Show Your Customers You’re Exactly What They Need!
Knowing what your potential customers and clients have in common is one of the strongest tools in your online arsenal.
What Are People Using?
Now this might seem like an unusual question, but we raise an underutilised question.; what device are your potential customers using to find you, and how is this information going to help you find them?
Mobile phones and tablets are pretty popular these days. In fact, Tobias Lutke reported that by 2014, mobile devices already accounted for over 50% of all E-commerce traffic. This isn’t just for taking photos of food or tweeting about the person in front of you at Subway that sneezed on the cashier. This shows in online search as well.
Nitzan Beck wrote for Banana Splash that from 2013 to 2015, organic search results via mobile devices grew from a share of 27% to a crazy 45% in the US alone. What does this mean? It means an enormous amount of people are looking at their phones and tablets, and they’re looking for you.
Why Should You Care?
If you search for a company on your mobile phone, and the website has not been optimised for mobile devices, your experience is miserable and you dislike the company as a result.
This example is what can, and likely will happen to a website that is not mobile friendly.
If you need to optimise your website to be more mobile friendly, there are some fantastic companies that can get the work done for you, such as GetMoreTraffic.
What To Do Next?
You went from a website that made people want to donate their eyes to science, to instead having the kind of website that people love. That’s all well and good, but what’s the next step?
The answer is simple. Google Analytics. This tool has the power and potential to really help you understand where your customers are coming from. Analytics opens the doors to complete control and understanding of who is finding you, what they’re doing once they’ve found you, and how to use this information to create return on your investment.
Age, occupation, location, language spoken; these are just some of the many points of information that people set up as part of their Google profiles, and are all points that you can use to both target and understand your audience. You then take this information, and you turn it into potentially your greatest asset; profitable data.
Now You’re Playing With Power
Google Analytics has told you who your online audience contains. This opens the door to strategies and methods that are backed with real data from real people who want to do business with you.
Perhaps you stock an anti-aging cream that removes wrinkles. With Google Analytics as your guide, you avoid showing to kids, and focus on your real audience.
Your range of ‘Learn to Speak Spanish’ cassette tapes needs some attention. With reassuring words from your Google Analytics data, you find an audience outside of Spain who are trekking through the Basque Country and Andalusia!
Unlimited Possibilites
You know how to find who you need to target, and you know you can offer a fantastic experience with your website. Surely this the end? No.
The tools you have available are now stronger than ever, especially since you’re backed up by all that great data about your audience, their interests and how to create positive engagement with you.
Across mobile devices, you can be as swift as a coursing river with AdWords and PPC advertising. You can have all of the strength of a great typhoon with organic listings and Search Engine Optimisation. You can harness all of the rage of a burning fire with Facebook advertising. With the right approach, and the right data, you can take on the world, rolling all of these into a digital marketing powerhouse.
Knowing who your audience is, and how your audience finds you, is not just a question. It’s your first line of offence in a digital marketing universe.
If you’d like to know more about making the most of your mobile audience, reach out to an industry professional like GetMoreTraffic – call today on 1300 332 256.
Google Shopping for Christmas 2015
Part of my job is setting up Google Shopping for my clients; all that time spent liaising with web developers from overseas creating manual Data Feeds when the web developers aren’t able to pull one from the site, setting up a Merchant Center (sic) and spending time on creating Shipping Rates tables, creating the campaign in the AdWords account, troubleshooting, and when you think you have entered everything correctly you find that one tiny detail that wasn’t required on other accounts is now suddenly is required on this particular account! It’s enough to pull your hair out (lucky I don’t have much there)!
There is some real joy in setting up a Google Shopping campaign, but that comes right at the end when you begin to see actual results and conversions coming in. The build-up though can be exhausting and time consuming. Google has recently added extra requirements which allow us to provide customers with a better experience, which is of course great, but it does take a little more time.
The key to setting up a successful Google Shopping campaign in time for Christmas is all in the organisation and preparation. Much like a SEO campaign, which needs to be implemented many months before you begin to see results, a Google Shopping campaign needs to be given sufficient time to be set up so that once Christmas actually rolls around, it’s up and ready to serve. A Google Shopping campaign has many components that must be set up, reviewed and validated prior to the campaign even going live.
