While still important, a well-swept sidewalk, a clean entry and an attractive window display are no longer the first impressions that a majority of your potential customers learn about your business: it’s your website and online presence.
My husband and I were preparing for a little weekend getaway, and like a lot of travellers, we researched a few places online.
Fact: 60% of consumers initiate online research via a search engine rather than visiting a specific website. [1]
Takeaway: Your business needs to be “good on Google” and other search engines.
We were looking for a fun place near our hotel to have a few drinks and enjoy a couple of appetizers. We found two places that appeared to have the vibe we were after.
Fact: 85% of consumers research online before making a purchase decision. [2]
Takeaway: Your business needs a good online presence.
Place One:
Had a mobile friendly website.
Fact: 58% of online research is done on a mobile device. [3]
Takeaway: Your website needs to be mobile-friendly.
Had a recently updated website, based on sporting events and other local happenings.
Fact: Search engines give preference to regularly updated websites. From the homepage, 86% of consumers want to see product and services information. [4]
Takeaway: Your website needs to be regularly optimized.
Their social media was a mix of promotions, fun photos of staff and customers and great images of their food and drinks.
Fact: 71% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on a social media reference. [5]
Takeaway: Your business needs a good social media presence.
Although there were some not so great reviews, all reviews were responded to in a polite manner.
Fact: Approximately 85% of consumers who use the Internet read business or product reviews when making a purchase decision. [6]
Takeaway: Your business needs to monitor, respond to and act upon online reviews.
Place Two:
- Did not have a mobile-friendly website, so it made navigating the site challenging and difficult to read.
- Had a promotion for SuperBowl on the first page of their website… it was August… SuperBowl is in February.
- Their social media was sporadic and outdated. The images used for food items were general stock photos.
- There were many reviews, good and not-so-good, but none were responded to.
Perhaps you can guess which place we chose.
If you’d like a complimentary review of your business’s online presence, please visit this recently updated web page!
[1] https://www.retailingtoday.com/article/study-81-research-online-making-big-purchases
[2] https://newsroom.synchronyfinancial.com/document-library/fifth-annual-major-purchase-consumer-study
[3] https://www.cmo.com/adobe-digital-insights/articles/2017/6/28/smartphone-finds-favour-but-mobile-experiences-often-fail-to-impress.html#gs.wt_6sDY
[4] ttp://www.komarketingassociates.com/files/b2b-web-usability-report-2015.pdf
[5] https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/30239/71-more-likely-to-purchase-based-on-social-media-referrals-infographic.aspx
[6] https://searchengineland.com/2013-study-79-of-consumers-trust-online-reviews-as-much-as-personal-recommendations-164565
