tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89714724497795306842024-03-13T20:56:14.835-07:00HVAC Business SolutionsHVAC Business Solutions helps contractors use technology to grow their businesses. Our core services include a next-generation flat rate pricing system, website design, mobile website design, search engine optimization (SEO) and custom iPad application development. Our blog is focused on technology, marketing strategies, new products and methods to combine these concepts to help HVAC contractors attract new customers and grow their businesses.HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-11970599582578845772013-04-09T12:15:00.000-07:002013-04-09T12:15:11.974-07:00New Search Engine Optimization RankingsHVAC Business Solutions has updated its website to reveal the results of its various SEO campaigns with HVAC Heating and Air Conditioning companies.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>HVAC SEO Results</u></strong><br />
The <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/hvac-internet-marketing/google-seo-results.html" target="_blank">HVAC SEO Results</a> page shows the last five months of progress of a handful of search engine optimization campaigns. Most campaigns are very focused and target 5 keywords in a single city.<br />
<br />
One of the more recent SEO campaigns is for Dave Lane Heating and Air Conditioning. They started a campaign in January, 2013 and from the initial report they did not rank on any of the keywords being targeted. HVAC Business Solutions defines "not ranking" as not appearing within the first 30 results, i.e. the first 3 search results pages.<br />
<br />
After two months, HVAC Business Solutions acheived the #1 overall ranking on Google (organic search result) for two keywords and the #2 overall ranking for the remaining keywords, including air conditioning repair spring branch.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>#1 Google Rank</u></strong><br />
The<a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/hvac-internet-marketing/google-number-one-rankings.html" target="_blank"> #1 Google Rankings</a> page lists on a monthly basis the keywords ranked #1 overall on Google. Each month HVAC Business Solutions runs a monthly report for each of its clients and if a keyword is ranked #1 overall on Google it is now listed on this page.<br />
<br />
HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-36369079707146077482013-01-23T12:54:00.001-08:002013-01-23T12:54:30.587-08:00How many mobile users...Sent Text Messages: 76%<br />
Used Downloaded Apps: 54%<br />
Used Browser: 52%<br />
Accessed Social Networking/Blog: 39%<br />
Played Games: 34%<br />
Listened to Music on Phone: 29%<br />
<br />
The information above comes courtesy from <a href="http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2013/1/comScore_Reports_November_2012_U.S._Mobile_Subscriber_Market_Share" target="_blank">comScore's November US Mobile Subscriber Share report</a>.<br />
<br />
Other interesting information from the report includes Samsung having a higher market share than Apple, 26% vs 18%, and Google's Droid operating system (54%) having a higher market share than Apple (35%).<br />
<br />
This means if you are looking to develop an app - you might want to target the Droid operating system first.<br />
<br />
Overall, 123.3 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones (53 percent mobile market penetration).<br />
<br />
Brian Starzec | <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/" target="_blank">HVAC Business Solutions, LLC</a> | January 23, 2012HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-18272177339967785962013-01-18T10:46:00.000-08:002013-01-18T10:50:26.080-08:00The #1 Search Engine Is...Google. Again.<br />
<br />
Ok, that may not come as a surprise, but what might be interesting to know is that Google's share of the search engine market is more than all of the other search engines combined.<br />
<br />
Here is the data for December, 2012:<br />
<ol>
<li>66.7% - Google Sites</li>
<li>16.3% - Microsoft Sites </li>
<li>12.2% - Yahoo Sites</li>
<li> 3.0% - Ask</li>
<li> 1.8% - AOL</li>
</ol>
This information comes courtesy of <a href="http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2013/1/comScore_Releases_December_2012_U.S._Search_Engine_Rankings" target="_blank">comScore, Inc.</a><br />
<br />
The other interesting point from this survey is that the percentages moved by only less than 1/2 of 1%, unlike the stock market that swings wildly every day. This mean people are locked into their favorite search engine and do not switch. <br />
<br />
From a marketing investment perspective this is reassuring because of this stability. You can feel comfortable investing into search engine optimization targeting Google because there is a very high probability they will continue to be the #1 search engine for the foreseeable future.<br />
<br />
