Regional market the Internet-advertising and web sites. And how are you?

My company works in Penza for several years — are engaged in online advertising and web design. The quality of most of the Internet sites in the region leaves much to be desired despite the fact that some web studios for more than 10 years (I'm talking about the age of the market), and the number of developers — a few dozen.

For reference — Penza has been around for almost 350 years, the population is around 1 400 000 people, transport, infrastructure, etc. — at a high level and to name the area of backward regions is hardly possible.

Given the Internet penetration of about 50% (according to the FOM at the beginning of 2013), the question arose, why is everything so sad in the field of development of websites and online advertising?

In August 2013, we conducted a small study of the Penza market of Internet advertising and web development. The purpose of the study is to understand at what stage is the market of online advertising in our region and the prospects for its development. Unfortunately, data for previous years have not. Neither the number of sites or even by the number of enterprises.

Interestingly, as is the case in other regions? Friends, share your experiences and opinions. For the sloppy chart, I apologize.

What's wrong Penza sites?

Despite the fact that according to the Fund 'Public opinion' at the end of 2012 in the Volga region, every second uses the Internet constantly, sites in Penza, reflecting the essence of the company through quality content, photos, design, not so much.

We evaluated sites on the following criteria:
the

the
• relevance of the information and working contacts, feedback form. For example, weed out sites with news, "last year" or incorrectly specified phone.
the
• Compliance with the design, content and technical part of the expectations of customers and the requirements of online promotion.
  For example, "scrap" used to be sites with other people's advertising banners on a free domains and resources with a uniquely low-quality content (pictures taken with a digital camera, the texts of which are impossible to read even a person with 100% vision).

Of the 8,000 companies that we found in online directories and printed directories, sites have 1 400 (it is necessary to consider that one company may have 2-3 resource). Adequately represented on the Internet about 300 sites.

That is to say that only 21% of sites Penza suitable for promotion, 79% of which are worthless. The number of companies of Penza ready for comprehensive promotion of products and services online, were at the level of only 3.7 percent.

About 500 companies have electronic storefronts and mini-sites on popular in the region banner (bazarpnz.ru, e58.ru, tiu.ru and other services, some do have full versions of sites).

These companies may use additionally some types of Internet advertising (e.g., context) to obtain additional audience.

Portraits of different artists

The results of the survey and analysis of the printed press, radio, TV and outdoor advertising, we found that Penza entrepreneurs often prefer to use traditional methods of advertising that are often much more expensive than Internet technologies. As a result, the website budget is allocated according to the residual principle. Apparently this is due to the fact that in the Penza not so much radio, TV channels, magazines, and developers — about 80. It is easy to find the cheapest solution. But, as a rule, they are used by those who act according to the "strategy of presence on the Internet." Lack of understanding of the principles of working with Internet leads to a zero result. As a result, entrepreneurs are disappointed and say to myself that the Internet does not work and high quality sites are not needed.

The key to successful promotion is to communicate with their customers on all platforms where your audience is to understand what are the most efficient in each case. The quality of traditional advertising in Penza while much higher than in regional the Internet, but sometimes above its value compared to promote online. You can verify this by going to the section advertising on the website of any regional media.
The average cost of advertising on radio, Penza is about 300 rubles for a 15 second clip and 700 rubles for a 60-second video. On TV – from 3 000 to 80 000 depending on the length and number of repeats of the roller (15 000 rubles for 6 outputs, 80 000 – 21 output 20-second clip). Banner placement on advertising structure in the city of Penza is an average of 17 000 per month. Placement in magazines – from 10 000 to 40 000 per lane.

A decent website can be made from 50, 000 to ensure the effective promotion from the 10-12 thousand rubles a month.
As we have said, spend on advertising in traditional media, companies don't feel a need to pay a lot for online advertising. Although the purchasing power and activity of Internet users in average, higher than the audience of traditional advertising. Given the lower cost and transparent evaluation of the results of advertising campaigns, the Internet as a sales channel for their products and services remains at least undervalued.

Interestingly, most of the sites, the to promote their goods and services, were the sites of companies that advertise in print publications and on TV. This is very strange given the quality video, images, layout and texts written by editors and journalists, as well as the fact that the cost of the offered goods is clearly not in the economy segment. The product or service shown in the best light on the pages of magazines and television, and was completely unpresentable on the Internet. To continue the communication with potential buyers using so different in quality promotional materials is simply impossible. Reading attractive article, and after seeing the website, the potential customer loses all desire to go to an advertised store or salon.

What customers say?

A questionnaire of 10 questions we sent by mail 3 000 Penza companies. Unfortunately, the number of completed questionnaires was much smaller than we expected, so the results we have summed only where the volume of collected data adequate to draw firm conclusions.

Quality and average cost of development of the Penza sites

In Penza are still dominated by sites cost 20, 000 and less. As an alternative used the services of mini-sites and electronic storefronts.

The price tags on professional websites the leading web-studios start at an average of 50 000 rubles (in most cases is a product catalog and information about the company). For this amount the customer receives: a design specification, individual design, control system, information on the website, completing the online materials of the customer.

The results of the survey show that the majority of websites are made for customers in Penza, is still running freelancers, who are responsible for the entire development process. Unfortunately, in modern conditions it is impossible to be the best in everything. You either evolve as a designer or as a programmer or a copywriter. This confirms the results of our parallel studies of sites in Penza companies, as most of them leaves much to be desired.

cut the areas of the company

The number of sites and the presence of the most expensive resources were the sectors of services (only 11% do not have their own website) and manufacturing (12% do not have their own website).

Promote and monitor the effectiveness of Internet advertising

Only 18% of respondents monitor the effectiveness of advertising in terms of return on investment. This suggests that most companies have no understanding of how effective an advertising campaign is underway, do I need to put more/less money and how in the end, effectively running the site. In fact, it turns out work for work's sake, and not for the result.
The following charts show that the full analysis of the effectiveness of advertising is less than half of the respondents. This is especially true of companies operating in Penza for consumers.



A vicious circle: companies don't track feedback from customers, so don't know who they are and how to change them for the site, what advertising methods do work and what you need to invest money to advertising was effective.

Preference for integrated promotion and Analytics give companies that have replaced several variation sites.

Those who work with first and second versions of these sites basically use search engine optimization and track only the position in the search engines. Unfortunately, this approach gives no information for any analysis of the volume of the audience that comes to the website, no idea about its quality. About tracking profit not even have to talk.

Disappointing conclusion

If the project survey data for 300 sites, ready for the comprehensive promotion (and it involves very intensive work with Analytics audience promoted sites), the potential number of companies that can actually firmly occupy their niche on the Internet and adjust as you go, your ad strategy is only 150-160 of the over 8 000 companies, operating in Penza region.

Unfortunately, the market for Internet advertising and level sites of the Penza region remains at the level of the early 2000s and develops very slowly. Despite the large number of enterprises in the area and plenty of web studios and advertising agencies, customers prefer cheap solutions in the field of Internet and more expensive traditional advertising. This leads to a mismatch of company image in the minds of consumers that really are. The company can offer a really good product or service, but to show it on the Internet so that no one will want to deal with them.

*Sources for analysis of companies and websites were online directories Penza (e58.ru and others), a freely distributed print media ("Expensive", "SD", Penza Business journal, etc.), portfolio of web studios Penza.

Article based on information from habrahabr.ru