If you use Gmail from Google, check out the tools that are available.
17 tips and tools to make Gmail better
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Guest author Justin Smith is product engagement manager for BloomReach.
Understanding what people do on different social networks is the key to effectively using those networks for marketing. Companies currently spend 8.4% of their marketing budgets on social media, and that’s expected to grow to 21.6% in the next five years. But with so many social networks competing to grab marketing dollars, determining the most effective channels can be extremely difficult. To illustrate, let’s look at how Facebook and Pinterest stack up against one another.
Different Networks For Different Reasons
While both Facebook and Pinterest offer deep customer segmentations and user engagement, it would be a mistake to target audiences in the same way across both networks. For example, you wouldn’t market your product to someone shopping at a trendy boutique the same way you would to someone walking down the street with their friends. In a store, you’d likely look to make a sale, while on the street you’d probably have more luck building brand awareness.
Similarly, BloomReach’s analysis consistently shows that Pinterest has a higher concentration of people who are in a ‘buy’ state of mind, while Facebook users are more interested in interacting with friends - and brands. (According to Paul Adams, Facebook’s global head of brand design, Facebook’s strength is relationship-building, noting that many lightweight interactions over time can help promote brands.)
Traffic Analysis Tells The Tale
That is borne out by BloomReach’s analysis of total traffic – 46,277,543 site visits – for a set of retail clients from Sept. 20 through Dec. 31, 2012. We looked at five key metrics: total traffic, revenue per visit, conversion rate, bounce rate and average pages viewed. While Facebook delivered more than 7.5 times the traffic, Pinterest handily won the remaining four areas:
- Pinterest traffic spent 60% more than did traffic coming from Facebook.
- Pinterest traffic converted to a sale 22% more than Facebook.
- Facebook traffic bounced 90% of the time, compared to 75% for Pinterest.
- Facebook users viewed an average of 1.6 pages. Pinterest users saw an average of 2.9 pages – a 76% difference.
The average revenue per visit for Pinterest traffic was more than $1.50. But while Pinterest is able to drive highly lucrative leads – and the release of Pinterest’s Analytics Tool for Businesses should help companies make use of them - it can deliver only a relatively limited set of eyeballs.
Facebook Still Rules Awareness
If a company’s goal is to simply reach a larger audience to create or maintain brand awareness, Facebook remains the best option. Its sheer volume of users – 1.06 billion active monthly users, 680 million mobile users and 618 million daily users – and the army of people ready to sell impressions make it an easy channel to leverage. But it may be difficult to realize an immediate return on marketing investments on the network.
Perhaps the best approach is to look for ways to optimize Facebook campaign while expanding Pinterest presence. Both Facebook and Pinterest should become larger parts of the media mix model as visitor referrals from these sites grow. At the end of 2012, only 2.7% of total traffic in our analysis came from the networks, demonstrating that social commerce is still in an early stage. In the meantime, though, it seems fair to say that Pinterest is a more efficient marketing channel than Facebook.
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Article from http://readwrite.com/author/justin-smith
Thursday, March 22, 2012
SEO trends to look for in 2012
Social
Social has always played a role in SEO, but its influence on search engine page results is expected to increase in coming months. For a business, this means integrating social media into daily practices. Get “Likes” on Facebook. Go after “+1s” on Google. Stay active on Twitter and get those Retweets! It also means creating content that people want to share, and that ties into the next SEO trend for 2012…
Quality
People don’t share cruddy content. Yes, everybody already knew that! But now the search engines are also “learning” to be more
discerning. Their algorithms are being adjusted to place higher-quality content above sites that employ archaic or spammy SEO techniques. This is good news for entrepreneurs…it means they can boost their results without having to learn complex SEO tactics.
Context
Search engines – Google in particular - now examine the context of keywords in your overall site. For example, let’s say you operate a site dedicated to donuts, and on this site, you feature one page about a different topic, like cosmetics. Google’s algorithm is getting savvy enough that it may skip over your donut site in favor of one that’s dedicated exclusively to cosmetics. It takes into account the content site-wide. The lesson is to be mindful of your site content and your message. Once you decide on your message, add the appropriate keywords across your site. Tie it all together in a way that makes sense.
