Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Apple Store Changes Signal the Next Era of Retail
Apple Store Changes Signal the Next Era of Retail
by Chris "The Brain" Hoyt
If you go to an Apple Store on a slower day, you may notice there is still a pretty large amount of “blue shirts.” A second look, and it is easy to discover the reason for this: they aren’t just selling anymore. Just about any other retail store in the mall will have a ratio of about one employee to five customer. Apple is running almost one-to-one on non-peak days. This isn’t just because of Apple’s popularity. No, it is a sign of the next era of retail: selling expertise and ecosystems.
When Supply and Demand Switch Places
Supply and demand has been the pillar of economic development for centuries. Innovations have largely been centered around delivering more “in demand” products at lower cost and with greater efficiency. Demand came first, and then businesses would respond by producing supply. The iPhone is, however, a great example of a new phenomenon beginning to emerge: supply coming before demand. More specifically, the ability to create something no one was asking for, and suddenly everyone wants.
Not that Apple is the only company to do this, inventions have been creating demand from Thomas Edison's light bulb to Sony’s Walkman in the 80s. However, there is something unique about Apple’s revolution, creating demand for a product people don’t know how to use. For that one, I can only think of Henry Ford’s Model-T as a possible parallel. Even today, we all still have to learn to drive a car before we can buy one. But in all, there haven’t been a lot of world-changing products that weren't pretty easy to just pick up and use.
Because We Aren't Smart Enough to Know What We Want
Modern emerging products, such as cloud based solutions, software as a service, and integrated technologies are all being developed PAST the demand curve. Meaning that we have more supplied products and solution that most of us even know how to use or integrate into our daily lives. So where are these companies coming from if we aren’t demanding their products and services? Well, investors have come to realize that the marketing doesn’t really know what it wants next. Everyone is betting on the next Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to tell us what we want.
Selling a Lifestyle
In order to get the most from your shiny new Apple products: MacBook, iPhone, and iPad (the holy tech trilogy), you have to have a certain amount of base knowledge for using them. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon (sorta) are all now competing on lifestyle solutions more than the actual products. Each company providing a whole range of integrated software and tech to handle our lifestyle needs. In other words, we no longer buy products to match our daily needs and habits. We are beginning to model our lives around the systems created for us.
Education and Accessibility: The New Battleground
So this comes back to the INVASION OF THE BLUE SHIRTS at Apple retail stores. Apple is still showing they are ahead of the curve by throwing their resources at helping as many people as possible adapt to the Apple/iCloud lifestyle. Microsoft is learning to follow suit, and Google is still hoping their loyal geeks will be enough to bring their immediate families up to date (*guilty*). Samsung has also been proving their obsession with copying Apple by trying to do the same thing at Best Buy stores (but not very well.)
In-store training, access to advice and experts, classes on how to maximize products and software tools, large support communities; these are the new ways retail is going to have to grow their competition. And as we keep growing this competition, switching from one ecosystem to another is going to become harder and harder, meaning that converting a customer is worth more than ever before.
Tech Retail is Only the Start!
Furniture retail has learned that you can’t just sell furniture, you have to sell rooms and designs. Kitchen retailers are starting to teach customers how to cook. There are even new online clothing retailers coaching their customers on how to dress! (http://www.trunkclub.com/) Everyone thinks the Internet is killing retail, but really it is just changing its core purpose.
Before the Internet we needed retail to SHOW us what we could buy, something the Internet does a hundred times better. However, a physical retail store can still have an advantage with showing us how to USE products, especially when we need to use multiple products together. Retail stores that innovate ways to be a gateway for customers to better their life or enter a lifestyle are the ones that will last through the next couple decades.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
What’s the Right Frequency of Email Marketing?
http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/pages/what-s-the-frequency.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
Email is the virtual workhorse of digital marketing and every Web worker knows it.
According to the Experian Marketing Services’ “2013 Email Market Study,” 99 percent of those surveyed say that their company currently uses email. While marketers consider email a highly effective practice, many don’t consider customers’ email preferences – and that’s a significant problem. For instance, 60 percent of marketers don’t offer customers the opportunity to select the types of emails (text or HTML) they want to receive. What’s more (and potentially more damaging) is that just over one third of respondents (35 percent) let customers determine how frequently they want to be mailed. Too much email from a sender, of course, could negatively impact their performance.
