It may seem like everyone is online these days, but somehow some businesses still don’t have websites. Your business might even be one of them.
If your business has gone this long without a website, you probably have your reasons. You may think you don’t have the money or you simply don’t need one. Neither of those is correct.
A website is a fundamental part of running a business in 2016 and many consumers won’t consider purchasing from a business if they can’t find information about them online. That’s true even for brick and mortar stores. In this connected age,people will even Google stores from their parking lot to make sure the trip inside will be worth their time.
Rapid Web Launch put together an infographic breaking down every reason you might have for not having a website and why it is wrong. I know you’ve gone this long without one and your business may be doing fine, but there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain by getting one set up today.
00Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2016-07-14 14:19:382016-07-14 14:19:386 Reasons For Not Having A Website And Why They Are Wrong [Infographic]
Social media is one of the quickest and easiest ways for a customer to reach a business, which is why sites likes Twitter and Facebook are fast becoming de facto customer service platforms. Users expect to be able to reach a business and have their problems solved through social media and it is important for businesses to be available.
Twitter has recognized its power as a customer service platform and has been testing features to help customer’s take advantage of this. One such feature was released this week which shows users when brands and businesses are most likely to respond on Twitter.
The new “most responsive feature” is starting to pop up on profile pages for pages like Apple Support, but also on brand pages like Medium’s profile on both desktop and mobile.
Little is known about the feature since it was first spotted this morning. Twitter hasn’t said whether the feature is just a small test or if you can expect to see it spread in the coming weeks and there is no indication of whether businesses have any control over the listing.
Ultimately, the new feature is just a test to keep an eye on. Not only does it provide a potential way to improve customer interactions with brands, but it signals Twitter’s intentions to highlight the customer service potential of their platform. You can likely expect to see similar features and information for brands that offer customer service through Twitter in the future.
00Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2016-07-11 14:22:042016-07-11 14:22:04Twitter Tells Users When You Are Most Likely To Respond
It has now been two years since Google announced it would be making HTTPS a minor ranking signal, and a recent study from Moz shows just how many sites have made the switch since then.
After Google’s announcement, there was an initial surge in sites changing from HTTP to HTTPS, but many held back to assess just how important the security protocol was to the search engine and ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the risk. Google only considers HTTPS a minor factor in their ranking algorithm and there has been concern about potential risks when making the switch.
To check up how far along the transition is, Dr. Pete Meyer from Moz compiled data to see just how close is Google is to changing the web over to HTTPS.
Before Google started including HTTPS in its algorithm, Meyer says only around 7% of all pages featured on the first page of Google search results used the more secure protocol. A week after the switch that number had climbed to 8%. Since then, the number has steadily been rising, reaching over 30% this year.
Moz reports that “as of late June, our tracking data shows that 32.5% (almost one-third of page-1 Google results now use the “https:” protocol.”
However, Meyer says he is not convinced everyone that has made the switch was motivated by algorithms and ranking signals. Instead, he believes it is a sign that Google’s PR campaign to make HTTPS more attractive and desirable for sites is working.
Meyer also says that in another 1 to 1.5 years we are likely to see 50% of the sites shown on the first page of search results to use HTTPS, which he predicts will lead Google to strengthen the ranking signal.
Ultimately, many are still hesitant about changing their entire site’s HTML structure to HTTPS and the risks that come along with site-wide changes like this. However, Dr. Meyers says it is wise to keep an eye on how many sites in your industry are using the protocol and to be watchful for any upcoming algorithm updates that may make HTTPS even more prominent in search results.
00Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2016-07-05 15:14:272016-07-05 15:14:27Study Shows Sites Are Making The Switch To HTTPS
If you’re a business that publishes content on Facebook, you have good reason to be frustrated. This week, the company announced they’d be de-emphasizing publisher-posted content in users’ news feeds in order to better highlight posts from friends and family, which means it will be even more difficult to break through to a wider audience. But, new data from SocialFlow may show there is still a way to reach tons of users through Facebook.
According to SocialFlow’s report, video content shared across Facebook is outperforming almost any other type of content when it comes to content reach. The social analytics company shares more than half a million stories each month to Facebook and other social networks on behalf of publishers.
SocialFlow recently analyzed 30 days of video content to gauge the total reach, likes, and shares in comparison to other types of content. What they found showed that while other types of content are drastically dropping in reach across the network, video is actually going up.
SocialFlow presented their findings via Facebook Live this week, showing that video made up just 0.9 percent of all posts but accounted for 7.15 percent of reach, 5.2 percent of likes, and 11.1 percent of shares. Of course, the company cautioned that the results don’t represent all publishers, it may mean some are actually seeing even better performance.
