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Best Internet Marketing News Of The Week May 24 2010

Published on May 29, 2010 by iClick Solutions. View Comments

Best Internet MarketingThe iClick Solutions internet marketing team dedicates countless hours (probably too many) reading internet marketing news, updates and using all this knowledge to create innovative ideas for our clients each and every day.

Each week we are going to highlight the best internet marketing news that we have seen you may have missed and should read.  Makes sure to subscribe to iClick Solutions RSS, via email on the right sidebar and / or connect with us on Facebook so you don’t miss out on these weekly internet marketing updates and learn how to leverage internet marketing and social media to connect with your customer online.

For the week of Monday, May 24, 2010 here are iClick Solutions Best Internet Marketing winners that you want to make sure you read:

  • Google Completes $750 Million AdMob Acquisition by Jack Marshall – Google has completed its $750 million acquisition of mobile ad network AdMob, following approval from the FTC last week after a six-month anti-trust investigation into the merger. Writing on the company blog, Susan Wojcicki, Google’s VP of Product Management wrote, “Today, we closed our acquisition of AdMob… We’ll now begin the process of bringing our products and teams together in the best way, and building new products and features together. We’re working to make this integration happen as fast and as seamlessly as possible. We’ll actively keep our clients up-to-date as we bring our businesses together.”
  • 44% of US Adults Research SMBs Online by Matt McGee – Does small business reputation management matter? I think so. It’s right near the top of my SEO Success Pyramid as one of the last “steps” to earning trust in your business. The Pew Research Project has put the value of small business reputation management into numbers: 44% of online adults say they have searched online for information about someone whose services or advice they seek in a professional capacity, like a doctor, lawyer or plumber.
  • 10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Killer Social Media Strategy by Beth Hrusch – Why do businesses need social media? It’s a good question, and one that everyone should ask before they get started. After all, spending time, money, and other precious resources on social media marketing before you have an understanding of what it can do for you is kind of like putting the cart before the horse (not advisable).
  • Only You Can Prevent Blog Trolls & Comment Jerks by Lisa Barone – As a SMB owner, I think it provides you with an unparalleled opportunity to create thought leadership and to use storytelling to create an interesting point of difference. I also think one reason small business owners are hesitant to get involved with blogging is because they’re afraid to open up their community and site to people who may drop by and say mean things. Everyone’s afraid of the dreaded comment troll.
  • 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Landing Page by Hubspot – Does your online marketing strategy include things like “conversion,” “ROI” and “new customers?” If the answer is yes, then landing pages are something you’ve thought long and hard about.  Landing pages broker the exchange of information between you and the interested party. Combining an eye-catching offer button with an effective landing page can turn what was once just web traffic into a steady stream of leads for your sales team.
  • Small Business Owners Adopting Social Media in 2010 by Matt McGee – A new survey of U.S. small business owners confirms what I’ve thought to be true: Social media is growing as a marketing tool. The “FedEx Office Signs of the Times Small Business Survey” polled 500 small biz owners across the country in early April. When asked how they plan to grow their businesses in 2010, social media was one of the few methods that gained when compared to the 2009 survey.

If you have any thoughts regarding above articles please share below. Also, if you have a suggestion for topics you want us to focus on with next week’s best internet marketing tips please Contact Us and let us know.  We would love to hear from you.

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10 Email Marketing Tips That Every Marketer Should Follow

Published on May 28, 2010 by iClick Solutions. View Comments

Email Marketing TipsTired of hearing about this rough economy?  I know we are.  When things are tough the last thing you want to do is cut back on marketing; however, that is the 1st place companies look to save money.

The good news is that marketers continue to find great success with email marketing as a tool to generate positive return on investment, especially since email marketing is very inexpensive.  However, only if done correctly!

For those marketers who are using email marketing or for those businesses about to start emailing customers through email newsletters here are 10 email marketing tips that you should follow:

