Posted by: Chet Woodside on June 1st, 2009
Category: e-Commerce, Marketing, Internet Marketing, Twitter Roundup
Viewed: 602 times
The blog has been quiet for some time now, we have been doing some house cleaning. In the coming months there will be some interesting changes, one of these changes is our presence on Twitter.
Twitter is a brilliant source for News and Information. In this the first of many Twitter Monthly Roundup posts I'll share with you some of the best articles I found related to small business online. If you would like to find us on Twitter look for @ebc_chet and @ebc_ali.
Put Ad on Web. Count Clicks. Revise (NYtimes.com)
A good read that talks about the strengths of data analysis when adevertising online.
How site personas can enhance your site. (boagworld.com)
When developing a website it's a great idea to create user personas, it's a great exercise for understanding the readers coming to your website. Have you overlooked you websites persona though? It's equally as important, this article will explain why.
7 Tips for Effective Calls to Action (blog.hubspot.com)
Have you defined your websites goals? If so is your call to action statement well designed? A good read talking about the importance of well designed call to action statements.
12 Tips For Designing an Excellent Checkout Process (smashingmagazine.com)
Shopping Online can be a painful process, help ease the pain and make your customers experience shopping at your online store secure, reliable and easy.
9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design (psd.tutsplus.com)
It's all about the details, this article is a little more web developer focused however it's still a valuable read for any company that is relaunching or getting a new website developed.
How to Improve Your Branding With Your Content (smashingmagazine.com)
Your content is a very large part of your Companies branding online, Rick Sloboda wrote an excellent article for Smashing Magazine discussing this very topic. For all you Vancouver locals, Rick has been a long time speaker for eBusiness Connections and he has an upcoming "Writing for the Web" Seminar on June 8th. You can register for this seminar at the Small Business Education Center
Creating Your Own Deadlines and Setting Aggresive Goals for Your Business (thenetsetter.com)
A great read discussing the benefits to setting aggressive goals for your business.
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Posted by: Chet Woodside on February 11th, 2009
Category: Blogging, Marketing, Social Media
Viewed: 1,044 times
Many small growing businesses in BC are about to take their first steps into the Social Media world. There is lots of information available online to help small businesses understand how to approach social media in fact there is so much information that everything can get a little confusing.
Below is a collection of articles and videos that I have stumbled on, they are solid reads and should help to answer some early stage questions that any small business entering into social media may have:
1. Becoming More Social
An overview article that discusses marketing and preparing for marketing online using Social Media.
2. When Your Business Gets Trashed Online
You work hard to make your customer happy but sometimes things go offtrack. This article discusses how to prepare and handle a poor review of your company online.
3. Whipping the Social Media Beast in 30 Minutes a Day
The name says it all, many business owners feel that Social Media will take all their (or an employees) time. This blog post will help you to understand that venturing into social media doesn't require a platoon of dedicated people chained to their seats for 8 hours a day.
4. Giant Cocktail Party: Social networking – good for small business?
A video snippet with Seth Godin describing the social media landscape and how to use the tools out there effectively. I also suggest looking at other video snippets from the "New Perspective on Business" discussion that Seth was involved in, some very informative video.
5. If I Started Today
Chris Brogan reflecting on how he would approach Social Media if today was day one for him. The first point about listening is great, many businesses overlook this aspect when planning for social media.
You may notice that many of the articles I have mentioned live at OpenForum.com a few weeks ago I found this website. There are some interesting articles and videos at openforum.com and it's well worth the look.
E-business Connections is also hosting our very first Social Media Seminar on February 18th at 1pm, the seminar is being delivered by Jess Sloss a Vancouver based Social Media Strategist.
Tags: Social, Media,, Small, Business,, Social, Networking,, Marketing,, Blogging,,
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Posted by: Andy on May 20th, 2008
Category: General eBusiness, Reports & Resources, Marketing, Internet Marketing, e-Business Basics
Viewed: 1,048 times
Small Businesses Need to Know About
Businesses are starting to look at Social Networking as a vehicle to reach potential customers and expand into new markets. Preferring text messaging, instant messaging, and interactive environments like Facebook over email, communicating to the under 25 demographic is becoming a challenge. In fact, a recent ComScore Media Metrix report showed their usage of email dropped 8 percent last year. They are savvy, cynical, and aware, and they know when they are being sold to. So businesses are being forced to adopt new methods of getting the message out, without looking like they're getting the message out.
1. Facebook
(http://www.facebook.com)
The free-access website allows users to join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profile to notify friends about themselves.
2. Jaiku
(http://www.jaiku.com/)
Jaiku's main goal is to bring people closer together by enabling them to share their activity streams. An activity stream is a log of everyday things as they happen: your status messages, recommendations, events you're attending, photos you've taken - anything you post directly to Jaiku or add using Web feeds.
3. Linked In
(http://www.linkedin.com/)
LinkedIn is an online network of more than 20 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries.When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments. Your profile helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners. You can add more connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you.