Localization
It’s a big buzzword these days, and it gives SMBs like your clients a nice nudge above the competition! Localization’s taking over online marketing in general (check out some of the findings from the CMO Council to learn more), but it factors into SEO especially. Remember to use city- or neighborhood-centric keywords in blog posts, social updates and website content. Also advise your clients to make sure there’s a link to their site on Yelp and other business review sites.
Authority links
Okay, so links have always been valuable when it comes to SEO. But with all the emerging emphasis on context and content, people are beginning to realize how important outbound links are. We know inbound links are important to SEO – after all, that’s your traffic! But word on the SEO beat is that outbound links are starting to matter. So add links to sites with authority or credibility, like Wikipedia (see what we did there?).
We hope these up-and-coming SEO trends will help you and your clients prepare for 2012. And no matter what year it is, you can always count on Customer Care if you’ve got any questions!
Posted by Randy Cantin : article by MAWebCenters
Friday, December 16, 2011
Building a Facebook presence from my friends at MA Webcenters
What's it take to build a solid Facebook presence?
Earlier this month, we asked you all to weigh in on our upcoming blog post.
We had a lot of requests for social media marketing topics, and quite a few
people wanted to discuss Facebook. So we’ve got a quick primer about
building a great Facebook presence.
1. *Establish a strategy.* Know your goals, understand what you want to
do with your social media efforts before you type your first words. Maybe
you want to build buzz around one particular product or service. Perhaps
you’re promoting an upcoming event. The point is to consider long- and
short-term goals associated with your... more »
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Are you going to watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Here is a link that may help all of my NYC friends. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Google to wind down Google Labs
I found this article from Parmy Olson at Forbes Tech
Google says it’s winding down Google Labs, a site where users can try out new products its engineers are experimenting with. Google made the announcement in a blog post entitled, “More wood behind fewer arrows,” the LA Times reports. Google Labs was where the Internet giant first experimented with successful products including Maps, News and Trends – but it now wants to focus on launching fewer products.
Meanwhile Google co-founder Larry Page, who took over as CEO in April, is said to be refocusing the company on products and its “start-up philosophy,” AFP reports. Patrick Pichette, speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference, also said investors need not worry about revenue from the Android OS or Google’s Chrome browser.
“Through the reorganization, the realignment that Larry did a couple of months ago, he just wanted to put focus specifically on product,” Pichette said. He went on to say that Google is a “very young company, we are in start-up mode and we are going to invest for the long term.”
Investors are concerned that Google’s revenue is still primarily coming from searches, despite it being 36 months since the launch of Android. Pichette said this was “short-termish,” adding, “That’s just not the way Google thinks.”
Doesn't sound like it this decision will slow them down any. Thank You Parmy and Forbes Tech for sharing.
Google says it’s winding down Google Labs, a site where users can try out new products its engineers are experimenting with. Google made the announcement in a blog post entitled, “More wood behind fewer arrows,” the LA Times reports. Google Labs was where the Internet giant first experimented with successful products including Maps, News and Trends – but it now wants to focus on launching fewer products.
Meanwhile Google co-founder Larry Page, who took over as CEO in April, is said to be refocusing the company on products and its “start-up philosophy,” AFP reports. Patrick Pichette, speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference, also said investors need not worry about revenue from the Android OS or Google’s Chrome browser.
“Through the reorganization, the realignment that Larry did a couple of months ago, he just wanted to put focus specifically on product,” Pichette said. He went on to say that Google is a “very young company, we are in start-up mode and we are going to invest for the long term.”
Investors are concerned that Google’s revenue is still primarily coming from searches, despite it being 36 months since the launch of Android. Pichette said this was “short-termish,” adding, “That’s just not the way Google thinks.”
Doesn't sound like it this decision will slow them down any. Thank You Parmy and Forbes Tech for sharing.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Looking for the top 10 Tweeter Trends?
