ROI on digital marketing doesn`t come only online
ROI on digital marketing may be greater than currently appraised, if marketers fail to measure its effect on delayed and offline purchases beyond the metric of immediate click-through on online ads. That’s among the findings of DoubleClick Inc.’s fourth annual Touchpoints survey.
The survey of more than 6,000 Internet users, which gathered the data in July, examined how consumers first learn about products and services, how they deepen that understanding, and which factors most influenced purchase decisions. Consumers were surveyed about online and offline purchases in fifteen categories over the previous year, including apparel, consumer electronics, housewares and furniture, consumer packaged goods, automotive, and other products and services.
The survey determined that consumers are more likely to “view through” an online ad than click on one. A “view through” occurs when a consumer visits an advertised web site after seeing an online ad, but navigates there directly rather than clicking on the ad to get to the site. That visit might occur immediately after seeing the ad, or it might occur weeks later. Specifically, respondents were twice as likely to notice an ad, not click on it, and then visit the advertised site—behavior reported by 61% of those surveyed—as they were to click on a banner ad to reach a site—behavior reported by 30%.
Even more—67%—said they sometimes see a web site and then later go to check out the product in a store. “In light of these results, marketers should ensure they are measuring view-through metrics and incorporating them in their ROI calculations,” according to DoubleClick.
Across all product and service categories in this year`s survey, 18% of those surveyed said they were most influenced in their decision to buy a product or service by online research. This exceeds the number who cited seeing the product or service offering in a store, 15%; and word of mouth, 14%.
The survey also found that online videos are getting consumers` attention. 43% of those surveyed reported watching video online, ranking it tops on a list of emerging media activities included in the survey—a position it shared with the number of those surveyed who send text messages on cell phones. Online video is more popular than the use of portable MP3 players, cited by 38% of those surveyed.
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