My recommendation for heating and air conditioning companies that have limited marketing budgets is to focus your resources on Google. Our company has been providing <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/hvac-internet-marketing/search-engine-optimization.htm" target="_blank">Search Engine Optimization</a> services for a long time and our experience has taught us that the techniques required to improve your ranking on Google is different than for Bing (Microsoft) and Yahoo. <br />
<br />
Therefore, if you are going to target search engine ranking improvement for just one search engine, pick Google.<br />
<br />
Brian Starzec | <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/index.html" target="_blank">HVAC Business Solutions, LLC</a> | January 18, 2013HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-37870534958183878862013-01-17T12:58:00.000-08:002013-01-17T12:58:12.271-08:002012 U.S. Online Video RankingscomScore, Inc released their <a href="http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2013/1/comScore_Releases_December_2012_U.S._Online_Video_Rankings" target="_blank">December 2012 U.S. Online Video</a> rankings. Highlights:<br />
<ul>
<li>38.7 Billion online content videos viewed</li>
<li>11.3 Billion video ad views</li>
<li>84.9 percent of the U.S. Internet audience viewed online video</li>
<li>The duration of the average online content video was 5.4 minutes, while the average online video ad was 0.4 minutes.</li>
<li>Video ads accounted for 22.6 percent of all videos viewed and 1.9 percent of all minutes spent viewing video online.</li>
</ul>
Remember this is for the month of December only.<br />
<br />
The top sites for videos include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Google (YouTube) - 13.2 Billion videos viewed</li>
<li>AOL - 692 Million videos viewed</li>
<li>Facebook - 420 Million videos viewed</li>
<li>Yahoo - 383 Million videos viewed</li>
</ul>
Creating video content is a great way to attract home owners to your company's products and services and it should be a part of every marketing plan. While creating and publishing videos may seem challenging, with modern technology it is actually fairly straightword. Here are a couple of tips:<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Create a YouTube Channel for your Business </u></strong><br />
It is free to setup. It will allow you to create a profile for your business and allow you store all of your videos. When you load videos, you get to tag them, which means identifying keywords to your video which will again, if done correctly, improve your search engine ranking. For example, when you search "<a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/hvac-sales-marketing/flat-rate.htm" target="_blank">hvac flat rate book</a>" on Google, would you rather view one of many websites (our company is #1 overall by the way) or would you rather view the only video that appears - our company's video is #5 overall.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Use Smartphones to Record Short Videos </u></strong><br />
The quality of videos on Smartphones is absolutely acceptable for your business. There is no need to buy expensive equipment or hire a production company. Your techs can create a quick video showing the result of an installation and then captured feedback from the home owner. The marketing return on that short 1 minute video would be significant.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Create Slide Shows/Animations</u></strong><br />
A video does not have to mean including real people or situations. Turning a PowerPoint presentation into a slide show, with a simple voice over can be equally as effective and can be easily added to YouTube.<br />
<br />
The bottomline is more and more people are viewing videos. If you want to attract more home owners and customers, you will need to create video content to help educate them, build your online credibility and differentiate yourself from the competition.<br />
<br />
Brian Starzec | <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/" target="_blank">HVAC Business Solutions, LLC</a> | January 17, 2013<br />
HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-50791955647740382622013-01-16T13:19:00.002-08:002013-01-16T13:21:23.670-08:00How To Totally Suck at MarketingThe link below is to a very humorous slide show created by one of the marketing strategists at Hubspot - a leading provider of inbound marketing software. I would recommend that you take a couple minutes to scroll through the slides if you are planning to spend money this year on marketing or if you just need a laugh.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/HubSpot/how-to-suck-at-marketing" target="_blank">How To Totally Suck at Marketing Slide Show</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Brian Starzec | <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/" target="_blank">HVAC Business Solutions</a> | January 16, 2013HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-53260331806012038542013-01-15T11:19:00.000-08:002013-01-15T11:19:05.846-08:00Federal Tax Credit is Back!Several of my HVAC contractor clients have notified me that the Federal Tax Credit for new equipment purchases has returned. Here is the information I have recevied:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On January 2, President Obama signed