  1. Email opt-in form on website – Make sure you do have permission to start emailing before you put people on your email distribution list. If you are using an email tool like Constant Contact use their opt-in form on your website to ensure you are properly including your customers in your email database.
  2. Don’t buy or rent your list – Trust us we have tried this a few times in the past and have had HORRIBLE results.  Ask yourself if you enjoy getting unsolicited emails?  Doubtful… so why would your customers be any different?  Build your list in a more natural fashion by collecting business cards and including an opt-in email newsletter form on your website.
  3. Get Past SPAM Filters – If you want people to open your emails, you need to get past their SPAM filters first. We have our SPAM filters set probably too high as our junk box gets quite full with emails we actually want; however, it does help us learn what NOT to do.  Avoid using words such as Free, Make Money, or You’re a Winner that triggers a SPAM filter to toss your email into the lovely junk box.  Check out  Mailigen list of words to avoid for a more complete list.
  4. Email Frequency & Timing – When to send email and how often you send emails are critical to email marketing success.  For email marketing to business recipients start out by sending your email newsletter midday around lunch or early afternoon. Sending email before work can result in your email getting lost as customers get ready for their day. If your business focuses on consumers after work are the best hours. People check their personal email when they get home from work or after dinner. Regarding how often to send email, sending too often may cause the recipients to unsubscribe, but sending too infrequently may cause subscribers to not remember who you are.  Here are 2 great articles to review on email timing – How often should you email your customers? and Email Marketing: How Often is Too Often?
  5. You Need to Have a Privacy Policy -  Email marketers must have a clear and detailed privacy policy.  If you do not have one already, here’s a great Privacy Statement Generator tool to help you get started.  Make sure you post the privacy policy on all emails, as well as, a link on each page of your website.
  6. Branding Consistency – Not only will your email be recognized in a overly stuffed inbox, email recipients prefer and appreciate a familiar look so they instantly know who you are.  Once you decide on a template look and feel stick with it for at least a few months.  If you decide to make changes do it slowly to avoid confusion.  Testing is definitely important when it comes to emailing but don’t do anything drastic such as changing 5 different elements of your template (e.g. background, layout, font size, etc).
  7. Landing Pages – Do you like reading about a great email offer and then being sent to a home page where you have to search for that offer or coupon?  Probably not so don’t do that to your customers.  Make it really easy for them and send them to a landing page that your email is promising or offering.
  8. Don’t Ask Them To Jump Through Hoops – Great tip from AllBusiness.com is not to make readers jump through hoops when asking for them to give up their precious email address. If you want someone to subscribe to an e-mail newsletter or sign up for updates about your product or service, do not make them fill out endless online forms, click through multiple pages, and provide unnecessary information. The more difficult you make it, the less likely they will be to subscribe. All you really need is their permission and their e-mail address.
  9. Leverage Social Media – What is the 1 thing that everyone has on social media networks such as Facebook, Linkedin, etc?  Yes, an email address!  Without an email address you can’t log into these social media platforms so consider including an email newsletter sign up in your social media networking profiles.  You can also suggest to your fans to visit your website opt in form and they will be rewarded with exclusive specials, announcements, and more.  With Facebook you can add Static FBML App and include an email newsletter sign up on your Facebook page.
  10. Analyze Metrics And Make Improvements – This is one of the most important tips.  A few days after each email newsletter you send make sure you look at all key metrics, such as open rates, click through rates, and unsubscribe rates.  You should focus on improving these important metrics after every single email marketing newsletter.  MailChimp (great email service provider) created a chart that outlines average open, click, bounce and abuse complaint rates by industry.

So there you have it – 10 email marketing tips that will help ensure email marketing success.  Of course, you don’t need to follow every email marketing tip above but we sure hope you do.  Are there other email marketing tips you have found to be beneficial in connecting with your current and prospective customers?  If so, please share those below:

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Find Yourself Thinking My Business Makes No Sense To Be On Facebook?

Published on May 26, 2010 by iClick Solutions. View Comments

Facebook Business WhyThe word is definitely getting out to the business community that creating a Facebook Business Page is effective based on recent Facebook fan page growth stats. There are now more than 3 million active Pages on Facebook, nearly double the 1.6 million it reported less than 6 months ago in December.

When we share the above stats with businesses considering a social media marketing strategy, one of my favorite Facebook questions from business owners is “My business sells X Widget that is not social, why would I consider having a Facebook Business Page that no one would be interested in becoming a fan (whoops sorry liking me)?

Yes, I am sure there are some businesses that probably do not make sense to be on Facebook (please do share those in the comment area); however, with over 450 million users on Facebook there is a good chance someone is interested in what you have to say or offer.

With Facebook the focus should be on growing your fan base with quality not quantity. You should be attracting people that are interested in your product or service and not worry about the number of fans. To perform well on Facebook you want your fans interacting with your page, sharing your posts, commenting, etc. and those that are excited about what you have to write will be true fans and not just eyeballs seeing your posts.  So even if you only had 30 fans of your business page this could be an effective strategy.  If I told you that everyday you could sit in a room with your 30 best customers, share with them an opinion, ask a question, share a product update, etc. and you had the opportunity to hear their feedback and at no cost to you would you invest that time?  Think of Facebook Business page the same way!

If you take it a step further imagine those 30 customers than leaving your meeting and instantly telling all their friends about your update.  Again, think of your Facebook Business page the same way.  If you share content with those that ‘like’ you they will share that with their Facebook friends as well and help increase your brand awareness and potentially generate new fans or customers.

So you are probably still not convinced, huh?  Recently we came across 2 very unique Facebook pages from Mashable (one of our favorite sources) that might help give the confidence that you should consider adding Facebook to your online marketing strategy.  The question you should be asking yourself (and we can help answer) is, If these businesses found success with their Facebook Business Page could yours?

