The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing Services for Businesses of All Sizes

Digital marketing is the new normal for businesses around the world. However, many small business owners can still not define digital marketing in a way relevant to their brand. This is understandable since many buzzwords surrounding digital marketing services seem unnecessarily complicated. The truth is that the primary concepts of digital marketing are highly practical, and the best digital marketing techniques are often the simplest.

In a recent survey, it was found that 63% of small business owners in the United States alone used digital marketing solutions in their marketing efforts. By incorporating the most effective digital strategies into your overall marketing campaign, you can gain an edge over the competition and optimise your marketing budget.

SEE ALSO: How are Digital Marketing Campaigns Different from Traditional Offline Campaigns

Why Digital Marketing Services Matter

According to a Red Website Design and CJG Digital Marketing infographic, 80% of all customers use the Internet to find the information they need when purchasing. Businesses that use digital marketing techniques have conversion rates that are 24% higher than those that don’t. These figures demonstrate the importance of incorporating digital marketing into your budget immediately. We’ve covered this in more detail in our SEO guide.

One of the greatest benefits of digital marketing is that it allows you to stretch your advertising dollars further. Because digital marketing is easier to measure through basic metrics and software solutions, you can analyse whether your online campaigns translate to real sales. Change or abandon underperforming campaigns and focus on those that help you connect best with your customers. Digital strategies can improve your return on investment for marketing efforts by 300%.

Popular Digital Marketing Services

There are a variety of digital marketing techniques out there, but a few of the most popular include:

1. Search Engine Optimisation:

SEO is the process of optimising the content on your site to drive free or organic traffic through higher rankings in search engine results. In other words, through the use of naturally integrated keywords and high-quality, well-organised page content, you can help people who are searching for keywords relevant to your brand find your goods and services.

It involves optimizing website content, technical elements and link building to improve rankings on search engines like Google. This increases organic traffic and visibility.

2. Content Creation:

Content is king” has become a saying in the digital marketing industry, and for good reason. Generating a steady stream of high-quality content is the best way to incorporate relevant keywords into your online marketing efforts. Well-researched content also helps you stand out as an authoritative resource in your business niche.

Content Marketing – involves creating insightful and engaging content like blogs, infographics and videos to attract and convert audiences.

Social Media Marketing – focuses on organic and paid strategies to increase brand awareness, engagement and sales on social platforms.

3. Pay-Per-Click Marketing:

PPC marketing is a term that describes paying each time an end-user clicks on one of your advertisements. Most PPC advertisements can be found on search engine results pages as these pages are highly targeted towards users already searching for information in a given niche.

Refers to paid advertising on search engines, as well as platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. It helps generate focused traffic and leads.

 4. Email Marketing Campaigns:

Email marketing campaigns are among the most effective ways to build a devoted customer base. Opt-in campaigns allow users to sign up for regular updates when your business offers a sales promotion or has exciting new digital content to give away.

Utilizes email campaigns, automation and nurturing to connect with customers and prospects.

Web Analytics – provides data and insights on all marketing efforts through tracking KPIs and metrics. Ensures maximum ROI.

Marketing Automation – streamlines lead generation and sales processes through customized journeys and workflows.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) – improves website conversions by testing and optimizing elements like copy, design and calls-to-action.

5. Search Engine Marketing:

Like SEO, SEM uses placement in search engine results to generate attention for your brand or website. Paid advertisements are some of the most common means used to boost your SEM efforts.

While there are many more digital marketing techniques, these are the most common. Digital marketing is a highly effective way to promote your business. Digital consumers are typically eager to buy or obtain information on a specific topic, meaning they are already far along in the sales funnel.

Mobile Marketing

When trying to define digital marketing, it is important to remember to take mobile marketing into account. While desktop advertising was once the only thing digital marketers had to worry about, mobile marketing is quickly taking over. It is estimated that a staggering 80% of all Internet users own at least one smartphone. Still, those same users expect different things from digital marketing campaigns depending on which device they use at a given time.

