The content we've been publishing over the last few weeks has been focused on the path to digitally transforming a business by deploying 21st-century marketing techniques designed for generating new and sustainable sources of web traffic. The competition for web traffic is intense, and a poorly designed site lacking helpful content will neither attract nor sustain traffic.
Furthermore, suppose the content has been created without a foundation of relevant, high-quality market and business intelligence. In that case, it's not likely to achieve the required standard for successful traffic development. Think briefly about the 80%+ of internet users searching or researching for information before buying. If your website is not providing information that may be related to their search, not only is it failing to cater to 80%+ of web traffic, but, more importantly, it's failing to demonstrate you and your business knowledge necessary to be helpful to research buyers. Failing to satisfy the needs of researching buyers means when they are finally ready to buy, they will be doubtful to return to your site to do so.
By investing in high-quality, relevant, and authoritative content, it's possible to build trust and confidence with site visitors. In building trust and confidence, it is far more likely a visitor will return and eventually be converted into a customer.
How much information do small business operators have access to?
In the internet era, as we all know, an infinite amount of information is available, and it's free to access. We are in a period of information overload.
How much market intelligence do small business operators have access to?
Accurate and reliable market information is more difficult to access because it has to be filtered from the vast pool of available information. To sift the data gathered and determine whether it's useful, you have to know the right questions and whether the answers received are accurate.
In other words, information is only information, and it cannot be considered intelligence until verified by someone with sufficient authority and understanding.
How much business intelligence do small business operators have access to?
Applying business intelligence to large amounts of data is very different from gathering and interpreting market intelligence. Usually, it's necessary to use sophisticated algorithms to the data to extract actionable intelligence. Most often, it's beyond the means and capabilities of small business operators to either access the data or develop and apply the algorithms necessary to extract knowledge from such massive data sets.
Although, the term "big data" is increasingly finding its way into the mainstream, as software tools to extract information become more widely available, small business operators must develop a better understanding of the potential value of data, before they can start to take advantage.
What's the difference between market intelligence and business intelligence?
There's a big difference between the two, market intelligence confines itself to data gathering. In contrast, business intelligence uses the data to help develop action plans to exploit its potential.
How much do small and medium size enterprises use business intelligence to improve their online authority?
Because the application of business intelligence is generally outside the capabilities of small businesses, it's usually impossible for them to apply business intelligence to improve their online authority or their value proposition.
How does market intelligence potentially improve online authority, and why is it important?
By investing in trusted sources for market intelligence, a business owner can use the intelligence to demonstrate authority and leadership in its field and then, in turn, develop an engaged and relevant audience. In our online digital era, it's vitally important to demonstrate a position of authority to build trust and confidence in the brand and to develop site traffic to conduct business.
Conclusion:
An online presence must be developed to become a player in and survivor of the modern digital era. To do so, investments must be made in content built upon market and business intelligence pillars. If this can be successfully achieved, then it's possible to develop sustainable web traffic.
In an upcoming blog, we'll relate this business transformation philosophy to the circumstances of a typical small to medium size office products and supplies reseller.