Digital marketing is playing an increasingly important role in the customer journey. Customers are using digital channels to research products or services and make purchase decisions, and businesses need to be present where their customers are.
A good digital marketing strategy will also help you build relationships with your customers and create a brand identity that customers will remember. Through engaging in content marketing, social media marketing, and providing excellent customer service, you can create a positive customer experience.
How do you incorporate digital marketing into the customer journey?
With various touchpoints throughout the customer journey, online marketing can be used at every stage, from awareness to purchase and beyond. The more times a company is seen during this process, the more likely they are to stay top of mind and build a relationship with the customer. By creating a strong digital marketing strategy, you can ensure that your business is present at every stage.
Awareness
The first stage of the customer journey, awareness, is when customers become aware of a need or want and start to search for solutions. This is where SEO strategies come into play. Search engine optimization is a critical first step of digital marketing, having a large impact on the customer journey. By optimizing your website for relevant keywords, you can ensure that your business shows up in search engines when potential customers are looking for products or services like yours. Search engine marketing brings organic traffic to your website making this a great digital platform to connect with new customers. You can use your website to provide a wide range of information through product or service pages and blog posts.
Consideration
Following awareness, customers enter the consideration stage, where they compare different options and make a decision about what to purchase. This is where a strategic approach to digital marketing can prove effective in turning potential customers into qualified leads. Through the use of digital advertising, especially retargeting ads, keep your company top of mind and easy to find during this phase.
Purchase
Once customers have decided what to purchase, they enter the purchase stage, making the actual purchase. Digital marketing can be used at this stage to provide special offers or discounts to customers to encourage them to purchase from your business. Specific all to actions on various digital marketing platforms like Google Search, your website, social media, channels, etc., will increase your conversion rates and sales.
Retention
After making a purchase, customers enter the post-purchase stages where customer retention becomes a priority. To re-engage with customers your digital strategy needs to include post-purchase digital communications. Email marketing and continued digital advertising give you the opportunity to share new products or services and keep your company top of mind.
Advocacy
Post-Purchase also includes the advocacy stage – the time where they assess their satisfaction with the product or service. This is where customer reviews and testimonials are helpful. By sharing positive customer reviews and testimonials on your website or social media, you can show potential customers that your business is trustworthy and provides high-quality products or services.
Digital marketing plays an important role throughout the customer journey, and it is crucial for businesses to be present at every stage. By optimizing your website for SEO, creating engaging content, and providing excellent customer service, you can create a positive customer experience and build relationships with customers that will last.