1) Equine Dentist Builds Relationships Through Facebook:

As asked on Mashable, how do you turn a regional service business into an international destination for industry thought leadership? Answer – Facebook.

The Equine Practice Facebook Business PageAt least that’s what worked for Geoff Tucker, an equine dentist based in Palm City, FL.

In a business driven by relationships, Geoff says that Facebook allows him to build new ones. “People do business with people who they’re friends with. Period,” he says. “And Facebook is a great way to get to know people. It allows people to see that I’m a person.”

As he builds these relationships using social media, Geoff is also expanding his company’s reach. He says it was his blog, his Twitter feed, and his Facebook account that helped him win appearances on Horse Talk Radio and HorseGirl.tv.

So what’s this done for his business? Geoff says that over the last year, Facebook alone has generated about 100 leads and 10-to-15 customers.

2) Steel Building Manufacturer Uses Facebook To Connect With Customers:

As a manufacturer of prefabricated steel buildings, SteelMaster was initially hesitant to get involved in social media.

As reported on Mashable, “It’s steel buildings,” explains Michelle Wickum, director of marketing for the Norfolk, VA company. “How is that going to tie to Facebook? It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but when we looked at the growth in Facebook and social media, we felt we had to get our arms around it.”

SteelMaster Buildings Facebook Business Page

About a year ago, SteelMaster put its first toe into the social media water. The company discovered two important applications for their business. First, they found that Facebook is an excellent way to post pictures of customers’ steel buildings. Not only do the pictures engage existing customers — they also demonstrate to prospective customers the range of uses for SteelMaster buildings. “Photography for us is the hook,” Michelle explains.

Perhaps more importantly, SteelMaster found that social networks like Twitter and Facebook gives it exposure to and create demand in specific verticals where it previously had little traction. Chicken farmers and woodworkers don’t typically think to use steel buildings, but when friends and colleagues share pictures of their SteelMaster buildings on Twitter and Facebook, the farmers and woodworkers become interested.

So there you go – 2 very unique businesses that are having success leveraging Facebook. Again, if these businesses found success with their Facebook Business Page could yours?  Let us know if we can assist you with creating a Facebook Business Page plan.

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Why Optimizing Your Website For Mobile Usage Is Important

Published on May 24, 2010 by iClick Solutions. View Comments

iPhone vs AndroidHaving a mobile optimized version of your website has become increasingly important with 63.2 million people now accessing the Internet through mobile devices, with 35% of those going online every day, according to figures released by ComScore.  “Social networking and blogging have emerged as very popular daily uses of the mobile Web and these activities are growing at a torrid pace,” added Mark Donovan, senior vice president of comScore’s mobile division.

As shown below, women and people between 35 and 54 are most apt to perform social networking activities via mobile device, according to data from The Nielsen Company.  When considering optimizing your website for your current customer demographics the below stats are helpful because social networking is a large element of mobile usage; however, keep in mind how fast this technology and adoption is moving.  If your customer demographic is over 54 years of age do not completely discount optimizing your website for mobile usage.

Mobile Gender and Age Stats

When considering optimizing your website for mobile devices also keep in mind that each mobile device displays the web differently.  Based on current stats and mobile devices you need to focus on iPhone (60% market share), Android (20% market share), and then possibly Blackberry / RIM (10% market share).  We say possibly Blackberry because of its decreasing mobile internet usage.  Blackberry is reported to release a better internet browser functionality during later part of 2010 and when that occurs we may see Blackberry RIM usage increase.  As shown below, Android is making steady gains, overtaking RIM both in the US and worldwide.

Mobile Traffic Share

Google reports that in 2009, 50% of new internet connections originated from cell phones.  Google’s research also shows that as mobile internet speeds get faster, web browsing using a cell phone becomes more common and the trend is clear – mobile internet connections and use are increasing at an exponential rate.

Most likely your regular website will provide a poor experience for those using mobile phones and this can be confirmed by reviewing your website analytics from those visiting your site from mobile phones.  With our clients, who are in many different types of industries, see a 50  – 70 % bounce rate increase from mobile usage vs. traditional web visitors.  So there are 2 things you must do immediately:

  1. Your Website Mobile Experience – Pull up your website on mobile devices and click around.  Ask yourself if this is an experience you want for your users? Make special note of download speeds, image resolution, navigation and usability. If you don’t have a mobile web based phone, such as an Android head over to your nearest cell phone store, such as Verizon and AT&T, and pull up your website.
  2. Usage and Bounce Rate – We recommend you review your Website analytics to get a sense of how many people are looking at your site today through mobile and what is the current bounce rate.

