Remington BeggIf you think the internet’s influence on the world of marketing has reached it’s limit, you’re wrong. In fact, the internet was the fastest growing U.S. ad medium in 2015, showing a 18.2% growth spurt. Read that statistic again… not the largest ad medium, the fastest growing. Clearly, the digital marketing has yet to reach its full potential. Ad Age recently published its annual Marketing Fact Pack, which served to remind us that the internet’s influence is actually still increasing. And while that may be surprising, it’s not the only statistic 
that was recently released that may blow you away:
#1 Customer Attention Span is Decreasing
This one probably isn’t a big surprise. Based on a study done by Microsoft, consumer's average attention span is eight seconds, dropping four seconds since the year 2000. That’s less than the attention span of a goldfish! What does this mean for your marketing efforts? You have less time than ever before to make an impression and convince them to stay.
#2 People are Doing Their Research
Depending on the product and industry, up to 83% of consumers visit a company's or service provider's website before making a purchase. According to an article by M&R Marketing Group, if someone does not enjoy their experience of your website, you will not establish brand reliability with them. This makes your website, social media presence, and all-around digital footprint more important than ever.
#3 They’re Judging Your Website- Quickly!
How long do you think a first-time visitor takes before they make up their mind about your website? A minute? Ten seconds? Nope, try 50 milliseconds! According to this study, they make up their mind in less than a second whether they like your website or not. And the biggest factor that goes into this is your website’s actual design layout. A full 94% of users’ first impressions are linked to website design, specifically visual appeal and easy navigation.
#4 Mobile is huge
This one definitely shouldn’t be a surprise! Today, 1.2 billion people are accessing the internet from mobile devices, like cellphones and tablets. According to Mobify, if people are online, they are most likely on their phones. A shift towards mobile and away from desktop began several years ago and will progress into 2016 and beyond. This means consumers now expect the same experience on their mobile as on a desktop, instead of a reduced one compared to a desktop.
#5 Quality Content Marketing is Making a Huge Difference
In a recent survey, 51% of companies report that Leads from content marketing are of higher quality than other sources. This type of marketing allows people to find your organically, better grasp the personality of your brand, and then decide more carefully if they relate to it. One way to do produce quality content is by creating a blog, but it’s certainly not the only way.
Inbound marketing’s purpose is to attract new customers and retain current customers by consistently creating relevant and remarkable content, which aligns well with all of these enlightening statistics. It is an ongoing process, not a quick fix. For more information of content marketing and the inbound methodology in general download our free Ebook The Beginner's Guide to Inbound Marketing.
