How to Generate the Highest ROI Using Online Marketing

There is no doubt that online marketing can deliver a solid return on your investment, but with so many different choices it can be overwhelming. Now, what works for one business isn’t going to necessarily work for everyone.

There is no cookie-cutter solution, but what you can do is learn from other business owners and listen to what is working for them and then decide whether or not it’s worth testing for your needs. Here is what is currently working for thirteen business owners, and what they consider to be the best return on their marketing dollars.

Strategize according to your goals.

“There are so many different options that can produce results depending on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to increase your email subscribers then content marketing with a solid opt-in offer is great, but if you are looking to push straight sales, Facebook ads is great.” — Jim Epton of Dom Huga Ltd

Email marketing combined with Facebook retargeting.

“Email marketing combined with retargeting on Facebook works well. The retargeting aspect is very powerful, especially when you target based on where the person is at in the conversion funnel. You are able to put the correct offers in front of your customers.” — Matt Herron, CEO of AnswerFirst

Use the multiple paid ads options.

“Paid advertising through programs like Google Ads, Facebook Ads and the like provide instant traffic and feedback to your marketing funnels. You can adapt quickly and optimize campaigns much quicker than being at the mercy of an algorithm when going SEO.” — Joseph W. Belluck of Belluck & Fox, LLP

Create a content marketing strategy.

“Content marketing provides a great return and it also leaves you with evergreen pieces of content that you can use for years down the road. When you put time and effort into building a blog, you are creating an asset that has the ability to pull in organic traffic 24/7.” — Tom Munroe, CEO of RugStudio

Organic SEO.

“Organic SEO has been the best ROI — although driving organic traffic takes a lot more investment in content and link building than it used to. In addition, Facebook advertising — for the right type of product or service — can be very high margin.” — Shawn Schulze of HomeArea.com

Measurable PPC campaigns.

“PPC is great for many reasons, but most importantly it’s highly measurable. We know exactly how much money we spend and what each sale costs. There is no gray area or questions when it comes to pay per click ads. We see what works and what doesn’t and can adjust accordingly.” — Andrew Tran, Founder of Therapy

Segmented email marketing.

“Email marketing is still one of the best in terms of ROI. Consumers still check their email and with mobile phones now, we can deploy an email campaign and see responses from it within minutes. It’s one of the best “push marketing” options available. This is why you see everyone saying build a list.” — Christopher Dziak, CEO of Pure Nootropics

Google traffic.

“We have done very well with SEO and targeting organic traffic from Google searches. It’s a long-term strategy, but search engine optimization is something that we are focused on and will continue to dedicate time and resources to improving.” — Ari Evans of AAA Handbags

Search engine optimization.

“Our most effective form of online marketing has been SEO. We see our best results when we pay attention to our search engine optimization. Because Google tweaks their algorithms we have to make sure we tweak our site to stay up on the search results.” — Ben Walker, Founder of Transcription Outsourcing, LLC

Pay-per-click.

“Pay-per-click. This can be confusing to someone not experienced but by far and away the most effective. Being able to set budgets and target market the way pay per click allows is a difference maker for many businesses.” — Marc Webb, Founder of Real PDL Help

SEO and AdWords PPC

“Search engine optimization has been one of our best-performing digital marketing strategies, but have also seen success with Google Adwords, as well. Our reputation and online reviews are also a big focus, and have provided us with great ROI, as well.” — Sean Christman, Founder of Slamdot

Diversification is key.

“We try to diversify and have found success with SEO as well as Facebook ads. SEO requires a much larger upfront investment that is paid back over time. Paid advertising, on the other hand, usually works or doesn’t and can scale up quickly.” — Matthew Kolb of All High Schools

Facebook groups.

“Networking in secret groups on Facebook. It’s the most personal and authentic way of getting your name and your brand out there without the pitch and sale tactics. People are always more willing to buy when they feel comfortable with the person selling.” — Shawn Freeman, Founder and CEO of TWT Group

Melissa Thompson writes about a wide range of topics, revealing interesting things we didn’t know before. She is a freelance USA Today producer, and a Technorati contributor.