4. Meet Up
(http://www.meetup.com/)
Meetup is the world's largest network of self-organized clubs and community groups. Meetup helps people: find others in their area who share their interests, learn, teach, and share things, make friends and have fun, rise up, stand up, unite, and make a difference, be a part of something bigger—both locally and globally
5. My Space
(http://www.myspace.com/)
MySpace is an online community that lets you meet your friends' friends using profiles. Profiles contain two standard "blurbs:" "About Me" and "Who I'd Like to Meet" sections. Profiles also contain an "Interests" section and a "Details" section. In the "Details" section, "Status" and "Zodiac Sign" fields will always display. However, fields in these sections will not be displayed if members do not fill them in. Profiles also contain a blog with standard fields for content, emotion, and media. MySpace also supports uploading images.
6. Nexopia
(http://www.nexopia.com/)
A true internet success story, Nexopia was born in the dark of a cold Edmonton winter only to rise to become Canada 's largest social networking site for youth. With over 1.2 million members, and hundreds of new accounts created every day, Nexopia is quickly solidifying its reputation as the online place for teens to connect and express themselves.
7. Plaxo
(http://www.plaxo.com/)
Plaxo securely hosts address books for more than 40 million people (and growing rapidly).Plaxo is not a place to see how many online "friends" you can collect. It's meant to be a better way for you to stay in touch with the people you actually know and care about.
8. Squidoo
(http://www.squidoo.com/)
SquidU.com is where lensmasters learn to make better lenses, and pick up tips for promoting their lenses to the public. A lens is one person's view on a topic that matters to her. It's an easy-to-build, single web page that can point to blogs, favorite links, RSS feeds, Flickr photos, Google maps, your eBay auctions, CafePress designs, Amazon books or music, and oh so much more.
9. Twitter
(http://twitter.com/)
Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?
10. Xing
(http://www.xing.com/)
XING makes your professional network an active part of your life. Far more than a directory of business contacts, XING enables its members to discover professional people, opportunities and privileges through its unique discovery capability and advanced contact management tools.
Tags: social networking, facebook, twitter, xing
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Posted by: Allan on October 9th, 2007
Category: General eBusiness, Blogging, Marketing, Internet Marketing, e-Business Basics
Viewed: 2,463 times
by Lindsay Smith
CEO of Massive Technology Show
Facebook, the world’s second largest social networking site, only after MySpace, has captured the attention of hundreds and thousands of Canadian; majority of them are between the ages of 25 and 35. Originally created as an online copy of the print facebooks handed out at Harvard University, this online tool has now develop features that can be used to strengthen business relationships and broaden one’s client base.
1. Professional Online Profile
Overview: Each user creates a profile for himself/herself. This profile is then made available on their “friends” list and includes both personal and career information. Users have the ability to only reveal limited public information to certain members if they choose.
Tip: Take the time to fill out your full career resume. This will provide an overview of your experience, expertise, and where you currently work. And be sure to use a professional looking photograph.
2. Finding and Adding Friends/Contacts
Overview: By using the Facebook member search you can find people that you know or simply have heard of by typing in their first and last name. When you find your search target, you can send them a request to become their “Facebook friend.” As you broaden your search, your online network of business contacts grows and can even potential clients.
Tip: make an effort to connect online with people that you have met face-to-face events, meetings, and at the office. Meeting online can often be just as effective as the relationship building that you’ll do over a networking lunch or an after work drink. It allows both parties to break down awkward barriers and connect on a neutral playing field.
3. Special Interest Groups
Overview: These are networks created by members who share a common interest. Creating a network can be done in as little as 3 minutes and can be a great way to connect with and even generate new business contacts.
Tip: Identify a topic related to your business that you that you are passionate about and create a network around it. Then invite other members to participate in discussions surrounding that topic. For example, a local gym would start a network on fitness and then invite their clients to participate in online discussions related to general health and working out.
4. Sending Messages
Overview: Facebook allows you to send private messages to people in your friends list or to groups of people on your list.
Tip: Send private message to your business contacts from time to time. This allows you to connect in a more personal manner and discuss private business matters.
5. Events
Overview: Post and advertise for upcoming events and invite everyone on your friends list with just one click. Create buzz by inviting invitees to RSVP, comment, and even post pictures on your event page.
Tip: This is a fantastic way to get the word out fast about events that your company is either hosting or involved with. If you are holding a seminar for your clients, post it! If you are attending a tradeshow, post it! If you are participating in a corporate fundraiser, post it! And of course, tell everyone about it.
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Posted by: Nathan on May 1st, 2007
Category: Search Engine Optimization, Marketing, Pay Per Click, Internet Marketing, e-Business Basics
Viewed: 1,672 times
This article was written by Maor Daniel, the National Marketing Manager with Yahoo! Search Marketing, who was kind enough to share it with us so that we could share it with you. This is a great article that introduces the benefits of using search engines to market your business. This article is meant to educate the Canadian public on an underused marketing medium - The Internet. Enjoy…
Everyday Canadian consumers & businesses perform 33 Million search engine queries. These queries range in purpose from general interest to brand research to product comparisons to price shopping and more.
