Is Your Digital Marketing a Bridge to Nowhere?

There are lots of ways to get people to your website: Digital marketing strategies, such as retargeting, influencer marketing, Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Youtube ads, boosted organic posts, Pay-Per-Click (PPC), Google Adwords...

These are just a few SEO (Search Engine Optimization) vehicles in a large fleet designed to move crowds to your digital digs. Some businesses only need one to drive audiences, while others rely on a whole convoy. With so many online marketing strategies, figuring out how to get them there has become much easier. The challenge now is figuring out What will compel them to stay.

Look, every brand is trying to carve out a share of market awareness. We all crave the same thing: popularity. It only makes sense that ears perk up when a digital marketer sells the idea of $5 into a vehicle to reach 200 leads in return. It's quantifiable and we get excited about the certainty of it all, but is that really true value? In a lot of cases, we find out after the fact that it's not.

Why Your Digital Marketing Efforts Aren't Working

Bon's Eye has talked with many prospects that suddenly realized their digital marketing equation was lopsided and ineffective. In some cases, they had poured upwards of 90 percent of the budget into positioning, leaving only 10 percent to create an experience worth a damn.

Our first question is always, "How did you wind up at this point?" The answer is usually the same. They were sold on the tangibility of SEO lead generation. Someone told them they can increase traffic, and it was a done deal. For months, these brands rode the euphoria of spiked page lands. Each passing week they'd stare into the deep abyss of puffed-up analytics. Lots of traffic, but no steady conversions from visitors to customers. Sales headed in the wrong direction while the website stayed busy. Then one day it dawned on them, "We've built a bridge to nowhere."

They look at their website and see a static wasteland, littered with weak content and void of resonation on any level. There's nothing to influence a reaction... Nothing to call people back for more... Nothing to inspire guests to invite others to the party.

It's Not Too Late To Turn the Digital Marketing Ship

Over the years, we've dissected what makes a website magnetic. We've identified 5 common characteristics. Sticky websites:

• Greet visitors with a clean landing page. They're not too heavy with words, have high-quality aesthetic, are a breeze to explore, and point visitors to specific actions.
• Provide a valuable narrative. The content either informs visitors on something relevant or is outright entertaining.
• Deliver a parting gift. This is sometimes difficult to maintain, but websites that offer takeaways to their visitors immediately boost lasting power. Sign up options for e-books, coupon codes, prizes, etc. help land a second encounter and build audience contacts.
• Give visitors a reason to come back. They offer up quality content that changes regularly. Blogs, vlogs, podcasts all serve as spaces to tell an evolving story.
• Show personality. They show the folks behind the brand – staff, customers, community. People gravitate towards other people... the same goes online.

It's wonderful to be widely seen. In fact, that' a big part of digital marketing, and SEO can help. But just because you have their attention, doesn't mean you have their respect. Websites must be built to constantly compel anticipation and buy-in. The best ones are the last stop on the digital journey – destinations so rich, authentic and relevant, they immediately inspire trust and likeability.