Stop relying on theory, go out there and do something
Posted by Sandra Cosser on 21 Nov 2008 | Tagged as: Search Engine News
Sometimes we need an in-depth pseudo-scientific study to prove what we already know. These studies serve a dual purpose: they allow us to feel smug, as we look around and congratulate each other on being ahead of the game, and they provide us with cool facts and stats to throw around at dinner parties and conferences. The latest such study to catch my eye was by Yahoo!, who had a look into the impact of the internet on decision-making, particularly consumer decision-making related to law, property, home improvement, health care and tertiary education.
I confess that I was somewhat disappointed in the results, not on an internet marketing level because the news is all good as far as online opportunities are concerned, but perhaps on a personal level because the study revealed absolutely nothing new. People use the internet and search to help them make decisions. This we know, not because a study told us, but because we do it, on a daily basis. There are very few people these days who don’t use the internet at some point of the decision-making process (I am of course talking about people who have access to computers and the internet, not those struggling to survive in the war torn DRC). My mom is one of them, but my dad makes up for it.
So, what were Yahoo!’s results? In terms of legal services, 62% of consumers use the internet to find a specific kind of attorney. In real estate, word of mouth led 77% of consumers to conduct follow-up research online, while 59% of home owners used the net to find contractors, 63% of whom chose a contractor based on their websites. Websites also played a major role in health care, as, of the 84% who use search to find health care professionals, 71% chose doctors who had websites, as opposed to those who were merely listed online. 92% of prospective students used the internet to find out about college or university courses, as well as the institutions themselves.
Greg Sterling asks, “What does all this mean?”, and goes on to state the obvious (sorry, but it’s true). Consumers are making the most of their online and offline resources to make more informed decisions. We live in an age of information and she who supplies the most comprehensive information, in the most attractive and engaging way, wins. It really is that simple.
An online presence is essential to business – all business – but it’s not enough to just be vaguely there, in cyberspace, you have to maximise (or optimise) the hell out of all online avenues, and, to be honest, you kind of have to enjoy it, you can’t approach it as a chore. People generally set up businesses in fields that they are passionate about and that passion should come through in online ventures.
So, what does all this mean? It means that we are too hung up on redundant studies that provide absolutely no new or exciting information when we should be out there finding things out for ourselves. Trial and error are great educators, and your consumers will appreciate the effort, especially if you keep them informed along the way. Someone once said that hard work is its own reward, I personally thing that that is stretching it a bit, but hard work has other rewards, such as the loyalty of your customers. Go out there and earn it.