So, what determines when you should hit send? What is the “right” frequency?
Unfortunately, there is no “right” answer when it comes to the optimal delivery rate, as there are too many variables. Ask the following questions to find out, however, and your email campaigns (and your broader digital marketing strategy in general) will be more effective.
Why is this email being sent? Many digital marketers send email because they believe it’s the right thing to do - and it is - but it is essential that each individual distribution and each broader multi-send campaign or ongoing distribution have a clear aim and objective.
The aim of a single-send, for example, might be to raise awareness of a technical issue or a new feature; it might also be to sell an individual product. A campaign with multiple sends, however, is much different. For instance, those that engage in a more prolonged distribution strategy are those whose objectives are typically to offer ongoing education or support. The reason to ask “why is this email being sent” is so that marketers don’t lose sight of the original objectives; knowing the “why” helps prepare and prioritize the content.
The Inbox is a Battlefield
Everyone who sends email is a brand’s competitor. See just how crowded recipients’ inboxes are in this infographic at wsm.co/inboxbattle.
How long is the sales cycle? Another reason that there is no one answer to the optimal frequency for email is that sales cycles vary by industry, company and even product. If the sales cycle is short, the frequency should be more compact, while a longer sales cycle allows for a slower and more regular schedule. Knowing the average time it takes for a user to enter and exit the sales funnel can help determine the optimal frequency. There is, of course, a learning curve that comes with figuring out the distribution frequency, but once a standard has been set, marketers can turn their attention to other concerns like deliverability or the many available optimization opportunities.
One such opportunity comes from a free software solution called ROEmails (developed by WebNova). It can help improve campaign performance by adding “scarcity” information to emails by including an email countdown timer that appears in a recipient’s inbox. Say for example a retailer is running a 24-hour special. When the recipient opens the email 20 hours after being sent, he will see that he has just four hours remaining to take advantage of the offer. Leveraging “scarcity” can increase open rates, traffic and conversions and deepen engagement.
When are users most active? Of all the advice given to email marketers about the optimal day and time to send, taking advantage of users’ activity levels on a website is often the most actionable (although not the most sophisticated). A quick examination of a website’s analytics will reveal not just the day that customers are visiting the most but also the general time of day. While most activity can be attributed to the goings-on of marketers themselves (e.g. social media posts, advertising, etc.), activity is a rather obvious opportunity to increase performance - at least incrementally. While many will go round-and-round about whether Thursday at 10 a.m. or Tuesday at 4 p.m. works best, optimal send times (particularly for regular distributions) do provide a testable moment.
Email marketing, despite the attention that Internet advertising, SEO and social media receive, is here to stay. Understanding users and maintaining a regular schedule will be useful for every digital enterprise.
- See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/pages/what-s-the-frequency.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.ARPbl40c.dpuf
What’s the Frequency?
By Peter Prestipino, Editor-In-ChiefEmail is the virtual workhorse of digital marketing and every Web worker knows it.
According to the Experian Marketing Services’ “2013 Email Market Study,” 99 percent of those surveyed say that their company currently uses email. While marketers consider email a highly effective practice, many don’t consider customers’ email preferences – and that’s a significant problem. For instance, 60 percent of marketers don’t offer customers the opportunity to select the types of emails (text or HTML) they want to receive. What’s more (and potentially more damaging) is that just over one third of respondents (35 percent) let customers determine how frequently they want to be mailed. Too much email from a sender, of course, could negatively impact their performance.
So, what determines when you should hit send? What is the “right” frequency?
Unfortunately, there is no “right” answer when it comes to the optimal delivery rate, as there are too many variables. Ask the following questions to find out, however, and your email campaigns (and your broader digital marketing strategy in general) will be more effective.
Why is this email being sent? Many digital marketers send email because they believe it’s the right thing to do - and it is - but it is essential that each individual distribution and each broader multi-send campaign or ongoing distribution have a clear aim and objective.
The aim of a single-send, for example, might be to raise awareness of a technical issue or a new feature; it might also be to sell an individual product. A campaign with multiple sends, however, is much different. For instance, those that engage in a more prolonged distribution strategy are those whose objectives are typically to offer ongoing education or support. The reason to ask “why is this email being sent” is so that marketers don’t lose sight of the original objectives; knowing the “why” helps prepare and prioritize the content.