legislation designed to avoid the “fiscal cliff” and keep tax rates from
increasing for every American who pays taxes. In addition to its many other tax
provisions, the bill retroactively reinstates the 25C tax credits for highly
efficient HVAC and water heating equipment that expired at the end of 2011. <br />
<br />
Specifically, the bill extends the tax credits that expired in 2011 from
January 1, 2012, until December 31, 2013, for qualified equipment listed in
Section 25C of the Internal Revenue Code. Because the credits were made
retroactive to January 1, 2012, they can be used for qualified equipment that
was installed any time after December 31, 2011. Qualified equipment includes:<br />
<br />
<b>Water Heaters ($300 Tax Credit)</b></span><br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Electric heat pump water heaters with an energy factor
of at least 2.0 <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Natural gas, propane, or oil water heater with an
energy factor of at least 0.82 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90
percent<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Furnaces ($150 Tax Credit)</span></b><br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Natural gas, propane, or oil furnace with an AFUE of
not less than 95<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Boilers ($150 Tax Credit)</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Natural gas, propane, or oil boiler with an AFUE of not
less than 95<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
($300 Tax Credit)</span></b><br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Split system central air conditioner that achieves the
highest efficiency CEE tier as of January 1, 2009 (16 SEER; 13 EER)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Packaged central air conditioner that achieves the
highest efficiency CEE tier as of January 1, 2009 (14 SEER; 12 EER)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Split system electric heat pump that achieves the
highest efficiency CEE tier as of January 1, 2009 (8.5 HSPF; 12.5 EER; 15
SEER)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Packaged electric heat pump that achieves the highest
efficiency CEE tier as of January 1, 2009 (8.0 HSPF; 12.0 EER; 14 SEER)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<b>Advanced Main Air Circulating Fan ($50 Tax Credit)</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">A fan used in a natural gas, propane, or oil
furnace with an annual electricity use of no more than 2 percent of the total
energy use of the furnace</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Brian Starzec | <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/" target="_blank">HVAC Business Solutions, LLC</a> | January 15, 2012</span>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-26178595583026886732013-01-14T09:09:00.000-08:002013-01-14T09:38:20.894-08:00Why Speed MattersHere is an interesting article about how intolerant Internet users have become when it comes to waiting for a video to load - <a href="http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2013/01/10/study-streaming-video-viewers-lose-patience-after-2-seconds/" target="_blank">Study: Streaming Video Viewers Lose Patience After 2 Seconds</a>. Here are the key findings:<br />
<ul>
<li>Viewers begin to abandon a video if it hasn't loaded in <strong><u>2 seconds</u></strong></li>
<li>If the video hasn't started within 5 seconds, 25% abandon the video</li>
<li>If the video hasn't started within 10 seconds, 50% abandon the video</li>
<li>Each additional second of delay resulted in a 5.8% increase in the abandonment rate</li>
<li>1/2 the people with high speed Internet access believe that 5 seconds is too long to wait for a video to load and play</li>
</ul>
What does this mean for HVAC companies and HVAC contractors?<br />
<br />
Quite simple - you need to make sure that your website loads quickly. Most HVAC contractors do not have websites with video, so you can expect that patience is probably even lower for the average website. <br />
<br />
This is especially critical for home owners on a mobile device. If they are accessing your website through a mobile device, it is absolutely critical that your website is optimized for mobile browsing and mobile download.<br />
<br />
Test out your website on your iPhone, iPad, Droid, Blackberry or other device. How long did it take to load? Was it easy to view all of the information? Was it formatted for the device?<br />
<br />
