Believe it or not, there is one Industry that is booming right now. And that Industry is the "Internet Marketing" Industry. Yes, I did say booming...Even in this economy. With stock values slip-sliding-away daily and all of this talk about a global recession, you would think that people's fears would eventually slip into the online world. Fortunately though, most savvy marketers and business owners know that marketing during a downturn is the best way to grow your business and increase your market share. Even those companies that aren't necessarily marketing for those two reasons realize that they need to keep getting leads in order to survive.
Not to say that marketers/companies aren't feeling the effects of our financial crisis (Because they are). According to a recent online report, "60% of large companies are cutting marketing budgets in response to the economic crisis." However, and this is the primary reason why Internet marketing is still booming, most of the money that isn’t being cut is being shifted from "branding" initiatives to proven, ROI-based, "direct marketing" programs such as pay per click marketing.
This is not to say that people aren't being scared-off by the crisis. We've, in fact, seen several long-term clients "take a break" from their online marketing activities over the past few weeks. Still, the majority of our clients are starting to spend more in our programs since they've seen their competitors cutting back or bowing out completely…and they smell the opportunity for increased market share.
Because everything is measurable, Internet marketing in a sense provides the best type of investment companies can make for their businesses. For every dollar spent, companies know exactly what type of return they'll get. And isn’t being more accountable exactly the type of due diligence that is required in times of uncertainty?
I imagine the growth in Online Advertising will continue on into the next century before it eventually gives way to ...Mobile advertising.
Ron Weber is President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Interactive Agency.
www.sdinteractive.com
Monday, October 27, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Want Better Conversions? Ask Your Customers!
Do you want to get better results from your online marketing efforts? We’ve got an easy solution. Why not ask your customers?? I know this answer seems obvious, simple, even down-right ridiculous, but truly it is the most forgotten way to gain quick and valuable insight that just may help you improve your marketing results.
So how do you “ask your customer” exactly? For starters, information can be collected from surveys, focus groups, direct mail and phone calls. When it comes to Internet marketing, however, none of those options are as immediate or as effective as onsite testing.
Onsite testing, meaning running live marketing experiments on specific landing pages of your site, will take the debate out of what you think your site visitors want and tell you precisely what you know your site visitors want. To get started, all you need is a website, an analytics program, and a willingness to experiment with your site (all in the name of higher conversions, of course).
Onsite testing can take the form of A/B testing (testing one variable at a time) or Multivariate Testing (testing several variables at a time). Each method has their pros and cons but both can give you an immediate boost in your conversion rate.
So what items should you test? For starters, try these:
• Headlines – Headers occupy a prominent space on your page. Often overlooked, testing headlines can make a large impact on your bottom line.
• Graphics – Your image may be fine but perhaps another will connect better with your audience. See if you can create a boost with changes in your imagery.
• Punctuation – Use different types of punctuation to see how your customers react. The difference between “Buy Today.” And “Buy Today!” may seem minor to us, but could dramatically improve your results.
• Design/ Layout – Perhaps you need an entirely new look/feel to get the message across. Try an A/B test to see if the updated look/feel increases sales.
• Buttons – There are many factors to consider when choosing buttons including the size, color, and text used in your button. Experiment and see what happens.
A final thought
While most people are now comfortable running ad campaigns, a surprisingly low number of these marketers are engaging in online testing. And if you aren’t trying to test your site for improvements, you aren’t taking advantage of the inherent benefit of online marketing – the ability to listen to your customer. Everything is measurable and your customers are telling you what they want with the behaviors and click-streams.
So how do you “ask your customer” exactly? For starters, information can be collected from surveys, focus groups, direct mail and phone calls. When it comes to Internet marketing, however, none of those options are as immediate or as effective as onsite testing.
Onsite testing, meaning running live marketing experiments on specific landing pages of your site, will take the debate out of what you think your site visitors want and tell you precisely what you know your site visitors want. To get started, all you need is a website, an analytics program, and a willingness to experiment with your site (all in the name of higher conversions, of course).
Onsite testing can take the form of A/B testing (testing one variable at a time) or Multivariate Testing (testing several variables at a time). Each method has their pros and cons but both can give you an immediate boost in your conversion rate.
So what items should you test? For starters, try these:
• Headlines – Headers occupy a prominent space on your page. Often overlooked, testing headlines can make a large impact on your bottom line.
• Graphics – Your image may be fine but perhaps another will connect better with your audience. See if you can create a boost with changes in your imagery.
