
Bankruptcies and brick-and-mortar stores closing reached a new record in 2019 with 45 different franchises closing stores. Of those franchises, they closed a total of almost 10,000 stores.
The one thing they all had in common? These stores didn't have a strong enough web presence.
In 2016, about 79% of Americans already shopped online. This statistic has only risen in the years since.
If a store wants to survive in the digital age, then digital sales are the new lifeblood. If your store is unable to convert leads into digital media sales, then it's doomed to go the way of the other 10,000 stores before it.
Let’s dive deeper into why your sales team needs digital sales and marketing skills, and a few ideas on how to start the transition.
Why You Need Digital Sales Skills in 2020
With the introduction of Mobile-First Indexing , it's more important than ever to optimize your website for digital selling. Over 62% of all smartphone owners have made a purchase on their mobile device.
If your business isn’t online or isn’t advertising their product the right way in a digital marketing sales campaign, you’re missing out on a slice of the pie.
The lines between the selling and marketing departments are no longer blurred. These two now need to be one-in-the-same to help drive revenue.
The role of sales has evolved. Information is distributed and consumed differently now. Consumers aren’t interested in a strong sell. Now, sales are driven by content.
If your sales team understands how digital marketing drives digital sales, they'll be better equipped to know their target buyer persona, map out a sales funnel, tailor content, and more.
How to Start With Digital Marketing
When it comes to converting leads to customers, the first step to marketing is knowing your buyer's persona.
If you understand your target customer, you can begin to figure out their pain points. Once you know what your buyer persona is, you can begin crafting content marketing strategies tailored to connect and appeal to their emotions and interests.
Another key step to digital marketing is having your sales funnel mapped out. Every customer is at a different stage in the shopping process. One person might still be researching solutions, while another is comparing products.
Knowing the various steps in a buyer's journey allows marketers to create and deliver custom content.
This custom content must also be relevant and personalized. That's why everything starts with knowing your buyer persona. Once you have this foundation, you can further segment buyers and target certain demographics on various social media platforms.
The Consumers Have the Power
You can't sell the way you used to. This also applies to the buying journey and its different stages. When your sales team is able to leverage digital marketing the right way, they'll adjust their strategy to pinpoint the needs of the customer.
Customers have all the information they need at their fingertips. It's easier than ever to research products and compare them to what companies offer. Digital sales depend on optimization.
Contact us today to get help with your digital marketing and SEO.
Offering the best-in-class digital marketing services and technology solutions to SMB's. We're changing the way digital marketing is done with our technology and service hybrid.