Mobile users take their smartphones out and about with them. From comparison shopping to researching sales-related topics, mobile consumers demand accessibility and instant access to convert to customers. This means making it easy for these users to purchase when interacting with your brand on a mobile device. Responsive websites are the key to offering high-quality service to your desktop and mobile customers alike.

These sites are designed to adjust depending on the resolution of each mobile device. Without a responsive site, you risk having your text and images skewed. Some software won’t work efficiently on mobile devices at all, which is why many businesses opt to create apps specifically for their customers.

Mobile apps grant you access to a greater segment of your chosen market. A customised app may require an upfront investment, but it comes with the benefit of offering discount codes, on-screen notifications, and shopping cart systems that are tailored to work well on mobile devices. The key to finding success in mobile marketing is to make it as easy as possible for customers to find your site, get the information they need, and make a purchase.

Mobile-specific marketing also makes it easier to reach 36% of Apple mobile subscribers who only read emails on their mobile devices.

Digital marketing is still a new frontier, but business owners worldwide have discovered what a necessity it is. Effective digital marketing techniques allow you to connect with consumers on their chosen devices when they are most primed to convert to buyers. Without incorporating digital marketing into your sales strategy, your products will be unavailable to a growing market segment.

The Power of Local Marketing

Local marketing is the lifeblood of many businesses, and search engine results have become the most effective way to reach local leads. To have the broadest reach possible, your site should be optimised for local search results on mobile and desktop. This means including relevant local keywords naturally in the content of your website, from information pages to helpful blog posts. Maintaining social media profiles on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ can also help you gain visibility in search engine results.

To understand the importance of local focus in a digital marketing strategy, think about the way the average customer goes about solving a problem. If that customer is having car trouble, he will likely conduct an Internet search for car repair shops in his area. The businesses that come up first in those search results are far more likely to get that customer’s business because they are more visible and seen as authoritative and accessible than the other results.

This is especially true in comparison to local businesses that don’t rank in search results at all. No matter how well-established your business is in a physical setting, it pays to have digital marketing working to drive traffic to your website. Depending on the success of your digital marketing efforts, that traffic is then more likely to convert into actual leads and sales.

Digital Marketing Services

Now that you’re familiar with the importance of digital marketing and the benefits it can provide for your business, you may be overwhelmed by the number of digital marketing techniques it takes to succeed. Trial and error is a significant part of the process for business owners who are just getting started in the digital field. For this reason, many business owners decide to outsource their online marketing to a company that is devoted to providing digital marketing services. This allows you to bypass the digital learning curve and begin reaching customers online immediately.

Popular digital marketing services include:

• Content Creation
• Social Media Management
• Search Engine Optimisation Services
• Multimedia Creation
• Website Creation
• SEO-Friendly Coding
• Advisement

If you are still searching for a way to connect with customers online, setting aside time and money for digital marketing is an excellent investment. For business owners who do not have the time or resources to market on their own, working with a digital marketing services company is often the best option. Whether you are just starting or looking to improve your existing marketing strategies, understanding the most common digital marketing solutions will help you increase your sales without significantly increasing your marketing budget.

The best part is that most of these techniques make it easy to track the effectiveness of your digital marketing campaigns, so you can invest only in strategies that work for your brand.

Choosing In-House Marketing vs Digital Agency:

Companies have two main options for digital marketing – handling it in-house or outsourcing it to an agency. Here are some key factors to consider:

In-House Marketing Pros:

• More control and oversight
• Intimate knowledge of business
• Cost savings long-term

In-House Marketing Cons:

• Lack of objective external perspective
• The constant need to stay updated on trends and tactics
• Scalability challenges as business grows

Digital Agency Pros:

• Depth of expertise across disciplines
• More resources and bandwidth
• Full focus on marketing strategy and execution

Digital Agency Cons:

• Loss of control over decision-making
• Potential lack of industry experience
• Higher costs

For most businesses, partnering with a digital agency makes sense initially due to the experience, resources and efficiencies they offer. As the marketing function matures, more responsibilities can be brought in-house.