From Mashable http://on.mash.to/gGJ3nH
Remember all of the Super Bowl banter — the smack talk, the color commentary, and the commercial cheers/jeers — that filled your Twitter feed last weekend? Turns out it didn’t hold a candle to the Holy Trinity of American pop: Britney, Gaga and Bieber. The anticipated release of Spears’ new album generated so much tweetable heat that it stayed in the top 10 trends for seven days straight, and lands the number one spot on our list this week.
Only then does the Super Bowl make an appearance at number two, followed very closely by Lady Gaga at number three, whose newest single just “dropped” (as the kids say) this past Friday. And Justin Bieber’s fans sent his name into the number four slot with a frenzy of tweets about his upcoming 3D movie.
And the latest news from the tenuous situation in Egypt? The topic, after its last few weeks in the social media spotlight, has fallen to number 10 on this week’s chart, despite the country’s ongoing political developments.
For the full list of top trends, check out the chart below, compiled by our friends at What the Trend. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart.
You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topics section, and read more about this past week’s trends on What The Trend.
Remember all of the Super Bowl banter — the smack talk, the color commentary, and the commercial cheers/jeers — that filled your Twitter feed last weekend? Turns out it didn’t hold a candle to the Holy Trinity of American pop: Britney, Gaga and Bieber. The anticipated release of Spears’ new album generated so much tweetable heat that it stayed in the top 10 trends for seven days straight, and lands the number one spot on our list this week.
Only then does the Super Bowl make an appearance at number two, followed very closely by Lady Gaga at number three, whose newest single just “dropped” (as the kids say) this past Friday. And Justin Bieber’s fans sent his name into the number four slot with a frenzy of tweets about his upcoming 3D movie.
And the latest news from the tenuous situation in Egypt? The topic, after its last few weeks in the social media spotlight, has fallen to number 10 on this week’s chart, despite the country’s ongoing political developments.
For the full list of top trends, check out the chart below, compiled by our friends at What the Trend. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart.
You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topics section, and read more about this past week’s trends on What The Trend.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Now in days if you own a business, have a product to promote or want to communicate with your friends social media should be knocking on your door. It may seem overwhelming, it may seem time-consuming, even a bit worrisome. But in reality, being available on this medium for your fans, followers and customers doesn't have to be a burden. With the right tools you will be communicating with friends, prospects, family members and customers on real time and right away. This year, at Market America's World Conferenct thay are hoping to communicate with everyone through various social media strategies and network to keep you in the loop of what is happening in real time. Make sure all of you have your Twitter handles and Facebook set up on your phones, ipads, ipods or labtops!
These are few of the things you will be seeing at World Conference and we want you to be prepared to tweet, post, take photos, blog and chat:
- Live Twitter boards through out the arena
- QR codes to be used on products and marketing materials
- Steve Ashley's Social Media and Social Networking Presentation
- Natalia Diaz and Christian Karasiewicz will introduce you to Social Networking 101
- Live tweet and Facebook post and updates
- Photo uploads to Flickr
- Video Uploads and Updates on Youtube.com
- Blog post and image updates on beingjrridinger.com lorensworld.com and blog.marketamerica.com
- Every presenter will have their Twitter handle at the beginning of their presentation
- Ever product and notable will announce their Facebook fan page
And don't forget to follow my wife and I @jrridinger and @lorenridinger for comments and questions.
Thanks JR and Loren for all you do. @ranready
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
E-commerce without a doubt is booming!
E-commerce without a doubt is booming!
Are you shopping online yet? If not what are you waiting for? Why waste gas, wait in long lines or have to search hours for products you can't find! Now is the time to shop online and no one else has such a rich and unlimited paid to shop program!
