Tiziani and Whitmyre, Invensys' advertising and marcomm agency, passed along this article in their most recent e-newsletter. I find it interesting and instructive. The survey TechTarget ran was of IT professionals, but I wonder if there is any real difference anymore between buying patterns in automation and IT. Here's TW's take on it. If you want to talk to TW about this kind of marketing services for you, visit http://www.tizinc.com/internet-marketing/email-marketing-consulting.asp.
This is NOT a sponsored blog post...I think they are right on the money, and I think we need to listen to them.
Do B2B Buyers Share Their Contact Information? The Latest Study Says…
When B2B buyers visit your Web site’s landing pages, will they provide their contact information? Our clients frequently ask this question, because many believe registration forms discourage customer engagement. A study of more than 3,000 IT buyers by TechTarget sheds some light on the issue.
The survey identified the top reasons why buyers share their contact information with vendors:
- 85% said they are either very or somewhat willing to provide their contact data when ready to make a purchase
- 82% will share their information if they are familiar with the company
- 72% will provide their contacts in return for expert content.
All of the IT buyers said they used the Internet for researching products and solutions. More than 90% of them admitted they frequently visit a vendor’s Web site after seeing an advertisement of interest. Buyers also said they are equally receptive to offers in branding ads or e-mail, and many indicated a willingness to save the offers for later response.
When landing page visitors perceive that the content offer is of high enough value, our experience confirms they will readily provide their contact information. We’ve seen landing page conversion rates of 30% to 50% with good content and landing page design.
Our e-mail campaign analytics also show that many prospects will save their e-mails up to several weeks after receipt — and then use them to return to the vendor’s Web site.
Finally, the buyer’s receptiveness to sharing contact information with a familiar company demonstrates the importance of brand in the demand generation process. Web landing pages should have a consistent brand promise and presentation and to enhance recognition and engagement.