The Inbox is a Battlefield
Everyone who sends email is a brand’s competitor. See just how crowded recipients’ inboxes are in this infographic at wsm.co/inboxbattle.
How long is the sales cycle? Another reason that there is no one answer to the optimal frequency for email is that sales cycles vary by industry, company and even product. If the sales cycle is short, the frequency should be more compact, while a longer sales cycle allows for a slower and more regular schedule. Knowing the average time it takes for a user to enter and exit the sales funnel can help determine the optimal frequency. There is, of course, a learning curve that comes with figuring out the distribution frequency, but once a standard has been set, marketers can turn their attention to other concerns like deliverability or the many available optimization opportunities.
One such opportunity comes from a free software solution called ROEmails (developed by WebNova). It can help improve campaign performance by adding “scarcity” information to emails by including an email countdown timer that appears in a recipient’s inbox. Say for example a retailer is running a 24-hour special. When the recipient opens the email 20 hours after being sent, he will see that he has just four hours remaining to take advantage of the offer. Leveraging “scarcity” can increase open rates, traffic and conversions and deepen engagement.
When are users most active? Of all the advice given to email marketers about the optimal day and time to send, taking advantage of users’ activity levels on a website is often the most actionable (although not the most sophisticated). A quick examination of a website’s analytics will reveal not just the day that customers are visiting the most but also the general time of day. While most activity can be attributed to the goings-on of marketers themselves (e.g. social media posts, advertising, etc.), activity is a rather obvious opportunity to increase performance - at least incrementally. While many will go round-and-round about whether Thursday at 10 a.m. or Tuesday at 4 p.m. works best, optimal send times (particularly for regular distributions) do provide a testable moment.
Email marketing, despite the attention that Internet advertising, SEO and social media receive, is here to stay. Understanding users and maintaining a regular schedule will be useful for every digital enterprise.
- See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/pages/what-s-the-frequency.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.ARPbl40c.dpuf
By Peter Prestipino, Editor-In-Chief
- See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/pages/what-s-the-frequency.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.ARPbl40c.dpuf
Email is the virtual workhorse of digital marketing and every Web worker knows it.
According to the Experian Marketing Services’ “2013 Email Market Study,” 99 percent of those surveyed say that their company currently uses email. While marketers consider email a highly effective practice, many don’t consider customers’ email preferences – and that’s a significant problem. For instance, 60 percent of marketers don’t offer customers the opportunity to select the types of emails (text or HTML) they want to receive. What’s more (and potentially more damaging) is that just over one third of respondents (35 percent) let customers determine how frequently they want to be mailed. Too much email from a sender, of course, could negatively impact their performance.- See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/pages/what-s-the-frequency.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.ARPbl40c.dpuf
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
SEO in 2014, Fact, Fiction and Sensationalism
http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/02/11/seo-in-2014-fact-fiction-and-sensationalism.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
:: By Travis Bliffen
Working in the SEO industry, it makes me almost cringe to see the day’s long list of “the sky is falling” articles. People do not want the same old boring news; but does it have to be so misleading? No, and instead of ranting about it, here are 11 actionable SEO tips that still work in 2014 and that dispel just a few of the many sensationalized claims making the headlines today.
#1 Let’s face it, SEO will never die. So long as Google relies upon any type of algorithm to generate search results SEO will live. As we move into the future, SEO will evolve to include other traffic generation methods and for some niches it already has, but again, it will not die!
#2 Guest posting is not dead! Google has found a way to crack down on many link schemes over the years, the reason guest posting will survive is the fact that it takes two to make that link. You submit it and someone vouches for you with a link, which is the perfect strategy. Those being said, stay away from sites that auto-approve or are junk filled as spam is detectable by search spiders. Write something of value and you will have no problems.
#3 User experience is crucial. Most of you realize that a great mobile and desktop user experience is critical as the percentage of mobile users continues to climb. Some businesses have failed to update their sites to be mobile friendly, if you fall into this category; the time to update is now, unless of course search traffic is not important to you. Don’t forget to pay close attention to page load speed as well.
#4 Content creation- If you do nothing else, create content for your business and share it with others. So many companies blog non-stop on their own site gaining minimal traffic. Instead of updating your blog all the time, try reaching out to other related sites and creating some content for their site. To get the most from the link, write a follow up or more advanced article on your own site to link back to it. This will help you capture the right audience and drive higher engagement stats.
