Top Digital Strategy Tips
1. Google Analytics
This is a pre-requisite. Install Google Analytics. This is a free website statistical analysis and reporting system. It will enable you to analyse the success of most of the items below.
2. Basic Search Engine Setup
Google is the #1 most visited website globally. We have a proven track record in Search Engine Optimisation with Google (and the other leading search engines) and through BASES™ our Basic Search Engine Setup process; we can ensure that a new or existing website is properly configured and validated. Keyword research is undertaken and also a competitor report to ensure we have a benchmark to measure against. Google Webmaster tools and Google Places listings are also configured during this time in addition to various other ‘under-the-bonnet’ aspects on the website itself.
3. Ongoing Search Engine Optimisation
We would strongly advise an ongoing search engine optimisation program for most clients. This can vary from a simple quarterly benchmark review and subsequent action plan, to a full ongoing monthly retainer based approach. The latter is advised in the case of eCommerce type businesses or companies that realise that their online presence is core to their ongoing business development and continual online growth.
4. Pay Per Click Advertising
The IAB / PwC Digital Adspend Study, shows that digital advertising in the UK was worth £3.041 billion in H1 2013, up 17.5% on a like for like basis from £2.606 billion in H1 2012. If you have a product or service that you want to rapidly increase awareness, or target niche markets – then Google Pay Per Click (PPC), Remarketing or Facebook advertising can be a great way to have a controlled spend and measure the results through to conversion. We would advise a continual trickle feed approach; with increased spend at product launch, seasonal or promotion specific times - rather than simply turning campaigns on and off. We generally design dedicated landing pages to ensure the funnel through to conversion is as seamless as possible.
5. Facebook Pages
Facebook is the #2 most visited website globally. Creating a Facebook page for your business is a simple process and certainly worth doing. There are more than 500 million active users and 50% of active users log on to Facebook every day. It is fast becoming used instead of email and could be viewed as a web platform in its own right. Pushing news to your Facebook page is simple via our content management system CMS4 – it is an integral part of most content management areas so having to login to multiple accounts is a thing of the past.
6. Facebook Applications
A Facebook App is basically a website or software Application within Facebook that enables you to integrate with a users profile and provide personalised content / services / games / experiences based on their own preferences. From marketing prospective this direct targeting of potential customers is of huge benefit. Facebook Apps are also very useful tool for promotions and marketing campaigns. Facebook Apps can also be managed via our Content Management System CMS4.
7. Twitter
Twitter is the #11 most visited site globally. There are 9,100 tweets happening every second. 135,000 new Twitter users signup every day. The total number of Twitter users is 645,750,000. (Source Statistic Brain) Pushing news items to Twitter is simple via our Content Management System CMS4, so having to login to multiple accounts is a thing of the past. Twitter could be described as an ongoing conversation. We appreciate that not all businesses have the internal resource to manage these types of communication streams and as such we can offer ongoing management of these channels, in a tone of voice that compliments your brand.
8. Email Marketing
The ability to directly communicate with your clients and website visitors via regular emails with targeted content based on their own preferences is a low cost way to promote your products and services. Fully personalised content (e.g. based on past purchases) and scheduled emails further to product purchase are also becoming the norm. Basic reporting includes – how many people opened the email, how many forwarded it and how many clicked on the links with it then email. We also include Google Analytics UTM tracking codes into the emails to ensure we can track user behaviour from receipt of email through to website conversion via Google Analytics.
9. YouTube Channel
YouTube is the #3 most visited website globally. If you are able to generate video content it is a great idea to have a YouTube (or Vimeo Channel). YouTube channels can be custom branded and can provide a great platform for rich media content. We have created channels for Richmond University and also The Jewellery Editor (Vimeo / YouTube)
10. Mobile Apps
There are a growing number of mobile phone platforms e.g. iPhone / iPad / Android / Google, Windows Mobile and tablet type products. They all have different operating systems and as such need slight different applications to be written for them. From a development point of view this is not ideal, if you create an iPhone App, you have to make another one for Android, and Windows Mobile and Google etc. We recommend that a mobile browser optimised website should be developed prior to writing specific mobile apps, this way we can ensure that it works on all platforms. We can then get onto the fun part of creating some really slick Mobile Apps – which can be managed via out Content Management System CMS4.
11. Online Press Release
Online press release channels distribute press releases amongst their registered journalists / bloggers for a relatively small fee. This is a great way to get your press release distributed throughout the internet. Releases can be further enhanced by images and videos. The distribution channels provide a report to say how many journalists have picked up your release and this is a great way of generating a buzz on the internet. If you need us to write the release and manage this whole process, no problem.
12. Website Optimiser
Google Website Optimiser enables you to create measure the performance of different versions of the same website page, so you can measure one design against another. One version of the page is presented to website visitor during that visit and the performance of the pages measured. You can then see which page is performing the best, make small amendments to that design and start the process again. This is a great way to continually refine your website. We have used this technology with a number of clients to increase the performance of their websites with great results.
