Are you ‘Blindfold Marketing’?

Anyone who played “blind man’s bluff” as a child recognizes how difficult locating anything while unable to see the target can be. Stumbling around without the ability to see produces anxiety and stress. Without the visual feedback we get from our eyes, accurate navigation is impossible. Many of us remember the bumps and bruises that came with wandering around with our eyes covered, in search of our goal. When the target is constantly on the move, the task becomes even more daunting. The constantly-changing market is as difficult to pin down as our giggling playmates were to catch during our childhood games. When a shot-in-the-dark approach is taken to marketing, it’s impossible to know whether the target is being reached. Without feedback and measurable confirmation of success, the effort that goes into a marketing campaign is wasted, and the return on the often substantial investment is uncertain at best. Without tracking tools and results analysis, marketing is a giant game of blind man’s bluff, with profits as the prize.

A solid marketing plan must include both projected ROI and measurable goals, as well as analysis tools and expected outcomes. Analysis acts like sonar- bouncing the data back and pinpointing what’s working and what’s not. The web gives marketers a whole new playing field in terms of ability to measure and analyze marketing efforts. With tools like data tracking, surveys, and pay-per-click advertising, it’s easier than ever to track campaigns and measure success in hard numbers. With web marketing tools, tracking and data analysis, it becomes possible to project and measure marketing investments and to accurately determine which types of marketing are most successful for the product and business model. By targeting customers and potential customers with advertising that produces a response, sales increase.

The idea of real-time tracking of customer behaviors is relatively new, but it has provided business owners with a powerful tool which can increase ROI, lower advertising costs, and increase sales and brand recognition. However, compiling data isn’t enough. It’s important to understand what the data means, and how to analyze the numbers and translate them into goals. On-the-fly adjustments to a campaign or website are possible with today’s tracking technology. With the help of a dedicated web marketing team, business owners can enjoy the satisfaction that comes with knowing their marketing campaign is meeting measurable goals and enhancing the success of the business.