When it comes to digital marketing there are things you should 100% definitely do and things you should avoid like a piece of computer malware. Digital marketing is essential to your business’s success in 2019. You need it. Whether it’s a beautiful minimalistic website selling your products or a highly engaging email campaign building a solid customer relationship.
However, there are some practices within digital marketing that you will want to stay well clear of as to not annoy your potential/loyal customers, seem invasive in any way or abusive. Not all digital marketing techniques are good techniques.
This article looks at 7 things you should not do with digital marketing in a bid to help you keep your customers coming back, build your brand and maintain trust in your product and business.
Modern business is all about trust between the company and the consumer. It’s imperative to safeguard that trust and build on it.
1) Spammy Website
Is there anything worse than landing on a spammy business website? To be suddenly inundated with ‘sign up to our newsletter’ pop-ups, adverts bouncing around the screen, videos auto-playing, poor navigation and just a generally cluttered and clunky website. Within seconds, your visitors are going to run a mile away straight to your competitors who conveniently rank just below you on Google.
Your landing page is like the front of your shop on the high street. If it looks dated, too busy and uninviting then people will walk straight on by and bounce.
2) Invasive Marketing
Marketing is essential for your business to grow but it must be subtle. Nobody likes waking up to find 23 emails from you on a Monday morning. Equally, they don’t want a new ‘salesy’ email every day at 1 pm during their precious lunchtime.
Avoid too many pop-ups on your website that require long and drawn out sign up processes. If you want people to sign up for your awesome newsletter then simply ask for a name and email address. Make sure those pop-ups are easy to minimize too. Forcing your customers to spend more than 5 seconds looking for the X will put them off.
3) Fake Reviews
Just don’t do it. It’s obvious and you’re not fooling anyone. If your company has genuine reviews you want people to see, you have to be willing to let them see the average and bad ones too. Responding to the average and bad reviews in a professional manner can build invaluable trust.
If you use fake reviews on your website or on Amazon you are shooting yourself and your business in the foot.
4) Forgetting Mobile Users
People use their mobiles relentlessly. In fact, a 2016 report in the USA showed that over 36 million people used their mobile devices exclusively for web access. It’s believed that 15% of the population of people with web access only use mobile devices.
Failing to adapt your website, digital marketing, and digital advertising to mobile devices is a bad idea. You should make sure your website is clear and functions properly on all mobile devices including tablets.
5) Buying Email Lists
Imagine if you found out that your friend gave your details to a company that then started to personally target you to sell their services or product. You wouldn’t be too happy about it but this is what companies do every day. They sell lists containing the random emails of people they have collected and sell them to other businesses like yours. It’s a bad idea and you should not partake.
Your company will ultimately be seen as spammy because that person doesn’t know your business so how did you get their email address? In their eyes, your spam!
6) Unwanted SMS Messaging
Mobile marketing using SMS can be useful if done correctly but it usually feels way too spammy and you will likely drive people away. SMS’s can be too invasive and most people don’t want to hear from you directly unless they requested it first.
7) Lack of Engagement Online
In today’s world of instant gratification, people have stopped doing research and prefer it if you come to them. You may have noticed many companies now religiously keep in contact with their customers via instant chat on their website, social media or quick email replies.
This communication is essential for your business. Customers love it. It saves them time, gives them instant access to the information they want and if dealt with by a friendly and professional member of your team they are much more likely to come back and use your business in the future.
Need some help with your digital marketing?
You can contact our team at Pivotal New Media to assist you with any digital marketing or digital advertising queries. If you feel like it’s time to step up your digital game then get in contact and we can work with you towards the most suitable plan for your business.
Pivotal New Media offer their clients a range of digital marketing services including:
- Digital marketing audits
- Social media marketing
- Search engine marketing (SEO)
- Email marketing
- Content marketing
