I was enjoying a coffee recently, whilst listening to the radio, when an advertisement came on for a company selling Japanese homeware and decor, which my partner is very fond of. So I decided to have a look online to see some of their products on her behalf and was very disappointed to find that there was no website for this company... Which resulted in me immediately losing interest. Because I couldn't have a sample look at their products, I no longer had the slightest intention to make the drive to the store.
This is a common story, especially amongst Millennials, such as myself, as access to a companys' products are usually now only a click away. I didn't want to have to drive all the way to Ellerslie to risk turning up to a run down warehouse full of rubbish or overpriced goods, so I decided to leave it at that. After a day or two, I couldn't even remember the company's name and certainly not its address.
What shocked me most was that the company was willing to spend it's money on a sub-par radio advertisement before building a website. As a marketing student I learnt the power of advertising and its potential but with our busy schedules and all the constant ad clutter, a simple message over the radio is definitely not going to cut it anymore. The second stage of the consumer decision making process is the information stage, where we gain information on potential company's products and the majority of this stage is now done online. Without easy access to information the process breaks down very early on.
A short, very unmemorable radio ad without access to further information gained from a website is destined to be ineffective. A website is essential in giving people 24/7 access to your store without leaving their living room and is therefore key in utlimately getting people coming through any type of businesses doors. A website is a non-stop marketing tool that can help boost sales for any business and now has far more potenital than any traditional advertising methods.