2008-01-31

Wisdom to Share

For today, I will be sharing with everyone on Online Marketing lessons-learned stories collect from entities ranging from BMW to Motorola etc....all found on MarketingSherpa.

Enough said, here's the goodies:

  1. Marketing Wisdom 2007: Lessons from BMW, Motorola, GMAC and Savvy Tot on:
  • Email campaign segmentation tests and results
  • Blogging, podcasting and mobile marketing tips
  • Search marketing tactics and offline advertising
  • Web site design and social networking done right
2. Marketing Wisdom 2006: Lessons from American Red Cross,
CompUSA, Cox Communications, Deloitte & Touche,
Palo Alto Software, and The Motley Fool:
  • Email campaign segmentation test results
  • Search marketing lessons (especially combining PPC and SEO)
  • Offline advertising and marketing lessons
  • Web site design and landing page lessons
  • Business-to-Business marketing campaign lessons
  • Office politics and job searching tips for a successful marketing career
3. Marketing Wisdom 2005: Lessons from Timberland, Pacific Shaving, and ING Direct:
  • Email tests that worked
  • Search marketing tactics
  • Site design to raise conversions
  • Direct mail, radio, & telemarketing stories

2008-01-27

The Lucrative Business of Online Porn

Which is the highest search terms or keywords keyed by a typical male?
What does a typical male normally surf online ?
For latest information ?
For purchasing intents ?
For reading blogs ?
For checking the latest financial updates ?
For social networking ?
Or ?
For PORN ?

So, how lucrative is the the online porn industry ?
Just how much cash those clicks are bringing in ?

According to the research conducted by GOOD magazine:

  • 12% of all websites are pornographic
  • 25% of all search engine requests are pornographic
Alright time to let this video do the talking. In this video,GOOD magazine investigates just how much big cash these sweaty clicks are bringing in.

2008-01-24

Optimization #03: Landing Page

How are you optimizing your landing page ?
Does it ultimately leads your audience....
Signing up for your newsletter ?
Downloading your trial software ?
Signing up for latest product updates ?
Or....?

High conversion or low conversion rate ?
How can you improve your conversion rate ?

Or are you going by your "Gut feeling" ?

In this post, I will be sharing my humble tips on optimizing your landing page, which hopefully will help drive your conversion rate. All the elements found in your landing page, plays a role on driving your overall conversion rate success . So what are the elements ?

1. The Layout for your landing page:

  • 1 vertical column layout.
  • Or 2 vertical column layout.
  • Or 3 vertical column layout. Or ?
  • The placement of your copy (top of the page, middle, bottom or ?)
  • The placement of your image (top of the page, middle,bottom or ?)
  • The placement of your call to action button (top of the page, middle,bottom or ?)
2. The Copywriting:
  • The message / s that entice your audience in taking action. Which version converts better ?
  • Longer or shorter copy ? Which version converts better ?
  • Product benefit or key benefit copy ?
  • Quotes, testimonial or 3rd party endorsement ? Does it help convert ? Which version converts better ?
3. Call to action button:
  • The copy on the call to action button that entice your audience in taking action.
  • The size of the call to action button. Bigger or smaller ?
  • The color of the call to action button. More color or one color ?
4. The image:
  • Portraying human or graphic design ? Which version converts better ?
  • Flash or static version ? Which version coverts better ?
So what works and what doesn't works ?
Let your audience decide for you.
Lastly, even with the data, nothing is going to happen unless you test it !

Take action: Run the Multivariate page testing.
  • Evaluate your control versus your variations.
  • Let the data do the talk.
Gut feeling or your audience telling you what they want ?
You decide.

Related Posts:
. Optimization #01: Call to action button
. Optimization #02: Test ! Test ! Test !

2008-01-23

Want to maximize your website ROI ? Read this

How are you designing your website ?
Is it driven purely just by art ?
Or is it driven by science ?
Or is it both ?
Are you maximizing your return on investment (ROI) ?

Web Design for ROI













In this book, Web Design for ROI, by Lance Loveday & Sandra Niehaus, shows you how to make your web sites accountable. With design decisions based on metrics and business goals. Not just driven either by art or science separately but having both the art + science working hand in hand, in achieving both your financial returns and competitive advantage.

The authors also shows you concrete design guidelines from Landing pages,Home pages,Category pages,Detail pages,Forms to the Checkout processes. Lastly, the book is packed with helpful real examples from a wide variety of sites which makes it easier for you in understanding how to apply it onto your website.

