Who buys and who flies? For ecommerce marketers, an excellent indicator of purchase intent is the ‘pages per session’ metric. Calculating this figure is simple mathematics – just add up the total number of pages accessed during a given time period and divide by the total number of visitors. The resulting sum is the average pages visited. Pure gold when …

So, your bounce rate is low, and your world is sunshine and roses. The content campaign is a resounding success … Well, not quite. True, bounce minimalization indicates widespread visitor retention. But there’s more here than meets the screen. Bounce rate is merely an early signal. More work lies ahead. To maximize content effectiveness, strategists must go one better – …

They don’t snatch coffee breaks, ask for salary bumps, or grab quick naps between budget meetings. How do you find and hire such a rare gem? You don’t. You design it. The it is known as a chatbot – that ubiquitous assistant currently expanding the possibilities of digital marketing. For a salary of $0, the bot gets a whole lot …

If only digital marketers could separate the buyers from the browsers – those who are just a marketing nudge away from plunking down the bucks. Short of a crystal ball consultation, however, there’s no available method for spotting the ready-to-convert. Consider yourself lucky if you have such a device. For the rest of us, penetrating insight is required; a window …

Every brand marketer knows this truth — it’s not just what you’re selling, it’s who you’re selling it to. And for that information, the field of demographics is indispensable. But where do you find the customer info so intensely desired? Among the options, three stand out. The first and perhaps most important data source already is at the fingertips of …

Surprised by the results of your digital marketing campaign? Targets missed by a couple of country miles? Don’t fret, sulk, hide, or heap tons of blame on your worthy cohorts. Plans sometimes go away. It’s part of the game. When that curve ball is thrown, brand marketers have two basic choices: ditch the finely-wrought plan, or make necessary adjustments. By …

OK, you know how your brand stacks up against the competition. Sales figures cover that territory nicely. But can you gauge how well the brand is doing internally? Are you progressing sufficiently? Or are you stagnating, or worse – stumbling backwards? You’ll be in the dark about all this unless you establish a set of internal goals known as Key …

Few nagging inconveniences are worse than intrusive marketing – ads that burst into view during content browsing sessions. Or equally agonizing, ads that, well, resemble ads, planted on a web page like a sore thumb – or a nose sticking itself into unauthorized business. For many, if not most, they’re obvious, annoying, and rejection-prone. Which, no doubt, has prompted legions …

Are your ads causing widespread hair-pulling while unleashing anguished cries of “Ugh … Not that one again! Can’t they think of something else?!” Expect this outcome if you’re the most beastly kind of brand marketer on the planet – the ‘one-ad wonder’; the messenger with nothing better up its sleeve than that same old ad repeated over and over on …

There’s no excuse. No brand should allow itself to go stale when it can capitalize on the abundance of transformative options currently available. Those options, grouped in a strategy called ‘rebranding’, can mean the difference between renewed success and abject decline. No question about it. When it’s time for a new you, rebranding is the answer. Now hold on. Before …

Website navigation isn’t measured in minutes; it’s measured in seconds — and nanoseconds. If a brand’s pages load at a snail’s pace, it’s driving away traffic at much more than a snail’s pace. So what’s too slow in the digital world? Believe it or not, the ideal time limit is two seconds. Yes, people expect a page to be fully …

How can brand marketers speak with ultimate authority when crafting content? By demonstrating they have all the answers – whatever the topic. In the realm of content marketing, a pillar page is an excellent means to this worthy end. Intended as a comprehensive overview of information, a pillar page displays clusters of neatly- organized data related to a specified topic. …

Are you overemphasizing the positive when building keyword strategies? Quite possibly. It’s entirely understandable. Every brand strives to identify the power keywords, those gems designed to increase visibility and boost rankings. After all, the closer to the top, the more likely to be seen and clicked. The problem is, during any search query, your brand could get found for the …

It’s the season of sharing. But for digital marketers, the season runs throughout the year. For this group, sharing is what people do with interesting content. Give it a look, then whisk it to your favorite recipients. What’s noteworthy about this phenomenon is the fundamental impulse that drives the generosity — people enjoy sharing data with others. So concluded a …

Where should your next cost-cutting crusade focus itself ? You might set your sites on that most important of assets – customers. Yeah, loyal buyers have a price tag – a price determined by the marketing energy expended to convert them. Generally, the bigger the effort, the bigger the budget dent. Now here’s the good news — big effort doesn’t …

Discover the road to success, and abundant rewards could be in your future. Brand marketers, however, can go one better. They have many roads to success, all of which can and should be traveled simultaneously. The multi-road phenomenon is universally known as omni channel marketing. Utilizing this strategy, brands can blast messaging along a variety of media pathways. The objective, …

