Happy New Year, everyone! 2013 may have just arrived, but it’s already preparing to throw obstacles our way. Following an increase of purchases being made through search engine-based queries, social media, mobile apps and direct site transactions, 2013 will be the year of the multichannel consumer.
Recent research from Anametrix found that in 2012 alone, multichannel consumers spent up to 400% more than single-channel consumers. As a result, it’s predicted that in 2013, lead management campaigns integrating four or more digital channels are expected to outperform campaigns using only single or dual channels by 300%.
This can mean big bucks and lots of opportunity for digital savvy brands, unfortunately, many CMOs aren’t up to the challenge. In fact, 65% of CMOs aren’t ready to deal with the growth of channel and device choices, and are intimidated by the task of attempting to adapt. Are you afraid of being overlooked by the multichannel consumer? Here are three steps to help you get on the right track for 2013.
Improve your pay-per-click strategy
A whopping 69% of consumers make purchases through Google, so if you’ve been avoiding the likes of AdWords, now is the time to get acquainted. Sponsored results account for 64.6% of all clicks, and pay-per-click ads are even beneficial to brands who already organically rank high in search results. Check out our pay-per-click guides to get started.
Improve your landing pages
The landing page game isn’t one of creating one perfect page, it’s about creating several, great pages that will help visitors accomplish goals you’ve set out for them. By creating pages that appeal to a variety of potential customers, complete with a call to action and the resources to turn a visitor into a customer, you’ll help improve your pay-per-click strategy while also giving customers exactly what they’re looking for. We’ve developed a quadrant-based system to help determine the perfect landing page for the goals your brand wants to achieve. Check it out here.
Achieve mobile optimization
Not only are consumers making purchases across a variety of platforms, they’re also doing so across a variety of devices. Smartphone and tablet use is growing, and if your site isn’t optimized for mobile use, you’re going to have to contend with unhappy customers. Take the time this year to develop a site that makes it easy for mobile customers to make purchases and navigate the site. Services like DudaMobile have been partnering with the likes of OpenTable and Google to give businesses the incentive to make their sites more mobile friendly. You can also learn more about the ins and outs of mobile marketing here.
