Proliferation

Feb 18
0

Does Text Message Advertising Work?

By | marketing | No Comments

In an age where 90 percent of American adults carry a cell phone, digital advertisers and marketing agencies alike have been reluctant to connect with consumers the way teenagers have for well over a decade — through text messaging.

One reason for this hesitation is straightforward: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has strict guidelines when it comes to text message marketing. Automated dialers used to send unsolicited messages without the express consent of the recipient are illegal, and subject to stiff penalties.

Besides the unlawful aspect, unsolicited text messages have terrible response rates. Opt-in text message advertising, however, tells a different story. According to James Citron, CEO of text messaging service Mogreet, not only do 95 percent of opt-in text message customers open and read the mobile messages they receive, they do so within an average of three minutes.

That response rate trumps even email newsletters, the unsung champion of marketing agencies across the country. But it’s not enough to just text customers your average marketing fluff — opt-in customers want to get something special out of a text marketing service, such as coupons or access to exclusive sales.

Take the Armani Exchange text service, which previously offered a series of sales available only to text message customers — the campaign was so successful, lines formed out the door and down the street at the Manhattan flagship store.

Text message marketing can work especially well for geo-targeting purposes; customers can sign up to receive offers exclusive to their physical location, or coupons that recommend a particular location. Small boutique businesses can also capitalize on geo-targeting, by only messaging customers when they come within a certain range of a store or business.

Since text message marketing is still relatively uncommon among marketing agencies, the efficacy of text advertising remains a topic of future research. However, when done well — and in accordance with FCC guidelines — text message advertising can be a new and innovative way to reach consumers in the 21st century.

Feb 18
0

How Market Research Effectively Enhances SEO Efforts

By | SEO | No Comments

Market research is a pivotal aspect of any vibrant search engine optimization campaign. Market research finds relevant data about competitive landscape, customer values, demographics, effective mediums and market trends while providing enrichment across several platforms. By employing current market research, reports and methods, you can substantially enhance your current SEO efforts. Whether you’re in Utah or the Midwest, market research can help you accomplish three major things.

1. Market Research Provides Relevant Keywords

If you aren’t using the right keywords or keyword phrases to optimize your website, then you’re going to have a difficult time getting it to successfully rank within the first three pages of a search engine results page. SEO efforts, whether done in Utah or on a national platform, will need to be custom-tailored to fit your target audience and to retain an edge over your competitors.

Market research exposes you to current industry keyword trends, overall keyword competitiveness and the monthly search volume for each term. Being aware of these factors before you launch a SEO campaign in Utah or elsewhere will help you achieve the most profitable results.

2. Market Research Creates a Competitive Edge

Market research and specific, tailored search phrases will help attract organic traffic to your site while giving you beneficial insight about your competitors. By understanding which keywords and keyword phrases your competitors are targeting, you will simultaneously be able to recognize which keyword topics they are not focusing on. By utilizing market research to cue you in on your competitor’s weak spots, you will be able to substantially increase your overall SEO rankings.

3. Utilizing Research for High Value Content

Last but not least, market research can help you hone in on the specific wants and needs of your consumers. As a result, you will be able to craft more focused, relevant content — which will ultimately do much more for your rankings than mediocre content stuffed with keywords. In the process, you’ll also position yourself as a trusted, veritable industry expert.

Feb 17
0

How the HTTP/2 Updates Will Affect SEO

By | SEO | No Comments

HTTP/2 is raising as much excitement within the Web development community as it is raising speculation. As the most recent update to the HTTP protocol by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), HTTP/2 succeeds the 1999-drafted and painfully out-of-date HTTP/1.1. SEO experts from Utah to the Midwest are preparing for the updates that HTTP/2 will usher in, the most noteworthy of which include increased efficiency, advanced security measures and improved speed.

HTTP/2 Adds Single Connection and Multiple Requests

Based considerably on Google’s protocol SPDY, HTTP/2 boasts an impressive list of improvements. HTTP/2 will utilize a single connection to load a website, which will stay open for the duration of how long the website remains open. Additionally, this updated protocol will allow for multiple requests at the same time and will assert prioritization by assigning requests to dependency levels. But here’s the real question that everybody is asking: How will HTTP/2 affect SEO efforts, whether in Utah or on a national platform?

