Last updated 1 year ago
After you’ve set up your domain name for your company’s website, it’s time to develop your site and engage in online marketing for your business. But where do you begin? What should be included on your site and what shouldn’t? Here are five necessities your website must have to make your online marketing strategy come to life.
Online Marketing – 5 Website Necessities
- Content Should Be Essential – Guess what? Like you, Internet consumers don’t have tons of time to browse the Internet for hours and hours (well, most everyone). Your website should only include essential information. Put yourself in the position of a consumer looking at your site for the first time. For example, if you own a salon, make sure to include your service offerings, prices, location information (along with a map), client testimonials, and so forth.
- Visibly Display Contact Information – Isn’t it frustrating when companies don’t clearly show their contact information on their website? You have to scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a number or email address. The best place for your firm’s contact information is in the upper right hand corner of the page. A contact form is crucial as well; it gives potential customers yet another way to contact you.
- Provide An Easy Roadmap – Don’t frustrate your brand new site visitors with a hard to navigate site. Think of your website as speaking to prospective customers without actually being in front of them in person. An easy way to achieve is by including call-to-actions throughout the pages on your site, like “call now to get a free quote!” If you don’t tell people to make a move, why should they in the first place?
- Offer Mobile Accessibility – With the rise in mobile internet usage, it’s vital to have a mobile-friendly website. Most people who are accessing the Internet on their smartphones are pretty serious about making a purchase because they’re typically out and about on the road. Responsive website design is a term in website development which refers to having a website that is adaptable to all types of devices, whether it is your laptop, smartphone, or tablet (Drell).
- Show Social Media Buttons – Last, but surely not least, you need to show your social media icons on your website, preferably at the top of the main page. Why is social media important to your online marketing strategy? You can review the benefits of social media here. Also, keep in mind social media affects how your website ranks organically on the search engines. Having a strong social media presence helps your website rank high. Trust me; it does have an impact.
What other necessities can you think of for a company’s new website? What would you describe as not a necessity?
About Heidi Glocker: Heidi is an Account Manager with ReachLocal Baltimore. She works alongside Alan Moore, who is an Internet Marketing Consultant and together they represent Team Moore. Their mission is to help you increase your revenues and decrease unproductive advertising expenses through proven online marketing strategies. Give Heidi a call today at (443) 276-4700 to schedule a free consultation. They are happy to help!
For more website necessities, go to http://mashable.com/2012/02/09/website-must-haves/
Last updated 1 year ago
Certainly, your TV news channels and radio station channels provide the latest updates regarding the upcoming presidential campaign, but which channels are really booming with political news? The social media marketing channels. The top social media marketing channels include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+. Let’s discuss the recent social media marketing data now…
In a 2011 study by Digitas and Harris Interactive, social media users were asked about their likelihood to use social media to learn about presidential candidates for the 2012 election. What may not surprise you is the younger demographic (aged 18-34) showed the highest likelihood, however, what may surprise you is even the numbers for the older demographic (aged 35 and above) weren’t that far off:
Undoubtedly, age is just a number when it comes to finding political news on social media.
For all you ad agencies out there, how do your social media marketing campaigns stack up for your clients? Which social media sites make up the majority of your client’s political advertising campaigns? According to STRATA, here’s the current ranking (these stats reflect responses from 13 U.S. ad agencies in 2011):
- Facebook (92%)
- Twitter (46%)
- LinkedIn (31%)
- YouTube (31%)
- Google+ (23%)
I’d like to close with an interesting finding from Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, who found the 2011 tweets were “more intensely opinionated and less neutral” compared to blogs (eMarketer).
Which social media site do you use to get the latest political race updates? Share your thoughts in a comment!
About Heidi Glocker: Heidi is an Account Manager with ReachLocal Baltimore. She works alongside Alan Moore, who is an Internet Marketing Consultant and together they represent Team Moore. Their mission is to help you increase your revenues and decrease unproductive advertising expenses through proven online marketing strategies. Give Heidi a call today at (443) 276-4700 to schedule a free consultation. They are happy to help!
Source:
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008811
To learn about social media marketing strategies for political campaigns, go to http://www.whoisalanmoore.com/318772/2011/12/15/social-media-can-get-you-elected.html
Last updated 1 year ago
On this Friday afternoon, I’d like to share some important insight about your Facebook company page: just because a consumer “likes” your page doesn’t mean they’re going to become a loyal customer. In business, you can’t make assumptions, and neither can you make assumptions about your Facebook brand page.
Here’s the good news:
- Over half of Facebook users (59%) have “liked” a Facebook company page in the last 6 months (eMarketer).
- When asked in an eVoc Insights study, 54% of respondents said they were somewhat more likely or much more likely to purchase from the company they “liked” on Facebook.
And here’s the not so good news:
- In a different study performed by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, only 1% of the Facebook fans of the top 200 brands interact on their actual Facebook pages. The study couldn’t find any links to connect liking to loyalty.