If the website took too long to load, if the information was to small to read or the page required scrolling, then it is not optimized for mobile devices. If you have any doubts about the importance, please read our previous post <a href="http://hvacbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2012/06/23-eye-opening-mobile-marketing-stats.html" target="_blank">23 Eye-Opening Mobile Marketing Stats You Should Know</a>.<br />
<br />
If you need assistance obtaining a <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/hvac-websites/mobile-websites.htm" target="_blank">Mobile Optimized Website</a>, we are here to help.<br />
<br />
Brian Starzec | HVAC Business Solutions | January 14, 2013HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-72776879287817220972012-08-09T07:09:00.000-07:002012-08-09T07:09:33.874-07:00Social Media Access Via Mobile GrowsMadeline Bennett | ClickZ | August 1, 2012<br />
<br />
Mobile users are continuing to turn more frequently to their cell phones for social and gaming purposes, according to the latest data from analyst Comscore.<br />
<br />
For the quarter ending in June, 36.9 percent of mobile users accessed a social networking site or blog on their handset, up almost a percentage point from 36.1 percent compared to the first quarter 2012.<br />
Mobile gaming increased by the same amount, up from 32.6 percent to 33.4 percent quarter on quarter.<br />
<br />
The numbers might only be slowly creeping up, but the overall pattern shows a greater proportion of mobile subscribers are using their handhelds for traditional desktop tasks.<br />
<br />
The biggest growth areas for mobile content use were music and apps. Those using their handset to listen to music grew by 2.3 percent to 27.6 percent, while 51.4 percent have used a downloaded app, up from 50 percent last quarter.<br />
<br />
But the humble text message is still by far the most popular use for mobile devices, with three quarters of users sending a text over the period. And SMS isn’t losing any of its popularity, growing 0.7 percent since March.<br />
<br />
The news is not so rosy for certain mobile providers, with Comscore revealing that Research In Motion has dipped 1.6 percent to 10.7 percent in its share of smartphone subscribers, losing out to Google's Android and Apple's iOS, which grew to 51.6 percent and 32.4 percent respectively.<br />
<br />
Android is also winning in the battle of the handset. Although Samsung and LG both dropped slightly in their share of the market, they remain the top two vendors, with 25.6 and 18.8 percent of mobile users respectively. Still, Apple's strong position is highlighted by the research as it managed to creep up by 1.4 percent to 15.4 percent, despite industry concerns that it would lose mobile users in the face of competition from popular Android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Nexus, and the continuing wait for the iPhone 5.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2196153/social-media-access-via-mobile-grows?" target="_blank">Original Article...</a>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-40456933251394212222012-08-06T06:10:00.002-07:002012-08-06T06:10:28.268-07:00Facebook Ad CTR: Up 11% in Q2 2012Jason Hahn | July 25, 2012 | DM Confidential<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">According to TBG Digital’s “Global Facebook
Advertising Report: Q2 2012,” Facebook ad engagement increased by 11 percent in
the second quarter. Meanwhile, Facebook ads in the U.S. saw average cost per
thousand impressions (CPM) rise 25 percent. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The report measured 406 billion impressions in
more than 190 countries, according to TBG Digital.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to the report, Facebook ads displayed a
41 percent increase in CPM year-over-year. From the first quarter of 2012 to the
second quarter, CPM surged 58 percent. Germany saw CPM rise 31 percent
quarter-over-quarter, while the U.S. saw CPM rise 25 percent
quarter-over-quarter.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The rise in CPMs is “great news for Facebook, as
they signify that their inventory continues to work better for them,” according
to TBG Digital.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Click-through rates (CTR) for Facebook ads rose 11
percent in the second quarter in the five major territories analyzed (U.S.,
U.K., Germany, France and Canada). In the first quarter of the year, CTR decline
6 percent. Germany saw CTR rise 44 percent, while the U.S. saw CTR rise 11
percent and the U.K. saw CTR rise 9 percent.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
TBG Digital notes that the launch of Facebook’s
mobile ad targeting feature in early June may have helped CTR for its ads. The
increase could also be partly due to a general improvement in targeting
techniques and ad creative.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cost per click (CPC) for Facebook ads rose 23
percent quarter-over-quarter in the five territories monitored by TBG Digital.
