In the third quarter of 2019, we surveyed 100 respondents from various walks of life regarding their purchasing habits and how they determine from whom they will buy the products they need. What we learned is traditional marketing is dying, and the phone book is dead. Businesses using the television, newspaper, radio, billboards, and the phone book to advertise are often throwing their marketing money away. We also found that companies can make the most of their budgets by turning the majority of their resources to digital marketing.
In this article, we are going to share some of the key findings of our survey and how your business can benefit from the proven ROI of inbound marketing strategies and quality search engine optimization.
Who We Surveyed
We surveyed 100 people of varying ages and situations. Our respondents represented five generations:
- Baby Boomers (1946-1964) | 56% of respondents: Boomers may have grown up writing letters and making phone calls; however, they are typically now fluent in technology and use cell phones and tablets.
- Generation X (1965-1977) | 6% of respondents: Generation Xers are well-educated, and technology has a prominent place in their lives.
- Xennials (1978-1984) | 13% of respondents: Xennials do not quite fit in with Generation X or Millennials, though they share characteristics with both. Sometimes called the Oregon Trail Generation, Xennials were generally first to grow up with computers in their homes, but often did not get their first cell phones till they were in their 20s.
- Millennials (1985-1996) | 25% of respondents: Millennials were very young when the internet first entered their homes. They may not remember a time without it; however, they do remember the slower dial-up versions. Millennials are immune to most traditional marketing, trusting referrals from friends over brand-loyalty.
- Generation Z (1997-2012) | 13% of respondents: Generation Z does not remember a time without the internet, often without high-speed internet. They not only use the internet for productivity, but they also use it for connection and relationships.
What They Said
With a healthy diversity of ages and life-stages, we learned a lot about how people interact with traditional and modern marketing strategies. Some of the key data include:
- 69% of all respondents perform internet searches more than 6 times per day, with 96% of those searches utilizing Google.
- Only 18% of respondents said they might contact a company based solely on a billboard advertisement.
- 46% said they would not contact them at all.
- 34% said they might research the company after seeing their billboard
- Almost half of all respondents said they would not contact a company based on a newspaper advertisement. 25% said they might research that company.
- 11% of all respondents do not even see television ads because they are not using cable and television services.
- 57% of respondents would either research or just avoid a company based on a television commercial.
- Internet advertisements performed better than any others. 56% of respondents said that they might respond to an internet ad, while 29% said they would go on to research the company.
- 89% of respondents said they would not use the Yellow Pages at all.
- Of the 11% that would use the phone book, most would only use it a few times each year.
- 70% of all buying decisions are made before customers even contact a company.
What We Learned
We have learned that the best use of a company’s advertising dollars is providing the tools for consumers to research their products. If they are not going to call you based on your television, radio, or phone book ads, they need to be able to find you on Google. Here’s the short of what that means you need:
- A well-designed and developed website
- Search engine optimized content (content that Google can recognize and match with its users)
- Clean, honest, and compelling information positioning you as the subject matter expert in your industry
- Help telling your story from digital marketing experts
In addition to designing and developing websites, we help businesses optimize their websites for Google searches so that your potential clients and customers can find you when they do their research. Contact us to learn more about how we can help your business grow in the digital age.
