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WebWise Updates '07...
Growing Business...an E-Perspective
- Issue 35

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Inside WebWise :

Hot Topic:  Customer Behavior Makes the Bottom-line
Best Practices:  Aligning Websites for Growth
Try This:  Free Trial - Survey Tool
E-Terms & Net Jargon: Search Re-Targeting

 

Hot Topic ~ Customer Behavior Makes Bottom-line

When you’re online, your behavior is constantly being researched and the result is a win for consumers and a win for marketers.  Consumers are continually guided through better online experiences to find what they want and marketers are finding more qualified buyers.  “Behavior” coupled with the terms “analysis, marketing and targeting”, are peppered among white papers, articles and presentations of today’s leading marketing experts.

First let’s revisit the value of traditional marketing as a comparison with current research trends.

Traditional marketing research consists of demographics about groups of people, where and how they live, including social and age statistics - the facts about your customers - Who are they?

You want to know as much as possible about your customers so you can “push” your marketing message directly to people with similar characteristics. 

Behavioral marketing research uncovers the manner in which consumers perform.  Some effective tools to collect this online data include website metrics and analytics.

How did they get here?  Your online visitors land on your site by; entering your exact URL into their browser, referrals from other websites, and via search engines.  Most likely visitors find your exact URL in your marketing campaigns.
Website referrals come from partners, directories, affiliates and sites linked to yours.

People searching for information about you or what you offer will find you through search engines.  This is where businesses work competitively to find just the right way to say what they do using keyword phrases so visitors will come to their website. 

There are a number of ways to learn the terms being used to search for your products or services.  You may wonder if there are enough searches for your type of product in your market area that would warrant investing in a new website or SEO program.  With today’s tools and understanding of how people search, you may predict the degree of success for a campaign.

For example; We have been successful using WSI Local AdWorks where we can go in and adjust or modify ads to determine which ad/keywords brings the greatest amount of visitors to your website or landing page (For those businesses without a website).

What did they do?  Website statistics allow you to analyze specific website objectives.  Knowing the steps visitors take to becoming your customer is essential for one of our most asked for services; Conversion Analysis.  Equipped with this information, you can begin to “pull” potential customers through your sales funnel by providing a clear path to reach what they want.

Why did they do it?  Surveys are the most widely used method to obtain answers to this question.  Accurate marketing predictions are made with data that provides insight on why customers take the actions you have tracked.  What do they think about your company? How do they feel about what you provide your customers?

The volume of “interesting” data continues to mount.   Be sure the data you use adds value to your marketing strategies. Keep in mind, the data you collect is of value when it is a base for taking action, leads to conversions, thus increasing revenue, which is your ultimate goal.

While it is important to learn more about your customers, talk with experts on how to turn knowledge into action

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Best Practices:

    Aligning Website with Growth

 
Here’s the situation:

One of our original websites; TheSignPlace.net, has the same business model and objectives but recently wanted to create a new name due to a trademark dispute. (That’s a long story but ours is short.)
Did he need a whole new website?

Here’s where we started:
After consultation to evaluate the current needs and the goals of the now: Commercial Sign Crafters, it was agreed that updated technology with greater functionality and flexibility was beneficial.

Here’s how it works:
They changed their name and brand to reflect their services using a fifth generation Internet business solution that is scalable for their growing business.

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Try this: Free Trial - Survey Tool

When you feel you have an understanding of; who your customers are, how they got to you, and what actions they performed, there’s no doubt you are compelled to survey your customers; ask them, “why?”

There are 3 common types of surveys:
1. Physical surveys (In person, phone, mail)
2. Online Surveys (Pop-up, forms)
3. Email surveys

Physical surveys are the most costly.  Online surveys may be considered an interruption by the online user and need a strong incentive to drive customers from offline purchase. 

The next best thing to being face to face is an email survey.  It is delivered directly to the intended participant, trackable and cost effective. 

Constant Contact Survey offers a free 60 trial of their new Survey product.  We recommend you try it.  There are demos and helpful tips to get you started.

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  Our tip: The first step in knowing what to ask is to listen. Look at the behavior statistics you have gathered and prioritize the information you need as actionable items.

 

E-Terms & Net Jargon

Re-targeting/Re-messaging – A form of targeted advertising which drives traffic back to a website. This process begins when a visitor lands on a page, shows interest in buying but leaves before completing the purchase. 

The customer information is stored for a limited time. As the identified visitor continues to browse and lands on a page within a specific network of websites, that network promises the advertiser to bring up the brand ad to “re-target” and encourage that original visitor to click on the ad and go back to the original website.  A second chance to convert!  

This type of advertising campaign is appropriate for companies with sizeable advertising budgets as you are paying for an additional attempt to convert a qualified visitor to a customer.  Check with us before investing in an online advertising campaign.

Call our office: (916) 983-7708 or

email: rmpacker@WSIGreatSites.com

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"I really look forward to your regular e-mail newsletters. They are very interesting and contain very practical ideas on web-existence."

- Vidya Acharya, Member Services Director- El Dorado Hills Chamber

"Focus on E-Visitors"

Inside this issue: Good advice, Websites using video "on demand" increase business, mousetrapping, the value of newletters...plus new facts about women and men Internet users.

" Focus on E-Trend Winners"

Inside this issue: CGM (Consumer Generated Media), "Search" - the trend for stress-relief, free calendar listing for your business event, reporting website spam....plus links to resources.

"Focus on Business E-Vantages"

Inside this issue: AOL answers, the e-vantage of Dogpile, e-vantage with no website, and Pay Per Call... plus more updates and alerts.

"Focus on the Value of E-Talking"

Inside this issue: Heat mapping, renting e-mail lists, how to make your own PDF and more...check out the updates and tips.

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Secrets of Rainmakers:   The Keys to Success and Wealth, Jeffrey Fox