"There is no doubt that while brick and mortar businesses feel outdated, brick and mortar sales continue to massively trump online sales. But e-commerce sales are growing at a very strong rate. In 2009, U.S. online sales amounted to $155.2 billion, only 6% of total retail sales (via Forrester Research). A new report from comScore released "its Q2 2010 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, which showed that online retail spending reached $32.9 billion for the quarter, up 9 percent versus year ago." According to the numbers in the study, U.S. e-commerce sales have a 7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) since 2007. E-commerce, without a doubt, is booming!" "Forrester predicts that online sales will reach $250 billion in 2014, capturing 8% of the total U.S. retail sales" I wanted to share this article with you called the Long Tail of Retail: A new report from comScore released "its Q2 2010 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, which showed that online retail spending reached $32.9 billion for the quarter, up 9 percent versus year ago." According to the numbers in the study, U.S. e-commerce sales have a 7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) since 2007.
A new report from comScore released "its Q2 2010 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, which showed that online retail spending reached $32.9 billion for the quarter, up 9 percent versus year ago." According to the numbers in the study, U.S. e-commerce sales have a 7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) since 2007.
Forrester predicts that online sales will reach $250 billion in 2014, capturing 8% of the total U.S. retail sales. But what sectors of online retail will explode? Which ones will become irrelevant?
E-commerce superstores like Amazon and Zappos will continue to expand by providing a wider product selection to suit everyone's needs so they become a hub for everything and anything, sort of like WalMart. Their impressive growth rates which quickly made them billion dollar companies aren't likely to come to a halt any time soon. E-stores like Amazon and Zappos are certainly hitting the long tail of retail, and are successful in doing so because consumers are having trouble finding miscellaneous products they want in their local retail stores. Amazon and Zappos make it easy to find and purchase the things you really want. Where else can I find organic soy milk in portable single-serve sizes? Perhaps Whole Foods, but I really hate waiting in those long lines, and it would be a disappointing and wasted trip if they didn't carry what I was looking for or was out of stock
Flash sale sites like Gilt, HauteLook and RueLaLa will reach more consumers who are looking for the latest and greatest deals on designer brands. Gilt Groupe even expanded to create Gilt City for flash deals in your local city. With consumers looking to minimize costs but maximize value, flash sale businesses came at the right time. Right now, there are scores of web-savvy consumers who would die for 70% off a pair of Nudie jeans, and would check in online several times a day to catch the most recent and available deals, which can disappear in minutes. These businesses win because they capitalized on maximized value to customers at minimized costs, at a time when consumer behaviors and technology enabled these businesses to boom.
To read more: http://huff.to/cOyXzm
Published in http://beingjrridinger.com/inside-jr/item/166-e-commerce-without-a-doubt-is-booming.html
http://ranreadyonline.com
Are you shopping online yet? If not what are you waiting for? Why waste gas, wait in long lines or have to search hours for products you can't find! Now is the time to shop online and no one else has such a rich and unlimited paid to shop program!
"There is no doubt that while brick and mortar businesses feel outdated, brick and mortar sales continue to massively trump online sales. But e-commerce sales are growing at a very strong rate. In 2009, U.S. online sales amounted to $155.2 billion, only 6% of total retail sales (via Forrester Research). A new report from comScore released "its Q2 2010 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, which showed that online retail spending reached $32.9 billion for the quarter, up 9 percent versus year ago." According to the numbers in the study, U.S. e-commerce sales have a 7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) since 2007. E-commerce, without a doubt, is booming!" "Forrester predicts that online sales will reach $250 billion in 2014, capturing 8% of the total U.S. retail sales" I wanted to share this article with you called the Long Tail of Retail: A new report from comScore released "its Q2 2010 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, which showed that online retail spending reached $32.9 billion for the quarter, up 9 percent versus year ago." According to the numbers in the study, U.S. e-commerce sales have a 7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) since 2007.
A new report from comScore released "its Q2 2010 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, which showed that online retail spending reached $32.9 billion for the quarter, up 9 percent versus year ago." According to the numbers in the study, U.S. e-commerce sales have a 7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) since 2007.
Forrester predicts that online sales will reach $250 billion in 2014, capturing 8% of the total U.S. retail sales. But what sectors of online retail will explode? Which ones will become irrelevant?
