It is official, it’s now 2016, and it is time for some marketing New Year’s resolutions. We have outlined 5 marketing tactics that you should resolve to change in 2016.
Ditch the desktop-only site
We have spoken at great length about the benefits of responsive web design, and this year if you are still operating with a mobile website living separately from your desktop site it is time to make the change. Google has made it clear that a traditional website that doesn’t adjust to a user’s screen size will be penalized in search rankings. Google knows that more searches are done on mobile than desktop, and they want to make sure that users will have a good experience on the sites they serve.
Fluidity is not just important for the customer and search engine, but also for your convenience as well. Having a mobile website built on a separate platform runs the risk that information from site to site will be inconsistent. Those contradictions erode customer trust, and updating the additional site will cost time and money making it more costly in the long run.
Take a moment right now to find out how mobile-friendly your website design is and head over to Google’s “Mobile Friendly Test” and enter your website’s URL. Google will quickly tell you if and why your website does not render in an effective way on tablet or smartphone. Didn’t pass the test? It’s time to give us a shout, and get a free quote on a fully responsive website.
Update your website
In the same vein as mobile accessibility, search engines are now closely watching how often users click and convert on your website. Consumers visit your company’s website for information, product, and contact details, and search engines are tracking every click, bounce, and conversion to see if your website is providing the necessary information.
At the start of the year, go through your website with a fine toothed comb, make sure your site is attractive, easy to navigate, timely and constantly updated with quality content. Consider using A/B testing to test call-to-actions, colors and headlines to find the perfect mix for your audience. Remember that search engines interpret users quickly bouncing away from your website back to search results as a signal that your site offers content that’s irrelevant.
Lose spam links
Way back in 1999 Google utilized an algorithm that placed strong ranking values to a website by the number of other websites linking to it. It didn’t take to long for business owners and search agencies to exploit this issue and generate thousands of backlinks from artificially created sites with poor-quality content. Google rectified the issue by penalizing websites without authentic backlinks some time ago, however the spam link persists on many older sites.
Today, Google rewards the quality, robust content that earns backlinks naturally, so the new year is a great time to investigate your backlinks to make sure that you are only linking to qood quality content. Head over to the “Backlink Checker” and toss your URL in to the form and see what backlinks are active on your site.
Take control of social
Social media is here to stay, although the platform is ever changing. If your company has not yet made the dive into social media, 2016 needs to be the year you do! Don’t be afraid of negative comments, because negative comments happen whether or not you are there to address them. If you have already dipped your toes into social media, make this the year you dive in and analyze your presence, make sure company info is updated, your cover and profile photo is fresh, and start measuring your engagement.
Companies that overlook the opportunities social media provides to connect one on one with customers are missing out on forming bonds and creating brand advocates. Studies also show that social media has become one of the big three of customer support alongside telephone and email. And while customers that email your business expect a response in a day or so, a study conducted by Edison Research reveals that 42 percent of those contacting a company through social media expect a response within 30 minutes. Further, consumers expect the social-customer service team to work all night and through the weekend.
Consider technology options to help you better manage you social presence, products like Hootsuite, and Edgar can do wonders for helping you manage your networks in one place, with mobile apps to alert you when something needs your attention. If you are unsure how to get started on social media, or would like assistance in managing your social media accounts, give us a shout and we can help!
Re-targeting and Facebook Advertising
On average only 2 percent or fewer website visitors convert on the first visit. Sales studies have shown that it takes seven to nine contacts before a sale is closed. If your website and social presence is your digital salesperson, shouldn’t you give it the opportunity to follow up on initial contact?
Thanks to technology this is now a possibility, through re-targeting (re-marketing on Google.) When a visitor lands on your website, a cookie (snippet of code) is placed in their browser. After they leave your site, this cookie pings the re-targeting platform to put certain ads on the next pages the visitor goes to.
That’s why, when pay an online visit to car dealership and then make your way to Facebook, you may see an ad for the vehicle you were looking at. Facebook and some blogs also have a relationship with the re-targeting platform that acts as a clearinghouse or middle man to deliver ads to appropriate publishing platforms.
If done right, re-targeting will help move the prospect down the sales funnel. It will re-engage them after they leave your page. in order for this to be successful you will need to craft ads that engage interest, show value, and entice the customer to click. There is no one-size-fits-all solution as your ads will depend on your audience, demographics, seller proposition, and buyer’s journey. If you are interested in starting in re-targeting and Facebook advertising, we offer some great solutions!
So there you have it, five digital marketing resolutions for 2016! Do you have any other marketing resolutions for 2016? What other marketing areas will you be focusing on in 2016?