HTTP/2 Boosts Rankings — If Done Correctly

Because GoogleBot will provide additional support for HTTP/2, any website that endorses the protocol will most likely experience an increased boost in rankings due to HTTP/2’s speed updates. However, SEO experts in Utah and elsewhere caution that there are several technical items that must be completed accurately; otherwise, you may experience a brief drop in rankings.

Protocol Updates Will Provide a Better User Experience

There are no drawbacks to implementing HTTP/2; on the contrary, upgrading to this protocol will substantially enrich your website by providing visitors with a faster user experience. And because Google considers speed as a major ranking component, there is a possibility that HTTP/2 will itself become an additional factor in the process. Regardless of the changes that HTTP/2 will make to search engine optimization, opting to implement the update will provide your site visitors with a better overall experience — resulting in more conversions and increased sales.

Feb 17
0

How Important is Your Website’s Homepage?

By | web development | No Comments

Once upon a time, the homepage was considered the single most important page on a company website. With shifting search algorithms and the continuing rise of social, however, times have changed; according to a New York Times innovation report, homepage traffic has declined by nearly 50 percent in the past two years.

And they’re not the only ones. Across the Internet, home page clicks are increasingly replaced by visits to landing pages, blogs and other more specific website content. For those working in Web development, this poses an issue — how much weight should be placed on the homepage, if any?

The truth is, the importance of the homepage varies depending on the business, as well as the website and how it operates. For clickbait news sites such as Buzzfeed or Gawker, the vast majority of traffic comes from social referrals, which lead viewers to a specific article or story. However, for your standard business specializing in goods and services, the opposite is true.

For the average business, website visitors need to know three things upfront:

Who are you?

What do you do, make or sell?

Why should customers choose your business?

The homepage is often the first impression viewers will have of your website or brand — so it needs to be flawless. Set a clear visual hierarchy behind your Web development and follow through on that hierarchy with the design. Frame information in a way that caters to customers, and be sure to present information in a clear and concise manner.

Not only should a homepage provide adequate information about your product or service, it should include a call to action that makes conversions easy — some clear way to get started. Don’t just bring in new customers, turn them into long-term customers.

While the overall Web development landscape has changed, the homepage remains a quintessential conversion tool for most businesses. Earn your visitors’ attention with a clear, smart homepage that tells your story — and makes visitors want to get involved.

Feb 16
0

Runaway Box Office Hit ‘Deadpool’ Has Its Viral Marketing Campaign to Thank

By | advertising | No Comments

For a movie starring a rather unconventional protagonist, a by-the-book traditional marketing strategy is the last thing you need.

At least that’s the approach the marketing agencies behind 20th Century Fox chose to take with Marvel’s raunchy new superhero comedy, the R-rated “Deadpool.” Since the weeks before Christmas, Marvel superfans and plebeians alike have been inundated with every kind of marketing technique imaginable — from billboards and emojis to cheeky email newsletters and even fake Tinder profiles.

Fox’s viral marketing campaign has been an unprecedented success: “Deadpool” obliterated any and all competition over its four-day opening weekend, earning a record-breaking $150 million domestically at the box office. Smashing records for biggest R-rated opening weekend, biggest R-rated Friday, Saturday and Sunday and biggest 20th Century Fox debut ever, Marvel’s sassy, fourth-wall breaking superhero is clearly nothing to be messed with.

While initial reviews of the film have been generally positive, the real success of “Deadpool” can be attributed to its unconventional viral advertising. The marketing agencies behind the film deftly toed the line between cheeky and downright risqué, with everything from a Burt Reynolds-inspired fireplace pinup spread to a blatant TV rip-off of “The Bachelor.”

Despite the film’s R-rating, Fox’s marketing agencies catered to audiences of all ages, with an emoji-only billboard widely misread as “skullpoopl” (an ad featuring the word “skullpoopl” instead of “Deadpool” would soon follow). Speaking of emojis, a whole line of “Deadpool” emojis was released, featuring everything from blood splatters to unicorns.

In addition to a wealth of borderline-NSFW sexual innuendos, the “Deadpool” marketing campaign unabashedly trolled its audience: one ad capitalized on the film’s Valentine’s Day opening with a satirical billboard evocative of a Nicholas Sparks movie (complete with the tagline “True Love Never Dies”), while another advertised Deadpool’s “great ass” by having the character assume a Bettie Page-esque pinup pose.

