Use the Internet to Grow Your Business

Use the Internet to

Use the Internet to grow your business

CPD Seminar

Barry AdamsPierce Communications

Barry Adams

• Digital Services Director at Pierce Communications

�Started as senior digital marketer

• Built my first website in 1995, started my career in all things online in 1997

• Specialisation in SEO

• Dutch (yes, really)

• Previous employers include;� Philips Electronics

� Honeywell

� Quotezone

� Independent News & Media (Belfast Telegraph)

Agenda:

• What makes a good website?

• What drives traffic to a website?

• Introduction to Search Engine Optimisation

-- BREAK --

• How can you use Social Media effectively?

• How blogging can help your business

• Web strategy – tying it all together

What makes a good website?

First impressions matter

• The “look and feel” of a website has the greatest impact on users’ credibility assessments, with professional site designs heavily influencing credibility perceptions

• Once users have seen a web page, it is difficult to overcome the first impressions they form based on the professional appearance of a page’s design.*

*Source: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/merrie/papers/WebCredibility_CHI2011.pdf

Key Aspects of good web design

• Your site’s purpose need to be instantly evident�Don’t make users look for the purpose of your site

�Strong headlines, clearly named navigation, images

• Your site needs to be easy to use

• Your site needs to be easy to use�Uncluttered layout, good supportive images, works in

all browsers

• Tell users what you expect them to do�Use calls-to-action to guide the visitors

to the relevant conversion page

Web Development best practices

• Standards-based;

� W3C compliance is not a must, but should be worked towards

� Cross-browser compatibility;

�Internet Explorer 7,8,9 / Firefox / Google Chrome

� Limit 3rd party plugins;

�avoid Flash, Silverlight & QuickTime

�JavaScript is OK, within limits

Content Management

• Open Source systems are a good choice;�Easily portable so you’re not dependent on a

single web developer

�Constantly upgraded with security fixes & functional improvements

functional improvements

�Most are based on standards and will generate compliant websites

�Many plugins & extensions available for extra functionality

• Examples: Wordpress, Magento

What drives traffic to a website?

Traffic Sources

Search Traffic

• Search traffic is the biggest traffic driver for most websites;�Search encompasses both organic search and paid

search advertising

� Increased traffic via organic search is achieved via

� Increased traffic via organic search is achieved via Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

� Increased traffic via paid search advertising is done via Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising on Google AdWords

Search Engine Results Page*:

Organic search results:

Paid search advertising:

Other Traffic Sources

• Referral traffic;�Clicks from other websites on to yours

�Social Media can be a big driver of referral traffic

• Campaigns;

• Campaigns;�Email marketing

• Direct traffic;�Bookmarks / Favorites

�Clicks from external (non-browser) tools like Outlook, Mail.app, Thunderbird, Lotus Domino, etc.

What is Search Engine Optimisation?

Definition of SEO:

� Wikipedia: Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of

a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or

"algorithmic") search results.

Search Engine Optimisation

� Getting more relevant traffic to websites via search engines' organic results.

Why is SEO important?

Worldwide Internet Usage

� Over 2 billion users online

� 150 billion searches a month (that’s more than 49,000 searches/second)

� 51.4 milion users (82.5% of the population)

� In April 2010, Google received 4.1 billion search page views in the UK

UK Internet Usage

Search Engine Usage

� 89% of all online purchases in the UK begin with a search

� 95% of all UK Internet users choose Google as their preferred search engine

� Organic search results receive over 75% of all clicks

� 91% of users do not look past the first page of search results

� In April 2010, Google received 4.1 billion search page views in the UK

� The UK internet economy is worth £121 billion = 8.3% of UK gross domestic product

Clickthrough rates (CTR) on search engine results:

SEO is about two things:

Relevance Authority

Relevance & Authority:

Keywords Links

� Keywords match a search query to a

webpage.

� Links determine which webpage ranks

highest.

webpage. highest.

The SEO process:

Keyword

Research

On-Page

� Find the right keywords to optimise for

� Implement those keywords on the website

On-Page

Optimisation

Linkbuilding

� Implement those keywords on the website

� Make the website search-engine friendly

� Build links to the website to increase its authority

The Long Tail of search words

Source: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/illustrating-the-long-tail

Google Adwords Keyword Tool – http://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

On-site Optimisation

Title tags

Meta Description tags

Headlines and paragraph structure

Elements to be optimised:

Body text

Image alt attributes

Internal links

Sitemap (HTML and XML)

On-Page Optimisation

<title> Pierce Communications - Design,

Title tag+

<title> Pierce Communications - Design,Marketing, Digital, Print</title>

• Put your focus keywords in your title, and include your brand name (use separators like hyphens – and pipes | )

• Keep it short – 65-70 characters

• Unique title for every page on your website

Meta Description tag+

leading marketing services agency based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Services include print design, web design & build, SEO, PPC.’>

• Not a ranking factor – but a very important click-through factor

• SERPs only show 150 characters – but no guarantee they’ll actually show your description.