“It’s clear that media companies are increasingly turning to video to maximize their reach and audience engagement,” SocialFlow CEO Jim Anderson told Adweek. “We’ve heard plenty of anecdotal reports of strong video performance, and now we have the data to back up the anecdotes.”
The data also excluded Facebook Live video, which is being strongly promoted by the social network – Facebook has even started paying some publishers large amounts of money to encourage use of the format. Anderson also said he “wouldn’t be surprised” to see video posts grow to account for 5 to 10 percent of total post volume within the next six to 12 months.
The findings show that while many brands and advertisers have been slow to take up Facebook Video, those that have are seeing promising results that suggest it may be the next big thing for publishers stymied by dropping reach through traditional content formats.
00Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2016-06-30 15:56:532016-06-30 15:56:53Reach on Facebook May be Down But Video Is Overperforming
It is no secret that many consumers often get annoyed with ads. Either they get worn down by sites that go overboard with ads littered across their pages or they just get tired of seeing ads that aren’t relevant or interesting to them. Thankfully, Google has found a way to give users the power to only see the ads they want.
Google is sending out notifications to users through Chrome and Gmail alerting them to a new web portal which puts the power to control ads into the users’ hands – among many other things.
The opt-in service allows you to voluntarily give Google a small number of personal details and surveys your interests to better target ads that are actually useful to users.
The feature is a part of Google’s new portal called ‘My Activity’, which displays all your activity across Google and Google devices in reverse chronological format including your past searches, visited websites, Map searches, and ads you’ve interacted with.
Obviously this might make many people nervous to see all the information Google can collect and store about their activity, but the portal also gives you the power to delete any information you don’t want to be there.
The ability to control the ads you see is specifically in a section of the portal called Ads Personalization. Here you will find checkboxes on topics you want to see ads on, along with sections to provide your age and gender.
If you turn on the feature, Google will use this information to serve you ads based on your previous search history, recently watched videos on YouTube, and other information you provide. Conversely, by opting in you are agreeing to provide Google with information about ads you have interacted with.
Users who don’t opt-in will be shown ads based on other more general information such as location data.
Google is far from the first company to use user data to target ads towards users. In fact, they’ve been doing this for years. However, this is possibly the first time a company has so transparently allowed users to control what information is being collected and how it is being used to serve them ads.
00Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2016-06-29 12:51:402016-06-29 12:51:40Google Gives Users The Power To Control What Ads They See
The magic number for Twitter appears to be 140. The social network built its platform around 140 character tweets, and now it is taking a similar approach with its video service by limiting videos to 140 seconds, according to a recent announcement.
Now, everyone can post videos up to 140 seconds long! We can’t wait to see the amazing videos you create and share.https://t.co/DFsuvnXkuL
Twitter has allowed users to share videos on its network since last year, but the videos have been limited to 30-seconds maximum until now. The only exception was for a select number of advertisers who could post videos up to 10 minutes long. Now, users are getting a taste of that creative freedom with videos that go slightly beyond 2 minutes long.
The change will also be having an impact on the Twitter-owned Vine, which is known for looping 6-second-long micro-videos. Now, Vines can be used to preview or promote twitter videos which can be viewed by clicking the new “Watch more” button.
According to the company’s announcement, video tweets have gone up by over 50% since the start of this year and these new changes will allow more flexibility for users.
Along with this news, Twitter also announced that iOS and Android users are getting a new viewing mode which shows Vines or Twitter videos in a full-screen mode along with suggested videos.
The study reviewed a month’s worth of visits to five popular news sites (BBC, Huffington Post, CNN, New York Times, and Fox News). According to the results, 2.8 million shares on Twitter ultimately drove 9.6 million visits to 59,000 pages.
That means that even if a piece of content gets shared a lot, there is no guarantee you’ll see much traffic from it. At first, the numbers may seem worrying, but really this is something most people should already know deep down. It’s no secret that there are plenty of people out there who share links without ever clicking.
Unsurprisingly, a few specific types of content referred to in the study as ‘blockbuster content’ generated 90 percent of the clicks overall. That can hurt to read, but yet again it should not be a shock.
Ultimately this study is just making the nature of content marketing explicit. You will always have content that doesn’t perform no matter how much you promote it, and there is always the chance you’ll be surprised to see some articles receive a huge number of clicks seemingly out of nowhere. The goal isn’t to make a home run every time, but to make sure your overall averages are always going up.
One of the most important ways to make sure your articles are most likely to be clicked on and read is to have a great title. You may have a topic that will grab social media users’ attentions and get them to click the share button. But, if you want them to take the time to really read your content you need to have a headline that stops them in their tracks.