• Punctuation – Use different types of punctuation to see how your customers react. The difference between “Buy Today.” And “Buy Today!” may seem minor to us, but could dramatically improve your results.
• Design/ Layout – Perhaps you need an entirely new look/feel to get the message across. Try an A/B test to see if the updated look/feel increases sales.
• Buttons – There are many factors to consider when choosing buttons including the size, color, and text used in your button. Experiment and see what happens.
A final thought
While most people are now comfortable running ad campaigns, a surprisingly low number of these marketers are engaging in online testing. And if you aren’t trying to test your site for improvements, you aren’t taking advantage of the inherent benefit of online marketing – the ability to listen to your customer. Everything is measurable and your customers are telling you what they want with the behaviors and click-streams.
Monday, February 4, 2008
What a Microsoft, Yahoo! merger could mean to you!
These are exciting times for all of us in the Internet world. Only really in our infancy, we are booming and will likely surpass radio in 2008, in terms of total advertising dollars. Over time, we’ve improved (technologically speaking) and now offer advertisers unprecedented levels of variety, tracking and accountability.
So, what does a possible Microsoft, Yahoo! merger do for you? Below are some thoughts:
1) Google stays on top - Google, currently with a 65% market share of search, will remain the top search engine. You don’t “MSN” or “Yahoo!” something, you “Google” it. All predictions point to the fact that nothing much will change here in case of a merger. Your web business should still focus on Google first.
2) MSN takes Yahoo! search technology – MSN has tried working with its own search engine marketing console and has failed miserably. What once was a promise of “behavioral targeting”, MSN clearly has a console that hasn’t worked for most advertisers. With a merger, I would fully expect MSN to take Yahoo’s search technology for its own purposes. Again focus on Google but pay attention here – if this happens MSN Advertising becomes more attractive.
3) MSN keeps the Yahoo! brand in tact – While it would make sense to merge into one, eliminating the Yahoo! brand would be bad for business. With a ton of content and interactivity, Yahoo! is one of the most visited sites on the web. Changing these pages to an MSN brand would likely confuse and turn off die hard Yahoo! brand advocates. If MSN keeps Yahoo! as is, nothing changes for you as an advertiser.
4) MSN Backlash – A merger could produce an MSN backlash. Yahoo! is one of the oldest web properties, born from an era when Internet upstarts were up against corporate giants like Microsoft. One scenario is that users will defect to Google, only making that brand stronger and a better play for your advertising dollars.
A Final Thought:
A merger, believe it or not, would be better for online advertisers. This merger would put some heat on Google and this increased competition will benefit advertisers. I expect new innovations, better targeting capabilities, and new advertising models to emerge from this new competitive landscape. AND for that reason alone, I hope it all goes through.
Ron Weber, is the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Interactive Agency.
So, what does a possible Microsoft, Yahoo! merger do for you? Below are some thoughts:
1) Google stays on top - Google, currently with a 65% market share of search, will remain the top search engine. You don’t “MSN” or “Yahoo!” something, you “Google” it. All predictions point to the fact that nothing much will change here in case of a merger. Your web business should still focus on Google first.
2) MSN takes Yahoo! search technology – MSN has tried working with its own search engine marketing console and has failed miserably. What once was a promise of “behavioral targeting”, MSN clearly has a console that hasn’t worked for most advertisers. With a merger, I would fully expect MSN to take Yahoo’s search technology for its own purposes. Again focus on Google but pay attention here – if this happens MSN Advertising becomes more attractive.
3) MSN keeps the Yahoo! brand in tact – While it would make sense to merge into one, eliminating the Yahoo! brand would be bad for business. With a ton of content and interactivity, Yahoo! is one of the most visited sites on the web. Changing these pages to an MSN brand would likely confuse and turn off die hard Yahoo! brand advocates. If MSN keeps Yahoo! as is, nothing changes for you as an advertiser.
4) MSN Backlash – A merger could produce an MSN backlash. Yahoo! is one of the oldest web properties, born from an era when Internet upstarts were up against corporate giants like Microsoft. One scenario is that users will defect to Google, only making that brand stronger and a better play for your advertising dollars.
A Final Thought:
A merger, believe it or not, would be better for online advertisers. This merger would put some heat on Google and this increased competition will benefit advertisers. I expect new innovations, better targeting capabilities, and new advertising models to emerge from this new competitive landscape. AND for that reason alone, I hope it all goes through.
Ron Weber, is the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Interactive Agency.
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