It’s tough enough coaxing traffic to your ecommerce site. But even tougher on the psyche when those eager visitors bounce before they buy. Clearly an unfortunate turn of events. Nevertheless, in many cases, brand marketers can capture at least some of the ones who got away. For this, there’s the magic of retargeting. Basically, retargeting utilizes a sophisticated code, known …

Launching a successful marketing plan invariably requires keen insight – that rare gift of knowing what lies ahead and how to adapt strategies to meet the inevitable challenges, both seen an unseen. To pull this off, short of gazing into your favorite crystal ball, marketers need some means of gauging the rugged landscape. Fortunately, at their disposal is a handy …

Virtually every brand marketer knows the value of compelling digital videos. But not every production makes its mark. Some falter, while others fizzle. What, then, determines success? First, remember that your production’s impact doesn’t hinge entirely on the featured content. Before marketers and brands can cash in, they must persuade users to play it. There are several routes to this …

Once a social media campaign leaves the launchpad, brand marketers are dutybound to answer a critical question – how’d we do? Identifying the number of user connections won’t tell the entire story. Not by a long way. Neither will click quantity. Nope, the only true and accurate success gauge is that persuasive number known as return on investment (ROI). For …

Just when you think your brand’s website has been invincibly optimized for SEO results, along comes a powerful new method for conducting searches. It’s called voice search. As the term implies, the method enables users to input search queries by voice command, eliminating any need for the traditional tapping on screen or keyboard. Here’s the rudimentary process of voice search: …

Although CRM (customer relations management) software is a proven sales booster, many businesses exclude this powerful tool from their lineups. Why the neglect? Well, some enterprises, particularly the smaller ones, simply don’t know about it – or have vague notions of it at best. Others consider it a high-end technology suitable for the sweeping needs of big brands. Not so. …

For ecommerce marketers and merchants, the checkout page is gold. Shoppers are ideally located, right? The purchase is in the bag. Not quite. Customers must make the purchase and cross the finish line. Until then, they can and do exit the checkout page – empty handed. Scoff not at this possibility. Checkout abandonment has scuttled many an ecommerce sale. Fortunately, …

Question: What company developed the personal computer (as we know it), graphic user interface, mouse, word processing, and many other digital elements now commonplace in the contemporary world? Apple? Microsoft? Adobe? Nope. These came relatively late to the game. As detailed in the book Dealers in Lightning by Michael A. Hiltzik, the originator of these everyday mainstays was Xerox. That’s …

Interesting, intrusive, annoying, boring, beastly … Depending on temperament, these are just some ways users view popup ads. Despite this opinion mix, however, most digital marketers are in solid agreement – popup ads can help them strike gold. The average popup has one primary job – convince users to take a specific action. Possibilities include: sign up for a newsletter, …

In these transitional times, businesses must discover effective ways to reclaim previous customers and attract new ones. Proximity marketing is one of those ways. On the cutting edge of digital communications, proximity marketing is a system that utilizes Bluetooth technology to locate nearby smartphones and tablets, then transmit specific customer-oriented messages to those devices. Powering this unique digital marketing technology …

Getting found and ranked is only half the battle in the fine art of SEO marketing. A search result entry still must spur action – drive people to the intended web page. A well-honed meta description can do this spectacularly. A meta description is that snappy snippet of text often displayed in a search result entry. Make no mistake about …

When it comes to capturing dozens of leads, few options exceed the landing page. Accessed via various links (e.g. those planted in email blasts), this destination offers brand marketers a crucial first stop on the way to conversion. Here’s how — during a landing page stopover, visitors typically are invited to register or sign up for some stated benefit, thereby …

These days, brand marketers are traveling a bumpy road if they rely on the ancient art of segmented selling. Increasingly, prospects and customers are demanding personalized outreach – and flatly rejecting the generic approach. This preference surfaces across the board, from email campaigns to websites. No question about it. In the current environment, content gets a much warmer welcome when …

Many brick and mortar businesses, particularly the smaller ones, have major hurdles to jump these days. Even if their doors are open, customer inflow isn’t what it used to be. Which means revenues likely aren’t setting records, either. Fortunately, digital space offers a ready solution. Owners can compensate for their troubling shortfalls by establishing a viable ecommerce presence and supporting …

Uncork the champagne and pat yourself on the back. You’ve lured visitors to your dazzling website. Hundreds of them. But know this — they may not stay. Why? Because in the world of brand marketing, luring is not keeping. Busy, time-crunched users won’t stay without solid inducement. The problem is, not only do many brands fail to provide the necessary …

When it comes to marketing impact, packed sports stadiums have a twofold value. First, swelling crowds indicate soaring popularity, a state of affairs that is itself a powerful form of advertising – especially to television viewers. All those spectators enjoying themselves speaks volumes about the quality of the product – in this case, the intense action on the field. Every …

