How Long Does It Take to See Online Marketing Results

Online marketing is not an overnight strategy and it takes time to see major results. For many business owners, the lack of immediate results can be discouraging and leaves people wondering if it is even worth the effort. First, it is absolutely worth the effort and because it takes some time to gain traction it is best started now!

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Consistency is key when it comes to SEO. Google looks for fresh content that is relevant to user searches and rewards websites that provide this content. This fact is one of the main reasons a blog is important to your SEO strategy. The consistent new content helps google rank you and helps you rise in the ranks. SEO helps you move up in the search engine results and get more eyes on your website. It can take months to gain traction, but by being consistent you will see results.

Paid Advertising (PPC, Social Media)

Paid online advertising such as google AdWords, display ads and social media ads are the quickest way to get results. Your content is being delivered up by those searching for what you are offering. The level of success you can achieve is dependent on budget, appropriate use of keywords and length of campaigns. If you have never used paid advertising, we recommend that you work with someone with expertise in this area. It will save time, money and a lot of headache!

Email 

Email marketing success is entirely dependent on the quality of your list. Larger numbers of subscribers are not the only measure of success. You can have a huge list of people who never open anything you send and see no results or you can have a small list of engaged people who engage with everything you send. A quality list that is being nurtured will yield the best results. If you already have a list that you have been nurturing then you are likely already seeing some return. If you are starting from scratch, you can expect a 3-6-month delay before you see traction on your efforts.

Social Media

Social media is a long-term strategy. The point of social media platforms is to build community and repertoire with your audience. If you are new to a platform you have to build a following and gain the trust of your community before they start turning into customers. This can take months or even years if you are starting from scratch. If you currently have a following and they engage with you on social platforms you can expect immediate results from your campaigns.

You may be thinking that the moral of this post is internet marketing takes forever! Don’t be discouraged by the time it takes to gain traction. Internet marketing is a long-term investment, but the results tend to snowball and increase with consistency.