The U.S. and Canada saw CPCs of more than $1.00 for the first time.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to the report, the top 10 sectors in
terms of Facebook ad CTR in the second quarter were:</div>
<br />
<ol>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Health (0.064 percent)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pets & Animals (0.060 percent)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Not for Profit (0.056 percent)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Entertainment (0.054 percent)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Food & Drink (0.048 percent)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
News (0.044 percent)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Beauty & Fitness (0.044 percent)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Retail (0.039 percent)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Computers & Electronics (0.036 percent)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Home & Garden (0.036 percent)</div>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In terms of CPC, the top 10 sectors were:</div>
<br />
<ol>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jobs & Education ($1.42)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finance ($1.34)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Retail ($1.02)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Computers & Electronics ($0.95)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Games ($0.91)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
News ($0.91)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Beauty & Fitness ($0.87)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Home & Garden ($0.84)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Autos & Vehicles ($0.83)</div>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Internet & Telecom ($0.80)</div>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to TBG Digital, the average CTR of the
“page like story” ads were 53 percent higher than the CTR of the “page like”
ads.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Also, the report found that Facebook mobile ads
have a CTR that’s 14 times higher than CTR for desktop ads.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Source:</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://clearslide.com/view/mail?iID=A8GU559Z78B9DX9V4Q8A">http://clearslide.com/view/mail?iID=A8GU559Z78B9DX9V4Q8A</a></u></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.dmconfidential.com/blogs/column/Marketing/3552/" target="_blank">Original Article...</a></span></u></div>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-39214984549828637592012-07-25T11:33:00.000-07:002012-07-25T11:33:01.337-07:004 AdWords Optimization Tips to Try This WeekLisa Raehsler | ClickZ | July 24, 2012<br />
<br />
Every paid search account needs new ideas to keep moving forward with a positive return on investment (ROI). The following tips can be implemented in less than 15 minutes and make a lasting positive impact on the performance results. Try one tactic per day, and then take Friday off.<br />
<br />
<strong>1. Negative keyword lists.</strong> <br />
Negative keywords are a critical component to any AdWords campaign optimization because you can filter out irrelevant clicks and impressions on keywords. Excluding keywords can save click spend and make the overall campaign more effective. A recent feature release now allows advertisers to manage negative keywords across multiple campaigns. The new negative keyword lists can be associated with many campaigns and can be easily applied to any campaign with a few simple clicks.<br />
Get started building a list by accessing the "Shared Library" section of AdWords, then creating a new list in "campaign negative keywords."<br />
<br />
<strong>2. Mobile review.</strong><br />
Have you checked your mobile traffic lately? Often advertisers don't bother with setting up mobile-only campaigns because they believe there is not enough demand to justify it. Within the AdWords, you can select "segment" to see activity by device from the campaign, ad group, display network, and even keyword-level tabs. This will provide interesting insights into opportunities as well as areas of possible inefficiencies. Recently I discovered a group of keywords that had a much lower average cost per click (CPC) in mobile. One keyword was just $0.06 per click in mobile vs. $1.03 on computers. This keyword also had the volume to justify a new campaign and strategy. This is just one of the insights you can gain by analyzing data by device and taking action on the findings.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. Automated rules.</strong> <br />
Automated rules in AdWords won't replace good old-fashioned manual management but may help to save time and streamline processes. One way to use automated rules to directly impact the bottom line is to adjust bids on keywords based on the cost per conversion.<br />
<br />
Increase bids for your keywords that are good converters and at a low cost per conversion. For example, a rule can be set to increase max CPC bids by 10 percent for keywords with more than 20 conversions and a cost per conversion under $7. Even though you will not pay the max CPC bid price, it's best to set a maximum bid that the automated rule will never exceed.<br />
<br />