Go all out for customers — the prime directive and guiding principle of businesses everywhere. Unquestionably, it’s what you’ve gotta do to stay in the game. Only nowadays, you’ve gotta do it literally. For the sake of public safety, many enterprises must do what they do outdoors. Even if it means dragging furniture and equipment into the open air. Wanna …

Planes, cranes, and other bulky hardware once were required for aerial photography. Nowadays, however, lucky brand marketers can harness the power of drones to view the world from above. It’s the ultimate way to travel light. Should be a snap, right? Just finger a few buttons, and you’re soaring your way into the wild blue yonder. Maybe so — if …

It’s a given – launch a batch of emails, and expect a load of spam. Yes, like it or not, a big chunk of precious messaging will miss the inbox and nestle itself into a crowded junk box. The dread of marketers everywhere. So, are you a marketer or a mouse? Will you accept this fate, or adjust your habits …

Despite the ubiquitous presence of inbound marketing, don’t discount the value of the outbound variety. Without question, it remains a viable path to success. Which is why this tried and true method of outreach still sees plenty of action. From spectacular trade shows to exuberant salespeople, the elements of outbound can connect with people as no other resources can. For …

What is a brand’s most important asset? Most people would guess – product quality. Understandable answer (nobody relishes shoddy merchandise). But it doesn’t win the prize. The correct response is trust. That’s right. When it comes to influence, trustworthiness is a brand’s most effective selling point. Before they try or buy, most people – especially new customers — must be …

Legions of brand marketers daily wrestle with this question – why are leads and prospects unresponsive? Content is well thought out, dazzling, irresistible. Content, however, may not be the fly in the ointment. The problem might be your calls to action. When these miss the mark, responses will be few and far between. So what makes an effective call to …

Brace yourselves, brand marketers. 5G is on the way. And it will be a big game changer. If you’re snoozing during the transformation, you’ll be playing catch up en route to oblivion. Far better to open your eyes and peer into the future. Here’s what 5G will show you. A new and improved internet. “But it’s the big show now,” …

  For businesses engaged in the reopening process, reconnecting with customers is a major concern. Challenges galore lie ahead. But at least these merchants can count on a helping hand from the world’s largest social media network. That network, in case you haven’t guessed, is Facebook. And last year, the service introduced a wonderfully business-friendly feature called ‘Facebook Shops’. Shops …

  Whether your business is small, large, or somewhere smack in the middle, geography is critical when it comes to generating online traffic. Ignore this geo imperative, and you’ll be zapping your beloved biz with an invisibility ray. In the rapidly evolving marketplace, shoppers simply won’t know you’re there. Here’s why: During searches, whether for product or service, the contemporary …

  It’s challenging enough to manage and deploy the funds of a limited marketing budget. But when uncertainty enters the picture, the challenge swells. Most of the uncertainty concerns the allocation of resources – Are you putting your money to the best use? Or are you squandering it on unproductive strategies born of guesswork? Brand marketers concerned about this uncertainty …

  It’s crowded out there. At least, that’s the story for millions of brands vying for notoriety. In a saturated marketplace, there are only so many ways a product or service can stand out and get noticed. Those who don’t bust out from the shadows are virtually guaranteed a place in oblivion. Creativity, of course, comes in mighty handy when …

Soft-spoken brand marketers? Not in this galaxy. By necessity, marketers are inveterate loudmouths. Their guiding principle – we can’t say enough about a product or service. And it’s a good thing. Somebody has to gush about the goods. It might as well be the people on the payroll. But in the age of social listening, marketers occasionally must go silent …

There’s more than one way to convert users into paying customers. In fact, brand marketers have many tools at their disposal. One of the most effective is known as social proof. In a nutshell, social proof is a concept that suggests people can be influenced by the actions and opinions of others — particularly if those others are highly respected …

Keywords are the core of every digital search. But they should never work alone. Not if you want results. To be effective, product keywords must be linked to carefully chosen modifiers. Why? Because different people often search for different things. Same product, but completely different needs. By adding the right keyword modifiers, brand marketers facilitate accurate search results that match …

Brand marketers typically emphasize advantages and benefits (and rightly so). But negative thinking also has its place. Case in point is the new product launch. These flop at the alarmingly high rate of 70%. Which translates to a mere 3 out of 10 success stories and plenty of squandered budget bucks. Given this mathematic doomsday, new product launchers should take …

According to the latest State of Marketing Report from Hubspot, more than half of all people who follow a brand want this. No, it’s not more freebies and endless discounts. It’s more video content. Hubspot’s research reveals that a robust 54% of respondents crave more of their information delivered via moving image. But why limit the action to conventional narratives? …

