Copious Blog

Talk about analyzing web traffic is cheap. The trick is actually understanding and utilizing the data you've got to boost traffic and profits.

Let's say your company uses a web analytics tool (such as Google Analytics, Omniture, Coremetrics, Webtrends, Crazy Egg, etc.) to monitor your site. That's a good start. With that tool you can often implement new ideas that keep visitors and shoppers interested and engaged.

Take it a step further and you'll start to see which pages get the most hits or where visitors spend the most time. With that information you can easily deliver the right content to the right people, whether you're selling widgets, driving leads or creating brand awareness.

Next, determine what makes your site successful. Is it the images, headlines or offers that keep people on certain pages? Once you know that, you hold the world of profits in the palm of your hand. In other words, mimic what works and profits will come.  

Analytics can provide you with a complete behavioral picture that will easily integrate with your online efforts (PPC/SEM, email marketing, banner ads, social media, etc.). It can even be used to track TV, radio and print effectiveness. Knowing where to put your ad dollars to drive real value for your business starts by measuring results.   

Measuring your success can come in many analytical forms. Some of the most common include: click-through rate, conversion rate, distribution rate, and time spent on site. Get a handle on these and you'll be ready to move more people to your site via online marketing and advertising. Then, get to know where your visitors are coming from and going to before and after they leave your site. You'll be amazed at what you discover.

When you're ready to put your website to work, start with some basic online tools. Find one that fits your needs and budget and you'll quickly see just how much ROI  analytics can help you generate.

Whatever it is you sell, keeping in touch with your clients and customers is vital. Email is one of the best ways to do just that. According the PEW Internet & American Life Project in association with ComScore Media Matrix, over 91% of all Internet users have sent or received an email. That's nearly everyone sitting in front of a computer. And chances are, many of them could be your customers.

The idea behind eCRM is to build a personal relationship using all you know about your customer. Many times, new clients at Copious tell us they cannot email their clients effectively because all they know about them is their name and email address. In reality, they know a lot more.

If a company looks deeper, they'll see they have a wealth of information about their customers. In addition to buying patterns and preferences, they also know when purchases are being made, how much is being bought, what kind of credit card is used, where the customer lives, and more. With that information, it's possible to boost sales and customer satisfaction - all thanks to a well crafted, non-intrusive, email that speaks to the customer when they're ready to listen.

The right eCRM should integrate into all aspects of your marketing plan. Let's face it, brands are decided be the people for whom it represents. Your customers are your brand identity. Without them, you'd be nothing. But don't forget, it's a symbiotic relationship. They need your company too - as long as you have something they want. Therefore, you need to keep in touch with who they are and what they aspire to be. Doing so via email will keep your company relevant and in business.

My best advice is this: Keep close track of everything your customers say and do. You'll quickly discover they are telling you everything you need to know to make a sale. All you have to do is listen.

Budgets everywhere are being trimmed. But the smart advertisers are keeping in touch with their customers, making sales, and improving ROI with interactive.

Unlike traditional media, interactive can target a customer who is ready to buy. If a person is poised to purchase a pink widget, and they're doing a Google search for that product, it's smart to put yourself in front of that consumer - especially if you sell pink widgets. One of the ways to do that is with performance-based ads.

The beauty of performance-based advertising is the ability to shape your results. If it's not working, you can quickly make adjustments, alter the message, increase frequency across many channels, or change the offer. And if it's still not working, you can find a new, online home for your ad dollars, which might include email marketing.

Use email to your advantage. When done right, email is inexpensive and personal. Plus you can target specific segments for positive results. Throw in analytics and you may better understand how your customers respond to your marketing efforts now and in the future.

Optimizing your search engine ranking results is like money in the bank. While your website is important, it's useless if your customers can't find it. The old saying "Build it and they will come" does not apply online. That's because there are billions of websites all vying for your customer's attention, like finding a needle in a Texas-sized haystack. Using search engine optimization, pay per clicks or another form of search-based advertising can help achieve a positive ROI, even in times of economic slowdown.

Take a look at mobile and social websites. Depending on your customers and their needs, there can be reasons to build a mobile version of your site. If your customers are fast-moving executives whose time is worth gold, it makes sense to add mobile to your marketing strategy. But social applications and blogs are different stories. Today, nearly every one of your customers has a blog or two they read on a weekly or daily basis. And with younger customers, you can find almost all of them participating in a social networking site. In a nutshell, extending your brand into social networking sites or similar applications is a smart move if your customers are already there.

Give us a call. We'll talk about other ways to add some armor to your budget, including your own company blog, search engine optimization, email marketing and other proven methods of improving your ROI.