At Green Vine we spend lots of time keeping up to date on studies about what types of marketing work, and what types don’t. So today I thought I should share some of the more interesting findings with you.
Shopping Starts With Google
B2B buyers today are 60% – 90% of the way through their “buying journey” before they reach out to a vendor. (Forrester Research)
In the past when customers had a need they reached out to your sales staff to become more educated on what was available. In other words, when they wanted a car they went to the local dealership to see what was available. Today, however, they research models, compare products, read reviews, and are more than half way done with the shopping process before they show up on the car lot – or before you hear from them! This means that your web presence is critical because of the role it plays in your customers’ initial research.
Looks Still Matter
46.1% of people say a website’s design is the number one criterion for discerning the credibility of the company (Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab)
Your web design is the #1 factor determining your company’s credibility for more than 45% of your potential new customers. And it is a TOP FACTOR in determining your credibility for many, many more prospects. Your customers still judge a book by its cover… it’s just that today the new cover of your company is your website. So make sure you look like an industry leader online.
Modern Relationships Sell More
95% of qualified prospects on your website are there to research and are not yet ready to talk with a sales rep, but as many as 70% will eventually buy from you or one of your competitors. (Lead Generation for the Complex Sale)
People shop online long before they buy… but they are going to buy eventually! In this new world your big question should be “How can I continue to build a relationship with prospects so that – when they are ready to buy – they buy from me?” This process of building relationships with qualified prospects, or nurturing leads, pays big dividends.
Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more sales ready leads at 33% lower cost. (Forrester Research)
Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads. (The Annuitas Group)
To nurture leads, you should have a carefully structured email drip system and lots of social media activity. And to do this efficiently, you need to automate the process with the right marketing tools. Build the right system to make life easy and generate lots of new leads.
