In this article, I will share a digital transformation experience during my work at the digital marketing agency, Hostswt. I will explain the importance of CEOs, General Managers, or Business Owners receiving training in Digital Marketing.

Initial Situation

A multinational technology hardware company in Colombia contacted us: They had been financially supporting digital strategies for their distributors for several years without obtaining results. It was a complex case because we had to investigate what had been happening or how those funds were managed previously.

Situation analysis

• We detected a high level of digital ignorance at the Managerial level in this market niche. The day-to-day work consumes all working time, leaving no time to think strategically or for training.
• Internal personnel were poorly qualified for digital activities, or alternatively, more qualified companies lacked clear directives.
• Meetings at the level of Digital Strategies where management or business owners were informed about what would be done, without a counterweight who had the knowledge to debate strategies, define or request other KPIs, for example.

Set Objectives

• Identify the top 15 national Distributors with a digital presence.
• Train General Managers and Business Owners of these Distributors with our Digital Marketing for Managers program.
• Train internal staff with our Digital Marketing for Community Managers program.
• Define KPIs to monitor this program.
• Use the results obtained to demonstrate to Management the importance of looking towards the digital area.

Strategy and results

1. Meetings were coordinated where time requirements and commitment to the investment were explained, and from this point, 15 companies were selected.
2. A complete digital analysis was performed for each one, and each was given a detailed report of everything they were doing correctly and where they had potential improvements.
3. At this point, a Digital Marketing for Managers training program began. They were taught key terms, strategies, the importance of digital planning, sales funnel, definition of KPIs (importance and meaning of each), control of digital investment budgets. Additionally, how to monitor their website’s indexing on the internet, if the SEO was correct, which campaigns were active, and what was the conversion rate of each.
4. The training program for Community Managers began, where they were trained to make all modifications to the website or social networks according to the Marketing for Managers training plan.
5. The defined KPIs were: website indexing, SEO strategy, Sales funnel, and conversion rate to sales.
6. The process with each Distributor lasted approximately 2 months, and indicators were followed for the next 9 months. The result was an increase in the digital sales conversion rate, improved positive customer ratings, and increased website visits. At the sales level, the increase made the competition contact us to develop similar strategies with their distributors. It was a total success, but the pandemic arrived, and we couldn’t start with this second technology multinational.

Conclusion

Nowadays, we consider it important for General Management to have basic knowledge of Digital Marketing. This provides them with support to develop high-level conversations with their digital departments or, if it’s an outsourced department, even more reason. It’s necessary to have a digital route and strategy, where every dollar invested is fully substantiated and management indicators can be defined. To achieve this, Management must be able to have high-level conversations and debate strategies and results, given that they are talking about the company’s future permanence.

In this article, I’ll share a digital transformation experience during my work at the digital marketing agency, Hostswt. I’ll explain the importance of developing a comprehensive digital strategy to achieve the set objectives.

Initial situation

Dr. Alvaro Serna approached us because the healthcare provider (EPS) where he had worked for many years closed its doors, and he hadn’t felt the urgency to boost his private practice. At this point, he found himself needing to increase patient visits to his private consultation somehow to balance his income.

Situation analysis

• Dr. Serna’s (a gynecologist-obstetrician) digital presence was non-existent, with neither a website nor social media accounts.
• He had an assistant in his office whom we could train to support the strategy implementation.
• Dr. Serna was available and supportive in achieving the set objectives.
• Competition from other doctors at the digital level.

Set Objectives

1. Urgently develop a simple yet visually appealing website that would generate trust. Develop an SEM and SEO strategy for this website.
2. Create an Instagram account to develop digital campaigns.
3. Position Dr. Serna in the top search results for gynecology in Bogotá, especially in the surroundings of his well-located office.

Strategy and results

1. Upon finalizing the website, we proceeded to generate a keyword map based on collaborative work to define the services he wanted to promote in his practice. These were used to generate an SEO strategy in the articles created and on his website. Aggressive SEM campaigns were launched to start appearing in search engines. The aggressive investment lasted 6 months, and from this month onwards, it began to decrease until maintaining a stable budget.
2. On Instagram, equally aggressive campaigns were developed to attract potential patients.
3. The doctor’s reputation was leveraged to start requesting recommendations and comments on Google My Business (now managed by Google Maps), and patients visiting his office were asked for their support in leaving comments on this platform.
4. After 7 months, the doctor was already appearing on the first page of search results for gynecologists in Bogotá, in addition to being ranked first according to Google My Business. By the 9th month, he was in the top 3 positions for the keywords we had defined.
5. His consultations increased by 70%, with a type of patient that generated less stress for him. This was reflected in his income.