Now time to take action and drive your returns

  1. Find out more at the book's site at Web Design for ROI.
  2. Get it at Amazon.com.

Optimization #02: Test ! Test ! Test !

Are you testing your website ?
If so, how are you testing it ?
A/B or Multivariate testing ?
Utilizing your in-house expertise or 3rd party software ?

Even having all the available tools, in helping you determine the audience insights, nothing is going to happen unless you take action testing it. The simplest way of finding what what works and what doesn't is just this: Let your audience determine for you.

  • Which of your message work or doesn't work ?
  • Which copy works ? and doesn't work ?
  • Which color/s on your call to action button is having a higher conversion rate ?
  • Which image works ? and doesn't work ?
  • Which headlines work ? and doesn't work ?
  • Which has a better conversion rate ? flash or static image display ?
Let your audience determine for you.
Let the testing do the walk.

First time testing and don't know where or how to start ?
Try Google's FREE alternative, Google Website Optimizer.It might not be as sophisticated as other 3rd party software providers, but it provides just the essentials required for first timers before moving onto other alternatives.
  • Sign up for Google Adwords account and you're ready to go.
  • Determine your key areas of your website.
  • Test it !
Related post:
. Optimization #01: Call to action button
. Optimization #03: Landing Page

2008-01-21

Optimization #01: Call to action button

How are you testing and optimizing your web channel ?
Are you optimizing at a on-going effort ?
Or are you even testing and optimizing at all ?

Testing and optimizing your web channel or web site should never be a one-time process or effort, instead it should be a continuous process. Keep up the good work if you're testing and optimizing your web on an on-going effort. If you're don't know where or how to start, starting from this post and forthcoming posts, I'll be sharing some of my humble optimization hacks in helping you optimize your website.

Optimization #01: Call to action button

  • What is the message on your call to action button ?
  1. Are your visitors or audience even clicking it at all ?
  2. Even if they are, do they ultimately convert into dollars and cents ?
  3. How are you enticing your visitors towards the desired outcome ?
  • What does the call to action button meant to them:
  1. Why should we(visitors) click on it ?
  2. What's IN for us(visitors) ?
How to optimize it ?
Instead of having those overused messages or words like "Click here", "Find out more", "Click here to read" or "Read more here".
  • Build your call to action button that persuades them in taking action, which contains the "Why should we click on it" and the "What's IN for us" instead of those overused words which don't convert.
Related post:
. Optimization #02: Test ! Test ! Test !
. Optimization #03: Landing Page

Highly Recommend book on call to action:
. Call to action by Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg

2008-01-19

The next gen-multi media online search engine challenge

Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research, A*STAR, recently just launched a global contest,open to all,in creating the next gen-multi media online search engine.

Also known as "The Star Challenge 2008"

  • The Challenge: Create a multi media search engine, that can identify search terms found in text as well as different types of media (voice, video).
  • Applications: Open to all. Each team may comprise a maximum of 10 members.
  • Participation: Free of charge.
  • Finalist: Top five teams will be flown to Singapore for the finals at Fusionopolis.
  • Grand Prize: US$100,000
  • Entry Deadline: 29th February , 2008
More details found at: The Star Challenge 2008

Are you ready to build the next generation
multi media search engine ?

2008-01-18

Search traffic analysis

In the last post on Keyword analysis, I've shared with everyone on the various FREE keyword analysis tools that are readily available, so before we begin on today's post. Let's put on our thinking caps and....

Ponder this :

  • How are you utilizing the available free tools ?
  • And how are you optimizing your keyword search ?
In this post today, I'll be sharing a tool in analyzing your natural search traffic. Without further delay, here's the indispensable FREE tool for your search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) : 103bees, The all in one tool in analyzing your search engine traffic.








So, what does the tool provide you with ?












Latest search hits

Providing you with latest search engine hits for your website,
along with the landing page and search engine information.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------












Top query keywords
What are the most popular keywords used by your visitor in finding your website.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------














Search engines
Understand where search traffic is coming from
(google ? Yahoo ? Or ?) and how you can optimize
your search based on that.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------














Search engine rankings
Identify the top search terms rankings for your website and optimize your search efforts.

Related keywords
Identify the related keywords in search queries.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------













Long Tail

Identify whether your website search term popularity is a Short Head’ (few search terms that bring lots of traffic) or a ‘Long Tail’ (many search terms with only a few search hits each).

Top landing pages
Identify which are your top landing pages.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, how do you start analyzing and optimize your search ?
Register for a FREE account and simply just tag the single line of Javascript code provided by 103bees onto your desired web pages.