Within the keywords tab, select the "automate" button and "change max CPC bids." When increasing bids, set the requirements for conversions (one per click) >=20 and cost/conversions (one per click) < $7. Also consider decreasing bids for keywords that are not converting to more efficiently focus budget.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<img alt="automatedcpcbids" border="0" class="center" src="http://www.clickz.com/IMG/565/228565/automatedcpcbids.jpg?1343058625" style="display: block;" title="automatedcpcbids" /></div>
<br />
<strong>4. Display Ad Builder.</strong> <br />
The display ad builder is a neat little tool that can make getting into the Google Display Network quick and easy. Some companies don't have the budget or resources to create banner ads, so the Display Ad Builder tool will allow them to choose from a variety of templates using their own text, images, or logos. A banner ad doesn't need to be fancy to be effective so this can be a good option for smaller advertisers.<br />
<br />
It's quite easy to create an ad from the "Ads" tab within any campaign or ad group that contains text ads - select the checkbox next to any text ad, and from the drop-down menu above the ads table, select "More Actions," then "Generate Display Ad." Several simple templates are available to get started. Now, if only the display targeting was as easy!<br />
<br />
<img alt="displayadbuilder" border="0" class="center" src="http://www.clickz.com/IMG/566/228566/displayadbuilder.jpg?1343058661" style="display: block;" title="displayadbuilder" /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2193588/4-adwords-optimization-tips-to-try-this-week" target="_blank"> Original Article...</a><br />HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-50462354519458726072012-07-24T12:20:00.000-07:002012-07-24T12:20:31.646-07:00HVAC Contractor Obtained 4 Jobs in 4 Days with Live ChatBrian Starzec | HVAC Business Solutions, LLC | July 24, 2012<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">We implemented our <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/hvac-sales-marketing/live-chat.htm" target="_blank">HVAC Live Chat</a> on our client's website - <a href="https://hvacbusiness.infusionsoft.com/app/linkClick/738/4e527dc3a5146cda/138618/644798502c5a6bbb"><span style="color: blue;">Ferrugia
Mechanical</span></a> - last Thursday, July 19th. Since then, Ferrugia Mechanical has:
<br />
<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Already
Replaced 1 Air Handler<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Scheduled
1 Equipment Replacement Lead<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Scheduled
2 Service Leads <br />
<br />
In addition, 1 more lead has not been scheduled yet as of this writing. <br />
<br />
</span><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Why These Customers
Preferred Chat over Calling</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> <br />
<br />
We communicated with the customers that engaged Ferrugia Mechanical via the
<a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/hvac-sales-marketing/live-chat.htm" target="_blank">Live Chat</a> and they specifically chose to chat because <u>they wanted to speak
with a live person</u> that could answer their questions. <br />
<br />
They naturally assumed that if they dialed the phone number after hours they
would have just received an answering service rather than being able to speak
with someone that could actually help them through the Live Chat. <br />
<br />
<u>The Live Chat provided the reassurance that the website was active, closely
monitored and that their needs would be met immediately</u>. <br />
<br />
</span><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Website Response Spiked</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
"I don't know what you guys changed but since adding the chat I am
starting to receive submissions through my contact form when I wasn't getting
very many before."<br />
- Michael Ferrugia, owner of Ferrugia Mechanical <br />
<br />
This was a pleasant surprise to all of us and was in-line with the customer
feedback. By having the <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/hvac-sales-marketing/live-chat.htm" target="_blank">Live Chat</a>, website visitors felt confident that
completing the Contact Us Form would actually result in action. <br />
<br />
</span><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">What is Live Chat?</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
A service provided by HVAC Business Solutions that engages your website
visitors with a proactive invitation to chat - see the image below: <br />
<br />
<img alt="Our Live Chat invitation as displayed on a website" border="0" id="_x0000_i1028" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/live-chat-engagement.jpg" /><br />
<br />
If the chat invitation is accepted, one of our trained agents answers the
visitor's questions and attempts to convert the visitor into a lead. <br />
<br />
If the visitor is interested in setting an appointment, then our agents obtain
the contact information (name, email and phone number) and immediately send it
either by email or text message to a contact person at the HVAC company. If during
business hours, we also offer to connect both parties by phone. <br />
<br />
</span><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Live Chat Stats</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
Here are some recent stats conduct from an Internet marketing survey in 2012: <br />
<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1029" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Chatters