Depending on the efficiency of your web team, or the capabilities of your web platform, pulling a Data Feed can take time. Some platforms don’t even allow it, so a manual feed must be produced and depending on the extent of your product database, you could be sitting there inputting data for quite some time.
Updated shipping requirements are time consuming too. If you’re a ‘single rate’ business, then good for you, but if you’re not, get comfortable, and this is all before the ads are put under review by Google.
There is also the inevitable scenario that not every product on your website is going to give you an instant ROI, so optimising your Google Shopping campaign will require attention too. Hopefully your digital strategist has been on top of things and provided you with this same advice and your Google Shopping campaign for Christmas 2015 is well underway. If not, then perhaps it’s time to have a word with us here at Get More Traffic, so call us today on 1300 332 256.
Are Myer overdue with their ‘New Myer’ strategy, or just fashionably late?
Myer have recently announced their new ‘New Myer’ strategy, with emphasis on omni-channel pathways and marketing initiatives to leverage relevant customer behaviours in the face of strong digital competition from retail rivals at home and overseas. But have Myer come to the game too late? With a predicted $600 million, five year transformation agenda, including $200 million into omni-channel capabilities, the new strategy undoubtedly takes on-board the changing space of consumer spending and behaviour. Though when taking a look at competitors overseas, it seems to be a serious game of catch-up.
There is an ongoing trend which is mirrored across many industries in Australia when it comes to successfully investing in technology and digital transformations. While Australian’s are some of the fastest consumers of new digital technologies, Australian businesses are slow on the uptake. It’s very much a case of ‘let’s wait and see just how much of an impact this will actually have’ and commonly, businesses finding themselves left far behind due to exactly that.
Modern retail is an online and offline journey, but it is increasingly apparent that if it’s not online, then it may as well not exist, particularly when it comes to ‘fashion’. In 2014 the stark truth is that Australian retail giants Myer and David Jones could only account online sales for approximately 2% of total sales. For those with their eyes on the ball, the massive opportunity this presents small to medium sized businesses in Australia is huge. For those which already have a good online E-commerce presence, then the customers are there for the taking. For those who are coming to the realisation that now is the time to move, they can guarantee that it won’t take five years and $600 million to establish themselves online.
There are exceptions to Myer’s blunder. Many businesses saw the writing on the wall after the GFC and realised that innovation was needed to pick up business again. With technology producing smart mobile devices and companies like Google driving online relevancy, data-driven marketing has reshaped the way businesses must communicate and connect with their customers. In Australia, brands such as Country Road and Lorna Jane are shining examples of what positive omni-channel experiences can do not just for revenue, profit and growth, but brand loyalty and advocacy.
So in the face of retail globalisation, digital disruption and consumer expectations, Myer’s new strategy, while a welcome sight, will have to wait a while to see the fruits of its harvest. With the busy Christmas shopping season quickly approaching, and with Myer’s notorious online system outage one week out from Christmas Day in 2014, consumers and industry watchers will have to see whether small to medium businesses will take advantage of the online opportunity and good fortune. If you’re looking to update your e-Commerce strategy in time for the Holiday Season this year, then get in touch with Get More Traffic today on 1300 332 256.
What Small Business Can Learn From Big Sport
The business of sport is big business. Foxtel has recently announced a dedicated channel for its coverage of the 2015 US Open Tennis. Touted as the “channel that never sleeps in the city that never sleeps”, viewers can get their US Open fix anytime of the day or night. It makes sense as well; with the staggering rise in ‘smart’ mobile devices and how people are consuming sports content, the sporting realm is no longer only compatible with modes such as television and radio. Online streaming, social media and interactive platforms now mean people can access their favourite sports teams, players and codes to suit their needs and lifestyles.
The masses are not the only ones taking advantage of this new digital era. Professional sportspeople, such as Serena Williams, are learning to leverage digital media trends through the use of social media, allowing them to clout their professional sporting profiles for positive (and sometimes negative) public relations. As well as keeping in contact with their fans and to promote endorsed products through a growing number of extravagant sponsorships, the online attention and traffic this garners is fuel for their professional careers. Social media use during live sporting events is increasingly becoming a stand-alone drawcard.
