How to use Google Analytics to track telephone leads: Part two
This is the second part on a series of posts to document how you can track telephone calls in Google Analytics.
Mobile news sites: best practice tips
Most of the UK's newspapers now have mobile versions of their websites, but many could provide a better range of content and user experience.
Here are some best practice tips for mobile newspaper sites...
Eight tips for boosting lead gen conversions
The internet is arguably the most powerful tool for generating leads the business world has ever known. Using little more than HTML forms, it's possible to set up a simple mechanism for generating leads on a website and thanks to cost-effective internet advertising options, reaching an audience of potential customers has never been easier.
But even given these things, generating quality leads online isn't always as easy as it looks and a lot of leads are lost because the forms and web pages designed to generate them are poorly implemented. Here are eight tips for making sure you're maximizing your lead gen conversions.
The 10 commandments of social optimisation (#SOCOP)
What is social optimisation? For me, it’s about how you structure your business in a way that increases engagement and participation.
Social optimisation (‘SOCOP’) is broader than social ‘media’ optimisation (optimising your presence on third party sites) and bigger than social ‘search’ optimisation (boosting your universal search results). I think of it as an umbrella term that combines both of the above strategies, and then some. It covers the wider businesses issues like customer service, usability and organisational structure.
While there remains a lot of hype in the social space we are starting to hear about some excellent results from companies that have embraced their communities, wherever they choose to hang out. We believe that a user-centric, community-focused business is one that will go a long way, assuming that a few other basics are put in place (such as competitive pricing and amazing service).
So to help you to see the light, I have defined 10 commandments that should help you to plan and structure your business for a more sociable future...
10 steps to help you become a social media ninja
Agile and precise, packed with skills of stealth, quick reactions, passion, and specialist tactics for whatever the circumstances demand. This generally sums up what people imagine ninjas to be all about and, in digital marketing, everyone wants to be one, in one form or another.
But what pointers do you need to follow to train yourself to engage in the ongoing battleground of social media?
Why you need relevant PPC landing pages
A good landing page is one that reinforces ‘conversion intent’ by providing enough information to persuade customers to convert, but most importantly it has to be relevant to the paid ad that the user has just clicked on.
When shoppers enter a very specific phrase, such as a make and model number of a product, it suggests a clear intention to purchase, and so the landing page has to send the searcher straight to the product page and make it easy to complete the purchase.
Are retailers making it easy to unsubscribe from emails?
If people want to unsubscribe from emails, it should be made as easy as possible, as the alternative for many customers is using the report spam option, something which can have an adverse effect on sender reputations with ISPs.
I signed up for emails from some of the top UK retailers, and have been seeing how easy (or otherwise) they are making it for customers to opt out of marketing emails...
Social media tips for the automotive industry
I recently posed the question of whether or not the motor industry was making the most of social media to engage with customers and promote its products.
Car buyers are doing more research than ever before spending thousands on a new or used car and that very few people are walking into the car dealer showroom without already having scoured the net.
Terry Hogan, MD of motoring.co.uk, has been working with both manufacturers and dealers on their social media strategirs, here are some of his tips (I've also added one or two of my own) on how they can improve...
The 27 varieties of tweet used by retailers
I had a conversation the other day with a retailer who was interested in social media, but who didn’t know what to make of Twitter. It went a little bit like this:
She: “Isn’t it just another way of pushing out offers?”
Me: “Yes.”
She: "What else can we tweet about?"
Me: "You'd be surprised..."
So by way of a more detailed answer I thought I'd compile a list of the different types of tweet posted by retailers. There is a lot more to Twitter than simply firing out offers. Retailers use Twitter in lots of different ways, rather than simply tweeting about product promotions and hoping for the best.
I’ll outline the various types of tweet in this article, but first, a word to the wise…
Gone fishing: Seven tips for providing customer service support via Twitter
I've never done a list before, but here's my seven tips from using Twitter to provide customer service and online help and support. What are yours?
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Email marketing: six steps to improving customer engagement in 2010
Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
