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Published on Tuesday 15th of March 2011

Website Conversion Optimization: Are You Converting Your Web Visitors Into Clients?

So you’ve invested a ton of money and resources into a professional-looking website. You brought in top designers, spent hours creating original and engaging content, hired a professional to customize it for search engines, and finally were able to launch a new online image for your company. You’ve checked the analytics, and your traffic is stronger than ever.

So what next?

As arduous a process as creating a website is, it’s only the first step of investment. Measuring traffic is one thing, but are you converting your visitors into sales? Who exactly is visiting your site? Have you considered innovative ways to convert the traffic that you already getting into paying clients?

The first step to website conversion optimization is to determine what your website goals are. Is your site just a product showcase or online brochure? Or is it a method of receiving information about prospective leads? Next, you have to evaluate the effectiveness and performance of your website to achieve those goals. You may need to customize sections of content and design to appeal to particular targets. Finally, you need to have the capacity to analyze and understand the behaviour of your visitors, and determine how best to convert casual visitors into regular customers.

So how does a casual web visitor become a paying customer? The most important aspect of successful conversion is timing. While your visitors are still on your Web site, you still have their full and undivided attention, but once they move on with their search, they are already focused on the next issue. Therefore, prospects are far more likely to respond to immediate calls for action then a delayed email communication. One recent research initiative by a CRM management firm tested website conversion optimization strategy by tracking website traffic and responding to certain visitor scenarios with personalized approaches. The result? They increased their visitor conversion by 296% in just 6 months.

There are many methods of website conversion optimization, and not all of them are suitable for the needs of your website. Talk with Direct Objective today about your options, or leave a comment below about your own experiences with converting Web visitors.


CATEGORIES:

Website Conversion    Website Conversion Optimization    

Published on Monday 14th of February 2011

Attracting Clients in a New Marketing World

As we discussed in Direct Objective’s December blog about the Major Shifts of Business-to-Business (B2B) “New Marketing Evolution,” traditional marketing sales processes are becoming less effective. Many companies’ marketing strategies are based on the concept of a controlled sales environment, where actions are driven by a “number game.” Simply put: the more outgoing calls you can make = the more your message is pushed onto potential clients = more clients. In a new world where the Internet is so dominant, this equation is not necessarily true anymore.

The easiest way to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to marketing is to shift your fundamental focus; namely, from Push Marketing to Pull Marketing. Why spend enormous resources chasing down clients with constantly changing needs and ways of absorbing information, when you could entice customers to come to you? Not only does it reduce the cost of finding new clients, it also ensures the quality of clients you attract will be exponentially higher, since they’ve already recognized your company as a potential solution provider.

Your next step is to identify the right tools that can help you effectively make the transition from push to Pull Marketing. Some recent examples from our clients include:

There are a number of other new techniques that can simplify the Pull Marketing strategy process, but it’s most effective to create a marketing strategy which successfully integrates several. Every Pull Marketing strategy should have a unique approach, but it is now clear that Pull Marketing is no longer just advisable; it’s a necessity in a rapidly changing marketing world. Talk to Direct Objective today to discuss your options for Pull Marketing strategies to get ahead of the marketing curve.


CATEGORIES:

B2B Lead Generation    Pull Marketing Strategies    B2B Marketing Strategies    

Published on Thursday 10th of February 2011

What Lufthansa’s Bad Customer Service Can Teach Us about Marketing

Recently, I had two friends stuck in Egypt as the country collapsed into chaos. As you probably have heard, the calls for a change in government grew violent, and as the situation became increasingly unstable, foreign governments began advising any of their citizens in Egypt to evacuate immediately. The incumbent government, in an attempt to quell the uprising, cut off prominent telecommunication systems, including the internet. Thus my friends inside Egypt asked me to arrange for their departure.

They were supposed to fly out of Egypt on Lufthansa Air, and so I called Lufthansa to arrange an immediate flight change. They already had two tickets for February 20th, so it should have been a fairly simple procedure to switch flights in such extreme circumstances.

