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Saturday, September 21, 2013

Paid Search Advertising to Enhance Return in E-commerce Ventures


Search advertising plays an important role in digital marketing.  Popular websites like Google, Bing, Yahoo, Facebook and so on have been promoting this advertising campaign effectively for years.  Paid searches are usually displayed based on client preferences of frequency, for which the client pays the campaigning fee.  This search can be displayed on the right hand side or on top of the search results of the search engine website.  These ads can be placed as contextual ads as well.  Facebook has embraced search advertising in a similar way by displaying ads on the right side of any page link, showing up on search results of Facebook, promoting in individual page based on demographic need of the client.  Search advertising need to be optimized using Meta Descriptions, Meta Titles and other similar methods as suggested by respective search platforms.  The optimization processes help in making the link to the website more quality oriented in terms of search results.

Google AdWords is a platform for many companies to promote their products/services and ads are promoted based on Pay-Per-Click (PPC) model.  Here the advertiser (company) will pay Google based on the number of times the ad is clicked.  The PPC model can be leveraged by e-commerce sellers to get better returns.

Most of the search engines have integrated many platform campaigns into one.  Here desktop, tablet and mobile devices can be used together to interact as one campaign platform.  The mobile device platform has been made optional with new Google enhanced AdWords.  Facebook ads can be placed in hand held devices and one can promote products in PCs as well as mobile devices.

Search ads can be customized based on time, place (geographic area based), date, day and device.  Based on the customization the advertisements can be bid on.  Here the option to turn off mobile device campaign completely is available.  Even extensions of website links can be added easily.  When the mobile device platform is used extensions like “get directions”, “call now” and so on can be added optionally.

Few features of AdWords which can be used to convert prospects to leads are product reviews, product pricing and specific links to promotional campaigns for individual ad links.  This can even be present for specific time periods till the promotion lasts.  These are important to gauge the effect of the advertisement and understand about responses got.  

E-commerce conversion tracking
Most of the search ads are integrated with Conversion Tracking or Analytical tools which allow the advertiser to know how well the paid search advertising has been effective.  Every action of the prospect from a click, inquiry, newsletter and updates sign up, purchasing online, and so on can be tracked to understand the conversion rates in terms of e-commerce Return On Investment (ROI).  Additional information like call location, call time and prompting keywords are also available.  This information is essential in further strategizing the advertisements for the future. 
 
Paid search advertising can be fine-tuned with the help of experienced hands to enhance the ROI.  With customized and optimized utilization of the paid search advertising it is possible to earn more revenue in due course of time.  A combination of all kinds of advertising campaigns which includes paid search advertising will give a good ROI.  This can be made a must in e-commerce approach.

Monday, September 2, 2013

How to use Mail Chimp for email-marketing ?

First, what is Email Marketing?

 

Email marketing is simply the effort of communicating your business’s value to your customers and prospects through email.  Email marketing is typically opt-in meaning people have signed up to receive your communications through a web site or on a subscription form at your office or store.

What kind of information should you send in an email marketing campaign?

  • Newsletter: A newsletter can provide updates on your organizations activity, helpful information and specials. 
  • Announcements:  Share information about local events that you are sponsoring or that are relevant to your audience. 
  • Email: Are you offering a new product or service that you want to make sure people are of? Email promotions are a way to communicate your business offerings.

How do you create an email-marketing template?

  1. Using Mail Chimp as the sample vendor, create a user account on the site.
  2. From the home page choose to create a campaign, located in the lower right corner of the screen. Select the “Regular ol’ Campaign” to begin.
  3. You will be prompted to select a recipient list (you can built that list from signup page) for your email. The next screen prompts you to provide a title, a return email address and other specific information about your email.
  4. In the next screen you are given the choice to select the method for creating your email, I recommend you choose the predesigned templates. The templates offer a lot of ease of use for users who are just getting started with email marketing.
  5. Peruse the templates available and then choose the format and design that meets your needs. Once picked, you can easily replace the photos with your own images and replace the content with your own content.
  6. Once you have finalized your email, select the button on the upper right hand corner “preview and test” your email. Make sure you preview your email before you finalize it.
  7. The last step before sending is to send a test version of the email to your own email inbox, this feature is also available under the preview and test button.
  8. Mail Chimp does a nice job of error checking your communication and stepping you through this process. As you move to the final step of sending your email, Mail Chimp will offer you a chance to review all of the pertinent details of your email.
  9. And now, send it! Select “Send Now” button at the bottom of the final review page.


Here are three vendors who offer email marketing:

 

Constant Contact: Great user interface but they charge a fee after an initial trial. So, if you volume is low they may not be the best option.
Mail Chimp: Great user interface and they do NOT charge for up to 2,000 emails so this is a perfect choice for people who are just starting out.
Mobility Mix: Offers email templates and the ability to market using email along with texting services, QR code creation, and social media integration. Low monthly fee. *Mobility Mix is product of Breezy Hill Marketing.

Please feel free to contact us if you have questions about implementing an email marketing campaign for your business!