3. Consider the last time you needed a new car, braces for your kids, or even
something as simple as a restaurant for date night. Did you…
Have You Changed?
Search on Google or Bing to see which businesses showed up?
Ask for a recommendation on Facebook?
Check reviews on Yelp, Google+ Local, or another local directory site?
“Like” or follow a business on social media that you were considering?
Compare the websites of a few different businesses to help make your choice?
See a display ad that jogged your memory about a brand you were considering?
Use your mobile phone to search for a phone number or directions to a business
while out and about?
4. The Consumer is in Charge Now
Like it or not, the consumer is now in charge of the buying process, and they
are incredibly well informed. Consider that before ever contacting you they:
Search
They use the Web and
mobile to instantly
research a product or
service anywhere,
anytime.
Surf
They form impressions of
businesses after seeing
their ads, and reviews
and pictures posted by
others.
Socialize
They actively see and
share experiences with
hundreds, even
thousands, of others in
an instant.
5. They Do Their Research Before Buying
Source: Top behaviors before buying according to Google www.zeromomentoftruth.com
7. They Take Their Time
Sample buying journey for
kitchen remodeling
8. How DoYou Reach Consumers?
If you’re not visible online when people are doing their
homework, believe me, they’ll find others who are.
~Jim Lecinski, Managing Director, Google
9. Buying Funnel 101
Advertising & Marketing so that
Prospects DiscoverYou
Describes the marketing & sales process
of turning prospects into customers.
Website & Presence so that
Leads ContactYou
Responsiveness & Follow-up so that
Customers ChooseYou
11. Every tactic cuts down the
entire funnel – for example
consumers see ads at the
beginning, middle and end of
their buying journey
LookingDownintothe
TopoftheFunnel
Are you where consumers search, surf, socialize?
12. It’s a spiral where consumers start and stop the
process over time and are influenced by
many different types of advertising & content at
every stage. Each thing influences the others.
For example:
• Social “Likes” & reviews by consumers increase
your rank on search engines
• Brand advertising increases the likelihood
consumers will click on your search ads
• Fresh pictures and content on your website &
directories increase your conversion rate
The Buying Journey is Complex
It’s Not a
Straight Path
13. You Need a Total Web Presence
Search
Consumers use search engines to find local
products and services.
Are you there when they are ready to buy?
Surf
Consumers surf all over the web for news
and entertainment.
Are you building awareness where they
spend most of their time?
Social
Consumers follow businesses they like and
share their experiences with friends.
Are you listening for mentions of your
business and engaging with fans?
14. Knowing the journey customers take to find you is
essential to make sure you’re in the right places at
the right times with the right messages.
What’sYour Buying Journey?
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15. Know Your Customer
• What’s their gender, age, & income?
• Where do they live: what towns, zip
codes, and radius from my location?
• What other defining characteristics do
they have (hobbies, sports, etc.)?
• Do they think of it as a need or a want?
• Do they see it as a high cost or low cost
purchase?
• Do they buy it quickly (over a few days)
or slowly (over a few months)?
Who is my primary
target consumer?
What do they think about my
types of products or services?
16. Know Your Customer [continued]
How do customers discover me?
• Where do they search online for my types of products and services?
• What words and phrases do they enter into the search bar?
• Do they see me or my competitors when searching, surfing & socializing?
How do customers decide who to contact?
• Where are they going online to research me and my competitors?
• What information do they find about me on those places?
• How well does my website impress visitors and entice them to contact me?
How do customers choose me vs. competitors?
• How quickly does my staff answer inquiries and how well do they sell?
• Am I leveraging advertising and social media to stay top of mind?
• How often do I follow-up with those who are not ready to buy?
17. Low Cost Need
Water Heater Repair
Cindy’s hot water heater is broken so
she has to find a good plumber fast.
She does a quick search on Google
and checks out several plumber
websites that she found via the local
listings and paid search ads that
appeared on the search results page.
She checks their reviews and then
calls to check availability and price.
18. Low Cost Want
Spa Day
Linda wants to treat herself to a spa
day. She’s seen several ads for spas
and recalls some posts by friends on
Facebook, but decides to search
online for top spas in town. She
wants a great experience, so she
checks out several different spa
websites, Facebook pages and Yelp
profiles in order to choose the best
one.
19. High Cost Need
New Car
Dan’s car keeps breaking down and
the repairs are getting costly. He needs
to buy a more reliable ride and has an
idea of the make and model car he
wants to buy after seeing lots of TV ads,
magazine ads, and social media
campaigns. But before making such an
expensive purchase, Dan wants to
thoroughly research car prices and
local dealerships online to make sure
he’s getting the best deal.
20. High Cost Want
Kitchen Remodel
Mary has dreamed of remodeling her
kitchen for nearly a year while waiting for
her bonus. During that time she has seen
many ads for local remodelers while
casually surfing home improvement sites
and magazines. Now she is ready to find
a remodeler to do the job but wants to
make sure she gets a high-quality builder
who will do the job right.
