Graham Charlton

How Kia used consumer reviews online and offline

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post asking whether online reviews could work in an offline setting, and the consensus was that this could be a useful tactic.

To find out more, I spoke to Kia's John Bache, as well as Reevoo's CEO Richard Anson to find out more.

Kia has been using Reevoo reviews in its print and TV ads, as well as in its showrooms. It has worked well so far, and provides a lesson for other automotive brands.

by Graham Charlton 10 April 2013 14:08pm 4 comments

Marketers still need to work on mobile email: stats

While companies appreciate the importance of mobile email, they are a long way away from implementing best practice, with just 25% currently optimising emails for mobile.

The seventh annual Econsultancy Email Marketing Industry Census, sponsored by Adestra, finds that mobile email is a key area for improvement.

by Graham Charlton 09 April 2013 11:03am 1 comment

This week's top six infographics

Once again we round up six of the best stats-packed digital marketing infographics we've seen this week.

The topics include mobile optimisation, how social shares boost email, bad customer service, and how colours affect conversions...

by Graham Charlton 05 April 2013 10:44am 0 comments

13 ways for retailers to deal with the threat of showrooming

Showrooming, whether retailers like it or not, is here to stay. In fact, as smartphone usage grows, it's only going to increase.

Naturally, as retailers see the threat of people using their mobiles to compare prices and buy elsewhere, they are concerned about this trend.

But what can they do about it?

Here are a few suggestions for tactics that offline and multichannel retailers can use...

by Graham Charlton 03 April 2013 11:35am 20 comments

B2B mobile: key takeaways from Digital Cream London

Whilst some consumer sectors, such as retail, are forging ahead in the mobile channel, it sometimes feels as if B2B is lagging behind.

It’s not surprising though. While retailers can use m-commerce or drive purchases through discounts or incentives, the opportunities and the ROI in mobile B2B seem less obvious.

Formation CEO and Econsultancy trainer Mark Brill chaired Mobile B2B roundtable at Econsultancy’s Digital Cream Event.

Here are his thoughts on the day's discussions...

by Graham Charlton 03 April 2013 11:03am 0 comments

Is The Telegraph's metered paywall a good idea?

Yesterday, the Telegraph announced the introduction of a 'metered paywall' which allows visitors to read up to 20 articles before having to subscribe for more.

There are two options: a 'web pack' which allows access to the website and content via apps at £1.99 per month, and a 'digital pack' which adds tablet access and loyalty club membership at £9.99 per month.

But can a paywall ever be a good idea for a general news site like The Telegraph though? And how will it affect the newspaper in terms of SEO and traffic to its ecommerce pages?

by Graham Charlton 27 March 2013 11:30am 15 comments

12 essential PPC landing page success factors

Landing pages are an integral part of paid search. Effective pages mean you convert more visitors to the outcomes you need and in quality-score based search engines they make your ad more competitive.

Securing the click is only the start of the conversion journey. The quality of the user journey after the click will determine your ability to convert paid search traffic into desired outcomes.

A common mistake in paid search programmes is for the focus to be entirely on keyword targeting and CPC management, ignoring the vital role that landing page optimisation plays in converting visits into actions.

I'm referring to PPC landing pages here, as some of these tips are taken from our PPC Best Practice Guide, but many of these factors apply equally to email and other landing pages...

by Graham Charlton 13 June 2013 11:35am 7 comments

Start Me Up! A profile of Grafetee

Launched last year, Grafetee is a mobile app which enables anyone to create a location-based service in minutes for web and mobile devices.

I asked founder Juha Huttunen about Grafetee and its plans for world domination...

by Graham Charlton 27 March 2013 09:02am 0 comments

UK's online gambling sector worth £2bn in 2012: stats

Sports, and especially 'in-play', betting is leading the growth in the UK's online gambling market, with the sector worth more than £2bn in 2012.

For example, football betting has grown by 69% during 2011 to 2012, making it the second most lucrative, after horse racing.

Stickeyes has released a report on the sector, which looks at the top 50 keywords driving online search, and which brands are cleaning up.

Here are a few highlights from the study...

by Graham Charlton 25 March 2013 16:41pm 4 comments

Is site search less important for niche retailers?

Is site search less important for niche retailers than larger ecommerce sites?

It's an interesting question, and one which came up when I was moderating the Site Search and Naviagtion roundtable at Digital Cream last week.

Roger Willcocks of Screen Pages has been sharing some stats on 21 of his clients' ecommerce sites, and finds that onsite search doesn't play a huge role in navigation.

However, when it is used by visitors, it more than pays its way...

by Graham Charlton 25 March 2013 09:08am 2 comments