Online ‘chatter’ means that people’s demands for content are increasing. Live predictions and historical statistics build atmosphere and momentum, and with the US Open drawing a global crowd, easily accessible platforms for people to enhance their online experiences and consume the content they want are in demand. As one of the official sponsors of the US Open, IBM offers fans historical and real-time statistics, live video and opportunities to engage with players. These deeper insights though can offer lessons in how Australian businesses can communicate with their customers if they learn how to leverage online data to transform how they perform. Sport is a business after all, and there is money to be made.
The ease of accessing this type of content through mobile devices has also led to the rise in popularity of mobile sports gambling sites. This ongoing shift in online gambling has also seen an increase in underage people partaking in online forms of wagering, especially due to the more liberal regulations which allow foreign companies to take advantage of Australia’s interactive betting sector. However there is a lesson here as well; with any new technology, no matter how beneficial and profitable it is, there is always a flipside. For small business owners, this can mean greater attention to cyber security measures while still leveraging the profitable outcomes of E-commerce initiatives.
Consumer demands for information ‘now’ are increasing and particularly while people are watching live sporting events, whether it is on their television or through a mobile streaming application. There is no longer only once screen in the room, and sports digital media is doing a phenomenal job of meeting consumers where they are, which means the lessons small to medium sized business owners can learn are countless. If you’re interested in attracting more traffic to your website, then you need to get in touch with us here at Get More Traffic, or call us on 1300 332 256.
Do You Even Know How to Google, Bro?
Years ago I worked for an Insurance Brokerage in their Marketing department. It was only a small firm and my position encompassed many varied tasks, with Internet marketing at the time being a small piece of the overall puzzle. How times have changed!
One day all the Brokers were invited by one of the major underwriters to go on one of those Adventure Races, you know the type, there’s clues hidden around the city and teams must find them in a race to be the first to find the final clue. Not being a broker, I was illegible to attend this event *frowny face*. Instead, I was entrusted with the far more important task of being the ‘eye in the sky’, the guy in the office that my team called to ask for help in regards to the clues. This was back in the days before smartphones were ubiquitous, betraying my advancing age.
I felt like I was a better looking Tom Arnold and they were the Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies; they’d relay information from the clues and I would go to task on Google, translating and decoding! Well, not really decoding, but it felt like I was decoding, considering I was able to completely deconstruct the clues easily and simply, by using a few simple tricks I’d picked up well before I’d even began my stellar career based solely in the online sector.
My team won, largely based off of my Google-fu. Now, I can’t remember the clues, we’re talking almost a decade ago, but there were certainly some Googling tactics I tried which brought home gold.
The first thing I tried for the first clue was to put inverted commas around the exact wording of the clue, so for example, ‘test’.
BOOM! I got the perfect result.
The second clue was harder. The inverted commas around the search terms didn’t immediately bring up the results I needed, as they were probably too general. I noticed that the results repeated another keyword that I didn’t want, so I placed a ‘-‘ ‘in front of that word, e.g., -word.
BAM! The third result was exactly what I needed, and my team were off and running (except George, who was, shall we say, a larger gentleman).
Again the phone call came through; the third clue was intimidating, even for an internet warlock like me. This one had me stumped, so I arranged four computer screens in front of me at my desk (because I’d seen it in Swordfish), none of them flat screen, only one of them working.
I cracked my knuckles and got down to business, the sweat on my brow dripping down my nose, my furrowed brow focusing my energy on the screen in front of me. My fingers began blurring as I tried a variety of techniques.
I searched for related words to the clue using ‘~’, as in: ~search
No match. The clock was ticking. A lightbulb struck, the clue might be missing some keywords in the phrase, so I tested out the theory by placing an asterisk between the words, like thus: Search * words
No luck. Time was running out.