Now isn't it time to take action and try it out for yourself.
Time to optimize your search.

Here's the previous post:
. Keyword analysis

2008-01-17

Keyword analysis

Before we begin....
Ponder on the following...

  • What are the keywords your potential or existing consumers, keyed into Google or any search engine and lands onto your website or landing page ?
  • What are the most common search terms they keyed and came about to your website ? Having known all the key search terms, how are you optimizing it ?
  • Take a look at your competitors websites. How are they working on their SEO (search engine optimization) and what keywords link their potential or existing consumers to them ? What keywords are they focusing on ?
In this post, I'll be sharing some of the keyword tools (FREE) for you to use either for your personal blog or your business. Through this, hopefully you get a sense of your keyword performance and how you can optimize it.

(i) Keyword suggestion tool: Wordtracker
Enter a starting keyword to generate up to 100 related keywords
and an estimate of their daily search volume.

(ii) Search Term Suggestion Tool: Keyword Discovery
Simply type a seed keyword in the below field and have
KeywordDiscovery generate the top 100 keywords for you.

(iii) Keyword map for the internet: KwMap

(iv) Google AdWords: Keyword-Tool
Use the Keyword Tool to get new keyword ideas.

(v) Google AdWords: Traffic Estimator
Quick traffic estimates for new keywords

(vi) SEOBook : Keyword Suggestion Tool
Links to Google Trends, Google Suggest, Google Synonyms,
Yahoo! Suggest, and Keyword Discovery keyword research results.

(vii) SEO ToolSet: Traffic Check
This tool will produce an estimate of daily search activity for a
specific keyword phrase on the internet across the major search engines.

How are optimizing your search ?

Here's some related post:
. Competitive Analysis Tool - Part 1: Google Trends
. Competitive Analysis Tool - Part 2 : compete
. 2007 Recap: Top Searches

2008-01-16

Using Restrooms as a media ?

How often can you capture your consumers for 5 minutes, while they are sitting down and they are not allowed to go anywhere but to listen solely to your commercial message ? Sounds like a dream scenario ? Well, this is precisely what Proctor and Gamble did, with their brand Charmin, toilet paper, sponsoring 20 public toilets in New York City during the Christmas.

The public toilets are
embedded with Charmin branding, from the brand graphics, music, Charmin characters to the scented toilet paper perfume. What interesting is, consumers can even get to sample up to six different toilet papers by Charmin, and select one they like best to use. What an unconventional way in getting their consumers to interact with the Charmin brand and not just one dimension but the overall brand experience touch points.
























How about your brand ?

  • How are you tapping into alternatives, in building a memorable brand experience with your consumers ?
  • How well is your brand interacting with every consumer touch points ?
  • How are you communicating with your consumers ? Using the same concept again and again ?

2008-01-15

Competitive Analysis Tool - Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the importance of analyzing your competition through the use of online competitive analysis tool such as Google Trends. In this second install, I will be sharing another free tool which you could also utilize.

Part 2: compete
So what's so special about compete ?
Firstly, their Site Analytics tool, allows you to compare amongst two other competitors of your choice or among three of your competitors. After you entered the three sites to be compare, the tool plots three different graphs, which allows you to analyze the site traffic and how engaged your consumers are, in comparison to the competition.





------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Secondly, their Search Analytics tool,allows you to identify the keywords driving traffic to your website, identify gaps in your search strategy, invest in terms that drive the most engaged visitors, and track your performance against competitors and peers.






















































How did you fare against your competitors online ?
And how engaged are your consumers in comparison to the competition ?
How are you optimizing your search marketing campaigns in driving site traffic and increase the bottom line revenues ?

Here's the Part 1 of the series:
. Competitive Analysis Tool - Part 1: Google Trends

2008-01-14

How you can make a difference !

What's happening ?
The healthcare crisis in India:









Despite rapid economic growth and progressive interventions by government agencies, widening socio-economic divides present an alarming health crisis for the majority of India’s people. In the shadow of India’s urban upper classes (who have access to health conditions that rival the best of any developed country), the vast majority of India is subject to a grossly inadequate public health system. Consequently, India’s masses unnecessarily suffer from easily treatable and avoidable illnesses such as malaria, typhoid, jaundice, asthma, tuberculosis, and diarrhea. Here are some statistics to illustrate:

