Ignoring online marketing is like opening a business and not telling anyone about it.

These days, many SEO companies offer various ways to increase the online  visibility of businesses however just a few of them go that extra mile to give reasons why this is important. In case you are wondering why online visibility is so important, here are some interesting yet business-oriented facts you should consider:

1.The internet has a mega reach. According to global statistical reports, there are approximately 2.4 billion people who use the internet worldwide. This represents a whooping 37.3% of the world’s population. Moreover, about 1.68 billion people use the internet every single day. This figure would have been higher if poverty and the lack of access to internet resources were nonexistent.This means that having your business online gives you a wider reach and much higher visibility than the conventional offline marketing.

2. There is direct engagement between you and your potential customers. Unlike the usual offline advertising/marketing, being visible online means having the opportunity to have a two-way relationship with your potential customers. You can get feedback from them directly, and they can tell you exactly what they want and how they want it. It is even possible to study their behaviour on your website to know which of your products and services they like the most.

3. People can be reminded about your company name and brand. A lot of businesses put up billboards and place adverts on radio, TV, newspapers and in magazines. They mostly do this even though they may not be concentrating on marketing a particular product or service. The point is that they want everyone to know that their company actually exists. This is a means of boosting brand awareness. Name recall is very important for every business, and being online means having your “billboard” seen by several billions of internet users.

Nearly every kind of business is being done online these days. From shopping to booking of flights and hotels. The internet gives you a faster, safer and convenient way of doing business. Many online retail shops and booking platforms have emerged in this age of competitive online marketing. Jumia, Kaymu and Zando represent some of the very successful online retail shops available these days.

Social media is also another fast growing component of online marketing that has become very popular these days. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Youtube are just but a few of these platforms where businesses are excelling. Just place an advert on Facebook or Instagram and instantly you get loads and loads of people liking and seeing the product.

Accommodation is also very essential to every traveller. Whether for business or leisure, every traveller wants a stress-free environment to stay when he is far away from home. Finding the ideal hotel close to your place of interest may be sometimes very challenging and frustrating as you may have to do numerous searches and comparisons. Online hotel booking portals are now a very easy, fast and convenient way to bridge the gap between looking for your ideal hotel and checking in. These portals also offer good rates when bookings are made online as compared to walk-ins.

All these show how important it is to be visible online. There is a significant difference between being visible online and merely having an online presence. It is just like having a store in the busiest part of town and having one far, far away. Which store gets more visits and purchases? Every business needs to be visible online and that’s where online marketers come in. Remember, billions of people use the internet daily and if you’re not using it to your advantage, it’s about time you do so.

About Jovago

Jovago.com is an online hotel booking service with offices in Accra (Ghana),Lagos (Nigeria), Nairobi (Kenya), Dakar (Senegal) founded by Africa Internet Group and has MTN and Millicom as investors. Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 booking portal, facilitates the booking process for its users to provide them with the best hotel booking experience with fast, transparent and easy-to-use services. Jovago.com has over 25,000 local hotel listings across Africa and over 200,000 hotels around the world.