Fill a shopping cart, leave it in the aisle, and flee the market without explanation… just for laughs. Won’t see much of this sport in the local Ralphs. ECommerce retailers, however, are getting more than their fair share. For reasons unknown, certain shoppers load their carts – then ditch the cargo without a word. No excuses. No apologies. And worst …

These days, theater attendance is a tad on the low side. But the at home audience is swelling – along with their appetite for content. A golden opportunity for brand markers – if they can get their message noticed. Sift through the prominent attention getters, and you’ll discover one sure bet – video. As performance data repeatedly demonstrates, video content …

With virtually all public events currently on hold, it’s hard to heed the mandate – ‘the show must go on’. It seems the only real-time action is being supplied by horse racing, a sport taking place at several select tracks across the land – minus, spectators of course. Great, if you like the ponies. Very light on the comfort, however, …

Social distancing and the new stay-at-home lifestyle – with nary a sporting event to cheer (except in re-run form on a streaming service). And all of it as the NBA season zoomed to an exciting finish and the MBL stood poised to launch. Who could’ve imagined such ‘impossibilities’ only a month ago? But here they are, dramatically altering everyone’s habits …

Waters needn’t be still to run deep. Shoppers, for instance, are visibly active creatures. Yet, when selecting products, the real motivating kick lurks deep below the surface. That’s where the real action is.   How does a brand marketer probe those depths and connect with the action? The savviest are choosing the science of psychographics. A close cousin of motivational research, which emerged in the early 1960’s, psychographics deep-probes the real but hidden motivations that drive buying …

What’s the best way for ecommerce marketers to connect with consumers galore? Having an irresistible product is a real good beginning. Once this is all sewn up, your next move is to capitalize on the glaring advantages of omni-channel marketing. For ecommerce pros, omnichannel marketing doesn’t mean splashing your brand on every medium in the known galaxy – blogs, website, …

What you wear may say a lot about you. But as technology progresses, such externals will also speak volumes about thousands of brands. Credit the growing prevalence of digital wearables such as the ubiquitous Apple Watch and jazzy Fitbit collection. Increasingly, such devices are evolving into compact message centers – mini display screens flashing brand marketing info round the clock. …

The ingratitude … your brand marketing squad climbed mountains to acquire customers. And what do some of these loyal buyers do? Leave. Not a word. Just out the door. Known as churning, the flow of departing customers is bad news for brands. It says you failed on some level — whether that be quality, performance, customer care, or any other …

New technology is stretching the e-commerce landscape in a million directions. Who knows what the final form will be? But one fact remains unalterable – the technological reshaping is boosting impact and enriching the user experience – not to mention retailer wallets. With so many technologies in the offing, are there any standouts to embrace? Tools that pack a mega-punch? …

Which process is easier on the marketing budget – securing new customers or keeping existing ones? Those who chose the latter are right on the money. According to the most fervent number crunchers, customer retention is the far cheaper route. Here’s why: Acquiring new customers costs a business about six or seven times what keeping them costs. The math is …

Before influencers can connect with customers, they should connect with you. Brands can create this connection by cementing solid relationships with their chosen persuaders. Get in good with them, and they’ll give you their best. It’s the universal law of personal energy. The stronger the bond, the bigger the effort.   Before committing to an influencer, brand marketers should confirm …

Fraud, phishing, and all other spammy risks dreaded by email recipients are equally feared by brand marketers. They should be. These dangerous intrusions keep users on guard, motivating them (or their spam elimination system) to ditch, destroy, or dump any and all electronic messaging that appears shady and suspect – even if it’s entirely legit. The result of these aggressive …

It seems logical … the more social sharing buttons packed into your content, the more feedback channels operating on your behalf. And the more users will know about the wonders of your brand. But if experience is any indicator, a button bonanza doesn’t necessarily expand your reach. In fact, overdoing these press-able graphics may shatter your best laid plans. There’s …

Will Uber drivers soon need pilot’s licenses? If the ride-sharing service succeeds in its latest ambition, the answer may well be ‘yes’. Adweek online reports that the Uber brand is extending its reach by developing a unique program called ‘Uber Elevate.’ The service will provide on-demand air transportation to anyone in a hurry. Which includes more than a few harried …

Here’s an eye-opener for retail marketers the world over – holiday sales rocketed to the moon in 2019. And what provided most of the thrust? If you said ‘online sales’, you get the prize. Recently, Barron’s reported that “U.S. holiday shoppers spent 19% more on their online shopping this year than they did a year ago.” By comparison, brick and …

Consider the following scenario: Your brand sells baseball gear, which is superbly displayed and marketed on a dazzling website. Interested parties search for this very term – ‘baseball gear’, after which they’re promptly whisked to a random page on your website. Low and behold, the page is devoted to a baseball camp you just happen to be promoting.    So …