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.

Google Analytics isn’t just for seeing how many website visits you get in a month; it is a powerful tool that gives you the ability to understand your customers and their needs based on statistical information. Customer behavior is often dictated by their geographical location and thankfully Google Analytics gives you information on customer location.

So how do you get location data in Google Analytics? Well Google has a handy section under visitors called “Map Overlay”. This allows you to see where your website visitors are located in the world, which you can drill down from country, to state and even to city level maps. 

If you are a company that targets customers in your local area - your surrounding neighborhood, city, or maybe the entire state; knowing how to access this geo-information can help you make improvements to your website content, advertising, etc. to increase traffic and conversions. How?

Find the content that is bringing your target audience and improve on it. Are particular products or content phrasing on your website resonating with a particular audience? Do people in your area use search strings that your website contains? Find the keywords that are driving your target location traffic to your site and write content focused on them.

Really understand who buys your product. Are you under the assumption your customer is from suburban locations? Google Analytics can show you that urban or rural users are actually the bulk of customers searching for your product or service. Knowing exactly who your client is, not who you think they are, helps you develop marketing and sales tactics that work.

Locational information also can tell you if you are limiting your business. By viewing your Google Analytics location information, you might discover that there is potential for expansion to another state or even internationally! Or, maybe you might want to consider adding an ecommerce option to your website that allows users to buy product from areas you aren’t currently doing business with.

Knowing where your customers are located helps you understand them. Understanding your customers allows you to market yourself and your company effectively for success! So be sure to start utilizing Google Analytics location data right away to start understanding where your customers are located and what they need.

Don’t currently use Google Analytics or need some help understanding what all the numbers mean? Contact WSI for an analytic consultation 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.