22. Create awareness of your brand as consumers surf the Web
Be seen when consumers search for your types of products or services
Stand out from competitors when consumers research and evaluate you online
Remind consumers of your business as they consider buying from you
Make a good impression when consumers visit your website & local profiles
Spark consumers interest so they contact you and learn more about you
Engage and entertain consumers with content that they share with friends
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
You Need a Total Web Presence to…
23. Get Started
Determine
the buying journey
consumers take for
your products and
services.
Assess
your Web Presence.
Are you reaching
consumers in all the
key places along their
buying journey?
Develop
a plan to build your Web
Presence with advertising,
social media marketing and
a professional website with
fresh content.
24. • Written by our Chief Marketing Officer
• Dives deeper into the consumer buying
journey and how it’s changed
• Includes insights and recommendations
to help you get more customers
GET THE EBOOK
25. Winning the Zero Moment of Truth
Jim Lecinski, Google
http://www.zeromomentoftruth.com
Branding in the Digital Age: You’re Spending your Money in All the Wrong Places
David Edelman, Harvard Business Review
http://hbr.org/2010/12/branding-in-the-digital-age-youre-spending-your-money-in-all-the-wrong-places/ar/1
The Fall of the Purchase Funnel
Dr. Bob Deutsch, Brand Strategy Insider
http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2010/02/the-fall-of-the-purchase-funnel.html
The Consumer Decision Journey
David Court, McKinsey & Company
https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Marketing/Strategy/The_consumer_decision_journey_2373#
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/spContent/charts/code09/CDJ-Base.swf
http://www.mckinsey.com/Client_Service/Marketing_and_sales/Latest_thinking/CDJ/
Winning_the_consumer_decision_journey.aspx
How Ready is Your Organization for the New Social Buyer Persona
Tony Zambito, Social Media Today
http://socialmediatoday.com/tonyzambito/285267/how-ready-your-organization-new-social-buyer-persona
The Purchase Funnel is No More
Robin Grant, We Are Social
http://wearesocial.net/blog/2009/06/purchase-funnel/
Information Sources
< BACK TO PROBLEM
28. Web Presence Plan
1. Determine Target Customers 2. Create Web Presence to Reach Them
Notes de l'éditeur
To understand consumer behavior at the ZMOT Google surveyed 5,000 consumers in 12 categories to see exactly which things influence their decisions.They found that the average consumer uses 10+ sources of info to make a decision BEFORE going to the store (FMOT)What makes a ZMOT? According to Google…It happens online — typically starting with a search on Google, Bing, Yahoo, YouTube or any other search tool or engine.It happens in real time, at any time of the day. More and more, it happens on the go: mobile searches on Google doubled last year.The consumer is in charge, pulling the information he/she wants rather than having it pushed on her by others.It’s emotional. The consumer has a need he/she wants to satisfy, and an emotional investment in finding the best solution. The conversation is multi-way: marketers, friends, strangers, websites and experts all have their say and compete for attention.In summary Google concluded that:The buying decision journey has changed. ZMOT is a vital new addition to the classic three-step process of stimulus, shelf, experience.What was once a message is now a conversation. Shoppers today find and share their own information about products, in their own way, on their own time.Word of mouth is stronger than ever. For the first time in human history, word of mouth is a digitally archived medium.No MOT is too small. If consumers will do research online for houses and health care, they’ll also do it for Band-Aids and ballpoint pens.The MOTs are meeting. Our mobile devices are MOT machines. As mobile usage grows, the zero, first and second moments of truth are converging.