E-commerce superstores like Amazon and Zappos will continue to expand by providing a wider product selection to suit everyone's needs so they become a hub for everything and anything, sort of like WalMart. Their impressive growth rates which quickly made them billion dollar companies aren't likely to come to a halt any time soon. E-stores like Amazon and Zappos are certainly hitting the long tail of retail, and are successful in doing so because consumers are having trouble finding miscellaneous products they want in their local retail stores. Amazon and Zappos make it easy to find and purchase the things you really want. Where else can I find organic soy milk in portable single-serve sizes? Perhaps Whole Foods, but I really hate waiting in those long lines, and it would be a disappointing and wasted trip if they didn't carry what I was looking for or was out of stock
Flash sale sites like Gilt, HauteLook and RueLaLa will reach more consumers who are looking for the latest and greatest deals on designer brands. Gilt Groupe even expanded to create Gilt City for flash deals in your local city. With consumers looking to minimize costs but maximize value, flash sale businesses came at the right time. Right now, there are scores of web-savvy consumers who would die for 70% off a pair of Nudie jeans, and would check in online several times a day to catch the most recent and available deals, which can disappear in minutes. These businesses win because they capitalized on maximized value to customers at minimized costs, at a time when consumer behaviors and technology enabled these businesses to boom.
To read more: http://huff.to/cOyXzm
Published in http://beingjrridinger.com/inside-jr/item/166-e-commerce-without-a-doubt-is-booming.html
http://ranreadyonline.com
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Planning Now for a Futuristic Web - JK
JK Planning Now for a Futuristic Web
There are some amazing developments exploding on this social Web that are pointing to an increasingly human experience. Right now the buzz is about real-time search and location-based services. The only certainty is that these developments will be followed by others.
You can try to predict what is coming next, or you can just accept the fact that the inevitable will happen. As a small business owner and user of this technology, I believe the smart thing to do is to assume that the Web will continue to evolve into an experience that enhances, extends, and in many ways, mirrors our everyday human experiences. And then plan for that.
Shouldn't we be working now with an eye on the inevitable Web that will become reality in 10, 20, or even 50 years into the future? If you have been on this planet for a while, you know the future seems to arrive much more quickly than you would have otherwise imagined, so you may as well start planning for it.
The Past
The early days of modern marketing in the '50's and '60's gave us an imagined experience. Products and services were marketed to make us feel younger, run faster and jump higher, and otherwise live a Utopian life of eternal youth. And surprisingly, we believed it all.
The Near Past
Then the '70's and '80's came along and we discovered some truths about people, companies, and governments. We realized that the party just couldn't last.
The Present
The '90's and early years of this century brought us down to earth as globalization became reality. Not only is our world not perfect, there are quite a few problems that demand our attention - both locally and across the globe.
What If
Imagine what social media would have been like during these periods. It would have mirrored the times, just as blogging and the social media network mirror where we are at today.
Social media reflects what is going on in the world today. It captures and records everything. And that data is then analyzed, although not necessarily very well at this time. Though the day of accurate measurement, analysis, and feedback will come. You can count on it.
The Future - Here and Now
Knowing this, you have to now consider how you will use the Web of the future. That's right, you can choose how to use the Web, or you can sit back passively and wait for it to use you, which of course is what is already happening.
The Web is indexing information with amazing speed and accuracy, and that trend is sure to continue. Knowing that, it is wise to consider what a world will be like where there is a perfect Web, one with nearly perfect information that mirrors your every move, and those of everyone else. How will you respond?
As small business owners, how will you shape your business to adapt your company to the inevitable future of marketing? One thing I'm sure of is it will not at all resemble what we have seen in the past. Some of my ideas are to imagine complete knowledge of competitive pricing, reputation, quality, and customer experience, to name just a few.
I believe in 30 years we will laugh at how we do things today. I believe we will be surrounded by solutions that were either out of our reach, or that we had to work extremely hard for.
Human Solutions
If there was ever a time to consider the future by thinking beyond what you considered to be normal or possible, especially as it involves the human aspects of your business, this is that time. It's time to think about what is possible when you seamlessly connect millions of people in ways that are unimaginable, because the unimaginable will indeed arrive soon enough.