I was surprised to find, however, that Lufthansa’s “good-will” policy regarding the Egyptian crisis only applied to people flying “between January 28th and February 15th.” Therefore, any ticket exchange would cost $250 in booking fees, and would only apply to flights a week later. If I wanted to buy a ticket that would leave the next day, the agent said without hesitation, I would be charged the maximum fare for a one-way ticket, and my friend’s original February 20th tickets would not be refunded. When I spoke to the supervisor about the seemingly arbitrary date of February 15th, he curtly replied “I am not God, sir. We have to set a date for the conflict to end.” He then refused to let me speak to his supervisor, and suggested I send a fax. After two days my friends are now safely in Montreal, but there are still some serious questions that need to be raised.

As a human being, my perception is now that Lufthansa is willing to risk its clients’ lives in order to make a few extra bucks. And as a marketer, I can tell you that this is not a good strategy. At the cost of little short-term money, they lost three customers (or more, if you’re reading this blog!). A company as big as Lufthansa should know that it’s ten times more difficult to find new clients than keeping existing ones. If Lufthansa is keen on remaining profitable in the long-term, a humanitarian evacuation crisis is the perfect way to create good publicity. Assist foreign governments and cut deals to fill their flights that are anyway partly empty. Instruct customer service representatives not to get off a phone call without resolving a situation. Pack each leaving flight to the brim, and send planeloads of happy stranded travellers back home to tell everybody what they feel about Lufthansa Air. But instead, Lufthansa’s “good-will “ included an expiration date.

So we’re left with a few morals to the story:

  1. The quick buck is good for pyramid-scheme operators, but businesses that want to develop and grow need to invest in and respect their clients and prospects for ensured long-term success
  2. Think out of the box, and find creative ways to turn potentially negative opportunities into positive results
  3. Customer service is part of your company image. Make sure to involve your marketing people when you set client policies.
  4. Finally, don’t fly to the danger zones of the world. And if you must, don’t do it with an airline that turns its back on its clients when they’re really in need.

CATEGORIES:

Published on Monday 6th of December 2010

The 5 Major Shifts of B2B 'New Marketing Evolution'

A very interesting 2010 is wrapping up, and the marketing industry is facing some major changes moving forward. 2010 was nowhere near as financially tough for many as 2009, but the recovery, while starting to show signs of hope, is still hampering firms. In response to the economic downtown, as well as new, emerging technologies, companies have undergone a major shift from the old marketing regime in a process we’ve coined New Marketing Evolution.

We’ve identified 5 major consequences of New Marketing Evolution to consider as we head into 2011.

1. The definition of marketing, transformed: During the last 2 years, the marketing industry has undergone a significant shift. The mindset of the potential clients has changed and if you or your company continue employing the old methods, you may quickly fall behind the curve. The key changes:

Old Marketing Regime

New Marketing Evolution

5-year marketing plan

Real-time, here and now: Marketing strategies, technologies, and techniques are evolving every day, so companies are now sticking to a 6-12 month outlook.

Mass approach

Customized to the prospect: If you’re pitching a one-size-fits-all package to a potential client, odds are that they’ve seen it before, they can do it themselves, or they can find a better options by searching Google. A customizable, personal option is the way to make leads stick around.

Spend big bucks

WOM (Word-of-mouth): Why spend thousands on an ad campaign that you’re not even sure can reach the right people? B2B marketing strategy based around word-of-mouth saves money and can drive real, relevant leads.

Controlled sales environment

Welcome to the Wild West: Whatever your business, there are likely twenty others just like you, hungry for your business. Just like the Old West, you need to constantly stay on your toes and constantly adapt.

Push marketing (Tell me what I need to do)

Pull Marketing: Businesses are bombarded with marketing every moment of their lives. This isn’t the death of the cold call, but the new marketing strategy is: don’t interrupt me, I’ll call you when I've done my research.

Use of traditional offline media

Use online and offline media: Integration is a key for the success of marketing campaign. Combining the power of online marketing with some of the proven traditional media may yield the 1+1=11 effect. Just make the proper planning.

Mostly manual

Automated process: There’s an app for that. Just like about everything else, marketing automation software has become extremely prevalent and it allows you to do more with less.

No ability to measure

What is the ROI?: Calculating return-on-investment has become more sophisticated and easier, paradoxically at the same time. Invest in the marketing activities that would make an impact on your sales.

