SEO & Online Marketing

Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

To Die By Sudden Weath

Posted: April 10th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, marketing, sales | No Comments »

In his poem "The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill", Robert Service lists "sudden wealth" as one of the many ways a man can die. For businesses as well, suddenly having your business "take off", can cause many problems. In some cases, it has cause businesses to fail.

As your business struggles to stay alive, it is a good time to consider the future.

By now you should have a good idea if you are going to weather this economic storm. If you are – consider the business landscape once the crisis has passed. Some of your competitors will have disappeared – will you be able to handle the increase in orders?. Some of your supplier to may have also scummed – do you have alternate sources? Will you need more space? More staff? How will you finance your growth?

These are only a few of the questions that will need to be addressed. Each business is unique. Only you know what problems are likely to face your business and your area. By all accounts – you have a lot of time to get ready. But, the sooner you start thinking about these problems, the less likely you are to die by "sudden wealth"

Tracking In Store Sales

Posted: April 7th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, marketing, sales | No Comments »

At a presentation I did recently, I was asked how you track how much your website is contributing to in store sales. This is a very important point – so instead of a quick post I wrote an article Tracking Website Generated Sales. The article contains ideas for making the connection between visits to the website and in store sales.

Going Viral – What Makes It Work

Posted: April 2nd, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in branding, marketing, viral marketing | 2 Comments »

The major ad agencies have found viral marketing and, some at least, are getting it right.

Viral advertising is the ultimate example of Albert Lasker’s unwritten contract that the ad MUST entertain. For that entertainment we will view the advertiser’s message. With viral advertising, not only will we watch the message, we will share it with our friends.

But, there are rules!

Viral advertising grew out of the ‘DYI’ videos that were posted to sites like YouTube. Even when we know the ad took hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars to produce – it must look as if it is something anyone could have done. It must not lose the ‘common touch’ that is the basis of the viral video.

And, the message must be subtle. Take this video for Geico. The product is never mentioned. The only reference to the product is the Geico spokes-gecko. And, even that is almost hidden in the background.

Getting your message viral can increase traffic to your site but more – it increases brand awareness. Keep the video entertaining and the product message subtle.

Here are a two more examples of good viral advertising:
Extreme Sheep Herding
T-Mobile Dance

Need A Restroom

Posted: March 26th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in branding, marketing | No Comments »

A while back I posted a blog on Talking Urinals. Charimin, the toilet paper people, have taken this idea one futher with their new social network website Sit or Squat identifying and rating public toilets around the world. (I am not making this up).

The site is geo-targeted. The user first sees the Charmin branding page and can either search for a location or go to a map based on their current location. The map, powered by Google, has the usual icons each icon indicates one or more public restroom. The toilets are added by visitors to the site. And, in addition to the address you can also include a picture of the toilet and a 5 star rating system.

There were some minor glitches in the site – long addresses don’t always display properly, but other than that the site was pretty smooth. And, there are apps available for using the site with an iPhone or Blackberry.

This is a great marketing idea. It shows how some creative thinking can greatly expand brand recognition without being seen as ‘advertising’.

Charmin has a history of ‘non advertising’, advertising. Since 2000 it has had a campaign of cleaning restrooms and state fairs in the US. However, this idea gives them a much larger, international audience. (Including places where the Charmin brand might not be that well know – like Moscow in the Russian Federation.)

Using technology to increase your brand awareness is a cost effective marketing technique. It is not just reserved to large corporations – small businesses can benefit from this strategy as well. All you need is some creative thinking.

BTW – Vancouver Island is currently a ‘public toilet free zone’ – Let the restroom wars begin.

Are You a Commodity

Posted: March 17th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in marketing, sales | No Comments »

Wiki defines commodity as “something for which there is demand, but which is supplied without qualitative differentiation across a market.”

We were hired to do some SEO on an existing real estate website. In researching the term I found that most realtors in the area offered essentially the same service. They all had listings from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). And, they all had some feature properties, usually ones where they were the agent for the seller. A few were trying to differentiate by price. But, most were affiliated with a larger organization which set standard fees.

In short those real estate agents are now commodities.

Don’t let this happen to you!

In any market, but especially in poor economic times, a commodity sells by luck and price. Luck, in that the consumer is likely to choose the first one available. And, price for those looking for a bargin with little concern for service or extra value.

To stop becoming a commodity, highlight the difference between you and others in that market place. And, focus on a niche within the market. In our local real estate market two niches are doing fairly well. High end properties, and low end properties. One has low volume and high profits while the other has higher volumes but lower profits.

