Are Consumers Getting Smarter?

Digital marketing has evolved to become the fastest and most affordable way to reach consumers throughout the world. A business in Deerfield Beach, Florida can market a new brand of sneakers to people in their 20’s in Tokyo, Japan without having to ever set foot in Japan. It’s amazing what you can do but something has changed in the last couple of years that businesses are becoming more aware of. Consumers are getting smarter.

What does it mean when we say consumers are getting smarter? Let’s start with the example of ad placement. If you focus on Google AdWords to generate leads, you will notice that the top spots are not generating more traffic. In fact, the traffic has gone down along with conversion rates. Why is that? A popular theory is that consumers know that the top spot is only the top spot because they are paying to be there. It doesn’t mean that it’s the best company to buy from, so they keep going with the search to find the company that provides the right service or product.

Another example is with email and social media marketing. Years ago, you could use these services to reach consumers and were almost guaranteed sales. Now, you will get quality traffic, but the promise of sales cannot be included. So, what changed? For starters, consumers are getting more emails and social ads than ever before, so they are more selective of what they respond to. Another thing is that once they visit your site, there’s a good chance that they will head back to Google to research your business before they buy from you.

Consumers understand that there’s a good chance that you have a competitor that offers the same products or services at a lower price. They want variety and they will take the time to look for it. So, as you start to send out campaigns for upcoming promotions, focusing on getting more sales in, remember that you are facing more challenges when it comes to not just reaching the consumer, but getting them to respond.