• Try to include the focus keyword once (it’ll show as bold textbold textbold textbold text)

<H1> headline

<H2> subheader

<H3> subheaders

Headlines and paragraph structure+

<H3> subheaders

<p> paragraphs

• Allows SEs to understand the content and its context

• Link from top to bottom

• Link sideways & diagonally

• Use keywords in the link

Wrong:

Internal links+

Wrong:To read more about weddingrings, click here.

Right: Read more about wedding rings.

• Use breadcrumb links:

Source: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/diagrams-for-solving-crawl-priority-indexation-issues

Linkbuilding

• Links determine a page’s authority

• Higher authority = higher ranking on SERPs

• More links = higher authority

• Not all links are equal;

� 1 valuable link from a high authority website > 100 links

� 1 valuable link from a high authority website > 100 links from low-quality sites

• Link text is very important;

� Branded link: Pierce Communications

� Keyword-rich link: Web Design Belfast

How to build links?

Directory Submissions

Press Releases

Article Marketing & Guest Blogging

Linkbait

Want to learn more about SEO?

• Training (Digital Marketing Institute)

• Read SEO books;

� The Art of SEO

• Read SEO blogs;

� Search Engine Land

� SEOmoz

� State of Search

• Hire a professional

[15 minute break]

How can you use Social Media effectively?

What is ‘social media’?

Wikipedia:

“Social media includes web- and mobile-based technologies which are used to turn communication into interactive dialogue among organizations, communities, and individuals.”

Social media is about conversationsconversationsconversationsconversations online about shared interests & ideas.

The old model:

BroadcastBroadcastBroadcastBroadcast

The new model:

ConversationConversationConversationConversation

Real conversations with real people

• People expect to be spoken to as if they are people

• Impersonal & robotic corporate communication is unacceptable

Authentic tone of voice

• Every company has a personality

• That personality should power the engagement with people on social media

• Stay true to your corporate personality

� ‘Fake’ personalities are easily spotted and ridiculed

The user is in control

• Having conversations mean engaging with your users

• Conversations happen on the user’s terms

� You are ‘intruding’ in their social space, so you need to make sure the conversation is worthwhile to have

• The old adage ‘customer is king’ is 100% true

� On social media, the user is king

So what’s in it for me?

• Conversation – not broadcast

• Be authentic and true to your corporate personality

• It happens on the user’s terms

So why would we do social media at all?

Because that’s where your customers are

• Facebook:Facebook:Facebook:Facebook:

� 900 million users

� 3.2 billion likes & comments every day

� On average users spend over 5 hours/month on FB

• Twitter:Twitter:Twitter:Twitter:

� 550 million users

� 4o0 million tweets a day

• Others:Others:Others:Others:

� LinkedIn: 150m users

� Google+: 170m users

Be realistic

• Social media are social spaces;

� Commercial messages are rarely welcome

• Understand what each social media site is good at;

� Use what works for each specific platform

• Establish clear goals & objectives;

� What is it you want to achieve?

� What platforms should you use for that?

Source: Go-Gulf.com, May 2012

Facebook

• The biggest social network by far and the most mature platform for businesses;

� Facebook Pages

� Facebook Advertising

• Highest engagement levels of all social media platforms

� More time spent on Facebook than on any other site.

Facebook Pages

• A Facebook Page is the primary presence of a business on Facebook

• All corporate activity on Facebook has to happen via its Page

• On average only 16% only 16% only 16% only 16% of your page’s fans will see your post

� Solution: promoted post:

Facebook Advertising

Twitter

• Used to send 140-character messages;

� Very good engagement levels

• Limited advertising opportunities;

� Sponsored tweets are expensive

� Paid-for tweets by celebs need to be declared

• Great viral potential;

� Twitter Retweets are more powerful than FB likes

� Media pay more attention to what happens on Twitter

Twitter tools

• Main Twitter account

• Hashtags: #paralympics #justinbieber #followfriday

• Following the right people

• Engage with followers

• Average half-life of a tweet: 18 minutes****

**** Source: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/when-is-my-tweets-prime-of-life

• The most popular ‘business’ social network;

� Users create profiles which are more or lessextended CVs

� Connect with (former) colleagues & business associates

� Share updates

� Get recommendations & recommend others

• 150m users (May ‘12)

• Primarily used for business networking;

� Groups

� Events

• A popular tool for recruiters

LinkedIn for business

• Company page;

� Showcase products & services

� Add employees

� Post updates

� Advertise jobs

� Get recommendations

• Advertising;

� Targeted ads

• Social image/video sharing network;

� You can upload (‘pin’) photos & videos

� Like & Re-pin others

� Comment on pins

• 23 million users (Aug ‘12)

� 97% are female

How blogging can help your business

What Is A Business Blog?

