A morning show, talk show, or cable show featuring one of your products can get your brand and your products in front of millions of people who likely have never heard of you. And unlike advertising, this exposure comes with an implied (and sometimes overt) endorsement.

Here are some quick tips to help make sure you squeeze everything possible out of this moment. http://www.imerex.com/prepare_your_website_for_upcoming_product_mention_on_tv_show.php

Don’t let an opportunity  pass without make sure your website is ready!

Digital Marketing, Marketing internet marketing, Marketing, Online Marketing, TV appearance, website marketing

Usability and the Human Mind was the name of the seminar I attended in Atlanta on Monday the 22nd. It was an entire day spent talking about the psychological factors that should influence usability.

It was a day well spent. It reinforced many of the recommendations we give clients regarding site usability and also provided us with the studies that explain the recommendations.

Surprisingly, studies show that user behavior hasn’t changed much over the years. So even with faster internet connections, fancier computers and lots of neat new technology, we still:

• Have a strong reliance on the back button
• Get confused with multiple browser windows (which is different from tabbing)
• Close pop-ups before we look at them (and in some cases before they even fully load)
• Ignore many ads
• Scan a page and look for elements that appear click-able
• Spend little time on each individual website (less than 2 minutes!)

So how can these points help in building a site?  Below are a few quick tips to help: 

Tip #1

• Don’t create a site that forces users to open multiple windows to compare items. We don’t like it and it confuses us. 
• Do Help us compare items with proper usability (let us check off a few items and compare them on one page).

Tip #2

• Don’t put really important information in a pop-up windows. We probably won’t see it/read it. So when all the calls come into customer service asking about the very thing you used the pop-up window to explain, you’ll know why.
• Do put important information right on the page. Making it a pop-up doesn’t help it stand out, it actually keeps us from reading it.

Tip #3

• Don’t make everything on the site click-able. That won’t help us as we scan the page.
• Do differentiate the few places that are click-able through proper usability. For example, we tend to think of things in blue text as click-able.  So if you use blue text, do so sparingly and to illustrate click-ability.

Tip #4

• Don’t take too long to get to the point. Remember we’ll only be on the entire site (not the page) for less than 2 minutes because we are highly task oriented when online.
• Do, make it easy to see and read the most important information. If we want more information, we’ll take the time to read the rest.

Usability is a critical component to online success. If you find yourselves guessing at elements, where they should be placed and what may “look right” you may want to find an expert to help.

Website Usability Content, usability, Website Design, Website Usability

ComScore is reporting that during this holiday season:
The use of work computers has gone up (2.3%), home computer use has gone down (.9%) ….. but more people are actually making their purchases at night (presumably on the home computer).

What’s this mean?
That people are picking out what they want to buy while at work, during the day.
Then they’re going home and buying.

Why’s this important?
Because that will greatly affect direct conversions reported because they’re finding what they want through one computer, and making the purchase on another. So, no cookie.

We’ve been banging the direct conversion drum for so long, it’s getting worn out.

Direct Conversions are not a completely accurate portrayal of purchasing behavior.
It’s so important that marketers know that the effect their SEM efforts have on sales has always been under-reported, and  is even more under-reported now.

By SEM I mean both pay-per-click and organic rankings too. People find products under generic searches at work (like say, men’s argyle sweater). Once they’ve found what they  like, at night when they’re home  they go right to the site (or search for the brand that they liked) and purchase.

They make the purchase on a different computer, which means there’s no trail.

Reporting statistics can only be given so much weight. They shouldn’t be considered an exact measurement of what’s going on.

Digital Marketing, Search Engine Marketing AdWords, direct conversions, ecommerce reporting, holiday ecommerce report, holiday sales, organic rankings

Last week we attended comScore’s webinar about the state of  online retail economy for 3Q 2009. As always, the there was a great deal of informative and interesting data.