Conclusion

It’s important to have an SEO strategy so that when money is invested in internet advertising, this investment doesn’t disappear. Similarly, it’s necessary to have a budget for SEM to invest in social media or direct traffic to the website. In this case, it was crucial to generate a potential customer flow map to visualize Dr. Serna’s reputation, read comments from other patients, and lead them to write via WhatsApp or call his office to request a medical appointment. A similar comprehensive digital strategy was developed with Dr. Jennifer Hernandez (Pasto, Colombia), obtaining similar results.

Dr. Serna, unfortunately, passed away during the pandemic, being a great human being and leaving a legacy to all who knew him, patients, friends, and family.

The question of whether you need a website to attract more customers to your business doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on several crucial factors: the type of business, your customer profile, sales prices, commercial strategy, profit margins, and whether you offer products or services.

In today’s digital era, there are various alternatives for establishing an online presence. However, this alone doesn’t guarantee an increase in customers, sales, or patients (in the medical sector). It must be accompanied by a robust digital marketing strategy, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), or SEM (Search Engine Marketing).

For instance, for a local business where customers primarily come from your neighborhood or community, and you sell tangible products or services, a portion of your customers might find you online. In this case, Google My Business could be sufficient, supported by a social media presence on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. You’ll be able to display contact numbers, photos, location on Google Maps, products, and even a free landing page. It’s recommended that the setup of Google My Business be done by an experienced person or by following online tutorials. Additionally, an SEM strategy could be beneficial.

On the other hand, if your business extends beyond the local scope and offers digital services, it’s highly likely that you’ll need a website (after a cost-benefit analysis). If you have a physical office or point of sale, this strategy should be combined with a presence on Google Business for better results. The advantage is that everything is measurable: investment and return on investment.

In conclusion, not all businesses need a website. It’s necessary to analyze each case individually and have a defined strategy before taking a step. This will save money, time, and effort, and will align with expected results. Some businesses can increase their sales with WhatsApp Business, Instagram, or a website. The key is to evaluate and propose the most appropriate particular strategy.

In today’s increasingly dynamic and competitive business landscape, customer evolution is a constant phenomenon. As customers gain access to more information, their profiles become more demanding and sophisticated. Moreover, each new generation of customers brings unique characteristics, underscoring the need for businesses to continually adapt and evolve to remain relevant in the market.

In the digital era, customers have unprecedented access to information about companies and their practices. They can learn about aspects such as environmental commitment, corporate social responsibility, employee treatment, after-sales service, delivery times, and much more, all without physically interacting with the company. This transparency of information plays a crucial role in the modern customer’s purchasing decisions.

In this context, it is essential for businesses to develop robust digital strategies to ensure an effective online presence and adapt to their customers’ changing needs. These strategies must be tailored to each company’s characteristics, regardless of its size or sector. Not all businesses need an e-commerce platform or a presence on every social media channel. The key lies in deeply understanding the market niche, the target customer, and evaluating the available needs and resources to develop a short, medium, and long-term digital strategy.

The recommended digital strategies to implement will depend on the sales volume, revenue, and human resources available in each company. Some digital activities can be managed internally if the team possesses the necessary knowledge and skills. Other areas may require training or hiring external experts.

In this regard, digital consultancies play a pivotal role. During these consultancies, a comprehensive assessment of the company’s current state, needs, and digital objectives is conducted. Personalized strategies are developed, and guidance and training are provided as needed. Digital consultancies are highly effective, offering tangible results from the outset by leveraging existing information and resources within the company.

In conclusion, it is crucial for businesses to approach their digital presence strategically and proactively to adapt to the constant evolution of customer profiles. Accompanied by trained personnel, with a customer-centric focus and a robust digital strategy, companies can take firm steps in the right direction in the current digital environment, thereby avoiding wasted time and resources on ineffective strategies.