The proven effectiveness of search engine traffic as a direct response tool has made it the fastest-growing online advertising segment over the last five years according to statistics from The Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada (IABC). Additional IAB statistics indicated that search represented an astounding 35% share of all online advertising last year, up from just 9% in 2003. “Canadian businesses are starting to understand the power of connecting products and services to consumers and businesses when & where they are looking for them,” says Martin Byrne, National Director – Yahoo! Search Marketing, “and they’re starting to grasp how important it is to take a truly holistic approach.” A holistic approach, he says, means bridging offline and online media, as well as leveraging the two complementary strategies of both organic search and paid placement (pay per click).
WHY DOES SEARCH WORK?
Search works for 3 main reasons:
Timing – Message consumers and businesses when they are in the purchase final
Relevance – Message consumers and businesses with solutions that match their needs
Simplicity – Short messaging formats keep value proposition and message simple
Here is an example of someone looking to purchase a bed and how they would utilize search to find it.
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Consumer Decision Funnel
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Consumer Thoughts
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What would consumer search for?
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Need Recognition
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“My back hurts”
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Back pain
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Need Qualification
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“Maybe I need a new bed”
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Beds & back pain
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Solution Identification
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“I need a bed that gives me better support”
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Beds with back support
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Solution Evaluation
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“Foam or Spring”
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Foam vs. spring beds
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Solution Selection
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“Foam bed brand A versus brand B”
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Foam beds
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Transaction Solution
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“I’ve got $1,500 to spend”
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Cheap brand A beds
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WHAT ARE THE TWO MAIN COMPONENTS OF SEARCH?
Organic listings are the core of search engines and are the informal directory of the internet, usually located on the left hand area of the page. They represent a scanning of internet content and links and ranking based on the relevance of the content relative to the word or phrases the user has entered. This relevance scoring is based on of factors as presence of keywords in HTML Title tags within Web pages, etc.
Paid listings usually appear at the top, or down the right side, of the results page. They are generally ranked using a formula that incorporates what the advertisers has bid for the value of a click vs. the performance of the ad and the relevance of the content it leads to. Paid listings allow advertisers to craft language, message and key words to create advertising that best drives online conversions, while reducing their cost-per click rate.
When it comes to organic search, the key for any advertiser is to ensure their website is being ranked near the top, based on relevant key words searched. According to an Eye Tracking Study performed by Vancouver-based search engine marketing firm Enquiro, 100% of audiences view the top three organic listings every time they type in a key word and hit “go”— no matter what search engine they use.
Just 50% of audiences, however, view the organic listing in the sixth position at all as well as they do the top-right sponsored ad. Search engine optimization (SEO) requires delving deeper into how algorithms rank Websites on results pages, but the extra effort is worth it as per above, and because the listing can persistently rank high without the daily or weekly infusion of cash that paid placement may require. In the Eye Tracking study above, researchers found most users scan search results in a “golden triangle” pattern (see chart), characterized by that familiar upper left orientation. “Clicks also happen fairly quickly,” explains Gord Hotchkiss, president and CEO of Enquiro “Consumers usually select the top one or two sites in an organic search because they trust the search engine has performed its job right by finding them the results they are looking for.” The Eye Tracking study found that while indeed 76% of participants found what they were searching for on the first click, a significant 26% returned to the search results page disappointed.
Those that returned to the results page scanned it in a much different way the second time around. Hotchkiss says this is because users no longer “believe” the search engine is able to rank organic listings to their liking, so at this point they are more likely to scan other areas of the results page.
On second viewing, Hotchkiss says, the probability of paid sponsored ads receiving a click “rises dramatically.” So, should search engines let their algorithms be a little less accurate, and drive users from organic to paid listings, in order to increase revenue? To do that, would be to their peril. Users want to receive and click on relevant organic results. After all, perceived results relevance is the reason why consumers use one search engine over the other. And what’s more, the combination of both organic and paid search strategies has been proven to be greater than the sum of their parts.
WHERE TO EXPECT NEXT?
Search is expanding into more specialized areas, in particular local verticals. According to Borrel Associates, the amount advertisers will spend on local paid search will reach US$987 million in 2006 — double the amount spent last year.
Keeping in step, Yahoo.ca has launched its new search algorithm that will help bring up more relevant and locally-driven search results. Mark Updegrove, vice president of sales at Yahoo Canada, says this will encourage more users to conduct local searches, as well as improve organic and paid listing results for local establishments.
Advertisers should also consider their SEM (Search Engine Marketing) strategy for listings in local online directories, such as YellowPages.ca. These directories allow consumers to search for businesses based on geographical criteria, regardless of whether a business has a website or not.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Consider these benefits of using search engine marketing when looking for new ways to promote your products and services online:
- Search is the right medium to find clients when they are seeking for products & services
- In comparison to other marketing methodologies such as banner ads, telemarketing and direct mail search delivers the most cost effective way to acquire customers
- Search engines match the right customers with the right products
Tags: SEM, Search Engine Marketing, SEO, Search Engine Optimization, Internet Marketing
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