Pay-per-click, or PPC, advertising was once the chosen form of online marketing for marine contractors. As technology and innovation have created waves in the marketing industry, PPC has ebbed and flowed with the tides. PPC vs. inbound marketing has become a popular subject for debate among dock contractors, seawall contractors, and other maritime professionals.
Related Blog: How We Decreased PPC Budget by 50% and Increased Conversion Rate by 700% (Duncan Case Study)
Clicks Don't Count if They Don't Become Customers
In the great PPC vs. inbound marketing debate, people often argue that proper PPC management results in more clicks to companies' sites. While there is truth to that statement, the key is understanding the difference between clicks and leads and customers. People who click on your ad, poke around on your site, then leave forever just cost you money for the advertisement they clicked on. If they do not come back as a customer, you'll have to recoup that cash through other channels. Inbound marketing, on the other hand, focuses on bringing you people who can easily be integrated into your sales funnel from the very beginning, converting leads to loyal customers.
It's Not as Cheap as It Sounds
In theory, only paying for the people who click on your ad is an inexpensive way of operating your marketing campaigns. Coming up with the right campaign can cost a good amount of time and creativity, and clicks are more costly than they were in the days of old. Not to mention, simple human error can hit your wallet and your online reputation.
Consumers Have Learned to Tune Out Online Advertising
People are wise to the game of online advertising these days, and they've learned to subconsciously ignore messages that appear before them. If PPC is your only marketing tactic, you are missing out on people who are readily willfully in search of marine contractors like yourself.
Qualified Leads Like Your Welcome Mat
Unlike PPC, when you facilitate organic traffic, you're inviting people to see what you're all about without paying for each peek at your stuff. Properly constructed inbound marketing content warmly invites potential customers by showcasing your value without limiting the number of invitations you send out.
Contact our team at Nextiny Marketing for your PPC campaign evaluation today. Check out our Duncan Seawall case study to see how inbound marketing helped their business excel.