In a perfect world, there would be a perfect correlation between sharing and reading. Content publishers like to think that everyone who interacts with their content is really getting value from it. That’s not the case. Since the advent of the written word, there have been those who got their news from headlines and quick summaries. The internet hasn’t changed that.
As more people are searching for businesses from a variety of devices like smartphones and tablets, it is important that businesses provide a diverse number of ways to get in touch. Now Google is testing a new AdWords extension that will allow users to contact advertisers in an entirely new way.
In the past, Google has used ad extensions to make it easy for searchers to call businesses they were interested in. With the latest ad format, you can now text or SMS advertisers directly from their ad.
Here is an example of how the ad format looks:
By clicking the text icon, you will be taken to your default messaging app, where a prefilled text message is started with the advertiser’s information. For example, if you click the icon in the results above, the pre-filled text message reads, “[Zipwip] I’m interested to learn more about Zipwhip.”
Judging by other results like the one below, the text ad extension can be combined with ad call buttons to provide a variety of ways to contact your business.
Barry Schwarz was the first to report this new ad format. When he reached out to Google for more information, he was provided with this statement:
We’re always experimenting with new ways to connect our advertisers to customers but don’t have further details to share at this time.
00Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2016-06-20 16:06:402016-06-20 16:06:40Google Tests Ad Extension To Directly Send Texts To Advertisers
Pinterest may be one of the leading social platforms around, but its forays into advertising have been slow. The company took its time testing “Promoted Pins” to make sure they didn’t negatively impact users. When the ads finally were rolled out to all, they were also incredibly simple, with limited targeting and customization.
The company is finally expanding its ad platform with new targeting features that will give advertisers entirely new ways to connect with Pinterest’s more than 100 million monthly active users, according to a recent announcement.
Now, you can focus your ad efforts to make sure you are only targeting users who are likely to be interested in your brand and your products, improving the ad experience for both users and advertisers at the same time.
Customer List Targeting
Much like Facebook’s Custom Audiences, Pinterest’s custom list targeting is designed to help you connect with your existing customers on the social image board by targeting users from a list of your customers using email addresses or mobile ad IDs. Pinterest will then match your list with its own user database so you can serve them ads directly.
Visitor Retargeting
Retargeting is a great way to keep potentially interested visitors to your site engaged with your company even if they don’t initially make a purchase. With Pinterest’s visitor retargeting option, you can tag users that come to your site and serve them ads that are particularly suited to their interests and needs.
According to Pinterest, visitor retargeting has increased click-through rates (CTR) by as much as 3x for those who were granted early access to the option.
To use visitor retargeting, you will have to add Pinterest’s conversion tag to your site, which will allow you to tag or exclude users who have:
Landed on your homepage
Signed up for something
Added an item to their cart
Checked out
Lookalike Targeting
You might be familiar with this targeting option thanks to the version of it in use at Facebook called Lookalike Audiences. Lookalike targeting lets you reach out to groups of people based on their behaviors and interests specifically based on the activities of your customers.
Pinterest reports that this option increased CTRs for early-access users by up to 65% and increased reach for ads by nearly 30x.
00Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2016-06-17 14:26:132016-06-17 14:26:13Pinterest Announces 3 New Ways For Brands To Connect With Users
Since its launch in 2010, Apple’s ad service known as iAd has seemed largely like an afterthought. In fact, the company had announced earlier this year that iAd’s services were being discontinued. This all makes the iPhone maker’s latest announcement a bit of a surprise.
Ahead of this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple announced it is revamping its App Store. One major part of this reworking is the introduction of paid search ads for apps in the company’s app store.
Apple is starting small by adding a single paid ad to the top of search results within the App Store for users in the US. However, there already appears to be pushback from users and developers who say they would prefer improvements to the organic search results before including paid ads.
In an interview with the Telegraph, Apple’s senior vice president of marketing, Phil Schiller, explained that the company believes paid search ads will allow developers to focus their marketing budgets specifically in places where people are most likely to download their apps.
“There are hundreds of millions of searches on the App Store every week, and 65pc of app downloads are driven by search,” he said. “It’s a very valuable tool for users and developers. For developers, this will be very efficient marketing.”
The ads will be available in a self-serve auction-based platform similar to Google’s AdWords with no initial minimum spends.
To prepare for the revamp of the app store, Apple is adding ad features like its Search Match feature, which is comparable to Google AdWords Universal App Campaigns. The feature allows advertisers who aren’t familiar with the platform or are limited on time to create an ad campaign in as few steps as possible.
Apple Search Ads will not officially launch until the fall, but the company is allowing developers and marketers to get familiar with the platform through an opt-in beta from Apple’s developer portal.
