2018 was a year of major shifts. Customer expectations changed, digital marketing kept evolving, and businesses had to adapt fast. So, we asked ourselves: What does it take for businesses to thrive in 2019 and beyond?
- 2018 showed us how quickly things change – customer expectations shifted, and digital marketing evolved, so businesses had to keep up.
- With the right digital strategy, you can attract fresh enquiries and grow your customer base throughout 2019 and beyond.
- The five key building blocks for success are branding, a solid website, driving traffic, improving conversions, and nurturing leads.
- Following these steps in order helps each one build on the next for consistent growth.
- Small, regular updates to your marketing strategy will bring better ROI and long-term success.
For some of you, online marketing supports your brick-and-mortar business model, while for others, like us, you live and breathe in the digital world.
Let’s start with a few stats from the 2018 Telstra Small Business Intelligence Report. Some of these we found really surprising!
Source: 2018 Telstra Small Business Intelligence Report
With the right digital marketing strategy, businesses can enjoy a consistent stream of new enquiries in 2019 and a genuine opportunity to expand among their existing customer base. The important takeaway from the above stats is that if you are feeling behind the curve, you are not alone.
So, to help you get started on your 2019 digital journey, we have compiled what we believe are the 5 key ‘building blocks’ to create a successful online ecosystem:
- Branding
- Website or Landing Page
- Traffic
- Conversion Rate Optimisation
- Nurturing
If you can establish and keep focusing on these five elements, you won’t just create a steady stream of customers and revenue—you’ll also put yourself in the best position to hit your 2019 growth goals. But for these building blocks to work their magic, it’s important to follow them in order. Each step builds on the last, shaping what comes next.
1. Branding 🎨
First things first, think about your brand. For many businesses, ‘brand’ just means a logo and a few values. But to really succeed, you need to dig a bit deeper. Ask yourself, does your current branding show your business in a genuine and engaging way? Is your messaging consistent and connecting with the people you’re trying to reach? If not, it might be time to take a step back and reassess.
Your brand is usually the first impression potential customers have of your business, so before moving forward, it’s important to have a clear and consistent brand strategy. This includes defining your mission, messaging, voice, pricing, logo, and tagline. After all, what’s the point of having a website if you can’t confidently present your brand in a way that aligns with the service and delivery you offer?
A great starting point is to ask your customers one simple question—how do they “feel” about your brand? Building a strong brand leads to loyal customers and helps you stand out in a crowded market. A solid brand doesn’t just drive sales; it encourages word-of-mouth referrals, creates a sense of pride within your team, and most importantly, forms a real connection with your customers.
2. Website/Landing Page 💻
Once you’ve got a clear, defined brand, the next step is to focus on your website (or landing page). For most customers, the website is usually the first place they go when checking out potential companies. This is your opportunity to showcase your brand and values, giving customers a real sense of who you are and what they can expect when they engage with your business.
As you work on building your digital footprint, there are a few questions worth asking yourself. For instance, does your site give users the right info in a way that encourages action? Is it easy to use on all devices? And is there a clear call to action? Your site should do more than just give an overview of your business—it’s your chance to connect with potential customers and make the most of every opportunity.
Remember, your website doesn’t need to be “perfect” from the get-go (because that doesn’t really exist!). Even a simple one-page site can help you go from unknown to discoverable. The key is telling each visitor their own story—providing information that matters to them in the right order and making it easy for them to take the next step.
3. Website Traffic 🚦
Excite Media began as a web design agency, creating great-looking websites tailored to our clients’ needs. Over time, we realised these sites were like a shiny new car sitting in the driveway—it needed fuel, registration, maintenance, and, most importantly, a driver. So, we brought in specialists who focus on building traffic. The most common question we get now is: which approach is better—SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) or PPC (Pay-Per-Click Advertising)?
Using paid channels like Google Ads or Facebook Ads offers the benefit of a quick ROI—the money you spend on clicks today directly relates to conversions like downloads or leads. The downside is, it’s a hungry beast that needs a steady budget. SEO, on the other hand, brings in free or organic traffic through top-ranking results on popular search engines. Google leads the way here, but it’s a tough master, requiring a long-term investment in both on-page and off-page efforts.
So, which approach is better? It really depends on your needs, budget, and the marketing landscape—competitors with deep pockets can impact either strategy. Our advice for tackling the traffic challenge is to take a balanced approach. Combine the quick gains of PPC with the long-term benefits of SEO for a strategy that delivers both instant results and sustainable growth.
4. Conversion Rate Optimisation 📈
Once you’ve built a strong brand, created an engaging site, and have a steady stream of traffic, ask yourself—are those visitors converting? While having an online ‘brochure’ for your business has its benefits, the real power lies in capturing leads and, even better, customers. The most effective way to do this is through Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO).
Conversion rate optimisation is the process of making careful updates to your site with the goal of improving the number and quality of leads and enquiries. It might surprise you, but something as simple as changing a button colour from orange to green can boost conversions. More significant changes, like updating an image or adjusting the banner’s key message, can lead to even bigger increases (or decreases if it’s not done right!).
As entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk puts it, “The market is the market.” What he means is no matter how great your marketing team’s ideas are, it’s the end user who decides how they’ll engage with your website. So, while you might think a certain site change will boost conversions, the real test is always in the results.
5. Nurturing 🌱
You’ve put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention money!) to get to this point. You’ve defined your brand, built a conversion-focused website, generated traffic, and are getting plenty of opt-ins, leads, and enquiries. It’s been a huge effort to create this first touchpoint, but just as hard and costly as it was to get them in, it’ll be even tougher to watch them leave and never come back!
Not everyone makes a purchase right away. Sometimes, people will visit your site a few times before deciding. That’s why the nurturing step, even though it comes last, is often the most important.
There’s an old advertising rule called the “Rule of 7,” which says people need to see a brand at least seven times before they’ll buy. It was first used in the 1930s in the movie industry, and it still rings true today. With “ad blindness” (people see about 5,000 ads a day now!), that number might actually be even higher. That’s why having ads that grab attention and really speak to your audience is so important. Remember, your branding and messaging are key to cutting through all that noise.
The good news is, thanks to social media remarketing and smart email strategies, it’s easier than ever to get your brand in front of the right customers with the right message seven (or more!) times.
That’s where Step 5 (Nurturing) comes in—it’s all about turning your hard work into real results by converting leads and enquiries into loyal customers. Even better, those customers can become vocal advocates, bringing repeat business and referrals while also increasing the lifetime value of each customer.
Your digital future starts now ✨
It might seem like a lot of work to get through all five steps, but the good news is the benefits can show up pretty quickly. With some thoughtful planning, you’ll start seeing improvements in ROI as you tweak each part of the process.
Marketing doesn’t have an endpoint; it’s a continuous journey. Small, regular updates, whether weekly or monthly, will bring you much more success than trying to overhaul everything every few years. Even little changes to your digital marketing can have a big impact; after all, small hinges swing big doors.
As we kick off the new year with a growing list of business priorities focused on revenue and profit goals, keep those stats in mind and remember that there are still plenty of opportunities for growth in the digital world. Sometimes, the easiest wins are right in front of you..
If you need help building your digital roadmap for 2019, drop us a line and arrange a 30-minute call with one of our digital strategists.