I remembered briefly seeing something related in the newspaper (remember, this was back in the day when printed news was still a relevant thing) related to the clue, so I typed in the name of the newspaper’s website and the clue, hence: Site: clue
Success! Just in the nick of time, my team had received the final clue and was off to the finish line.
I was hailed as a hero that day on the abandoned floor of that Insurance Brokerage. I was by myself, but still…
Google has continued to develop little tricks or ‘hacks’ as I refer to them, hoping I am out of earshot of anyone in 4chan or Anonymous. In particular the rise of the social network has resulted in a number of additions to Google Searches that make it easier to find, such as:
- +username for a Google Plus page (put the + after it if looking for blood type).
- @username for a social tag.
- And, of course, the good old (new) #hashtag for trending topics.
If you’re looking for an item with a price, just put the name of the item and the price you’re looking for with the dollar sign: Item $XX
Or if you’re looking for a price range, place two periods between the numbers: Item $XX..XXY
There are some fun things you can do, too, like typing in ‘do a barrel roll’, or ‘askew’, both resulting in some amusing changes to the page. As a lover of language, it can translate, or define, be a thesaurus or give the etymology of any of the words you put in.
Who knew Googling is so much fun!
Online Marketing Best Practices
I love it when a client recognises that someone is trying to pull a number on them, it validates the time I have invested explaining how the AdWords system operates to them. Yet the unscrupulous never fail to try, often using tactics and methods that are flat out against Google Policy for their Google Partners.
I can only imagine the excitement of a business owner, who has been spending a decent percentage of their gross revenue on AdWords, feels when they hear that they can slash their costs and increase their traffic exponentially at the same time. It must feel like hitting the jackpot.
Here are a couple of commonly used tactics to get the foot in the door:
- Claiming to be from Google.
- Claiming to have a ‘special’ partnership or deal with Google. Alternatively, claiming that their status as a Premium partner gives them special privileges.
- Claiming unlimited clicks for a set price.
- Claiming to get you at the top of the page 24/7.
Google Partners are bound by strict codes of practice. The facts are as follows:
- Google Partners are not allowed to purport to be ‘from Google’.
- Google Partners are not provided special or even unique treatment in the AdWords system. No, Premium Partnership does not grant special privileges.
- ‘Unlimited clicks’ is a misnomer, and potentially deceptive if coupled with point four. The idea behind unlimited clicks comes from choosing certain exact match terms that historically have minimal search history. This way the company can charge a set price on a range of search terms knowing full well that those search terms will never reach the charge they have set.
- Google operates on the basis of market forces, if you want the top position; you bid for that position and make your ads and landing page as relevant to the search term as possible.
Often these are used in conjunction, creating the perfect storm of shonk. Often the promises are short-lived, especially when the company requests money upfront. It can be framed as a three month special, where if you pay for three months you will receive a discount. Many people would see their current costs on AdWords and consider the option, as it seems like a savings and a small price to pay upfront for unlimited clicks at the top of Google.
At this stage it is worth mentioning that transparency is a must when it comes to AdWords. As a business owner, knowing where your dollars are being spent is part of your job, as you know. I’ve had many clients come to me from other companies because their AdWords campaign and, all of its data wasn’t theirs to peruse, it was accessible only at the behest of the agency looking after them.
This provides an agency with the ability to take credit when things are running smoothly, as well as the chance to bombard you with what could potentially be irrelevant stats when the going is rough (smoke and mirrors).
Recently I have had a client who came to me as they were looking for more transparency in their AdWords spend. After investigating a drop in sales during a particular time period, it became clear that the organic traffic was bringing in the majority of the sales with their previous agency. The whole time this agency had been saying their campaign was providing all the results!
Fortunately these practices seem to be going the way of the dodo (the bird, not the internet company, this isn’t libel), as more business owners, like yourself, become more savvy with the AdWords system, the less these vultures can prey on the unsuspecting. But as they say, fore-warned is fore-armed, so if anyone approaches you with the above, let them know in no uncertain terms your thoughts on their dodgy tactics. If you want a company which does follow the rules and is transparent, then you know to get in touch with us here at Get More Traffic on 1300 332 256 or visit our website.