What tactics influence consumers to call you and buy from you? The answer is is ALL of them working together!Whether it is still doing traditional advertising, which works, or focusing on being found in the most important places online [search, local directories, social media, etc.], you still have the same questions every business owner does: Where am I getting my business? What's working? Is my money being wasted or spent wisely?That is what WE doYou have a business to run and online marketing is our business. We have helped literally tens of thousands of small business owners across the US because we know what your consumer is doing, how they have changed, and most importantly, how to help you reach and manage them.Let's discuss ways you are currently driving new customers and managing your existing clients and develop a strategy unique to you
What tactics influence consumers to call you and buy from you? The answer is is ALL of them working together!Whether it is still doing traditional advertising, which works, or focusing on being found in the most important places online [search, local directories, social media, etc.], you still have the same questions every business owner does: Where am I getting my business? What's working? Is my money being wasted or spent wisely?That is what WE doYou have a business to run and online marketing is our business. We have helped literally tens of thousands of small business owners across the US because we know what your consumer is doing, how they have changed, and most importantly, how to help you reach and manage them.Let's discuss ways you are currently driving new customers and managing your existing clients and develop a strategy unique to you
Buying today is a complex series of steps and information inputs, both ones the consumer seeks out and others that they happen upon. Instead of a simple straight path, it’s more like a spiral where they are influenced by over 10 different sources* as they start and stop the process repeatedly until making a final decision.Think about something you’ve bought recently and consider all the information sources you used in making the decision. For me, a good example is trying to find a landscaper for a project at my house. I remembered the name of one company whose truck I had seen in the neighborhood. But I also asked my friends on Facebook who they would recommend. And I did a Google search to identify a couple more potential vendors. That same week I got a postcard from a local landscaper and saw a few ads in our local city guide magazine.Once I had gathered a few names (from Facebook friends, truck signage, organic search results, paid search listings and post cards) I checked them all out online. I reviewed each of their websites, Google Places pages and Facebook pages. Which one had I heard of before (radio, magazine, friends, etc.) and had a positive impression?Which one had pictures and videos showing their work so I could evaluate the quality?Which one had more good reviews and fewer bad reviews? Which one provided some helpful tips and offers on Facebook? The ones with poor websites and no/poor reviews didn’t even make the first cut. And after a good bit of online research I narrowed it down to two landscapers that presented themselves the best across the all the places I checked and then called them to get bids. This whole process took roughly 3 weeks since I got busy at work and started/stopped the research a few times. I think I’m representative of a the typical consumer today. It’s clear that my buying journey was not simple -- it involved a blend of advertising (online and offline), website content, local directories/reviews, and my friends suggestions on Facebook. All of which influenced my decisions as I moved closer to purchase.This is just one example, and of course the consumer buying journey for your product/service will be influenced by the consumer mindset (need or want) and the consumer investment required (low cost or high cost).
So what should you do about all of this?First, you need to research and understand the consumer buying journey for your types of products/services. Do they consider it a need or a want?Do they see it as expensive or low cost?How long do they typically consider the purchase?What types of media do they consume [e.g. moms visit healthy living websites, spend a lot of time on Facebook, search on mobile phones, etc.]?What keywords and phrases do they type into search engines to find your type of business?Where else do they research a local business? [e.g. review sites, city guides, industry sites, etc.]What questions do they typically want to answered [and search for online] prior to buying from you?How many other providers do they typically consider? Who are they in your area?Second, you need to assess your web presence. [Below are just a few of the many questions you need to answer]Search DiscoverySearch your business category online for the words/phrases consumers use. What do you find? Does your website, blog or social profiles appear on the first page? How about your Google Place page?Have you claimed and optimized all the local profiles for your business? [Google Places, Yelp, CitySearch, etc.]If someone searches for your slogan, or key phrases from your radio or TV ads what do they find? When a consumer searches “best [your business category]” do you appear on the results page? When someone searches on their mobile phone and finds you, is your site optimized for mobile viewing? [Google says ~20% of searches are mobile now]ReputationCheck your online reputation by searching Google for:Your [business name]Your [business name] reviewsYour [business name] complaintsHow many links do you occupy on the page?Do the links and information on those sites give an accurate picture of your reputation? Are competitors advertising on the search results page for your business name? [you should consider advertising on your business name to combat this]What is your reputation on the leading online review sites for your city or category?Are you monitoring competitors Web Presence and social media to see what they are doing? [products, offers, events, reviews, etc.]Social Discovery and Brand EngagementDo you have a nicely designed Facebook page rich with pictures, videos, service descriptions, etc.Are you actively posting on Facebook and Tweeting? [or do your profiles have cobwebs?]Are you listening to and engaging with your fans and followers? [people want a personal reply/connection]Are you creating compelling content that they share? [helpful tips, interesting videos, product demos, funny stories, etc.]Are you creating great offers that drive them to buy more from you? [special deals only for Fans, invite only events, customer appreciation coupons, etc.]Are you monitoring social media for potential customers in your area? [e.g. people tweeting to ask for recommendations on plumbers, house remodelers, etc.]ConversionAre you using advertising known as “remarketing” to stay in front of consumers who have left your site and remind them to come back?Does your site follow best practices for converting visitors into leads/customers? [large phone number, compelling offer, mobile optimized, etc.]Do you use video on your site to bring your business/products to life online and drive more calls/emails? [you can also use it on Facebook, YouTube, etc.]Have you considered using a live chat service on your site to pull in more leads from those who would have left without contacting you?Third, you need a strategy to make sure you are in all the places that consumers frequent on their buying journey.At ReachLocal we use a systematic approach to creating a total web presence for our customers. We do this through three strategies that all work together to drive the best results.Buying advertising on search, media and social sites to establish a top position where consumers spend their time and look for businesses [quickest way to get results]Building great content (search optimized) that helps you gain position in organic search results and that gets shared across social networks [takes time to build it into an asset]Converting more people who view your site/content into leads through better business tools and creative [you spend a lot to get them interested so why let them leave]