For us the most important, and frankly eye-opening, statistic was that while most metrics were down (3Q vs year ago: sales were down 3% , number of transactions per buyer were down 16.4%, dollars spent per buyer down 18.4% and dollars per transaction were down 2.4%) – the number of people shopping online was up a whopping 19.6%. So, even in a recession, the number of people shopping online was up almost 20%. Yes, they are spending less money, but when they do need to purchase something they are turning to the Internet. 

Habits are changing. As the economy gets better (and eventually it will), new shopping habits will be in place for people and e-commerce will once again be poised for growth.

So if your e-commerce has not been bringing in the numbers you had hoped for, now is the time to look at your website and start investing in it. The buyers are out there, and there will only be more of them in the coming years. Make sure your site is set up to convert as many visitors into customers as possible. If you focus on conversion and user experience now, your business will be set to grow.

Digital Marketing, Search Engine Marketing conversion rates, down economy, e-commerce, Online Marketing, online sales, Search Engine Marketing, Website Usability

Small business owners are the engine of the U.S economy, and as a group, they rightly have a great deal to be proud of. When it comes to their company’s website however, their past success can be a hindrance.

As someone who often works with small business owners, below are the 3 most common mistakes we correct on their websites.

Mistake #1: Too much information on the home page

Because they have so much personally invested in their company’s accomplishments they place everything, including the kitchen sink, on their home page. Every service, every product, every press item, they want to find a way for it to all be front and center. Unfortunately, that leaves a home page where nothing stands out and users have no idea where to look.

A properly designed home page creates interest and drives users further into the site. That’s it. The rest of the website provides additional detail in the areas, products, or services that interest the user.

A home page should introduce users to the company, and tell them quickly (within 3 seconds):

• What this company does
• Why they should spend more time on this site (Point of Difference)
• Where they should click to get more details for whatever product or service they are interested in.

Mistake #2: Pride and emotion driving website decisions

Many small business owners are emotionally invested in and proud of their businesses, as they should be. They have had to trust their instincts on the road to success.

When it comes to their website, for many it is outside their area of expertise. This is not true only from a technical standpoint, but from a business standpoint as well. This is one area where industry knowledge, instincts and knowing their customers may not be enough.

Understanding how users behave online is a critical component when making decisions that affect a website.

• Gather data (through Google Analytics or other analytic tool), analyze the data, and understand how people are interacting with your site.
• Do an online competitive analysis. Know who your competitors are when potential clients search for the products or services you provide. You may be surprised to find your online competitors are different from your offline competition.
• Get to know your online competitor’s websites. Are theirs easier to use, or easier to understand?

Armed with accurate data and not emotion, you can make decisions that are right for your business and your website.

Mistake #3: Website content written using internal company language

The best use of a website is as a place where potential customers, who are looking for products or services like yours but who don’t know you exist, can find you. The website will introduce your business to potential customers. If it speaks to users who have never heard of your company, you can rest assured it is useful to those that have.

In order to write content that speaks to complete strangers make sure you do not use:

• Internal company language (every business has some forms of short hand)
• Industry acronyms (you’ll lose out on those new to the industry)
• Colorful language that is cute or funny to those who know you (outsiders may not get it or find it cute)

Read your website content and ask yourself, if I were speaking to a total stranger at a party, is this exactly how I would describe my business? And if so, would they understand it or would I need to explain further. If you would need to provide additional explanation, then the content will not be clear to a new user. Unfortunately, online you will not have the opportunity to clarify, because the user will have already clicked off your site and on to a competitor’s.

Take some time to look at your website with fresh eyes the way a new visitor would. If you find your site has any of these common mistakes, rest assured that you are not alone. Then, create a plan to fix them. Once you have tackled these problems, you will see how much more powerful a business tool your website can be.

Digital Marketing, Website Design business to business, competitive analysis, Content, Online Content, Online Marketing, Small Business, Website Content, Website Design, Website Usability