Timo Porval recommends: where should you invest your time and finances in digital marketing in 2026

‘Marketing isn’t about knowledge, but about doing’, was the message first shared at the LHV seminar organised for merchants, when digital marketing practitioner Timo Porval (one of the founders of Turunduslabor and SEO Estonia) shared his 18 years of experience in growing e-business.

Together with e-shop owners, an answer to the question was sought: where is it really worth investing your time and money in digital marketing in 2026? Below, we share some practical recommendations from Timo’s presentation.

Three fundamental questions in marketing

Before moving on to specific channels and tactics, everyone should start with fundamental questions that help set a clear focus:

• Where can I profitably find new customers?
• What do I offer or do to ensure that customers stay, return, and get many times more value for their money?
• How can I be even more useful to potential customers?

Distinction as the most important investment

Nowadays, you are competing not only with local businesses, but also with Amazon, Temu, and other global giants. The customer compares prices, delivery times, and experience, and makes a new choice again each time. A good price alone is no longer enough. You can create a distinction with your product or service, with your marketing, the customer experience, with your (personal) brand, or through openness and transparency. The smaller the company, the more flexible it is. It is precisely the smaller ones who are able to do things the big ones cannot, such as creating genuine emotion and human contact.

Reliable e-shop

Often, sales are not lost because of advertising, but rather due to a lack of trust. Trust is built through customer feedback and stories, transparent pricing, guarantees, a clear value proposition, introducing your team, and even impeccable spelling.

Automate to personalise

In marketing, the winner is not the one who does more, but the one who works smarter. You can automate and personalise things like post-purchase notifications (‘Order received’, ‘Order shipped’, etc.), follow-up surveys, birthday and promotional offers (e.g. Christmas), exclusive offers for VIP customers, and even personal video messages (try the Bonjoro app). The goal is not just to make a sale, but to create a strong emotional connection that brings the customer back.

Creating useful content

Tutorial videos and blog posts may not drive immediate sales, but they help build trust and increase demand. Good content helps customers make better decisions, reduces purchase barriers, and brings organic traffic to your website. Content creation is one of the most stable long-term investments you can make.

Set the metrics

You can’t manage digital marketing if you do not measure it. Therefore, it is essential to set clear goals, use analytics tools like Google Analytics 4, analyse your channels’ profitability, and stop any activities that are not working.

Personal brand and humanity

People relate to other people. Remember: there is only one you! Dare to show your team, share personal stories, and speak honestly about both your successes and mistakes.

Make your offer better

To sell more, you don’t always need more advertising; you need to offer more value. Clearly described bonuses make your offer more attractive and give customers a reason to choose you. For example, you could give customers annual access to a training recording and additional materials that would otherwise cost more than €400, or sell a mystery box with a total product value of €50 at half the price.

Guarantee

One of the most underrated ways to boost sales is a strong guarantee. This helps alleviate the customer’s fear of whether they’re making the right decision. Examples include a 100% cash back, an extended trial period, a fast delivery guarantee, or offering free returns. Experience shows that only a small percentage of buyers use the guarantee, but its existence provides crucial peace of mind for many when making a purchase.

Collect and use feedback

It is a myth that customers don’t give feedback. They do – the real question is whether you ask for it systematically and act on it. It is worth collecting feedback in the shopping cart before the final step, after receiving the order, on the product page, and in e-mails. You should then use this positive feedback everywhere your customers might see it: in sales materials and letters, in videos, and in both company and personal social media or blog posts. Good feedback is more than just a good read. A previous customer’s positive experience is a powerful tool in helping new customers make a decision.

Your best effort today may not be enough. Therefore, it is worth continually learning, experimenting, and measuring your activities. Improve your online shop and identify areas where you should invest more time and money. Consistently build your audience through podcasts and Facebook or Instagram live videos. Invest in content creation and consciously choose the channels with the highest return.

Ultimately, differentiation matters most. In a market with endless choices and fierce competition, those who do things differently – or simply better – stand out.