For years, digital marketing has been structured around a familiar journey: consumers search, click a result, visit a website and then decide what to do next. Hugo Galvao de Franca Filho, an entrepreneur with experience in ecommerce and marketplaces, operates in a digital environment where that sequence is beginning to change. Search engines, artificial intelligence tools, marketplace recommendations and conversational interfaces can increasingly provide information before users visit a store, raising an important question for online businesses: what happens when getting the answer becomes more important than generating the click?
Why is the traditional search journey changing?
Traditional digital marketing relies heavily on directing users from one environment to another. As Hugo Galvao observes from his experience with ecommerce and online sales, a search result, advertisement, social media post or email typically works as an entry point, encouraging the consumer to click and continue the journey on a website. Traffic consequently became one of the most visible indicators of digital performance.
That model has not disappeared, but consumers now have more ways to obtain information without following the entire sequence. Search platforms can summarize questions directly on results pages, while generative AI tools can compare concepts, explain product categories and organize information conversationally. Marketplaces also answer many purchasing questions through filters, reviews, specifications and recommendations.
Does a lower number of clicks mean lower visibility?
A click has traditionally provided a straightforward signal that content generated interest. However, fewer visits do not automatically mean that a brand has become invisible. Information about products and companies can now appear within search summaries, marketplace results, recommendation systems and AI-generated responses before a direct website visit occurs. As a result, consumers may become familiar with a brand or product without generating the website visit that previously helped businesses measure that initial contact.
This creates a measurement challenge. According to Hugo Galvao de Franca Filho, if a consumer learns about a product in one environment but completes the purchase elsewhere, evaluating performance only through website traffic may provide an incomplete picture. Visibility, discovery and conversion can occur across different platforms rather than within a single measurable path. Understanding how these touchpoints interact can therefore provide a more complete view of how consumers move from initial discovery to purchase.
The practical implication is that businesses may need to examine a broader set of signals. Marketplace searches, branded queries, product-page interactions, repeat purchases and conversion patterns can complement traditional traffic metrics. The click remains useful, but it increasingly represents only one moment within a more fragmented customer journey. Combining different indicators can help businesses understand whether digital visibility is contributing to commercial results even when it does not immediately produce a website visit.
What kind of content works in the era of answers?
When users are looking for direct answers, content designed only to attract a click can lose relevance. Product information needs to be clear enough to explain what an item does, who it is intended for, how it differs from alternatives and what limitations should be considered before purchasing. The more easily these details can be identified, the less effort consumers need to make to determine whether the product actually meets their needs.
This is particularly important in ecommerce categories where suitability depends on specific characteristics. In the pet market, for example, consumers may want to understand dimensions, materials, intended use or whether a product fits the routine of a particular animal. Vague promotional descriptions provide little value when digital systems and consumers are searching for precise information. Clear specifications can also reduce misunderstandings by helping shoppers compare alternatives using practical criteria rather than relying only on promotional claims.
As founder and director of Enjoy Pets, Hugo Galvao de Franca Filho is connected to a segment in which these questions frequently accompany online purchasing decisions. For digital retailers, providing structured and useful product information can serve two purposes at once: helping consumers make decisions and making the content easier for digital platforms to interpret. In this context, the quality of information becomes part of both the customer experience and the way products are discovered across digital channels.
