What ROI Can You Expect From Full Service Website Marketing?

Of course, the answers to those questions are different for every organization. However, there is a simple way to calculate exactly what your website marketing must deliver to pay back the investment you put in.

In this article, I’ll show you:

• The easy way to calculate the potential ROI you can expect from website marketing
• How long it it typically takes to see results
• What to look for in a full service website marketing plan

The simple way to calculate ROI for website marketing

There is some simple math (as shown in the following example) that quantifies exactly what it will take to get your money’s worth from your website marketing.

Start with your average purchase amount. Let’s say that’s $8,000.

Next, what’s the cost of your full service website marketing program? Let’s say that’s $75,000 per year.

Dividing your marketing expense by your average sale amount gives you the number of marketing-influenced sales needed to cover the cost of marketing. In this case, it’s about 10 sales.

Next, what’s your average lead-to-close conversion rate for a qualified lead? Let’s say it’s 60 percent.

So, you actually need 17 qualified leads from your website marketing to produce those 10 sales.

That’s the minimum result you need to achieve website marketing ROI: in this example, 17 qualified leads over a period of a year.

Sounds easy. But how long will it take to see results?

How fast can you expect to get results from website marketing?

Full service website marketing takes some time to build website traffic and bring in qualified leads. Minimally, you should begin to see an increase in traffic and some improvement in keyword rankings within 3 to 6 months.

Once you begin to see consistent activity, you will start to see patterns that allow you to predict results. For example, how fast is organic visibility growing? Are you getting quality leads that you can close?

Keep in mind a solid website marketing plan is not a set it and forget it exercise or a magic bullet. It takes time, patience, continuity, and intelligent website marketing strategy.

What can you expect after building success with 18 months of full service website marketing?

Using the example above, bringing in just 15 qualified leads per month (a reasonable goal for many businesses) can bring a return of $864,000 in a year:

Give it a try: Use your own numbers and do this simple math to see how digital marketing services can produce a positive return on investment and consistently benefit your business for years to come.

Learn more: B2B Lead Generation Tactics: Which Bring the Best ROI?

But how can you make that happen? Read on to learn more.

How to achieve ROI with full service website marketing

Website marketing (also known as inbound or digital marketing) is a strategy that attracts people digitally (using the internet) who need and want what you offer. How? By providing them with information that helps them solve problems and make decisions.

These are the critical components for successful website marketing:

1. A buyer focused, optimized website
2. Defined sales & marketing process and qualification criteria
3. A smart content marketing strategy
4. Metrics to track & analyze marketing results

Buyer-focused, optimized website

A buyer focused, optimized website uses buyer persona insights and keyword research to inform the design and development of the site.

Here’s how to evaluate your current website for SEO and user experience:

• Is your site built so the search engines (Google, Bing) see your business as an authority in your field?
• Is the content written and optimized for the phrases your buyers are searching?
• Is the navigation designed based on your buyers needs, wants and purchase habits?
• Does the website match the journey your buyer takes to purchase?

Sales and marketing process & criteria

Clearly defined sales and marketing process and qualification criteria allows for better lead nurturing and personalized attention, contributing to higher conversion rates.

Here’s how to evaluate your process and lead qualification:

• Do you use a CRM?
• Do you have a clear picture of your lead life cycle?
• Have you established deal stages?
• Have you and your sales team discussed and determined together what constitutes a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) and Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)?

Content strategy

Next you need a smart content marketing strategy based on your buyer and what will help them through their decision process.

Here’s how to evaluate your content:

• Are you consistently publishing optimized content that answers the questions your prospects ask and that aligns with each stage of the buyer’s journey?
• Do you have valuable, longer form content that will earn prospects’ trust and help to attract leads?
• Does your content include calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage visitors to engage with your content?
• Do you use landing pages with forms to capture contact details on the more valuable content?
• Are you using marketing automation?
• Are you segmenting your prospects appropriately based on the defined sales and marketing criteria?
• Have you set up automated workflows to nurture interested prospects?

Metrics & analysis

Finally you need a way to track and analyze your efforts which can be done with a number of tools such as marketing automation software, email marketing software, Google analytics, website metrics, etc.

Some of the key things to watch:

• Which channels are the visitors coming from? (Organic, direct, email, social media, etc.)
• Where do you rank in Google search results with the key phrases your buyers are using?
• Which search phrases can you compete for?
• Are people taking you up on your offers by completing landing page forms?
• Are you driving visitors to your website through your social efforts? Which platforms are the most successful?

Ready to get better results from your marketing?

Want to know more about how full service website marketing, or inbound, works to deliver truly interested and qualified leads? Get our helpful Guide to Inbound Marketing that explains the process and what types of businesses can benefit.