The Role of Digital Marketing in Customer Acquisition in the Granite Industry. A Study in Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh

Author

SK. Yousuf Jameel , Dr. Thota.Chandra Sekhaer Yadav

Abstract

 This study examines the role of digital marketing in customer acquisition in the granite industry of Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh. Online visibility, messaging platforms, search engines, B2B marketplaces and online reviews have become important channels through which granite manufacturers, dealers and buyers find one another. The study focuses on the importance of online presence, digital platform use, trust in online information, reviews and comparison, responsiveness, discovery of manufacturers online, contact after online discovery and purchase after online discovery. A structured questionnaire of 27 items was analysed for 103 respondent records covering owners, managers, sales staff, dealers, existing customers and potential customers across Chimakurthy, Ongole, Martur, Markapur, Addanki, Kandukur and other locations. Descriptive findings show that 71 respondents (68.9%) were likely or very likely to discover granite manufacturers online and 64 respondents (62.1%) rated online presence as very or extremely important, whereas only 41 respondents (39.8%) often or very often contacted a business after discovering it online and 50 respondents (48.5%) were likely or very likely to purchase after online discovery. Fast response was rated the most important factor (mean 4.19), while trust in online information recorded one of the lowest means (3.17). Spearman rank correlation results showed that none of the six proposed associations was statistically significant at the 5% level. The findings point to a gap between online awareness and online action. Note: the dataset analysed here is a simulated (mock) dataset and not real survey data, so the results are illustrative only. [Delete this note once real survey data replace the simulated data.]

Keywords

Digital Marketing, Customer Acquisition, Granite Industry, Online Presence, WhatsApp Business, B2B Marketing, Prakasam District.

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References

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