Some Ideas to Consider
What if you knew exactly what was on your customers minds? What if you knew their every thought concerning your product and service? How would you use this information to deliver a better experience - not just better overall, but optimized for each and every customer.
Is this possible? You bet it is. And we should all start preparing for that possibility.
In a future post I'll share one amazing technology that gives a glimpse into these possibilities. The great thing about amazing possibilities is you don't have to predict them.
You just have to be ready.
There are some amazing developments exploding on this social Web that are pointing to an increasingly human experience. Right now the buzz is about real-time search and location-based services. The only certainty is that these developments will be followed by others.
You can try to predict what is coming next, or you can just accept the fact that the inevitable will happen. As a small business owner and user of this technology, I believe the smart thing to do is to assume that the Web will continue to evolve into an experience that enhances, extends, and in many ways, mirrors our everyday human experiences. And then plan for that.
Shouldn't we be working now with an eye on the inevitable Web that will become reality in 10, 20, or even 50 years into the future? If you have been on this planet for a while, you know the future seems to arrive much more quickly than you would have otherwise imagined, so you may as well start planning for it.
The Past
The early days of modern marketing in the '50's and '60's gave us an imagined experience. Products and services were marketed to make us feel younger, run faster and jump higher, and otherwise live a Utopian life of eternal youth. And surprisingly, we believed it all.
The Near Past
Then the '70's and '80's came along and we discovered some truths about people, companies, and governments. We realized that the party just couldn't last.
The Present
The '90's and early years of this century brought us down to earth as globalization became reality. Not only is our world not perfect, there are quite a few problems that demand our attention - both locally and across the globe.
What If
Imagine what social media would have been like during these periods. It would have mirrored the times, just as blogging and the social media network mirror where we are at today.
Social media reflects what is going on in the world today. It captures and records everything. And that data is then analyzed, although not necessarily very well at this time. Though the day of accurate measurement, analysis, and feedback will come. You can count on it.
The Future - Here and Now
Knowing this, you have to now consider how you will use the Web of the future. That's right, you can choose how to use the Web, or you can sit back passively and wait for it to use you, which of course is what is already happening.
The Web is indexing information with amazing speed and accuracy, and that trend is sure to continue. Knowing that, it is wise to consider what a world will be like where there is a perfect Web, one with nearly perfect information that mirrors your every move, and those of everyone else. How will you respond?
As small business owners, how will you shape your business to adapt your company to the inevitable future of marketing? One thing I'm sure of is it will not at all resemble what we have seen in the past. Some of my ideas are to imagine complete knowledge of competitive pricing, reputation, quality, and customer experience, to name just a few.
I believe in 30 years we will laugh at how we do things today. I believe we will be surrounded by solutions that were either out of our reach, or that we had to work extremely hard for.
Human Solutions
If there was ever a time to consider the future by thinking beyond what you considered to be normal or possible, especially as it involves the human aspects of your business, this is that time. It's time to think about what is possible when you seamlessly connect millions of people in ways that are unimaginable, because the unimaginable will indeed arrive soon enough.
Some Ideas to Consider
What if you knew exactly what was on your customers minds? What if you knew their every thought concerning your product and service? How would you use this information to deliver a better experience - not just better overall, but optimized for each and every customer.
Is this possible? You bet it is. And we should all start preparing for that possibility.
In a future post I'll share one amazing technology that gives a glimpse into these possibilities. The great thing about amazing possibilities is you don't have to predict them.
You just have to be ready.
Monday, January 4, 2010
How to Use Facebook to Fine-Tune Your Website
How to Use Facebook to Fine-Tune Your Website
Social networking sites are not only a great way to drum up new business, but they’re a great way to find out how to get more people to buy what you offer.
You see, I can use any number of different marketing strategies to drive traffic to my site, and then I can see what the conversion rates are and then conduct a split test and see if I can improve them.
That’s great for an established web site, but when I’m first starting out I want real live feedback from my site visitors. I want to hear from them first-hand what their thoughts are about my site, and social marketing makes that possible.
Watch how you can use these sites to zero in on your target market’s needs.
