All business owners need to understand basic data points in order to make future decisions, spend budget, hire, move, expand, contract, and succeed. However, not all business owners make it a priority. For example, when I ask "How many hits did your website get after you launched this ad?", I often hear "I don't know," or "Oh...should I have done that?" Well, yes!
I suppose because my background is direct marketing, I'm a bit more data-driven than most, but in today's online environment results are more measurable than ever.
Here are some basic data points that every small business owner should check on a regular basis, along with some of my best tips for how to make the best use of each:
1. Web stats - Without a doubt the most important one of all. Log in to your hosting account and look at them. If you don't understand what they mean, call your hosting company to help you. Basic web stats include number of hits, page views, where traffic came from, time spent on site ad more. Tip: Once you understand the basics, you can graduate to Google Analytics which delve deeper and allow you to set up goals for your site, give you good keyword information and much more.
2. Shopping cart - Website Magazine says that 64% of ecommerce shopping carts are abandoned before the purchase is completed! That is a huge opportunity cost. If you have a shopping cart be sure you've enabled the stats for the cart so you can read those too. Tips: Order from your own cart to see where the fallout might be; install a pop-up that asks for an email address to be reminded of their incomplete purchase (art.com does this really well); even ask your online users for feedback.
3. Every second counts - According to Website Magazine, 40% of online shoppers will abandon a website if it takes more than three (yes, that's right just THREE seconds) to load. Talk about a short attention span! Tip: Get your webmaster to help you cut load time by doing some rearranging of graphics and other items that slow it down.
4. Mobile search - If your business is retail then you might want to optimize for mobile devices. Some changes will need to be made to your site to accomplish this, but it will serve you well. Website Magazine states that 90% of mobile searches led to an action such as a store visit or phone call and 50% of those led to a purchase. Tip: Get input from your webmaster about how best to optimize for mobile devices. One easy change I recently worked on for a client's site was to move the navigation bar from the left-hand side of the page to the right-hand side so mobile users get a full screen of content when they land on your site.
5. Maximize your online presence - One of the great benefits of digital marketing is the ability to link to directories and listings - both general and industry-specific. Tips: Visit moz.com it's a great way to get the most visibility you can. Just follow the simple instructions to get your score and then take the action steps suggested by claiming all your listings; search around for industry-specific compiled directory sites and submit a request to link to your site.
6. Email newsletters - If you take the time to research, write and publish these on a regular basis then you should absolutely track the results. Don't simply email everyone from your business email address as this is not only illegal (you need to use permission-based software), but is useless for your metrics. And, your ISP could label you a spammer! Tip: Use email software. You can track opens, click throughs and more with their easy-to-use capabilities. But most importantly, you'll have the tools you need to know for sure who is interacting with your business and allowing those who no longer want to, the option to opt-out. Contact me for your 15 minute no-obligation, email best-practices phone consultation.
7. SEO stats - One of best measures of the success of your website is your Search Engine Optimization score. The higher the better so you want to be sure to know what needs to be changed to make this number as good as it can get. Tip: Go to whois.sc and follow the prompts to get your score. If it's low (anything below a 90 is a good yardstick), then your site needs work on it's phrasing and perhaps other coding to score higher.
8. Social media - If you've invested the time to set up your social media, then take a few minutes each day to quickly post an offer, update, tidbit, shareable idea. Very soon you'll begin to see which one(s) are paying off. Tip: There are tutorials to show you how to measure each of the most popular sites. Get a basic understanding of your reach, influence, page views and more so you can see what's working and what's not thereby becoming more effective with your time.
Remember, marketing TODAY keeps you in business TOMORROW!
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Copyright 2014 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC
Showing posts with label small business owners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small business owners. Show all posts
Friday, September 19, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Summer Marketing
With little exception, the fall and winter are high revenue-producing months for most businesses. In order to make the most of the time you should have a solid plan for how you will approach this important season.
Some key questions to begin with are:
1. What did I do this year that worked?
2. What didn't work?
3. Are there any new media I should try?
4. Did I make good use of my customer data?
5. What is my competition doing?
6. What is my marketing budget?
Even creating a rough marketing budget is a good start. Some companies use a percent of sales; others use a hard dollar amount knowing what they can afford. Unsure what's right for you? Consult guidelines for your particular industry. These can usually be found in an industry trade journal and in industry association publications. However you put yours together just be sure you have some budget set aside for the purpose of marketing.
So, now what?
Once you establish a rough budget, you'll have to narrow down precisely how you will market your business. With more options than ever, this can be a difficult task. So, here are some guidelines by type of business:
Service Businesses:
If you have face to face contact with your clients, you have a much easier route to establishing a relationship with them - such as a service person that goes to someone's home or business, or a consultant meeting with a client. You can:
• Use the person's contact information to stay in touch with them via email and direct mail
• Always follow up a meeting with a handwritten thank you to stand away from your competitors
• When a job is finished don't forget to ask for a testimonial and a referral
Retail Businesses:
Take advantage of the fact that you actually get to meet your customers and engage them when appropriate. Ways to do this are:
• If you have employees, make sure they are well trained in customer service (including knowing by name your best customers and greeting them that way when they come to your store)
• Create a "member" club for those best customers and offer them special sales or shopping hours just for them
• Collect their emails to keep in touch via email newsletters
• If you carry a manufacturer's product line, ask your rep if they offer any co-op marketing support as this can substantially increase your budget without using your own money
Online Businesses:
Establishing a relationship here is a bit more difficult and will heavily depend on having a website programmed with customer service in mind; then creating a plan to use it in a timely manner without being annoying. Some things you can do are:
• At the checkout offer upsells and add-ons (but NOT by a third party as some do with magazines and the like)
• Offer free shipping for orders above a certain dollar amount
• Email a thank you once the order has been placed
• Notify the buyer once the item has been shipped (this is SUCH a great service), and I just had the experience of returning an item and I was emailed when it was received by them and approximately how long it would take to process my refund, then they confirmed when the credit was applied - this is GREAT
• Deliver coupons online
• Consider having a one day sale
Pulling it all together
This entire process becomes easier as you begin to translate business goals into marketing goals in small, and then larger, bites. Having a plan (even if it's rough) is a way to see what's ahead. This is especially true if you are thinking of using print advertising since deadlines for ad submissions are often two months ahead of the actual issue date for monthly publications. And, this is also helpful for laying out an annual email marketing and messaging strategy plan.