In a market saturated with your standard superhero flicks, the film’s offbeat approach panders to the less traditional among us. If the numbers are anything to show for it, an unconventional, genuinely creative marketing campaign is the way to go for agencies looking to make an impression.

Feb 16
0

Crafting User-Friendly Titles for Content Marketing

By | content marketing | No Comments

On average, people only read about 50 percent of the content that they encounter while browsing online. Let’s face it — with so much information readily available at our fingertips, it’s inevitable that most people aren’t going to digest the majority of what’s written in a lengthy article, no matter how informative or interesting it is. If you want to increase your presence in content marketing in Utah or elsewhere, this means that you have to create fully-enveloping, diverse and dynamic titles to both capture and maintain your audience.

Online Readers Scan for Prominent Headlines

Readers may not devote their undivided attention to reading an entire article. What they will do, however, is scan. Perhaps the first thing that a reader does while browsing online articles is scan through the prominent headlines before deciding to spend the time and energy to actual read what’s written therein. This means that you only have a limited number of words to capture the attention of your reader. This is where content marketing comes into play — whether you’re in Utah or on the East Coast, it’s critical that you make every word count.

Titles Should Reflect a Consistent Dialogue

Content marketing, whether it’s done in Utah or the Midwest, is only effective if the audience believes that you are a reliable, trustworthy expert in your field. Every title and headline should be specifically reflective of the ideas and verbiage that follow. A reader will feel misled if you propose an unrelated topic or question in your title, and then go on to discuss a completely different topic within the content.

First Appeal to Readers, Then Focus on SEO

Although the use of keywords in titles and headlines is important, readability is more important. Your target audience should be first in mind when crafting the perfect title — and if your preferred keywords fit within this framework, count it as an additional bonus. A few ways to write titles with your target audience in mind can include posing a question, employing humor, commenting (tastefully) on controversial issues and using well-placed power words. First appeal to the reader — and once you’ve done this, focus on the SEO aspects.

Feb 15
0

A Beginner’s Guide to a Quick SEO Audit

By | SEO | No Comments

SEO auditing is a multi-faceted way to make an in-depth and accurate evaluation regarding the health of your website while simultaneously recognizing any specific areas that need to be developed. A thorough audit of your site can quickly help you diagnose any issues while helping you tackle your toughest SEO competition, whether that competition is in Utah or on the East Coast.

Assess Organic Traffic, Keywords and Competitors

One of the first things you should do while conducting an audit involves getting a comprehensive overview of your current traffic situation. For example, SEMRush and other tools allow you to search for your root domain, providing a graph of organic traffic and where it comes from, PPC traffic sources, your top keywords and main competitors. This overall assessment can give you a beginning look into where you should direct your SEO efforts, whether you want to be at the top of your game in Utah or in a surrounding area.

How Fluid Is Your Navigation?

Another way to look at the search engine optimization health of your website involves taking a look at the content on your page, specifically the navigation. Is the navigation easy to follow? Does it make sense? Make sure that the links within your navigation contain industry-specific keywords.

If your webpage is difficult for visitors to navigate, you’re going to have a difficult time ranking, no matter how aggressive your SEO efforts are. It doesn’t matter if you’re implementing search engine optimization tactics on a local level in Utah or on a nationwide platform—well-orchestrated navigation will make a huge difference in your traffic levels.

Some beneficial ways to check the health of your navigation involve checking to see how easily you can find your blog, shopping cart or other important pages. Also make note of whether or not you see any social media links within your navigation. How well are these links implemented? Is the blog frequently updated? These are all major areas related to content that should be thoroughly assessed to get you on the right track for a healthy search engine optimization campaign.

Feb 12
0

Artificial Intelligence Makes a Web Development Breakthrough

By | web development | No Comments

Siri, self-driving cars and autonomous search queries—these are just a few ways that artificial intelligence (AI) has been gradually diffused into our modern world. Existing primarily within the Internet and mobile apps, artificial intelligence has significantly reduced the amount of energy that we spend on menial mental tasks.

The Bloomberg Business stated that 2015 was a breakthrough year for the world of artificial intelligence and Web development. And with how quickly Web development breakthroughs are being produced, it’s not surprising. Here’s a look at how the game is changing.

How Google RankBrain Handles New Search Queries

Artificial intelligence is changing the landscape of Web development as we know it—with Google’s RankBrain being one of the major game changers. Google RankBrain is a machine-learning artificial intelligence system that helps Google decipher and calculate search results with the intention of providing more relevant, personalized search results.

