Internet Marketing Tips, Tools and Strategies

As more and more users access the web via their mobile devices, it is important to not only develop a mobile website, but also to start utilizing the mobile marketing tools out there. What are these?

Apps (or applications). Everyone knows what an app is right? Well a significant amount of the mobile user population not only knows what an app is, but have several downloaded on to their smartphone. According to Flurry, over 40 billion applications have already been downloaded from the App Store and Android Market! With those numbers, it is not only important to look into developing an app for your company, but ensuring it will be useful for your users. 

Geolocation. Location based apps, also known as “check-in” apps, are popular mobile user past-times. If your company relies heavily on local business or promotes itself as a local service then it is important to not only be visible on these applications, but also make sure you are actively developing and managing your reputation on these. Be sure to check your listing on Foursquare, Gowalla, and Loopt to start with.

Mobile Coupons. According to eMarketer, mobile coupon use in the US is set to double by 2013. Then it should be no surprise that many businesses are starting to offer their own coupons to mobile users. Mobile coupons help you stay visible to mobile users. Getting started with mobile coupons has even been made easy by companies such as Groupon, Living Social, and Yipit.
 
Be sure you are not only staying relevant, but visible to users no matter how they are searching for you – desktops, tablets, or mobile devices. Download our Mobile Marketing Strategy Kit to find out more about mobile use and how to take advantage of these new forms of marketing.

Pew Research Center’s recent study of buying habits over the holiday has put tablet and e-readers in the forefront of online marketing initiatives in 2012. According to their study the amount of people who own one of these devices has risen from 10% to 19% in one month. That amount of growth means you need to be prepared that your future customer may be using one of these devices when surfing your website.

What should you do?

Consider the tablet user experience. We know you have a lot of users to consider when building and maintaining a website – rendering on different browsers (Firefox vs. IE), different types of operating systems (Mac vs. Windows), mobile users, etc. It can be overwhelming trying to accommodate everyone, but don’t let that make you leave out tablet optimization. Users will be looking at your website on these devices and you need to make sure the experience is seamless.

Also, if you do online sales/e-commerce on your website, be sure that purchasing on these devices is simple and easy. Don’t lose sales!

An e-reader is for reading. Obviously you knew that, but have you thought about how your valuable content is being displayed on these? Be sure to optimize your whitepapers, case studies, newsletters, etc. to be read on these devices. Don’t forget that content can be viewed via various tablet apps as well.

Utilize video marketing. Just like with mobile devices, a user is not going to want to resize and move around content to be able to read it. Meaning information is going to have to be in an easier digestible form – video. You might want to start looking at adding online videos to your 2012 Marketing Strategy.

How users connect and use the Internet is always evolving. Make sure you are evolving with the times by including mobile and tablet users in your future online activities.

Download our Mobile Marketing Strategy Kit to find out more.

You may have only dipped your toe in the Online Marketing water in 2011. Or, you might have just ignored most of the search/social/local online marketing talk that was floating around. Whatever the case might be, I want to encourage you to try and bring some key activities to your Online Marketing Strategy in 2012. Here are three things you should absolutely focus on in the coming months:

One, Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This should be number one on any Online Marketing plan in 2012. Afterall, what is the point of a website if no one is visiting it? Optimizing your current website, or building a website from scratch with SEO in mind should be your top priority in 2012. Start by identifying target keywords, focus on these when writing content, meta tags and meta descriptions for your website.

If you just don’t feel comfortable with handling SEO concepts, find an Internet Marketing Consult that can help.

Two, Social Media. Social media platforms aren’t just for fun these days. They are powerful tools that should be included in your Online Marketing Strategy in 2012. Social Media allows you to connect with your customers (and potential customers) on a level they are already actively using. Most consumers nowadays think a company doesn’t exist if they can’t find them on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. Speaking of Google+, this new social platform is primed to dominate 2012.

Three, Mobile Marketing. It seems everyone is mobile these days - more users are browsing the web via smartphones and iPads (tablets). Don’t be left out, include a mobile website in your 2012 Online Marketing Strategy! Make sure your current website is optimized for mobile use, or create a “mirror” of your current website for mobile users. Also, be sure your mobile site focus on the things mobile users need.

Make 2012 the year of success, by including these three key activities in your Online Marketing Strategy for the year. Get 2012 started the right way by getting your website score with our FREE Website Scan!

 

It seems everywhere we look nowadays there is someone on a smart phone surfing the web, updating their Facebook page, or composing a Tweet. The popularity of mobile users on the Internet is growing, is it time you looked at creating a Mobile Website?

