An informal Google Analytics study of Website traffic sources for a number of machinery manufacturers revealed the companies running consistent advertising and content marketing programs that blend digital and print media enjoyed serious increases in Website traffic – of course – but more specifically – increases in direct traffic. What’s direct traffic? These are the people who are so interested in learning more about the company and equipment that they skipped the Google search and actually typed the company’s Web address directly into the browser.
Google Analytics excels in tracking people when they click a link to a Website such as a link in a digital ad, at the end of a white paper, in an email blast, in an organic Google search result, or in a paid Google Ads search, for a few examples. But when prospects are so much more interested and already know the company name that they just type the Web address into the browser, Google Analytics labels this traffic with special attribution called direct traffic.
While a portion of online traffic typically gets classified as direct traffic, such as clicks from cached Web pages, clicks from links that are copied and pasted, and clicks from Website redirects, we pay close attention to direct traffic as a critical tool for measuring the impact of offline marketing in driving Website traffic, as well as in building name brand recognition, and creating a lasting impression on potential customers. As skilled B2B marketers, one reason we gravitate towards digital is the ability to track response with some certainty. But just because offline marketing is harder to track doesn’t mean it cannot be tracked and it certainly doesn’t mean it isn’t working to generate serious leads.
Offline Brand Building and Lead Generation
It’s common for the value of exhibiting at trade shows to be judged solely on the number of badges swiped when compared to the considerable investment. But this litmus test fails to account for the direct Website traffic it generates along with the less quantifiable yet equally valuable results in brand building. An impressive booth at the right trade show signals that the company is legitimate, established, and relevant. It reinforces positioning as a top-tier supplier and, as our study suggests, it encourages prospects to check out the Website to learn more.
It’s also common for display advertising, article content marketing, direct mail, and other campaigns that integrate print with digital to be judged solely by the leads tracked through the Website or through a QR code. Direct traffic documents that industrial buyers researching capital equipment purchases, upon receiving direct mail postcards, seeing targeted magazine ads, watching TV spots, or other offline exposure, do, in fact, go first to the company Website. That’s quantifiable.
The less quantifiable results in building name brand recognition, establishing credibility, and growing share of mind are equally valuable – and vital for instilling the confidence needed to close sales with ease. Direct traffic, whether tracked in Google Analytics, HubSpot, or SalesForce, offers a data-driven method that documents a key part of the results of offline marketing campaigns.
If it feels like your company is becoming well-known, there’s more word-of-mouth buzz going around than in the past, and you’re actively engaged in both online and offline marketing then take a look at the level of direct traffic to the Website. It’s likely increasing as a result of your integrated marketing program.