What it shouldn’t shouldn’t shouldn’t shouldn’t be;

• Dull corporate news

• Press releases

What it should should should should be;

• Interesting articles about your industry

• Background about current affairs relating to your industry

• Stories about the personalities in yourorganisation

• Write-ups of events you attended

• Resources you want to share

• Etc…

Others Do It, Why Should You?

• Differentiating your business and services

• Attracting prospects and developing new business opportunities

• Helping to enhance and build your visibility and brand

• Positioning yourself as an expert

• Improving internal communications

• It will act as a central element to SEO

Ok, But What Are The Advantages?

• Develop your position and reputation as an expert

• Create a real dialogue with those who matter

• Lead generation

• Brand Awareness

• Educational marketing

How do I start?

• What do you want to do with your business blog?

• Who is your target audience?

� Make it local

• What results are you looking to achieve?

� Reputation / brand awareness

� (Online) Enquiries

• How will it integrate with your othermarketing activities?

• Who will be blogging and how often?

� Content calendar

Corporate blog examples:

• Denman:http://www.denmanbrush.com/ownyourstyle/

• GCD Technologies:http://www.gcdtech.com/blog/

• Brix Workwear:

• Brix Workwear:http://www.brixworkwear.com/uk/blogger/

• Emo Oil:http://www.emooil.com/category/blog

• Pierce Communications:http://www.piercecommunications.co.uk/blog

Legal blogs:

• Baby Barista:http://www.babybarista.com/

• Law Actually:http://lawactually.blogspot.co.uk/

http://lawactually.blogspot.co.uk/

• Charon CQ:http://charonqc.wordpress.com/

And many, many more…

Final thoughts on blogging

• Legal profession already has a strong blogging community, so the appetite for it is there.

• If you’re going to do it, do it properlydo it properlydo it properlydo it properly.

• Keep it fresh, keep it regular, keep it interesting and it will become a great asset.

become a great asset.

Web Strategy – tying it all together

Four Steps to a Successful Digital Marketing Strategy

1. Goals & Objectives

2. Audience, channels, and tactics

3. Activity Calendar

4. Measure & Analyse

Goals& Objectives

4. Measure & Analyse

Audience, Channels,

Tactics

Activity Calendar

Measure &Analyse

Goals & Objectives

• What are you trying to accomplish?

� More sales?

� More brand awareness?

� Better bargaining position?

• How do you define success?

Goals& Objectives

Audience, Channels,

Tactics

Activity Calendar

Measure &Analyse

• How do you define success?

� Website visits?

� Number of Likes/Followers?

� Engagement (comments/likes/retweets)?

� Online enquiries?

• Determine KPIs and targets

Audience, Channels, and Tactics

• Who are you trying to reach? - Audience

� End customers? Retailers?

� Define your target market

• How can you best reach them? - Channels

� Research your target audience

� What online channels do they use?

Goals& Objectives

Audience, Channels,

Tactics

Activity Calendar

Measure &Analyse

� What online channels do they use?

• How to best engage with your audience – Tactics

� Select the channels that match your audience & targets;

�SEO

�PPC

�Email

�Social

�Etc…

Activity Calendar

• Optimise existing digital assets;

� Website / blog

� Social media accounts

� Multimedia (video, images, etc)

• Create content to engage your target audience;

Goals& Objectives

Audience, Channels,

Tactics

Activity Calendar

Measure &Analyse

� Find out what they like & respond to, and do that. Lots.

� Ensure recurring engagement

� Keep your target KPIs in mind but don’t get too pushy

• Regular content calendar to ensure constant activity;

� Schedule posts in advance (weekends, holidays)

� Align with offline marketing activities

� Product launches, store openings, etc

Measure & Analyse

• Analytics to determine what works &what doesn’t.

• Web Analytics;

� Google Analytics

• Social Media analytics;

� Facebook Insights

Goals& Objectives

Audience, Channels,

Tactics

Activity Calendar

Measure &Analyse

� Facebook Insights

� Twitter metrics (Twittercounter/Tweetstats)

• Business analytics;

� Sales

� Brand perception

• Use these insights to optimise your campaigns

Questions?

badams@piercecommunications.co.ukhttp://twitter.com/badamshttp://www.piercecommunications.co.uk

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