Archive for October, 2008

How to Achieve Great Customer Service while Web Marketing with Twitter

October 31, 2008

We’ve already discussed how Twitter makes it easy for businesses implement Web marketing strategies by doing things like announcing news and events to loyal customers and friends. But Twitter’s usefulness as a Web marketing tool doesn’t end there. The micro-blogging service also presents a great opportunity for the customer service end of Web marketing.

 

Want to know what people are saying about you? Do a Twitter search for your company and you can find out. Maybe you’ll find raves. Maybe you’ll stumble across a grumpy customer. No matter what someone’s reaction may be, Twitter gives you the opportunity to easily respond. Use Twitter as an easy Web marketing tool. You can thank happy customers. And perhaps more importantly, you can connect with unhappy customers and find out what went wrong.

 

Twitter is a great way to find out what real customers are saying about your products, services or brands. And it’s effective as a Web marketing strategy, as you can easily let customers know you care about their opinions and more importantly, about them.

 

In an earlier post, we discussed Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s Twitter account as a great method in Web marketing. It gives customers a window into his everyday life. But Zappos also has over 450 employees Twittering and a lot of those are in the marketing department. We don’t know for sure, but it’s a pretty safe bet that those in Zappos’ Web marketing are closely watching what other people on Twitter are saying about their company.

 

 

And it’s not just Zappos. JetBlue’s Web marketing and customer service department also Twitters. And it’s not just companies using Twitter to reach their audience. You can find groups using Web marketing Twitters like the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Portland Trailblazers. U.S. Senators haven’t missed out on the social potential of Twitter either. Check out Twitters from Connecticut’s Chris Dodd and South Carolina’s Jim DeMint to see how public servants can let their constituents know what they’re up to.

How to Use Twitter as an Easy Online Marketing Strategy that gets Results

October 29, 2008

If you want proof that the micro-blogging Web application Twitter presents a great online marketing strategy opportunity, then look no further then the Twitter account of online shoe store Zappos’ CEO Tony Hsieh. Hsieh, who is at the helm of one of today’s most successful online businesses, can reach his customers and his Twitter followers almost instantly with news of the latest specials that Zappos is rolling out. But he doesn’t stop there, he also takes part in an online marketing strategy where he shares his thoughts on things like his strange encounters with gardeners and reports on the complimentary shower gel in his hotel room.

 

Hsieh is a perfect example of how tools like Twitter can let smart companies use an online marketing strategy that gives Web-savvy consumers something they want to see before they buy: proof that there is a real person behind the company or service they are using or thinking of using.

 

Twitter is a great way to keep your friends, family and customers up to date with what’s going on at your company. Since you can post to Twitter from most cell phones, you can use it as an online marketing strategy that announces the latest news and events. NASA knew this, and that’s why when their Mars Phoenix rover found evidence of ice on the red planet, it was Twittered before they contacted the media.

Top 2 Approaches to Drive Traffic to Your Website

October 29, 2008

Have you considered redesigning or improving your Web site? If so, ensure you include SEO on every page. However, just writing content on every page will not guarantee that you will receive traffic either. Many web designers and business owners think if they design a top notch Website the search engines will automatically “find” their site as well as customers. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are 2 top approaches to get traffic to your Website: organic SEO and PPC.

 

The Differences Between Using Organic SEO and PPC to Drive Traffic to Your Website

  • Organic SEO does not cost the business owner money, except to implement and maintain it by certified SEO experts. If you don’t use organic SEO in your Website, search engines will take longer to index your pages and thus you don’t get traffic to your Website as quickly.
  • Using organic SEO also means not “stuffing” your pages with intent to manipulate search engine results also known as black hat tactics. Such deceptions will only result in removal of your Website from the major search engines with penalties. This is not ethical practices to get traffic to your Web site.
  • To improve search engine results naturally, do some research on keywords, which pertains to your company to improve traffic to your Website. Ethical SEO companies highly recommend this before starting a paid search campaign.

Paid searches to increase traffic to your Website include such campaigns as Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing (SM) or other similar Pay Per Click (PPC) promotions. These are the ads which appear above or beside search pages, within social media or email and many other places throughout the Web to encourage traffic to your Website.

 

  • The battle with a PPC campaign to increase traffic to your Website is that more people are trying to get the lowest price on the highest keyword position. And only one can win, but it may not be the same person or company at any one given time. It’s not “a winner takes all” spot on PPC.
  • In order to get traffic to your Website, you must be willing to use top keywords and compete with its price as well.  Because the more times the ad is clicked, the more likely your conversion rate will increase, which also improves getting traffic to your Website.
  • However, if you are using irrelevant keywords in your PPC promotion, you could face penalties. Why would you want irrelevant traffic which doesn’t result in a sale? To get traffic to your Website, use relevant keywords and be ready to pay the price for such keywords.

 

To get the most traffic to your Website, incorporate relevant keywords throughout every page of the Website. Organic SEO relies on 1 to 3 keywords per page, which should sound natural in the content. While PPC should use only 1-2 competitive keywords per ad in order to get traffic to your Website.