.IE and Retail Excellence Web Health Report

Online advertising Globally, 67% of all advertising spend is on digital ads. The benefit of digital advertising is that it is highly targeted and the results can be measured, making it attractive to small businesses. Just 20% in this report use tracking technology for online advertising so it is clear that there is potential for Irish retailers to gain insights into their advertising performance. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees are less likely to use ad tracking technology. Some categories have high adoption levels but others such as Pharmacy, Jewellery, Café and Opticians do not use it or have very low levels (under 10%) of adoption. Top 5 categories using ad tracking technology % adoption n Social media Our report examined the presence of social media links on websites. Social media allows existing and potential customers to engage further with the business. It provides an excellent way of promoting a business and drives users to a website to complete transactions. However, it’s important not to rely on social media as a primary online presence as these platforms are subject to algorithms which are controlled by the platform owners. While not all REI members have social media links on their website, it is possible that the remainder have social media accounts but have just not linked them. The most popular linked social channels are Facebook (55%), Instagram (47%), LinkedIn (43%) and Twitter (34%). There is very limited linking of Pinterest, YouTube or TikTok accounts. Top 5 categories % n Marketing Key takeaway Track performance of online advertising to measure what is working, what is not and how to optimise for the best return on investment. Key takeaway Social media links on a website will help to grow social followers, boosting website traffic. Telecoms Health, Beauty Homeware, Giftware Forecourt Furniture, Flooring 75% 60% 43% 40% 39% DIY, Garden Telecoms Garden Health, Beauty Homeware, Giftware 100% 100% 95% 93% 93% A website is like a 24/7 salesperson for businesses. In order for potential customers to find a website, it is important to invest in and track online advertising, optimise search engine ranking and use social media to drive traffic to the website. 66% of members have social media links on website Most popular providers? Google adwords (58%) followed by Microsoft Advertising (30%) 6