Key Digital Marketing Services and Benefits:

Now, let’s examine some of the most pivotal digital marketing services and their benefits in more detail:

Search Engine Optimization:

SEO involves optimizing onsite and offsite elements to improve organic rankings and traffic from search engines. According to recent surveys, SEO delivers a 4x higher ROI than other digital marketing channels. Specific SEO techniques include:

• Keyword research – Identify high-potential search terms and optimize content
• On-page optimization – Optimize title tags, URLs, content, etc.
• Technical SEO – Improve site speed, mobile optimization, structured data
• Local SEO – Boost local rankings with schema markup, listings, etc.
• Link building – Earn backlinks from reputable websites to improve domain authority.

Pay Per Click Advertising:

Social Media Marketing:

Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn are where target audiences congregate online. Posting engaging content, running ads and building a community helps:

• Increase brand awareness and impressions
• Drive qualified traffic to your website
• Interact directly with followers to boost engagement
• Promote products and offers through special deals

According to Sprout Social, 97% of consumers discover new products and services on social media.

Content Marketing:

Content marketing utilizes blogs, videos, case studies and other formats to attract and engage customers. According to Demand Metric research, content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing but generates over 3 times as many leads. Benefits include:

• Attract organic search traffic by ranking for valuable long-tail keywords.
• Build trust and credibility by providing educational and useful content
• Nurture leads through targeted content specific to their interests and needs
• Expand brand awareness and establish thought leadership

Email Marketing:

Email enables direct conversations with prospects and customers at scale. Marketers use emails to promote offers and drive re-engagement and purchases. Key tactics include:

• Signup offers or gated content to grow your list
• Behavioural segmentation to send emails based on user actions
• Automated welcome, nurture and cart abandonment flows
• Promotional and seasonal email campaigns

According to Campaign Monitor, email marketing has a median ROI of 122% – 4x higher than other digital marketing channels.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO):

CRO focuses on improving website conversions by testing and optimizing various elements on landing pages and sales funnels. This helps convert more traffic into leads and customers. Common techniques include:

• Landing page copywriting and layout optimization
• Testing calls-to-action, button colours, images etc.
• Personalizing page content for different visitor segments
• Improving page speed and navigation
• Form design and reducing field abandonment

According to Unbounce, CRO can lift conversion rates by 233% and increase revenue by 95% within a year.

Frequently Asked Questions About Digital Marketing Services:

What are the most important digital marketing channels?

The core digital channels that provide the biggest impact are search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, social media marketing, content marketing, and email marketing. Most businesses should focus on these before exploring emerging channels.

What results can I expect from digital marketing services?

It depends on your objectives, but typical metrics digital marketing improves include increased organic traffic, lower cost per lead/sale, higher conversion rates, greater brand awareness and higher revenue growth.

How long does it take to see results from a digital marketing agency?

You can expect to see some initial results within 1-2 months, but it takes 3-6 months for campaigns to optimize and provide maximum results fully. SEO especially takes time to improve rankings.

Should I hire an individual freelancer or a full agency?

A full agency provides access to an entire team of specialists so that you can leverage a range of expertise. Individual freelancers may be more affordable but have capacity limitations.

How much should I budget for professional digital marketing services?

Budget at least $2,500-$5,000 per month for a comprehensive digital marketing program, including services like SEO, PPC, social media ads, content creation, email marketing and more.

Digital Marketing Services Conclusion:

In today’s digital landscape, partnering with a skilled digital marketing agency provides immense advantages for modern businesses. The wide range of services covered in this guide – SEO, PPC, social media, content, email and more – enable companies to increase brand awareness, website traffic leads and sales measurably and cost-effectively.

While handling marketing in-house has some benefits, most businesses need the expertise, resources and bandwidth that a top digital marketing agency provides. From granular technical optimizations to campaign management and strategic support, an agency becomes an invaluable ally in digital growth and success.

Businesses that invest wisely in professional digital marketing services experience accelerated growth and quickly recoup their investment through higher profits. Those who wait to adopt digital risk falling behind competitors in reaching and converting modern consumers. Use this guide to focus your digital marketing efforts for maximum impact.