Launching a business, promoting it and delivering services online is now tougher than back on the days when the options were limited and the competition was not so fierce. Growing online is difficult and numerous strategies are implemented to meet the fast changing requirements and challenges.
With such a growing demand for strategies, diversity had to come in place as well. Depending on the business, on the needs and on the budget, you can choose what you believe is suited for you.
Tackling Challenges Online
Inbound marketing, notably the search marketing has evolved a lot and we are talking today about two main branches that are used by marketers: SEO and SEM. There is an ongoing debate on whether the SEO or the SEM are greater traffic generators.
While Pay Per Click (PPC), part of the Search Engine Marketing, can prove to be effective for some and wasted money for others, the Search Engine Optimization is more easily accessible and less expensive, but could take too much to generate the desirable traffic. So is there a perfect choice that will guarantee success? The answer is probably not, since there are risks no matter the undertaking because the online world is dynamic and full of surprises.
Even though we can do one without the other, both strategies are interconnected and they have the same desired result: generating traffic that will lead to a growing notoriety, thus to a flourishing business. Since the outcome is similar, the main factor is the means though which you reach it.
However, some people might feel discouraged by the fact that they cannot afford to spend a great amount of money on the online marketing and it is understandable especially for those who are at the beginning of their journey. This could be a drawback because everyone tries to attract visitors to their websites and a great number at once since they don’t have a well-known brand that won its audience already. PPC could get expensive and nerve racking if you invest your budget expecting to have an instant return on investment.
It’s not all about the PPC
PPC could seem like the oasis in the desert but maybe you are not part of that desert. This marketing strategy is not suited for everyone and there are a few reasons that could back the statement.
For example, if you place yourself on the market of services that are already renowned and made a name for themselves, even though they might bid less than you for the same key words, their brand already recommends them and brings traffic to their website. Unless you bring something new in an oversaturated industry the few clicks you paid for, might get you nowhere.
Competing for a good place on Google is like going back to school. Everybody is struggling to get the highest Quality Score because this will influence their visibility and their recognition on the market. However, sometimes it’s a mystery how to get a good score and others will get ahead of you.
There is another situation: when certain key words relevant for your website are relevant for many others and the prices will go up as the competition grows. Investing in other strategies, like SEO, could bring benefits because the algorithms used are not the same as for the PPC.
Regardless of your choice the first step should be a thorough analysis of the alternatives and of the competition.