The 2011 holiday shopping season is well underway, and online retailers are certainly reaping the benefits.
- According to IBM Coremetrics, online sales on Black Friday increased 24.3 percent from last year, and on this Cyber Monday online retailers are expecting an even better turnout.
- comScore is weighing in as well, predicting that online retail spending as a whole is going to reach $37.6 billion this year.
But trust me, you aren’t going to get a chunk of those sales just by having a website. If your Ecommerce site isn’t prepared to provide the holiday shopping solutions customers need – and quickly – you’re going to be left in the dust.
Online consumer attention spans are continuing to decline. If your customers can’t find what they need from your website in the first few moments of being on it, they are going to leave and search for a simpler solution.
This SLI Systems webinar emphasizes just how important it is for Ecommerce websites to give customers what they want, right when they want it:
On one hand (and I'm warning you, these are a little scary):
- The average amount of time consumers spend on websites is DOWN 30% vs. 2008
- Average number of page views per session is DOWN 45%
- Bounce rate has risen to 35%
But, on the flip side (there is hope!):
- The amount of online ordering sessions has DOUBLED since 2008
- Well-optimized Site Search converts visitors 4.7 times higher than visits without search
What's the moral of the story?
Getting customers to the products they want on your website as quickly as possible is the key to increasing online sales and beating out the competition this holiday season.
*Image provided by Jim Morrison Films on Flickr
No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome. »
When you are attempting to create effective linkbait, it can be a shot in the dark. You think you have a great idea, but will people really respond to it? An
d if by chance they do respond to it, what should your next move be?
Linkbait is a complicated area of search engine optimization. Knowing the steps to creating effective linkbait isn’t enough. You need to know how to leverage any success you have in rankings to keep the momentum of your linkbait going.
While you may be celebrating from the success of your well-written, attention-grabbing SEO content, you need to find what to write next. One way to find your next topic is by typing your keyword into Google and scanning the many suggestions that come up. Every one of the topics could be the focus of your next piece.
It’s an important note to consider, that Google Suggest leans on new content, rather than just search query data. That means if you take the time to write about topics related to your successful piece, you could find more success than you thought possible. Plus, since people are looking for relevant articles, you don’t have to spend hours writing like you did for your original linkbait.
The real problem sets in when the newsworthy aspect of your original linkbait is gone. There are a few ways to continue the momentum of your linkbait even after the excitement of the content has passed:
- Create short pieces that sum up other articles on your topic
- Create a recap of a related topic
- Create content surrounding any updates on your topic
- Don’t be afraid to repeat ideas – but only use original content
- Repost your original article on Twitter using a pull-quote instead of your title
Use your time wisely and leverage your successful link building for all it is worth. You took the time to research it, write it and promote it, keep its success lasting as long as possible.
*Image provided by o5com on Flickr
No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome. »QR codes, or quick response codes, are those two-dimensional barcodes you’ve seen everywhere from the backs of Ketchup bottles to business cards to advertisements in your favorite publication. If you’re new to QR codes, you may want to check out Karen Cover’s recent blog post titled “QR Codes: An Outsider’s Perspective." Karen discusses the importance of targeting the right audience, but I’ve found that even developing QR codes is hampered by technical problems.
The matrix barcodes are a growing trend in an overall mobile marketing strategy, and while relatively new to Americans, the technology has existed since 1994 when it was created by DENSO WAVE in Japan. There are many resources online when it comes to creating a QR code for free—but “caveat emptor” (buyer beware). Consider that not all QR codes are created equal.
For example, I used goo.gl to shorten the URL for http://m.fathomdelivers.com so that it would be goo.gl/WaWrg. Then I created one QR code from each of the four top results I found by searching “qr code generator” on Google. Notice that each QR code pictured below is different, yet the constant is that each code has the same URL and a module configuration of Version 2 (25 x 25 modules).