How it works
If you’ve seen my other tutorials on this topic (for example, the Build a Profitable Facebook Network in Minutes a Day tutorial), you know that I like to talk with people one-on-one and build a relationship with them as I introduce my business to them. This helps me get a higher number of people joining my site and purchasing what I offer, but the main reason I like it is this is how I test my site out to see if it’s effective.
On Facebook, for example, I send messages back and forth to people and through asking questions I quickly figure out if they’re interested in what I offer. If they are, I invite them to take action, usually by giving them something for free and having them join my email list.
Whether they act or not, I’ve established communication with them. This means that I can go back a day or two later and ask them why they did (or didn’t do) something, and they’ll very often give me valuable feedback when I ask.
Questions to ask
Here are some great questions to ask:
“I notice you didn’t (insert action). Can you tell me why not? I’m asking several people this question so I can improve my web site, so any thoughts or insights you have would be very much appreciated. Thank you (name)!”
Or
“I notice you did (insert action). I hope you enjoy (benefit of the action). Could you tell me what interests you most about (product/service) I offer? Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you to (obtain benefit of doing business with you)? Please let me know.”
Collect feedback
As people respond you’ll collect a wealth of feedback on how to improve the wording on your site and make the things you’re offering more attractive. You’ll find out how to better cater to your prospects and address their needs and concerns. You can even write these people back and ask further clarifying questions.
You don’t get this opportunity with most traffic-driving strategies. If you write an article or buy an ad you can monitor your web site statistics, but you can only speculate on what your visitors are actually thinking.
Social networking sites make this possible. You can:
1. Build a relationship with someone
2. Find their interest in what you offer
3. Send them to your site
4. Get their feedback
I recommend you repeat this process until your web site is effective at converting your Facebook visitors. At that point you can really capitalize on the traffic you bring in from other internet marketing strategies.
Social networking sites are not only a great way to drum up new business, but they’re a great way to find out how to get more people to buy what you offer.
You see, I can use any number of different marketing strategies to drive traffic to my site, and then I can see what the conversion rates are and then conduct a split test and see if I can improve them.
That’s great for an established web site, but when I’m first starting out I want real live feedback from my site visitors. I want to hear from them first-hand what their thoughts are about my site, and social marketing makes that possible.
Watch how you can use these sites to zero in on your target market’s needs.
How it works
If you’ve seen my other tutorials on this topic (for example, the Build a Profitable Facebook Network in Minutes a Day tutorial), you know that I like to talk with people one-on-one and build a relationship with them as I introduce my business to them. This helps me get a higher number of people joining my site and purchasing what I offer, but the main reason I like it is this is how I test my site out to see if it’s effective.
On Facebook, for example, I send messages back and forth to people and through asking questions I quickly figure out if they’re interested in what I offer. If they are, I invite them to take action, usually by giving them something for free and having them join my email list.
Whether they act or not, I’ve established communication with them. This means that I can go back a day or two later and ask them why they did (or didn’t do) something, and they’ll very often give me valuable feedback when I ask.
Questions to ask
Here are some great questions to ask:
“I notice you didn’t (insert action). Can you tell me why not? I’m asking several people this question so I can improve my web site, so any thoughts or insights you have would be very much appreciated. Thank you (name)!”
Or
“I notice you did (insert action). I hope you enjoy (benefit of the action). Could you tell me what interests you most about (product/service) I offer? Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you to (obtain benefit of doing business with you)? Please let me know.”
Collect feedback
As people respond you’ll collect a wealth of feedback on how to improve the wording on your site and make the things you’re offering more attractive. You’ll find out how to better cater to your prospects and address their needs and concerns. You can even write these people back and ask further clarifying questions.
You don’t get this opportunity with most traffic-driving strategies. If you write an article or buy an ad you can monitor your web site statistics, but you can only speculate on what your visitors are actually thinking.
Social networking sites make this possible. You can:
1. Build a relationship with someone
2. Find their interest in what you offer
3. Send them to your site
4. Get their feedback
I recommend you repeat this process until your web site is effective at converting your Facebook visitors. At that point you can really capitalize on the traffic you bring in from other internet marketing strategies.
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