When Google BrainRank identifies a word or phrase that it’s not familiar with, it’s programmed to make an educated guess regarding what words or phrases are similar, and to consequently filter the search results.

By using artificial intelligence, Google RankBrain introduces an immense amount of language into mathematical entities called vectors, allowing Google to easily handle new search queries that it has never seen before. This is just one improvement in the vast landscape of how artificial intelligence is gradually becoming a staple within the Web development community.

Theoretically, Apps Will Update Themselves

The artificial intelligence spectrum has exploded, partially due to the new learning algorithms that are simultaneously being developed and improved upon more quickly than ever before.  In theory, as the technology behind artificial intelligence continues to evolve, apps will eventually be able to detect and implement updates on their own. This will allow the tech workforce to render even more advanced artificial intelligence processes.

Apple, Facebook and Google Incorporating AI

The recent growth of artificial intelligence comes down to three basic components: its affordability, practicality and quick evolvement within a short period of time. And with key players such as Apple, Facebook and Google incorporating AI into their most recent slew of consumer products, the landscape will only continue to grow and change substantially within the next few years.

Feb 11
0

Why People Shop on Their Phones—And What Marketing Companies Can Do to Capitalize on It

By | digital marketing | No Comments

It’s 2016, and the mobile shopping shows no signs of slowing down.

Digital marketing firms have known for a while that the mobile revolution was coming, and now it’s finally here—a large quantity of shoppers are already using mobile to make purchases, and they’d like to see more of it.

According to a new Facebook study of 2,400 adults, more than 60 percent of multichannel shoppers plan to increase their mobile purchasing habits in 2016. Currently, shoppers say mobile plays a part in 45 percent of all purchases, whether it’s research, price matching or actually making a purchase. 57 percent of millennials report using their phones at some point during the shopping process.

The fact that consumers are using their phones at some point during the shopping process is not new. However, the Facebook study also polled respondents on their reasons for using mobile over desktop. Fifty-five percent of respondents pointed to the convenience of using their phones, while 56 percent said they chose mobile because they were on their device already.

While mobile shopping is becoming more prevalent every year, it’s not king of online shopping just yet. The study pointed out a few notable shortcomings of mobile shopping: 70 percent of mobile shoppers found app and website experiences had room for improvement, 71 percent found the transaction experience itself needed some work and 54 percent responded they’d be more willing to shop on a device if they could do so across multiple devices.

Digital marketing firms are well aware of mobile’s current shortcomings—in 2016, 59 percent of marketers have deemed capitalizing on mobile their top priority.

Mobile shopping is steadily becoming more popular among consumers of all age groups; however, if digital marketing firms and brands want to take full advantage of the mobile revolution, they will need to focus on improving the user experience first.

Feb 10
0

When Good Content Marketing Strategies Go Bad

By | content marketing | No Comments

There are a wide variety of tools available in the content marketers’ online arsenal—from social media and Web design to other digital marketing techniques. While any top content marketing agency knows how to use marketing tools to their best effect, all too many businesses aren’t getting the full potential from their marketing efforts.

According to the recently released 2016 State of Small Business Report, small businesses from the East Coast to Utah aren’t taking advantage of their online Web presence.

Social Media

While four out of five small businesses regularly use social media, 45 percent use it to promote products or services, and 38 percent use it for promotions, sales or services. Twenty percent of small businesses do not utilize social media at all.

Social media can be a powerful tool for online marketers, but social media’s power lies in its ability to connect and build relationships with a potential client base—not for sales pitches. Use social for content-driven marketing, sharing relevant blog posts and other owned content and addressing consumer concerns.

Company Websites

Every small business needs a good website. A company website should focus on providing information and showcasing products. Yet per The State of Small Business Report, only half of small businesses provide company addresses and phone numbers, and a mere 32 percent of small business websites are optimized for online purchases.

Only half of small businesses use their websites for marketing at all, which is bad news for small businesses in Utah and elsewhere. A company website is often a consumer’s first interaction with the business in question—a website that’s not optimized for marketing is a major missed opportunity.

SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) fares even worse among small businesses, with only a quarter of business owners focusing on SEO. No mater how great your content is, it’s useless if consumers can’t find it.

Small businesses need to step up their content marketing game if they want to reap the benefits of online marketing tools. For small businesses from the Midwest to Utah, marketing tools are only as good as the people that use them.