You’re probably wondering why four different QR code generators, with all of the settings the same featuring the exact same string of characters, produced four distinctly different looking QR codes. I was wondering the same thing, so I interviewed V. Michael Balas, the founder and CEO of VitreoQR, which has a partnership with DENSO. Mr Balas said,
Between DENSO’s patents, copies of which can be purchased for about ten bucks and the ISO 18004 document, a copy of which can be purchased for about $350, programmers believe that they have the entire recipe for building their own QR Code generators. When in actuality, all they have is a basic recipe that does not include all of the cooking instructions. Each and every open source QR Code generator is built upon someone’s ‘interpretation’ of these documents. With each cook comes a different result.
This explains why all QR codes are not created equal. Mr. Balas added,
The ISO specifications are hard and fast. By simply interpreting these documents the code writer has drifted away from strict compliance with the ISO specification and that accounts for the varying result one gets from using different QR Code generating engines. This is why using a free QR Code generator is a risky decision because that code may not be successfully scanned quite frequently, especially depending on which reader app is being used.
For those of you creating a QR code, remember that there are three factors that you cannot control – the device that scans the code, the operating system of the device, and the scanning application on the device. The best practice for creating a QR code that yields to the aforementioned factors is to produce a code that is fully compatible with the standard ISO/IEC 18004:2006 specification that Mr. Balas refers to. Generating a QR code that adheres to this specification will ensure a higher scanning success rate of the code. For more information on the ISO/IEC 18004:2006 specification, visit the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Here’s some tips if you decide to use one of the free QR code generators:
- Create a mobile-optimized landing page that you want the QR code to direct users to
- Use goo.gl to shorten the URL of the mobile-optimized landing page
- Use a free QR code generator to create a Version 1 or Version 2 code with a Level L Error Correction Capability
- Export the QR code in high-resolution format if you plan to include it on a print piece, and remember to keep it at least 1.25 x 1.25 inches or 32 x 32 mm (excluding the quiet zone)
Fathom's Kurt Krejny will be speaking at the SMX Social Media Marketing 2011 conference in Scottsdale, Arizona (read the news release). He will share the stage on December 5th with 2 other speakers for the "Boosting Business With Twitter Marketing" panel, moderated by Search Engine Land's Elisabeth Osmeloski. The two-day Search Marketing Expo conference takes places December 5-6th, with single-day and full registrations available, plus group packages and discounts for advance purchases made by December 4th.
Kurt promises to present:
- a list of the best free and paid Twitter tools
- practical processes for a rigorous analysis of Twitter followers
- how to map out a revised content strategy for results that matter
- the most effective ways to connect with various segments of Twitter followers
- real report examples
If you're not sure whether you should attend, be sure to read Chris Sherman's instructive "Why SMX Social Media Marketing Is A Must-Attend Event." Afterwards, if you need help convincing your boss, you can download SMX's handy hard copies of CFO-friendly itemized costs and return-on-investment arguments.
No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome. »
Giving back has never been easier. From now until the end of the month, Fathom is donating $1 to the Cleveland Foodbank for every new "like" we get on our Facebook page.*
One dollar provides four nutritious meals for the hungry in Cleveland, so giving about 30 seconds of your time can have a bigger impact than you might have thought.
All money donated to the Cleveland Foodbank is used to buy and distribute food to local member agencies, including food pantries, hot meal programs, shelters, children’s programs, institutions for the mentally challenged and rehabilitation centers.
Almost one-third of the people who receive meals through the Cleveland Foodbank are under the age of 18, and 15% are over the age of 65.
Your "like" can make an impact. If you’re looking for a simple way to give back to the truly needy in our community, head on over to the Fathom Facebook page and "like" us. It's fast, it's easy, and it will make a difference.
*Fathom will donate up to $500 to the Cleveland Food Bank. The promotion will end at midnight on November 30, 2011.
**Image provided by owenwbrown on Flickr.
1 Comment »
