How does online marketing in Switzerland differ from other countries?
The short answer to this question: actually not at all. Because the same online marketing strategies and measures are used in Switzerland as in Germany or the USA, for example. In all markets, Google Ads, SEO, influencer marketing, email marketing, newsletter marketing and multimedia content are used to attract users and buyers.
Depending on the target audience, this works more or less effectively, as a look at consumer preferences in the different countries will show below.
Cost per click as an indicator for differences
A current country comparison of the “cost per click” (CPC) factor shows where the differences lie in the online marketing of the various nations. As was to be expected, the costs per click on an advertisement are highest in the digital pioneer country USA: companies here have to reckon with an average of $1.19 if they place advertisements according to this system.
But the second place in this ranking is surprising: Switzerland, with average CPC costs of $0.92, is only a little way behind the class leader. Germany only comes fifth in this listing, with $0.63 per click.
The explanation behind this: The more valuable such a click, the higher the price. Conversely, this means that a click on an advertisement in the USA apparently leads to a purchase much more often than is the case in Germany. From this point of view, ads in Switzerland also have a high conversation rate.
Different consumer preferences in Switzerland and elsewhere
A recent survey on the use of different media shows that preferences in this area differ from country to country. While in Germany, for example, 80 % of respondents stated that they react to advertising on websites and portals several times a week, in Switzerland it is only 72 %. Youtube advertising only has an effect on 61 % of Swiss respondents, while in Germany it is 76 %.
The differences are similarly significant when it comes to social media: in Germany, 74% said they frequently noticed advertising there, while among Swiss respondents it was only 65%. On the other hand, around 71% of Swiss people consciously pay attention to billboard advertising, whereas only 63% of Germans do so.
Graphic: from https://www.persoenlich.com/kategorie-werbung/werbung-wirkt-in-der-schweiz-anders-als-in-deutschland
Is Switzerland the digital laggard?
However, to conclude from the above-mentioned study results that Switzerland is bringing up the rear in digital marketing falls short. For one thing, many Swiss companies target their marketing at an international audience and not exclusively at Swiss customers. And secondly, it can be assumed that the importance of online advertising and marketing will continue to increase among Swiss consumers.
Accordingly, companies and providers from Switzerland are well advised to set themselves up for the future now with comprehensive measures in the online sector. As an experienced online marketing agency and specialist for web development, ONELINE is always there to help and advise you.
What are the most important trends in online marketing?
So Swiss companies would also do well to take their cue from the current international trends in digital marketing when planning their campaigns.
Marketing experts have currently identified the following trends as the most important measures in digital marketing
- SEO
- Social Media Marketing
- Added value
- Video Content
- Google Ads
- Chatbots / Automations
- Local orientation
Search engine optimisation
Professional search engine optimisation, or SEO for short, is currently one of the most important marketing trends. The aim is to ensure that one’s own company can be seen as high up as possible in the search results of users for certain keywords.
What is needed for this is convincing, unique content, a viable backlink strategy, sensible internal linking, a suitable keyword concept and a well-structured page layout. With SEO measures, companies and providers from all over the world compete for consumers on all continents.
Social Media Marketing
Advertising and marketing via social networks continues to enjoy growing importance. Influencer marketing plays a special role in this context. Influencers in channels such as Instagram or TikTok are becoming increasingly important for online marketing in all markets, whether Switzerland, Germany or the USA.
The important thing here is that selling should not be the first priority – but building reach.
Offer added value
Today, it is more important than ever to offer added value for users and consumers with your own content. This is because there are basically an infinite number of sources available on the internet – and only with high quality content can you ensure that searchers end up on your own website.
Added value can be offered, among other things, by offering advice topics, providing tips and background knowledge and answering frequently asked questions about a topic in a compact way. Tutorials are also very popular – and this brings us to the next trend: the growing importance of video content.
Video Content
Videos have become extremely important as a format. Many users are now more willing to watch a short video on a topic than to read an extensive text about it. At the same time, video production is becoming easier and more convenient thanks to modern devices.
There are several strategies for companies to score points with internet users using video formats: For example, tutorials are very popular – videos in which viewers are taken by the hand, so to speak, on a topic. There, specialised knowledge is conveyed in a well-prepared manner and practical advice is integrated.
Viral videos are also a common strategy: Advertising and marketing videos with such mass appeal that they spread by themselves without much effort. Such viral videos are usually surprising, funny and short.
Even compact topics can be packaged well in a video, for example in the form of interviews or animated explanatory videos. Depending on the company and the content orientation, the various content strategies in the video area are differently suited for one’s own online strategy.
Chatbots / Automations
An important trend in digital marketing is the use of automation in customer service. This includes chatbots, for example: they are the first point of contact for customer enquiries and requests.
Local orientation
In order to conquer one’s own niche in view of the enormously large international competition in almost every subject and product area, a local approach is recommended: Even if the internet theoretically carries every content to the last corner of the world, most companies are quite practically only interested in their local target groups. Therefore, it is worthwhile to gear the content and SEO of the website to these target groups.
Other latent trends in online marketing
In addition to the aforementioned trends, familiar measures such as newsletter marketing, e-mail campaigns, Google Ad campaigns and advertisements in social media channels are of course still useful. All these measures are used by companies and projects all over the world – in this respect, Swiss online marketing is hardly any different from the strategies used in the USA to woo buyers or in Germany to address prospective customers.