So...while you're relaxing in the sun, have a pad and pen at the ready to jot down any creative ideas that inspire you so that you're ready to hit the ground running when you return to work.
Remember...get started marketing TODAY so that TOMORROW your business will still exist.
Some key questions to begin with are:
1. What did I do this year that worked?
2. What didn't work?
3. Are there any new media I should try?
4. Did I make good use of my customer data?
5. What is my competition doing?
6. What is my marketing budget?
Even creating a rough marketing budget is a good start. Some companies use a percent of sales; others use a hard dollar amount knowing what they can afford. Unsure what's right for you? Consult guidelines for your particular industry. These can usually be found in an industry trade journal and in industry association publications. However you put yours together just be sure you have some budget set aside for the purpose of marketing.
So, now what?
Once you establish a rough budget, you'll have to narrow down precisely how you will market your business. With more options than ever, this can be a difficult task. So, here are some guidelines by type of business:
Service Businesses:
If you have face to face contact with your clients, you have a much easier route to establishing a relationship with them - such as a service person that goes to someone's home or business, or a consultant meeting with a client. You can:
• Use the person's contact information to stay in touch with them via email and direct mail
• Always follow up a meeting with a handwritten thank you to stand away from your competitors
• When a job is finished don't forget to ask for a testimonial and a referral
Retail Businesses:
Take advantage of the fact that you actually get to meet your customers and engage them when appropriate. Ways to do this are:
• If you have employees, make sure they are well trained in customer service (including knowing by name your best customers and greeting them that way when they come to your store)
• Create a "member" club for those best customers and offer them special sales or shopping hours just for them
• Collect their emails to keep in touch via email newsletters
• If you carry a manufacturer's product line, ask your rep if they offer any co-op marketing support as this can substantially increase your budget without using your own money
Online Businesses:
Establishing a relationship here is a bit more difficult and will heavily depend on having a website programmed with customer service in mind; then creating a plan to use it in a timely manner without being annoying. Some things you can do are:
• At the checkout offer upsells and add-ons (but NOT by a third party as some do with magazines and the like)
• Offer free shipping for orders above a certain dollar amount
• Email a thank you once the order has been placed
• Notify the buyer once the item has been shipped (this is SUCH a great service), and I just had the experience of returning an item and I was emailed when it was received by them and approximately how long it would take to process my refund, then they confirmed when the credit was applied - this is GREAT
• Deliver coupons online
• Consider having a one day sale
Pulling it all together
This entire process becomes easier as you begin to translate business goals into marketing goals in small, and then larger, bites. Having a plan (even if it's rough) is a way to see what's ahead. This is especially true if you are thinking of using print advertising since deadlines for ad submissions are often two months ahead of the actual issue date for monthly publications. And, this is also helpful for laying out an annual email marketing and messaging strategy plan.
So...while you're relaxing in the sun, have a pad and pen at the ready to jot down any creative ideas that inspire you so that you're ready to hit the ground running when you return to work.
Remember...get started marketing TODAY so that TOMORROW your business will still exist.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog!
I am celebrating my new site at http://www.myaffordablemarketing.com/ - THE site that advocates 'affordable, accessible marketing for all'....
My new site was created for small business owners, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals who need SOLUTIONS not 'consultants'.
Please browse this site and be sure to check out my Marketing Solutions page where clear deliverables and pricing are listed so you know what you are getting before you pay for it!
Have a comment? Thought? Please let me know at randye@myaffordablemarketing.com.
Always remember that you don't need a million dollar marketing budget, just million dollar ideas implemented with your success in mind!
Happy marketing!
Randye
PS - I still haven't heard from the company I referred to in my first post...have you had an irritating marketing experience too? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Let's change the world of marketing together - one experience at a time!
I am celebrating my new site at http://www.myaffordablemarketing.com/ - THE site that advocates 'affordable, accessible marketing for all'....
My new site was created for small business owners, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals who need SOLUTIONS not 'consultants'.
Please browse this site and be sure to check out my Marketing Solutions page where clear deliverables and pricing are listed so you know what you are getting before you pay for it!
Have a comment? Thought? Please let me know at randye@myaffordablemarketing.com.
Always remember that you don't need a million dollar marketing budget, just million dollar ideas implemented with your success in mind!
Happy marketing!
Randye
PS - I still haven't heard from the company I referred to in my first post...have you had an irritating marketing experience too? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Let's change the world of marketing together - one experience at a time!
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