Top Ten Tips on How to Stay Competitive in an ever increasing Digital Market
Remember that kid at school who was always fiercely competitive in everything they did? Regardless of if it was a spelling bee or the athletics carnival, they wanted to win it all. You know what? You can learn a lesson or two from that kid you remember at school, because in all likelihood they possess a few characteristics which are vital to successful business in the digital market.
I’m a great observer. I can pick out personality traits in people and determine what types of scenarios and situations they’ll overcome or fail. The same goes for business owners (yes, I mean you). Because you know what, your customers can sense it too. Your employees can sense it. If you’re competitive, it probably means you’re fairly determined as well, and people will naturally be drawn to you. But just being a competitive person doesn’t equal success. I’ve roamed and wandered the world wide web, listened to people like you, observed and watched and as a result, I’ve come up with ten tips you need in order to stay competitive online.
- Don’t always keep it the same
Mix it up! Run several online campaigns at once and see which one works best. Don’t just stick to one and sit on your hands (gross by the way)! If it’s one thing you have to be aware of, the only constant in the online marketplace is change. Like the ocean, the current pulls this way and that, the tide goes in and goes out. Online is never stagnant, so neither should you.
- Determine what you want to achieve
Do you have a specific ROI you need to hit? Have you got a specific goal in place which you know you need to reach before the financial year is up? If your only goal sounds like, ‘to make a profit’ then yes, you’re on the right playing field, but you’re playing in the wrong position. Get specific! What steps must you take in order to make a profit? These are goals too. Recognise them as such.
- Make Progress.
Tackle your goal with small steps to help you feel like you’re making progress. This intrinsically ties in with the point above. If you have a goal set for June, every morning in March is going to feel so far away and you will inevitably lose your competitive edge. Ever heard that productivity is helped with positive encouragement? If you do this for yourself through setting small goals to reach your ultimate one, you’ll be so more aware of the progress you’re making (duh).
- Put in the time and effort
Don’t be afraid if this means money, if necessary. You reap what you sow. Putting in the time and effort to your strategic marketing initiatives will help you to track and collect data so you can make better, informed decisions.
- Don’t go it alone
Use the expertise you have access to. Can I let you in on a secret? Nothing irritates me more than someone who won’t take smart and intelligent advice. Yes, you are your own boss, but, if you don’t listen to the specialty knowledge of those you pay, whether that be a contractor or an employee, why have them there?
- De-stress
You can’t be competitive if you’re making yourself sick with stress. Try to schedule in time over your weekend, or whenever you get a chance away from your business, to totally chill. Turn off your phone. Look after your health. Your business will thank you for it.
- Embrace the lows to get to the highs.
There are going to be bad days. Use them and learn from them. To actually stay competitive, you have to know how to learn from mistakes. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if the mistake is your, or not. No one got to the top without starting somewhere near the bottom.
- Educate yourself
If you commit to be constant learning, you’ll equip yourself with up-to-date knowledge and information. Consumers make judgements in the space of mere seconds, and seemingly irrelevant things, such as how quick your website loads, can either equal a new conversion for you, or your competitor. If you educate yourself, you’ll know that sometimes you just have to sweat the small stuff. Also, if consumers are purchasing something from you, they want to feel safe about it. Project yourself as an expert and you stomp down any buyer’s remorse.
- Listen to your consumers.
An amazing example is the idea of the ‘mountain bike’, or as they were originally called, ‘clunkers’. Mountain bikes were created by the consumer. If you’re listening to your consumers, your chances of being privy to a new idea, a new USP dramatically increases. If you’re listening to your customers, you’re likely to stay competitive.
- A great predictor of true success?
It’s not social intelligence, or your IQ score, as you might think. It’s determined grit. You need to treat your endeavours as a marathon, not a sprint.
Yes, I can picture you nodding your head in agreement with me now (even as I’m nodding my head as I type this sentence). Implement these and you’ll wish you had that competitive kid’s number from school, just so you can ask for a re-match in that class quiz. Well we can’t give you that number, but we can certainly give you ours (which is way better FYI). Give us a buzz on 1300 332 256, or visit our site and we’ll work on a competitive online business plan with you.