Mobile optimized sites are definitely a build it and they will come strategy so even if your current mobile usage is low you need to consider planning for the future. As shown below, we took a snapshot from Google Analytics mobile section and it is very easy to see how many people are visiting your site and from what type of devices:

Why Optimizing Your Website For Mobile Usage Is Important Google Analytics Mobile

Almost every website can benefit from a mobile version of their site; however, there are several sites that benefit more than others based off the Comscore research shared earlier:

  1. Local Businesses – From a search engine perspective, there are specific indexing algorithms for mobile websites so if you do not have an optimized mobile site you are missing out on local and mobile search rankings.  For example, Google Mobile Web Search crawls and indexes sites that have been specifically designed for mobile phones and devices. Users can search the mobile web on their mobile devices using Google Mobile Web Search. Local restaurants, retail and other local businesses can benefit significantly from a mobile website as they can have another efficient and customer friendly way to communicate.  Yelp.com is one of the most popular local review websites and have created a great mobile experience that you can check out to get some ideas.
  2. News and Blogs — You want to make sure that your viewers and audience has the most amount of up to date information as possible.  The mobile site can help you accomplish this goal.
  3. E-Commerce Sites — Like Amazon.com mobile, you need to make sure that your customers can review and purchase products from your website.  A recent study by Coda Research agency has revealed that mobile eCommerce in the US shall grow at a compounded rate of 65% between 2009 and 2015. According to this study, mobile phones will constitute 8.5% of all eCommerce revenues in the US and in 2010 this is estimated to be a $2.420 billion business.

So hopefully you are now convinced that maybe it is time you create a mobile experience for your users.  Please check out these 2 great articles for creating mobile optimized sites as each helped me in my research and are full of additional information:

There will soon be a time when designing a mobile version of a site will be a must and that time is probably just around the corner. The information above was intended to provide updated stats on where mobile is currently at and to give you a sense of where it is headed.  Please use the comments below and share your tips for mobile optimization and any questions you have. I’m eager to learn from you as well!

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Best Internet Marketing News Of The Week May 17 2010

Published on May 23, 2010 by iClick Solutions. View Comments

Best Internet MarketingThe iClick Solutions internet marketing team dedicates countless hours reading internet marketing news, updates and using all this knowledge to create innovative ideas for our clients each and every day.

Each week we are going to highlight the best internet marketing news that we have seen you may have missed and should read.  Makes sure to subscribe to iClick Solutions RSS, via email on the right sidebar and / or connect with us on Facebook so you don’t miss out on these weekly internet marketing updates and learn how to leverage internet marketing and social media to connect with your customer online.

For the week of Monday, May 17, 2010 here are iClick Solutions Best Internet Marketing winners that you want to make sure you read:

  1. Google Demos New Mobile Ads and TV Product – At its developer conference in San Francisco today, Google unveiled its new Android 2.2 mobile operating system, dubbed FroYo, and its T.V.-meets-web set top box, Google TV. Though the new technologies and features were being pitched to an audience of developers, advertiser interests were frequently referenced, and new mobile ad formats were showcased.
  2. The Myth of Perfect Content – Many websites try to create perfect brochure content for their markets and prospects. Then they optimize those pages for SEO. After all, you want people to land on the perfect page when they arrive from a search engine query result, right? If only life were so Type-A. Except in this case the A stands for atypical. Search results are rarely neat and tidy. Many times people click on results that look hopeful, not ones that look correct. If yours is the best result, even if it’s not perfect, people will click. Search engine programmers know this too. At night they dream of getting funded for creating the mythical database of intentions.
  3. Facebook Shared Usernames With Advertisers – Last night the Wall Street Journal published about a new Facebook “privacy loophole” that resulted in user information being shared with advertisers. The information that was often shared by Facebook was the username of the person who clicked on the ad as detailed by Ben Edelman. While Facebook has become the subject of security attacks in recent weeks and has come under fire for legitimate concerns, your username has always been for sale, and not by Facebook.
  4. AT&T hiking smartphone ETF to $325 – AT&T Mobility plans to raise its early termination fee for smartphones and netbooks from $175 to $325, effective June 1. The change comes just ahead of Apple’s expected launch of the next iPhone, and amid continuing speculation over when AT&T might lose its exclusive hold on the popular smartphone.
  5. 1 Million iPads Sold in First Month – Apple has been releasing iPad sales stats numerous times since its launch. Today, it was revealed that the iPad has hit 1 million units sold, a whooping 12 million iPad apps and 1.5 million ibooks downloaded. As noted in the press release, the iPad took just 28 days to reach the 1 million milestone, whereas the 1st gen iPhone sold as much in 74 days.

If you have any thoughts regarding above articles please share below.  Also, if you have a suggestion for topics you want us to focus on with next week’s best internet marketing tips please Contact Us and let us know.  We would love to hear from you.

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