2. The competitive landscape is more spirited than ever, for three reasons: (A) the economic situation leads to less buying power, thus decreasing the number of potential consumers or clients, (B) a smaller world approach brings a lot of new competitors from international markets that were not present in our market before, and (C) the high pace of changes and the consolidation of technologies creates inherently new competitors, both direct and indirect. For example, the introduction of Apple's iPad imposed competition not only on eBook readers, but also on laptop, notebook, wireless phone, and portable entertainment devices. And in the first quarter of 2011, iPad will have its own breed of competitors; already, just two weeks ago, HP released the Slate.

3. Internal pressure to use fewer resources and deliver faster: Marketing budgets usually shrink or almost disappear in slow economies, but the need for good leads to fill your pipeline is still there. You just need to work harder with the limited resources you have in hand. Look again at the table above and notice how new B2B marketing strategies are designed for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

4. The new marketer must master technology and create original content: While a lot of marketing is performed online nowadays, there are a hefty amount of tools that can be used to research, measure, and automate the marketing process. You need to learn them quickly, master them, and on top of that produce creative content. Here is the shift in the approach:

Old Marketing Regime

New Marketing Evolution Approach

Static Content

Authentic and valuable content

Monologues and speeches tone

Share, interact and collaborate

Isolated campaigns

Integrated strategy across channels

No data, no worries

Prospect data should be analyzed and drive improvements

If you’re not producing creative, original content through a company blog, or a Twitter account, or a sales presentation, or any other part of your marketing campaign, then why should a client listen?

5. Delivery = ROI: After you’ve spent time developing and implementing a well-targeted, carefully-researched, meticulously-refined marketing solution, you’ve only just begun. It is not enough to just spend time on delivering marketing activity; you must listen to your target audience, collect and analyze marketing results, deduct what the return on investment is and how it can be improved for future marketing activity.

Marketing Evolution may have created a more competitive and constantly changing environment, but it has opened the door for customization, unique interpretation, inspiring interaction, and creativity. New technologies and techniques allow new B2B marketing strategies to build closer relationships with clients than ever before. How your company evolves with New Marketing Evolution is up to you.


CATEGORIES:

Marketing Evolution    B2B Marketing    New Marketing Strategies    B2B Marketing Strategies    

Published on Monday 1st of November 2010

Three Proven Business Collaboration Development Strategies

As an entrepreneur or manager, a strategic industry partnership may take the backseat to lead generation campaigns, which can consume your marketing efforts. After all, approaching more clients often equals more revenue. However, a business development strategy that includes business collaboration is in itself a key part of marketing, since it can yield multiple prospect referrals. By collaborating towards mutual interests, it is often far easier to generate sales leads with comprehensive business development then by attempting to go at it alone.

Here are three proven scenarios in which B2B business collaboration is most successful:

  1. A distribution channel: A manufacturing company would like to penetrate a new market, region, or country. Instead of upfront investments in salespeople and warehouse/office expenses, companies should explore local resellers, distributors, or agents that already have the connection with the target market. Therefore, they can be ready to serve potential new clientele in a very short period of time. In the past, we have assisted companies in finding distribution partners, training them and building incentive plans to control distribution performance.
  2. A strategic partnership: In this case, two or multiple organizations choose to work together to achieve a mutual goal. For example, two software companies decide on mutual R&D efforts in order to cut down the development period of a new innovative solution, while sharing the knowledge base of both participating partners. Shortening the time-to-market of the innovative solution would result in a faster delivery to their clients and in acceleration of your company’s revenue. Direct Objective Consulting has had proven success identifying strategic partners and negotiating terms.
  3. One complete solution: The way milk goes with cereal, and salads are served with a dressing, your company needs to find a complementary partner that unites each of your individual specialties into one comprehensive solution. For example, a medical device company can make an alliance to bundle its device in a healthcare kit that is packaged by another company. Or a specialty battery producer may choose to have their batteries already pre-packaged with the suitable hardware/electronics. Think about what can work for your product or service.

The strengths and weaknesses of each of these three business development strategies are dependent on a number of factors, including your company’s industry. Business development has been proven especially useful in service, telecommunication, government, and health care industries. Additionally, many industries have small, tight-knit communities, where strategic partnerships can even more rapidly accelerate your company’s exposure.