#5 Self-promotion is key. One day your company may be a huge brand that people cannot stop talking about, until then you need to promote yourself proudly. If you are an expert, share your knowledge with others through social channels, speaking events and even controversial guest posts. Remember, at the end of the day traffic and conversions should be your goal, not just rankings.
#6 You can live without social. Everyone is touting the benefits of social media and claiming it is the only way to gain top rankings….WRONG! Social media is a great way to get more traffic, but you can still rank without it. To further clarify, in 2013 SearchMetrics conducted a study of over 10,000 keywords and associated data. The results indicated that Google +1s and Facebook shares were the two primary ranking factors followed by backlinks at number three. Even if you do not have any social profiles of your own, adding share buttons on your website can help boost your rankings. To make a long story short, social sharing buttons are more important that being active on social sites.
#7 Local SEO is golden. Except for the fact that it is sometimes harder, it's tough to figure out why some SEO companies are avoiding local SEO for their clients. If you have a business serving a local area and are not using local SEO the time to start is yesterday!
#8 Closely monitor keyword data. Google has done its best to be a pain through the creation of secure search. However you can still get a ton of data about what keywords are working for your business. Using data from Bing can be helpful. You can also gather data from Webmaster tools and historic data. Including a search feature on your site will also allow you to see what users are looking for. Google has made it harder to get data but it is still available when you get creative.
#9 Don’t be afraid of change. Google averages more than 500 updates per year. Most are small and go unnoticed and a few rock the SEO practitioners to the core. Since the very inception of SEO change has been required and moving into the future we can expect it to happen even more rapidly. Those who are not willing to adapt will fail, however making changes based upon inaccurate data and you can also fail. Read and consider your changes carefully and do not be afraid to ask for advice from others in the industry or from SEO professionals if you are a business owner.
#10 Tiered link building still works! Tiered link building is often considered a black or gray hat method of ranking sites, but it does not have to be. While you should avoid using tiered linking as your only method, it makes a great addition to other quality link building practices. The key to effectively using this method is to create quality content and links on each level. Whether working in tier 1 or 3, spam links will hurt your main site in 2014 and beyond. Remember though, links are only one of the 200-plus ranking criteria Google uses so cover all your bases.
#11 Matt Cutts is not on your side. Face it folks, Matt Cutts gets paid handsomely to help prevent the manipulation of search rankings. Doing so helps Google earn more money on Adwords and “improves” the organic results they offer. A recent post on SEOBOOK covers the link building methods Google has labeled “spam” and as you will see, it doesn’t leave many options. The bottom line, take what Matt says with a grain of salt.
As the industry continues to evolve at a more rapid pace we can expect the mountains of misinformation to follow the curve. Regardless of what you may hear remember the following: would I build this link if SEO did not exist? If you answer “no” then take some time to learn more before acting and you will save yourself time and money.
Travis Bliffen is the founder and senior SEO consultant of Stellar SEO, a St. Louis based search marketing and design firm. Travis has worked with several national and international clients to date and enjoys researching and writing in the search marketing field. He has been featured at speaking events and on industry leading websites such as Website Magazine and Search Engine Journal. Connect on Twitter or Facebook for updates and actionable tips. -
See more at: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/02/11/seo-in-2014-fact-fiction-and-sensationalism.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter#sthash.ZW9dtjd0.dpuf
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
4 free Instagram measurement tools
http://www.prdaily.com/socialmedia/Articles/14354.aspx
For the past few months, my friend Ryan has been managing a boutique called Apricot Lane
in a nearby shopping center. I
know 80 to 90 percent of the stores in this area are out of my price
range and, because they are so expensive, their typical customers are
more likely to
be women in my mom's age group.
I assumed Apricot Lane was another boutique for women older than me. That is, until my friend started an Instagram account for the boutique. She posted photos of the clothes, jewelry and new items. She even posted photos of people I knew modeling the clothes.
I fell in love with the different styles and fun items. I realized my preconceived notions were wrong, and was quickly convinced I needed to visit the boutique. Not only did I visit, I brought my mom and sister with me, who also loved it.
My wedding photographer and wedding planner are also on Instagram. I hired them both before I started following them on Instagram, but every time I see their photos I am even happier both of them will be part of my wedding day.