  • Most villagers in rural India have not seen a doctor in 10 years
  • 41% of practicing “doctors” do not have any kind of medical degree
  • On routine doctor visits, less than 3% of patients are sufficiently tested
  • 68% of patients receive unnecessary injections, most often containing vitamins, or saline.
  • Every year, 100 million people suffer from treatable gastrointestinal conditions such as diarrhea, amoebosis, typhoid, infectious hepatitis, cholera, etc. More than 80% of these illnesses are water-borne.
  • Malnutrition affects 85% of Indian children and kills more than 150,000 every year.
  • Some studies suggest that 70% of families spend more than 50% of their annual income on health; 93% of this amount is spent on treatment of avoidable ailments and emergency care

How you can make a difference with your ideas : The Piramal Prize







A $25,000 Social entrepreneurship challenge that encourages and enables business ideas that democratize healthcare.

The competition asks for bold and creative innovations, will help you develop a business plan, and invests in viable new ideas.

  • Mentors for all teams that express interest in mentor assistance and the support of an online community to fully develop their ideas.
  • Finalists will have a chance to work closely with a mentor, network with potential investors, and make a final presentation to the Piramal Prize Selection Committee.
  • Finalists will have access to IIM-A faculty, experts in healthcare, and will be encouraged to network with existing entrepreneurs and potential investors.
The Process: The 2008 Piramal Prize evaluation process involves three stages, culminating in a finalist workshop and selection weekend in May 2008.


Entry Deadline
: April 1, 2008

Make a difference NOW at http://www.piramalprize.org/

2008-01-12

What + Why + How

Is your company taking action on your web analytics ?
Is it integrated as part of the business ?

Web analysis is still not a key priority found in many entities big and small. To many, they still feel anything with regards to the web channel, it belongs solely to the IT department. They are leaving a very valuable and important analysis tool behind, which helps in addressing the needs and wants of their consumers and how they can integrate the insights into the business and improving the overall bottom line revenue. If the management don’t know what is going on or how well the web channel is doing, how do they gauge the overall success of the business?

So how could entities tap into their existing web channel and integrate the insights into the business? The most vital part before even conducting analysis on the web channel, entities must know “what is the objective of the business?” for the web channel. Is the web channel solely for e-commerce, lead generation, branding content or customer support; or a combination? Once entities identify their business goals or objectives for the web channel than will the data provide insights that are relevant.

So how could you tapped into the insights of your web channel? In my humble opinion, how about adopting the “What(s)”, “Whys” and “How” into your business, in becoming more customer centric and adopting a more holistic approach towards the business.

What(s): Tapping into how the consumers are doing your web site based on the key performance index desired by the business. For example, in an e-commerce website, what are the consumers clicking on which leads them in making a purchase decision or what promotions or messages found on the website that the consumers click on before arriving to the check out process. It is vital in identifying the relevant behavioral clicks aligned with the key objectives of the web channel. As of today, entities are hit by overload of information provided by the web analytics tool vendors, which are not relevant to the business. Purely reporting on the click streams data will not provide solutions unless goals are identify.

Whys: Even with all the “what(s)”, it only provides what the consumers are clicking on or their behaviour; it doesn’t tell why is it leading consumers towards the particular behavioural outcomes. Therefore, conducting attitudinal research is vital in understanding what leads consumers to the behavioral clicks on the website. In the previous example of the e-commerce web channel, attitudinal surveys can be conducted to find out why consumers are abandoning the check out process at the very last stage, is it because the sales form online is too complicated or they refuse to pay for the costly shipping fees ?

How: Lastly, without doing an analysis in contrast with the competition, entities will not be able to identify how they are faring. By understanding how the primary competitors are faring, they could tap into what is and what is not working for their competitors. However, it is important not to blindly follow what the competitors are having, since different entities have very different business goals and objectives.

By clearly identifying the business goals of the web channel and devising key performance indicators and analysing the “What(s)”, “Whys” and “How”, will help the entities become more customer centric and drive the business success. Lastly, the process doesn’t ends here; tests have to be conducted on an on-going basis constantly in meeting and understanding the ever changing needs of the consumers. Action have to be taken and not reporting.

Are you taking action ?
Or are you only report ?

2008-01-11

You have 5 Minutes

What are you really good at ?
Or are you an expert in something ?
How about sharing it with the rest of the world in 5 minutes ?
Well, here comes 5min







The concept behind 5min is really simple: share your own expertise video from arts, business, fashion, sports, health, tech to food with the rest of the world in no more than 5 minutes. Alright, so what's so special about 5min ? The special video player created by 5min allows you to watch any video in slow motion or frame by frame whenever you feel the need to rewind back.