The best business development strategy will create win-win situations that would last long-term, and ultimately create more business for your company. Consult with us today if you need assistance in forming a successful business development strategy to build long-term relationships within your industry.
CATEGORIES:

Strategic Partnership    Business Development Strategy    Business Strategy    Distribution Channel    Business Collaboration    

Published on Thursday 9th of September 2010

Is it time to change my corporate branding strategy?

In 2007, Twitter users posted approximately 1.2 million tweets. This year, that number is projected to be over 18 billion. Many large companies now have full-time Twitter social media staff – McDonalds has ten – and Twitter is still dwarfed by others. Social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are poised to rival Google as search engine resources. Facebook users send over a billion messages every day. Not to be outdone, YouTube estimates it will serve 365 billion videos this year. In every demographic, social networking is on the rise; according to a new study from Pew Internet, social media usage among internet users over 50 nearly doubled in the past year, from 22% to 42%. More specifically, 47% of 50-to-64-year-old internet users and 26% of seniors ages 65 and up indicate that they now use these sites, with Facebook and LinkedIn being the main beneficiaries of mature traffic. So the question remains: how can B2B social media strategy be crafted to harvest this incredible potential?

Facebook was originally designed to let college students connect and share pictures, but with its users eclipsing 500 million, companies have realized the potential of an effective social media strategy. An estimated 20% of all tweets are related to a product or brand. With the right tools, B2B social media strategy can help:

Setting up a Facebook or Twitter account is easy, but creating effective social media strategy is much more complicated. Each firm has unique goals, and thus needs a distinctive social media strategy. Contact us today to work with a social media consultant who can help you build the right B2B social media strategy for your company, and escort you along the process to reach your business social networking goals.


CATEGORIES:

Social Media Consultant    B2B Social Media    Social Media Strategy    B2B Lead Generation    

Published on Monday 9th of August 2010

Profit from the Summer Lull: Reassess Your Marketing Action Plan

Most businesses tend to slow down in the summer months. While everyone is on vacation, now is a key opportunity to generate or reassess your marketing action plan. Create an advantage by examining whether your existing marketing action plan will deliver the requested sales you need in the fall. Will you reach your goals?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you re-assess your marketing action plan:

  1. Are you targeting the right market? Are there new niche markets you could, or should, be addressing?
  2. Have events in the past year impacted your business model? What new trends or changes in the marketplace may impact the effectiveness of your current marketing action plan?
  3. Has your website effectively generated leads? Are prospects able to find you on search engines? If you have invested in search engine optimization, have you targeted the right keywords that drive a high level of relevant traffic?
  4. Do you have any new avenues for bringing in clients? Have your past marketing lead generation activities been successful? Measuring the results of your marketing campaigns is crucial, and an important benchmark for assessing the effectiveness of your marketing action plan.
  5. Have you invested in social media marketing? Do you know what strategy you should employ and what tools to use?

These are just a few of the questions you should be asking yourself as you begin to re-examine your marketing action plan. Remember: your marketing plan is the foundation of all of your campaigns, so it pays to use the summer to prepare for the fall—especially if you want to get ahead of the competition.

In September, people come back to work refreshed and ready to roll. With better strategic marketing planning, you’ll ensure your business comes out stronger than ever! If you want advice, consult with us to make sure you have the most effective marketing action plan for your business.


CATEGORIES:

Market Slowdown    Marketing Action Plan    B2B Marketing Strategies    

Published on Tuesday 13th of July 2010

Should You Attend Business Conferences?

Business conferences are about exposing people to new information in a particular industry and staying up to date with your industry trends. However, during the past decade, we have seen a steady decline in how many companies attend business conferences. There are a few reasons for this decline:
So, these days, business conferences aren’t as crucial as they used to be. For most companies, I wouldn’t recommend to attend business conferences. There are exceptions for some industries, however. Sometimes, the opportunity to network in person at business conferences can be too important to pass up. Sometimes, there is regional interest or a very closed industry community, where meeting in person is more valuable than meeting online. Generally the best approach is to attend conferences where you can secure speaking opportunities in front of your target market. This will give you added visibility and credibility, which can yield new client leads.

Contact me and I can assess whether you could benefit from attending certain business conferences and help you secure speaking engagements.

CATEGORIES:

Attend business conferences    

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