They post fun photos of their office construction, clients, DIY projects and everyday life. By giving me a peek into their lives, I feel closer and more comfortable with them as people and professionals. As my trust for them grows, I am inspired by their creativity and love for their professions.
By building identities on Instagram, Ryan changed my perception of her boutique, and my wedding planner and photographer continue to grow my loyalty as a client.
Perhaps this was their goal when they began their Instagram accounts, perhaps it wasn't. Either way, I'm proof that their time spent on Instagram is reaping benefits. But how else can they measure their Instagram success?
Here are four free tools small businesses can use to do so:
1. SumAll
I just started exploring this tool, and it looks perfect for small businesses looking to track their social media success, find out which network reaps the most benefits, and determine how social media affects the bottom line. I have to explore it some more, but it's worth trying for Instagram and more.
2. Statigram
This tool is solely for Instagram. It provides statistics, such as the amount of photos you have, likes received, comments, followers and more.
I like how it shows you the photos with the highest engagement, the day and time your users are most engaged, your most engaged followers, and your growth and loss in followers. You can even manage contests with this tool.
3. SimplyMeasured
This tool allows users to download analytics on different profiles for free as long as you agree to share a tweet to promote the company. You can download a detailed—and I mean detailed—Excel document that even shows you the engagement your photos had outside of Instagram. The free analytics report is definitely worth sharing a tweet.
4. Nitrogram
This tool shows engagement rates, statistics per photo, follower count and the number of photos shared.
Regardless of which tool you choose, it's important to measure and track your brand's Instagram success. Tracking your account's metrics and the engagement of your community can help you learn more about your audience, grow your existing followers, understand what your audience values and convert your followers into loyal customers.
Do you use Instagram for your business? Are there any other tools you'd recommended? Please share!
Rachael Seda is an account executive at CRT/tanaka. A version of this article originally appeared on WaxingUnlyrical.com.
4 free Instagram measurement tools
I assumed Apricot Lane was another boutique for women older than me. That is, until my friend started an Instagram account for the boutique. She posted photos of the clothes, jewelry and new items. She even posted photos of people I knew modeling the clothes.
I fell in love with the different styles and fun items. I realized my preconceived notions were wrong, and was quickly convinced I needed to visit the boutique. Not only did I visit, I brought my mom and sister with me, who also loved it.
My wedding photographer and wedding planner are also on Instagram. I hired them both before I started following them on Instagram, but every time I see their photos I am even happier both of them will be part of my wedding day.
They post fun photos of their office construction, clients, DIY projects and everyday life. By giving me a peek into their lives, I feel closer and more comfortable with them as people and professionals. As my trust for them grows, I am inspired by their creativity and love for their professions.
By building identities on Instagram, Ryan changed my perception of her boutique, and my wedding planner and photographer continue to grow my loyalty as a client.
Perhaps this was their goal when they began their Instagram accounts, perhaps it wasn't. Either way, I'm proof that their time spent on Instagram is reaping benefits. But how else can they measure their Instagram success?
Here are four free tools small businesses can use to do so:
1. SumAll
I just started exploring this tool, and it looks perfect for small businesses looking to track their social media success, find out which network reaps the most benefits, and determine how social media affects the bottom line. I have to explore it some more, but it's worth trying for Instagram and more.
2. Statigram
This tool is solely for Instagram. It provides statistics, such as the amount of photos you have, likes received, comments, followers and more.
I like how it shows you the photos with the highest engagement, the day and time your users are most engaged, your most engaged followers, and your growth and loss in followers. You can even manage contests with this tool.
3. SimplyMeasured
This tool allows users to download analytics on different profiles for free as long as you agree to share a tweet to promote the company. You can download a detailed—and I mean detailed—Excel document that even shows you the engagement your photos had outside of Instagram. The free analytics report is definitely worth sharing a tweet.
4. Nitrogram
This tool shows engagement rates, statistics per photo, follower count and the number of photos shared.
Regardless of which tool you choose, it's important to measure and track your brand's Instagram success. Tracking your account's metrics and the engagement of your community can help you learn more about your audience, grow your existing followers, understand what your audience values and convert your followers into loyal customers.
Do you use Instagram for your business? Are there any other tools you'd recommended? Please share!
Rachael Seda is an account executive at CRT/tanaka. A version of this article originally appeared on WaxingUnlyrical.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)