Now less the talk and more the action.
Share your expertise with the world in 5min.
Shoot. Post. Share. all in 5min.
Got 5min?

2008-01-10

The Clone Wars

First the originals....
Digg,SlideShare,YouTube
Now the clones....

#1 Clone: menéame
Where do you digg for the latest news ? Digg you say?
Want a Spanish version you say ?
Here comes the Spanish alternative of Digg - menéame





















Any difference you say ?
Not much of a difference in contrast with Digg, except its in Spanish.
Will it become the next Digg ?
Or will it not ?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

#2 Clone: SlideBurner
Where do you normally share your presentations on the web?
Or where do you normally backup your presentations ?
SlideShare ?
How about an alternative ?
Here comes SlideShare's Europe cousin - SlideBurner


















-------------------------------------------------------------------------

#3 Clone: MyVideo

Where do you normally hunt for videos online ?
YouTube ?
How about trying the German YouTube - MyVideo




















Will these clones eventually emerge as the replacements ?
Or will they not ?
Remember how Facebook came about and disrupt the game in the social networking sites ?
Just when Friendster and MySpace are getting comfortable, Facebook changes the rules of the game.

So will the clones survive ?
Or will they fad out ?
What do you think ?

2008-01-08

Create,Publish,Analyse

How are you conducting your research ?
For your business ?
Or for your personal website or blog ?
Are you conducting it offline ?
Online or integration of both ?

If you're conducting your research online, and don't have the programming knowledge or capital, try QuestionForm by forweb software.






What QuestionForm brings is pretty straight forward, a
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, whereby you could just drag and drop the desired fields or options, edit the text, and there's your survey ready to roll out, all without having any prior HTML or programming knowledge.

Create













Publish
























Analyse













Other cool features include:

  • Multiple versions of your survey in different languages,which is automatically determined by the system in helping your respondent selects his or her language.
  • Getting a buzz either through an email or SMS when a respondent submits your survey to the system.
Lastly, a survey wouldn't be useful without analysing the why's , QuestionForm provides you with statistics based on your survey responses, allowing you to track your survey responses in real time. You could also export the data to your spreadsheet for future reference.

What do you think ?

2008-01-06

Competitive Analysis Tool - Part 1

How did you fare against your competitors ?
What are the top key searches for the day ?

Try Google Trends,
best of all its FREE to utilize











Simply just key in keyword of your choice (e.g. iPod,mp3 player)
And Google Trends will display how frequently your topics have appeared,and which region has the highest search for the particular topic you desired.

So how are you working on your competitive analysis ?
Good or Bad insights ?
How are you utilizing the insights ?

Here's the Part 2 of the series:
. Competitive Analysis Tool - Part 2 : compete

2008-01-03

2007 Recap: Top Searches

Happy new year everyone !
Before we kickoff into this new year....
Time to recap year 2007,
On what are the search engines top searches .

Heading off with top Google Searches in 2007,
according to Google
Zeitgeist 2007:

Fastest Rising (global)
  1. iphone
  2. badoo
  3. facebook
  4. dailymotion
  5. webkinz
  6. youtube
  7. ebuddy
  8. second life
  9. hi5
  10. club penguin
Google News Most Popular Searches (global)
  1. american idol
  2. youtube
  3. britney spears
  4. 2007 cricket world cup
  5. chris benoit
  6. iphone
  7. anna nicole smith
  8. paris hilton
  9. iran
  10. vanessa hudgens
So what about top Yahoo searches in 2007 ?
according to Yahoo! 2007 Top Trends:

News
Top 10 news stories


1. Saddam Hussein
2. Iran
3. Iraq
4. President George W. Bush
5. Oil and Gas Prices
6. Barack Obama
7. Hillary Rodham Clinton
8. San Diego Fires
9. Afghanistan
10. Virginia Tech

The Year of I, You, and Wii
Top 10 in tech


1. YouTube
2. Wikipedia
3. Facebook
4. iTunes
5. iPod
6. iPhone
7. Nintendo Wii
8. Xbox
9. Sony PlayStation 3
10. Guitar Hero

Tag, You're It
Top 10 on del.icio.us


1. Design
2. HDTV
3. Games
4. Music
5. Web 2.0
6. Video
7. Ubuntu
8. Travel
9. Photography
10. Mac

How are you tapping into the consumers' mind with your brand touch points ?
How did you fare for your search results for 2007 ?
Organic vs PPC....
Good or bad ?
How does it affect your existing strategy ?
If so, how are you going to optimize your search results for 2008 ?

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