By focusing on your niche market you can stand out from the crowd.

Know Your Customer

Posted: March 4th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, marketing, sales, web design | 1 Comment »

Top Rank had an article on the Marketing blog A Strategic Approach to Internet Marketing with Content & SEO where they interviewed a number of marketing professionals on the importance of content in marketing online. While the comments were insightful, they seemed to me to lack one basic premise, knowledge of you audience. (I left a comment to that effect.)

Too many small businesses treat their website like a shotgun. If you have a wide enough pattern you are going to hit something. Put enough information on your site and someone will buy.

This is the wrong approach.

Think of your website as a laser pointer. Narrow your focus and put targeted information on the website. If you have more than one target audience – segment your website. Keep each area focused. Give your prospective customer the information they want. Don’t make them hunt through a lot of information they don’t want to find the relevant information.

Websites can be segmented in a wide variety of ways. Product segmentation is the most common. But, if you have a product that appeals to a wide variety of people you may want to segment by age, singles and married, families with kids, families without kids. The possiblities are endless. But you have to know your customers.

It Takes Work

Posted: February 19th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, commentary, marketing | 1 Comment »

Do a Google search for "get rich internet" and you will get over 28,000,000 hits. Most want you to buy something. But, I will give you the secret.

Nothing to buy – no forms to fill in — FREE FREE FREE!!!

Just click here for the answer.

“Salesmanship-In-Print”

Posted: February 16th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, commentary, marketing, sales | No Comments »

This week on The Adge of Persuasion, Terry O’Reilley talked about Albert Lasker, considered the father of modern advertising. He talked of Lasker’s contract with his audience that in return for listening to the advertising message – they would be entertained or enlightend.

Lasker owes part of his success to a chance encounter with a former Canadian North West Mounted Policeman (NWMP) by the name of John E. Kenedy. It was 1905, the store goes that Kennedy, who had turned his hand to copy writing, sent an note to A.L. Thomas, the head of the Lord & Thomas advertising agency. For some reason, Lasker, who was a junior partner there at the time, got the note. In the note Kennedy promised to reveal the meaning of advertising. Intrigued Lasker agreed to meet with Kennedy.

Kennedy summed up advertising in three words – Salesmanship in Print. The meaning of print has changed over the years, but the basic message is the same.

Your website has two functions marketing and sales. Too many sites focus only on the marketing. Thinking once potential customers reach their site sales will follow. — They won’t!! Your site needs to advertise your product. You need that "Salesmanship in Print" working for you 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Kennedy worked with Lasker for a while creating some of the fundamental concepts of modern marketing. And, after a hundred years, his ideas on marketing are just a true as today as the were then.

I Can Finally Afford It

Posted: February 15th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, commentary, marketing, sales | No Comments »

When asked why he robbed banks Willy Sutton quipped, “Because that is where the money is,”.

In these hard economic times businesses have been slow to learn this lesson. Advertising and marketing are focusing on a demographic that has less and less disposable income and discretionary spending.

Who should businesses be focusing on? Well — people like me.

We are 55+, we have retired or will soon retire; we have inherited or will soon inherit a sizable estate; and while the stock market has hurt our nest egg — for the most part, we are doing quite well.

We are different from our parents generation. A generation that survived a depression, a world world, worked hard all their lives to retire at 65 and die a few years later. We are healthy and expect to stay that way for another 20 or 30 years. However, we are starting to realize our own mortality. We might have something set aside ‘for the kids’. But, they ain’t getting all of it.

Like any group of this size we are a diverse lot. We want to save the planet – but that Cadillac sure looks nice. We don’t need a 35 foot motorhome, 25 feet will work fine, but it better have all the ‘beels and whisles’. Those jet-skis look like fun, how about a kayak, or maybe a sailboat. And PLEASE, don’t make me sit in a cramped airplane seat – give me some leg room and a little luxury – I can finally afford it.

Who Does Your Web Page Feature

Posted: February 10th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, marketing, web design | 2 Comments »

Take a critical look at your website. Does the first page show off your product or your web designers skills?

Too many web designers see your web page as a place to show off their skills. While you want your website to be attractive, the focus MUST be on the product and not the designer’s skills.

Colour selection, image placement and page copy must all focus on the product. Getting this right separates the business website from those that just pretend to be business sites.

Here are three things you can check to see how well your website supports your product:

Is the header less than ¼ of the visible page in height?
Is the product identified above the fold?
Is the call to action above the fold?

Unless the header is featuring your product it shouldn’t take up more than ¼ of the page. The product and the call to action should be seen without having to scroll down the page.