Word Of Mouth Vs. Online Channels for new customer leads

“Why do I need to market my Business online, I get on by word of mouth ?"

Data from the businesses that we support in marketing, shows very clearly that there is almost an even split between customers finding them online specifically ( Using the exact business name like ABC Dentist ) and the other half finding them by service category ( Dentist near me ).

Business owners are certain that their customers come to them via referrals, because they have not seen the data on word-of-mouth advertising. ABC Dentist is the chosen one because it was referred by their friend or specialist and evaluating any other choices is not needed. Little do they realize that 91% of online adults ( 1 ) use search engines to find information on the web for credentials and authenticity before they even make the call to the business.

This graph shows marketing channels most effective for customer acquisition according to small-to-medium businesses (2) . It was found that only 28 percent of respondents had quoted word of mouth as the most effective tactic generating leads and bringing in new customers. Online channels like Search Engine Optimization, Mobile Marketing, Email Marketing, Online Local Directories and Pay Per Click advertising are considered as more effective marketing channels.

Sources for data are as follows

(1) https://www.pewinternet.org/2012/03/09/main-findings-11/

(2) www.statista.com/statistics/380720/most-effective-marketing-channels-according-to-smbs/