Google reports that about 1 in every 7 searches on the Internet are from a mobile device and by 2013 there will be more searches from mobile devices than from desktop devices. In fact 25% of Internet users around the world are “mobile only” right now, yet not many websites are mobile enabled.

You might not think that a website optimized for mobile usage is that important, but you have to consider a few key factors before making that assumption:

Search Engine Relevance – Search engines (such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) are trying to give their users the most relevant content and the best user experience they can. If a user is searching for a particular website on a mobile device, most search engines can detect what device the search is being conducted on and will give preference to mobile websites (or mobile enabled websites) over non-mobile counterparts.  

User Experience – A user is not going to dedicate time to viewing miniature versions of full websites if they do not function properly on their smartphone/tablet – basically every site that is not built for mobile devices specifically are going to function this way. Patience on the Internet is short, most users won’t “waste” their time by making text bigger and moving the website around the screen to read everything. Also, most users are trying to physically push on buttons with their finger thanks to touch screen advancements and zeroing in on a small icon with a forefinger isn’t always the easiest thing to do.

Digestible Information – Mobile users are not always looking for the same information that they would search for from a desktop; navigating through a mobile website on a phone is usually a “short and sweet” affair. Mobile searcher's wants are typically less, but more specific so you want to be sure you are giving them exactly what they are looking for. What is the most sought after items mobile Internet users are looking for on a mobile site? Company information, destination information, contact information and social media.  

Now that you understand why mobile website development is important and what mobile users are looking for, creating a mobile friendly version of your company website makes sense. Right? Why not get started today by downloading our free Mobile Marketing Strategy Kit.

Internet marketing is one of the fastest changing industries on the planet. Nothing stays the same in the internet marketing world for very long, which is why it's so important to stay current with the latest technology and applications that are available. 

For businesses that participate in social media marketing the latest development is the introduction of location based applications. These applications enable users to "check-in" at business locations which will automatically send a post to their Twitter or Facebook page. Common location based applications include Foresquare and Facebook Places (see my post about So-Lo-Mo to learn more).

For a business that wants to take advantage of the benefits of location based marketing here are 6 simple steps to get you started.

1. Get comfortable with location based applications -
Download Foresquare to your mobile device and link it to your social media profiles. Using the application yourself is the best way to understand how your audience is going to use it.

2. Evaluate your goals -
Depending on your business and your marketing strategy Foresquare can be used to do a few different things. If you are a new restaurant you may want to use Foresquare to market your business and offer a discount for checking in at your location to encourage new and repeat visits. If you have a retail location you may use Foresquare to move a specific type of inventory or to promote a new product. Focusing on your goal will make your locations based marketing more successful.

3. Register your location -
You will need to verify your location on several location based applications. Foresquare, MyTown, Loopt, Facebook Places, and Gowalla are a good place to start. Your listing should be simple, however make sure the important physical location information is complete and correct and include contact information.

4. Start spreading the word -
Make sure all staff, friends and contacts know you have registered with Foresquare and the other top 4 location based applications. Put a sign at the counter, front door, menu, ticket, business card,....or whatever, letting visitors know to sign in when at your location. Tell everyone you know about the benefits of signing into these applications. 

5. Give them a reason to check-in -

People will act if you offer a reward, coupon, content. Provide customers a discount if they check-in at your location. A free gift or rewards program will provide great incentive for customers to check-in with Foresquare or Facebook Places.

6. Start the interactions -
Get on your location based social network and get talking to customers. What rewards are they competing for? Why would they choose a competitor over your business? Find out what you can do to keep their business or gain a loyal customer by engaging and testing.

Any internet marketing expert will tell you that mobile devices are vital to online marketing success now and into the future. But not all businesses are a great fit for location based marketing using the "sign in" feature, but there are some creative ways to incorporate local, mobile and social into your campaigns (which we will discuss in the future on this blog). 

Joining location based social programs will help incorporate mobile users into your social media plan. Following these steps will get you started and help build your mobile social media presence. 

Want to learn more about Mobile Marketing? Download our Mobile Marketing Strategy Kit Today!

The first time I heard the term "so-lo-mo" I did a double take. "So-lo-mo....what?" Here we go again, another internet marketing acronym to remember. The internet marketing world is filled with acronyms and abbreviations for all kinds of things we do online (see - SEO, PPC, SMO, LP, SMM...blah blah blah), but so-lo-mo was definitely the first that just really got me shaking my head. But with that being said, the term is here to stay and the buzz around it is legitimate. 

The term "so-lo-mo" is the convergence of social media, local search, and mobile marketing. It's a way of creating a 1-1 engagement strategy with customers on a local level with mobile devices and social media. When done correctly, so-lo-mo can help you reach the right customer, in the right place, at exactly the right time. 

