Revisiting, Revising, Renewing

Today I took at look at Seth Godin's blog and I got to thinking about how I got started in this business, and actually how many businesses evolve.

Seth was writing about Starbucks and something I didn't know, that they didn't sell coffee at first. Now maybe I'm silly but that would seem to be a no brainer but it just goes to show that not everything is obvious.

When I started out I thought, "build websites." Simple right? Then I found out that web designers quickly got a bad rap from business owners who didn't benefit from the internet. Thus I was forced to evolve the business - and it has been an amazing and fun trip - into internet marketing with a side order of web design.

Just in this area alone (Wichita Kansas) I can look around at local businesses that have evolved. Some out of necessity, some because the light bulb went on (sort of like the Starbucks scenario). Like Women's Focus magazine. Just a magazine? Or more? I have to admit, the new owners have it going on! They have integrated a truly objective local search engine into their site. Wow!

Okay, so I like the internet examples. But how about this one -Wild West World (and I have to groan that I even mention it) figured out that the world renowned western "dinner theater" could have a future as part of a theme park, (think Dollywood), so they built one. It remains to be seen how this might actually do in the long run but you can't fault them for the idea. And to take it one step further, there have been rumors about moving Cowtown to the theme park. *shrug* go figure.

As Seth so aptly put it - it's never too late. Take a look around and see what ideas you can revisit, what business practices you can revise and how you might renew your business. I know I did when I developed this site. *wink*

Wide World of Web Analysis

The web is full of tools to measure everything from traffic to top content and beyond. If you haven't looked at your website traffic logs lately, you should. If you wish you had more info than you are getting, it's out there!

For companies that are currently using some type of in depth analytics programs here are a few things you should be looking at on the surface:

1. How many visits am I getting. This should be easily seen on the front page or dashboard.
2. How many pages are viewed on average by each visitor? The higher the better of course.
3. What is the bounce rate? How many visitors came to the first page then left without going further? The lower the number the better.
4. Where is my traffic coming from? While this is especially important if you are paying any company for links or click traffic, it also helps to know what search engines are working well for you.

Dig a little deeper and you should be able to find out what information is most important to your visitors. By honing in on key areas you'll be able to "market smarter" and focus your company efforts towards possibly unseen "hot buttons" of your visitors. You'll also be able to discover additional opportunities within the site, possible areas of improvement.

As more companies use web analysis (and people who know what to do with the info) there will be an increasing demand for ROWA - Return on Web Analysis - the need to know if all the analysis is translating into dollars saved or dollars earned by the company. This is an important question on the horizon and it will be interesting to see how companies react.

Super Bowl Ads

So the great anticipation of Super Bowl ads has been revealed. Which one was your favorite?

According to the AOL Super Bowl Ad Poll the Blockbuster ad with the Mouse was the best. No surprise!

But the real question is... did this ad actually improve brand recognition for Blockbuster? Seriously, in 2 weeks... will you remember the ad but not the company? That's the big question that ad execs all over are asking themselves everytime Super Bowl rolls around.

One good example is the "Man Law" beer commercial. Quick - name the beer. The company represented in the ad (no I'm not going to tell you!) quickly found that while the commercials were cute and funny, the public didn't remember the brand so the commercials failed.

So what has this got to do with marketing online? The trick is to make your site memorable in more ways than one. Everything from a catchy domain name to ease of use can contribute to the "stickiness" of your website. Think about it...

Bill of Rights for Internet Marketing Clients

1. You have the right to have your contract obligations fulfilled by your internet markting company. Be sure all services that were contracted are provided. If you don't understand what you will be getting, get written and verbal explanations.
   
   
2. You have the right to know what the internet marketing company will be doing with (and to) your website. Nothing is "proprietary." You could do all the things your internet marketing company does for you if you have the time to commit to it and the skill to make the changes necessary.
   
   
3. You have the right to know what the internet marketing company is doing for you outside of the website. There is more to it than tweaking the site - ask for an explanation if you don't know what else the company is doing for you.
   
   
4. You have the right to ethical internet marketing. Your site should not be penalized, relegated to the dredges or removed from a search engine due to the tactics of an unethical practice.
   
   
5. You have the right to question the results of the internet marketing program. If you don't see results, ask why. Communicating and working with your internet marketing company produces the best results, stay in touch. Remember, you are hiring an expert - follow their advice for best results.
   
   
6. You have the right to a second opinion. Before contracting services you should ask comparable companies about their suggested plan and cost. Go with the company you think will provide the best service for the money.
   
   
7. You have the right to buy out of your contract. If you don't want the services any further you have the right to pay the remainder of your contract and move on without consequences.
   
   
8. You have the right to own all the work performed for you. Internet marketing is not pay per click - you are paying for a service to be provided and any changes or improvements to the website to acheive those goals belongs to you.
   
   
9. You have the right to see improvements in traffic, sales and conversions. If you aren't seeing improvement (despite following all the advice and implementing necessary / suggested changes) then you are not getting your money's worth. Ask your internet marketing company to show you how your online marketing is improving
   
   
10. You have the right to quality work for the money. If it doesn't work - don't pay for it!