Why advertising is so important

Why is advertising so important?

‘Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time' – Henry Ford.

If the marketplace is a jungle, and your business is a tree, advertising is the leaves of that tree, harvesting vital light that filters down through the canopy. If your business is struggling to attract business, the best solution is to advertise.

What are the benefits?

Advertising allows you to reach your customers in new ways, and gain a new market for your products and services. The main advantages are:

• Increasing sales of your products
• Gaining an edge over your competitors
• Managing your business image
• Promoting new products or services
• Building awareness of your business overall

Creating a public image of your business, and building a famous brand, is crucial with all types of advertising. You can read more about building a recognised brand here.

Take control of your public image

Advertising gives your business a voice. By advertising in a consistent and credible manner, you can build trust and confidence in your work. Likewise, existing customers who see your advertising are more likely to return to you. Advertising can result in immediate enquiries, but it also increases long term customer awareness of you, and can yield beneficial returns months and years into the future.

Forms of advertising

There are, according to the internet, 6, 7, 8, 10, or 14 different types of advertising! Every source has a different opinion on how many different forms of advertising there are, and categorising them is a never-ending process. In truth, anything you do that brings attention to your products, services or business in general can be called advertising. Here are some of the most well-known forms in order of age:

Shouting: The first advertising was literally in the form of market traders literally shouting about what they were selling. This form of advertising is probably more than 10,000 years old, and we can still see this in practice every Saturday morning in almost every town centre. Even today, the business that shouts the loudest gets the most trade.

Signage: As market stalls became shops, and commerce became more widely established, it became easier for traders to advertise by displaying a sign with an image associated with the trade, so people who could not read could still access their products easily. Having a distinctive logo or sign that your customers can associate with your brand is still a vital marketing tool. DotGO offer a logo design service alongside their websites.

Posters: There is evidence of posters being used in ancient Egypt, in the form of papyrus leaflets. Paintings on walls, and artwork advertised everything from confectionary to sewing needles. Poster advertising is now commonplace on public transport, and in areas of high traffic, where they will be seen by many pairs of eyes.

Print: Pamphlets and leaflets and adverts in local newspapers are a staple of the takeaway industry, and small businesses such as gardeners, handymen, mechanics, and mobile beauticians, among many others. Even in the digital age, printed sales brochures, business cards, and circulars are a vital component of the advertising world.

Radio and Television: Television in particular has become one of the most powerful forms of advertising over the last 70 years. Many TV adverts have become iconic in their own right, with their catchphrases and imagery entering public discourse and language.

Digital: There are now hundreds of places online where you can advertise your brand and products. Indeed, Google is the world's largest advertising platform, with pay per click searches, and their related businesses like YouTube allowing creators to monetise videos by allowing adverts before their clips.

Websites: With websites, the art of advertising comes together, combining visual imagery, written content, and a recognisable logo in one package. A website can host videos, and gives you the versatility to change your message instantly according to your wishes. This makes it distinct from print, and even televised and digital media, where creating a new campaign takes time and expense.

If you are interested in building a website, speak to a representative at DotGO here.

A website is one of the few forms of advertising that is not intrusive

With most other advertising, the potential customer is distracted away from their everyday life by an advert. They may be interrupted while watching TV or a YouTube video, or have an advert suddenly appear in front of them while they are waiting for a train. One of the main criticisms of advertising is that it is invasive clutter. With a website, the consumer has come to you directly to look at your business. They want to be there.

How our websites help

Once they are there, the quality of the website is all important. Having the right images, the right content, and reassuring the consumer that they are in safe hands with you is crucial. With DotGO, you have the advantage of our experience of 20 years in website design, and thousands of quality websites under our belts too. Our websites are designed to catch your viewer's attention and move them towards contacting you directly, purchasing your products, or saving your number in their phone.

Designed to be found

Our websites are also designed to be found by people looking for the services that you offer. We are here to help you help your potential customers. We will write and build your website in such a way that the website has the best possible chance of being found online by clients interested in your services or products, in the location that you serve.