Competition for attention online has never been greater. Customers research, compare, and make buying decisions long before they visit a store or pick up the phone. For this reason, digital marketing for businesses is no longer optional, it is essential.
In this article, I’ll explain why digital marketing matters, the strategies that deliver results, and how one of our clients turned online visibility into measurable growth.
At the end, I’ve shared a simple checklist to get you moving right away.
Why digital marketing matters for businesses
Customers are searching every day for services like yours.
A recent report by McKinsey found that B2C companies that prioritise marketing are three times more likely than those that don’t prioritise it to have greater than 5% revenue growth.
Without a digital presence, you risk losing those potential customers to competitors. Unlike traditional advertising, digital marketing lets you:
- Reach people based on location and intent
- Track which activities generate enquiries
- Compete with larger companies without spending big
Long-term results also speak for themselves. A report from First Page Sage found that professional services recorded a return on investment of between 317% and 1389% from SEO, with campaigns paying for themselves in as little as 5 months.
Get your website in order
Your website is often the first impression a customer has of your business. A site that is clear, quick to load, and structured properly is the foundation for all digital marketing.
One practical step you could take is to create a separate page for each service you provide rather than grouping them all together.
This makes it easier for Google to match your website to specific searches and helps customers find the exact information they need.
When writing service pages:
- Use headings with the service and location
- Keep the language simple and direct
- Include answers to common customer questions
- Add a clear next step such as ‘Book now’ or ‘Request a quote’
Publish great content regularly
Publishing regular content lets you appear in more searches, while showing customers that you really know your field. Blog posts, FAQs, and guides are especially useful.
Try content ideas like these ones:
- ‘How much does [service] cost in [city]?’
- ‘Simple tips to maintain [product] after purchase’
- ‘Do I need professional help with [problem]?’
Good content also gives you the chance to appear in Google Featured Snippets and even in AI-powered search results, placing your business in a prime position above competitors.
Improve the user experience
Even if you attract the right visitors, a poor website experience will send them away. Google also measures how users interact with your site, which influences your rankings.
Specific things you might want to try improving include:
- Speed: aim for a page load time under three seconds (try compressing images to help with this)
- Mobile design: make sure your site works seamlessly on phones
- Navigation: structure pages so key information is two clicks away
- Accessibility: use readable fonts and simple forms
A small lift in user experience can lead to noticeable increases in enquiries.
Gain credibility with backlinks and reviews
Search engines rely on signals of authority. Backlinks from trusted websites and positive customer reviews are two of the strongest signals you can build.
Research from Yext, analysing 8.7 million Google results, found that reviews and review engagement are the single most consistent drivers of visibility in Google’s Local Pack results.
Ways to improve include:
- Asking happy clients to leave reviews on Google and Facebook
- Partnering with complementary businesses for mutual website links
- Listing your business in respected directories such as Yellow Pages or True Local
Digital marketing results in action
Let’s look at Australian internet provider Swoop as a case study.
Swoop wanted to grow their online visibility and attract more plan enquiries. To do this, they created dedicated SEO-focused pages for each nbn® speed tier—nbn® 250, nbn® 500, nbn® 750 and nbn® 1000. Each page was built around the exact keywords customers search for when comparing plans.
They supported these pages with clear internal linking, educational content explaining speed tiers and upgrades, and a steady stream of quality backlinks to build authority.
You can see this in action by looking at one of their nbn® plan pages, like their nbn 1000 plan page, which is structured specifically to target speed-tier keywords and guide customers towards the best plan for their needs.
The results were impressive:
- Organic traffic increased by up to 231%
- Organic conversions increased by up to 322%
- Swoop began ranking in top positions for multiple high-intent nbn® plan keywords
This shows what happens when digital marketing for businesses is done consistently and strategically.
Digital marketing for businesses is one of the smartest investments you can make. It ensures customers can find you, builds trust in your brand, and creates steady growth without the constant costs of paid ads.
Start with the checklist below and keep at it! Consistent, small improvements add up, and before long, you’ll see stronger visibility and more customer enquiries coming through your website.
Quick-win checklist for digital marketing success
Here are some easy and practical steps you can start with today:
- Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile
- Create service pages with local keywords
- Publish one useful blog post each month
- Ask customers for reviews after a positive experience
- Test your site speed and aim for under three seconds
- Check your site works smoothly on mobile devices
- Build relationships with local partners for backlinks
Author: Marshall Thurlow is Director and Founder of Orion Marketing Pty Ltd. He is a digital marketer with expertise in SEO, website design, content marketing, and project management.