And here are some key takeaways for your business:
- To build brand loyalty through your Facebook page, you need to make your Facebook fans feel special. How? Give them exclusive discounts/offers (only available on your Facebook page), give them an open opportunity to share their experiences with your company, and give them fun contests to participate in. And don’t forget about customer service either:
Clearly, there’s a big disconnect between what companies think a “like” means and what fans consider a “like” to mean. Whereas brands may think “like” equals loyalty, fans “like” your Facebook page because they want to see what’s next after liking you. Evidently, a “like” is just the beginning in the consumer’s eyes. It’s the start of something hopefully new and exciting for them, too.
What does a “like” to your company’s Facebook page mean to you? After a consumer “likes” your page, how do you keep him or her to continue liking your business?
About Heidi Glocker: Heidi is an Account Manager with ReachLocal Baltimore. She works alongside Alan Moore, who is an Internet Marketing Consultant and together they represent Team Moore. Their mission is to help you increase your revenues and decrease unproductive advertising expenses through proven online marketing strategies. Give Heidi a call today at (443) 276-4700 to schedule a free consultation. They are happy to help!
Today’s statistics came from eMarketer. The original article can be found at http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008822
Last updated 1 year ago
To have a successful social media marketing campaign, you have to stay constantly informed of the latest trends in digital media research. Believe me; it changes all the time, hence why I read articles nearly every day about social media marketing.
The Latest Social Media Marketing Trend
They say millennials (consumers aged 20-33) will make up a large portion of purchase decision-makers in the U.S. in the near future, but can you guess which gender is more likely to read and post product endorsements now? Perhaps my title gave it away…the answer is millennial women. Now read on about how this trend will affect your social media marketing campaign…
According to a recent study executed by Fleishman-Hillard, Hearst and Ipsos Mendelsohn, over half (54%) of American female internet users said they have a responsibility to help their family and friends make smart purchase decisions, so it is up to them to be informative (eMarketer):
You’ll notice from the chart below social media plays a huge part in the way women are influenced and how they influence others. In particular, Facebook is a commonly used social media channel for today’s millennial women (73% of respondents from the survey said they use Facebook). However, Facebook is not the only social media site millennial women use. Overall, social media sites in general are used by millennial women to share their personal shopping experiences and decide which specific product/service to buy:
Implications for Your Business
By not having a social media presence, you’re clearly missing out on opportunities to reach millennial women. These digitized young women (and I can speak to this) rely on multiple sources to make a purchase decision. We talk to our friends, family, and browse the Internet to make the final call. Existing on social media means your business has a chance to lead the conversation and engage with these women as they are evaluating their options. Even if your company’s target market isn’t millennial women, don’t forget they are the influential leaders today.
What do you think about this latest social media marketing trend? Will this trend encourage your company to start developing your social media presence? Share your thoughts in a comment!
About Heidi Glocker: Heidi is an Account Manager with ReachLocal Baltimore. She works alongside Alan Moore, who is an Internet Marketing Consultant and together they represent Team Moore. Their mission is to help you increase your revenues and decrease unproductive advertising expenses through proven online marketing strategies. Give Heidi a call today at (443) 276-4700 to schedule a free consultation. They are happy to help!
Want more statistics from the study? Go to http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008807&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4
Last updated 1 year ago
Is your company pondering whether social media is really worth your time and expenses? You might be surprised to know that companies do consider social media worth it because it provides benefits and value. But what type of benefits? In a recent study by Wildfire Interactive, 700 businesses were asked how social media has benefited them. Here are some key findings from their survey:
It appears companies feel the greatest social media benefits include making your company known (branding) and communicating with your fans and followers. Proper communication on social media consists of listening to what your fan base has to stay AND how you can peak their interest as well.
Besides evaluating the benefits of social media overall, Facebook is an important social media channel for companies. Facebook is important to businesses for the following reasons:
- New customer recruitment (44%)
- Higher conversion rates (18%), meaning more actual customers come from Facebook
- More frequent purchases (18%)
The benefits of social media have just begun to be revealed. As social media continues to expand in the years ahead, I’m sure more and more companies will see the value of its use. To reap true value from social media, your fans and followers need to feel appreciated, so give them exclusive news first and reward them with special promotions, too. Everyone needs love, right? Especially your fan base! It’s very easy to “like” a business and just as easy to “dislike” a business.
Is social media part of your company’s overall marketing strategy? If so, what benefits have you found from it?
About Heidi Glocker: Heidi is an Account Manager with ReachLocal Baltimore. She works alongside Alan Moore, who is an Internet Marketing Consultant and together they represent Team Moore. Their mission is to help you increase your revenues and decrease unproductive advertising expenses through proven online marketing strategies. Give Heidi a call today at (443) 276-4700 to schedule a free consultation. They are happy to help!
These study findings came from http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008802&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4