Familiar with "checking in" on you mobile device? With sites like Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook Places, and Yelp growing rapidly, checking in is quickly becoming the cool thing to do when out on the town, shopping, dining, entertaining, etc. People are broadcasting their lives in real time to the world and where they are currently located. Personally, this is not something I do a lot of simply because I like my privacy, but millions of people are doing this on a daily basis and here are some reasons why:

• Freebies and Discounts - checking in to places you may find yourself with a free appetizer or drink, discounted parking, or 10% off the purchase you are about to make. 
• Recommending Places They Like - why not share the good word about a business that you enjoyed? Sounds like a pretty good idea to me. Or maybe you just want to brag a little bit? Writing a review in real time as you are having an awesome time makes the recommendation better. 
• Games and Boredom - many check in programs have games that allow participants to earn virtual points and people do this for the fun of it (or because they are bored out of their mind while they wait for x, y, or z).
• Connect with Friends - most check in applications allow your friends and followers to see your recent activity (if you are participating in the art of "checking in" of course!). 

According to eMarketer, location-based ad revenues worldwide will reach $6.2 billion by 2015, consuming 35% of total mobile ad revenues. See chart to see how massive an increase this will be over the next 5 years. Knowing this, it might be a good time to start looking at location-based marketing and see how it can fit within your overall internet marketing strategy. 

Need some help getting started? Download our Free Mobile Marketing Strategy Guide and learn all about the future of mobile marketing and "so-lo-mo."

Follow our blog in the coming weeks and learn more about mobile marketing as we share some exciting information about this rapidly evolving industry. 

For quite some time, my team at WSI and I have been discussing mobile marketing and mobile seo and how to integrate the best strategy for our clients. We have been waiting to start offering mobile marketing services for our clients until we felt we had all the information necessary to offer the best service out there that would get great results for our clients.

As you can see from the chart on the right, marketing professionals are allocating a good amount towards mobile marketing.

Pierre Far from Google wrote a blog post on the Google blog and specifically discussed the topic surrounding making websites mobile friendly.

Here are the notes from that lecture that I got from seroundtable.com and wanted to share with you:

•Google differentiates between traditional mobile phones and smartphones.

•Google has two bots: Googlebot and Googlebot-Mobile. Googlebot crawls desktop-browser type of webpages and content embedded in them and Googlebot-Mobile crawls mobile content.

•Currently only traditional phones are supported with special useragent strings within Googlebot-Mobile, not smartphones (this may change)

•Google said they "expect smartphones to handle desktop experience content so there is no real need for mobile-specific effort from webmasters.

•It does not mean you can't serve a special style sheet to smartphones, Google said, "the decision to do so should be based on how you can best serve your users."

•URL structure: For Googlebot and Googlebot-Mobile, it does not matter what the URL structure is as long as it returns exactly what a user sees too.

•Using the same URL "is not considered cloaking by Google."

•Mobile sitemaps: you should include only mobile content URLs in Mobile Sitemaps, even if these URLs also return non-mobile content when accessed by a non-mobile User-agent. 

Mobile marketing is fast becoming a crucial part of most businesses online marketing campaigns. I still lump "mobile" into the online campaign terminology because to me its still technically online marketing just accessed through mobile devices.

The important thing to take away from this blog post is that there are in fact 2 separate bots, one for mobile content and one for browser based content. If you are looking to expand your online marketing and opportunities for both paid and organic search, you should strongly consider looking into generating some mobile content and making your website more mobile friendly.

These days a mobile phone's main purpose is not to make a phone call. Today people are using their cell phone to listen to music, get driving directions, to retrieve email and to surf the internet.

It is estimated that 1 in 10 consumers are reading their emails on a mobile device and according to Pew Internet, by the year 2020 50% of all web searches will happen from mobile devices.

The majority of mobile searches involve local services such as dining, gas stations, shopping, directions and entertainment. This is great news right? More people visiting your website immediately before visiting your location. Wrong. A traditional website does not always translate to a mobile device. If you have not optimized your site for a mobile device or created a mobile website than these consumers may miss out on your services. This is a targeted audience that is out and about looking for something in particular. Don't miss this business because they are unable to view your website.

What makes a mobile site different? Due to the small screen size of a mobile device the images on your site will probably be too large. Mobile devices are also slower so you need the content on your site to be really small so it loads quickly. Keep in mind that when someone is visiting your site from a mobile device they want the information they need quickly and easily. Make sure your mobile site has short and concise content that is easy to navigate and avoid programs like Flash that may not be available on a mobile device.

Take advantage of this mobile market and tailor your website to meet their immediate needs. Online usage via mobile devices is only growing. Get ahead of this trend and welcome the mobile audience to your website.