customer is confident after analysis to spend 60 to 100000 rupees. And they feel secure investing to buy the best laptop.
Related: Importance of Blogging in our daily life
6. Availability of communication channels:
Effective communication is the number one method in online marketing to grow sales and promote business online. And it’s possible through many things by doing online marketing.
For example, using chat/click to call/community form/customer support etc. options on the business website, google my business listing and Facebook business page is the most convenient way for customers. It’s’ a part of online marketing strategy. But it helps customers to communicate regarding products and services. They can ask questions before and after buying. And customer support can help them in real-time.
For example, if you’re providing business coaching services to the client then providing them the option to communicate with you is the most important part. They can ask the question and you can answer in real-time.
This allows customers to feel satisfied to hire you to coach them in their business. Might be customers hesitant and unconfident to ask questions in an offline meeting. That’s why you need to provide them with confidence and an easy way to answer their questions. And you can do it online.
And this is effective for local, and overseas customers. But if the chatting, community, and faq features are not there on your business coaching services website and social media or you’re not doing marketing online then how can customers connect and communicate with you. How can you become able to help more students?
That’s why online marketing is a way to help more students or people worldwide. And they can use any device and method to communicate with you.
8. Customers can stay in touch with product updates:
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Blog play a big role in online advertising and marketing. If you use any of these mediums for online marketing then it will help customers to keep connected with you for future updates and newer versions of the application.
For example, You’re running an unstitched clothes shop/readymade garments shop online or offline and update your social media pages regularly or whenever you add a new collection to the store website or shop.
It allows customers to keep their personality and appearance trendy and beautiful. But it can be when they see and buy a new range of clothes. And who is that who does not want to look good? That’s why they like the social media pages of brands. You can do the same.
If you advertise and upload the demo of your training seminars on YouTube then it allows your clients to see how effective your training services can be for them. And they subscribe to your channel. And when next time you’re launching the training seminar in their city, they get informed through notification.
If you run a business blog then your customers can subscribe to your free email updates. Getting more subscribers is another online marketing strategy to retain existing & new customers and build long-term relationships with the brand.
Customers, get informational and educational updates whenever you post an article on your business website. For example, if you’re selling flowers, then your blog post about “How to take care of indoor plants” is helpful for them and they got informed through email about it.
etc.
The above examples, showcase the real benefits of online marketing for customers in which they can keep the connection with the brand for future updates, education, and newer version of the products and services so that can achieve their business and personal goals quickly and accurately.
Related: Uses of Email in Business Communication
9. Availability of education:
Online marketing is a way to educate customers. When customers become educated they will contact for the right service, and products. This will increase productivity in business and same time build trust and grow sales. And it’s very beneficial for customers too and that’s why almost all brands and small/mid sizes businesses use YouTube and blogs to educate customers.
For example, Car reviews on YouTube help customers to see which car is best for them.
Another example is that companies use digital marketing methods to hire and attract new talents. And for that they upload “life at …. company” “how we work” and a day in a life …. etc. type of content on YouTube.
The biggest example is Google. Google educates small/mid/sized business owners and digital marketers about how effectively they can use Google Ads such as search engine ads, video advertising, etc. They know that In this online marketing strategy, the more customers get an education about google ads, the better and more they will use to promote their business, product, and services.
And this education is also beneficial for google’s customers to save time, money, and resources and get a high return on online advertising. This is how online marketing is educational and very effective for customers.
10. Personalized digital advertising and marketing content:
Search Engine Ads, Video Ads, Display Advertising, affiliate marketing and sponsored posts and content etc. are personalized. It is targeted. It’s beneficial for customers. Whenever they see an advertisement on the search engine, website, youtube, or Facebook it is very much connected to them. It’s because online marketing allows the business to target a particular category of customers based on their age, interest, location and according to search queries. So that customers can see what they want to see, and get the solutions they are looking for. It not only saves time and money but also provides great brand experiences.
In conclusion, I want to say that, if you’re new to digital marketing then experience online marketing, promotions, and advertising on your own like a customer, and then you will understand how it is effective for you and the people around you.
And if you’re a small/mid-size business owner or running a home-based business then analyze for a minute, how easily and strategically you can change the life of millions of people worldwide, only by moving your business to digital marketing tools, and methods and advertising platforms.
So it’s your turn to participate, Let me know, what do you think?
Found this helpful? Let others know!
I like that you said that digital marketing will help customers stay in touch with product updates. I would imagine that social media would be a great way to advertise to customers since there are so many users every day. I would consider using marketing on social media platforms to get more views and to promote my business if I had one.