are 7.5 times more likely to convert<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1030" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Chatters
spend 55% more per purchase<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1031" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />The
average percentage of website visitors who accept proactive invitations to chat
is 8.5%<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1032" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Best
practice to answer chats within 10 seconds <br />
<br />
</span><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Live Chat Benefits</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
This service is about gaining new business by demonstrating your ability to
respond quickly and effectively to your potential customers: <br />
<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1033" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Convert
Your Website Traffic Into Business<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1034" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Engage
Visitors 24/7<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1035" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Increase
Customer Service Levels<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1036" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Deliver
Immediate Customer Assistance <br />
<br />
</span><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Our Service</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
The bottom line is that we monitor your website 24/7, engage with visitors and
convert them into leads.<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1037" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />No
Contracts<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1038" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />No
Monthly Fees<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1039" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />Pay
Only for Leads<br />
<img border="0" id="_x0000_i1040" src="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/images/newsletter/checkgreen.png" />24/7
Chat Service <br />
<br />
Give us a call if you are interested in learning more about <a href="http://www.hvacbusinesssolutions.com/hvac-sales-marketing/live-chat.htm" target="_blank">our Live Chat service</a> and how
we can help you obtain more business from the traffic that is already on your
website. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Brian</span>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-5067292518189250202012-07-23T14:31:00.000-07:002012-07-23T14:31:13.833-07:0040% of Consumers Say a Targeted Online Ad Has Made Them Feel UncomfortableJason Hahn | DM Confidential | July 18th, 2012<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">A new report from TRUSTe finds that online behavioral
advertising (OBA) has made 40 percent of consumers feel uncomfortable, while a
majority of consumers say online privacy is an important issue that they think
about often. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to TRUSTe’s “2012 U.S. Online and Mobile
Privacy Perceptions Report,” conducted online by Harris Interactive, 58 percent
of responding consumers say they don’t like OBA. Meanwhile, 42 percent of
smartphone users say privacy and security are top concerns, and 85 percent say
they won’t download apps they don’t trust.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The report also found that 60 percent of adults
are more concerned about online privacy today than they were last year. TRUSTe
notes that 49 percent of consumers check for independent privacy certification
or seals, up from 41 percent in 2011.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Our 2012 findings show that managing consumer
concerns through good privacy practices must remain on the forefront in order to
stem mistrust,” said Chris Bable, CEO of TRUSTe. “With increased understanding
about choices, the survey also shows that consumers react more positively to the
potential value of new online technologies, such as OBA.”</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to the survey, negative feelings toward
OBA drop from 69 percent to 40 percent when users believe that their personally
identifiable information isn’t linked to their browsing behavior. Meanwhile, 61
percent of consumers are inclined to do more business with a site that offers
opt-out choices for OBA, up from 55 percent last year.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The report also found that 94 percent of consumers
deem privacy an important issue, with 55 percent saying it’s a really important
issue they think of often. Meanwhile, 69 percent of consumers say they trust
themselves most when it comes to protecting their own personal information
online.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
TRUSTe found that consumers are taking matters
into their own hands when it comes to protecting their privacy, as 76 percent
don’t allow companies to share their personal information with a third party, 35
percent have stopped doing business with a company or using their website
because of privacy concerns, and 90 percent use browser controls to protect
privacy.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Meanwhile, 40 percent of consumers say a targeted
online advertisement has made them feel uncomfortable, 50 percent will opt out
of OBA to manage their privacy and 53 percent believe personally identifiable
information is attached to browsing behavior.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Regarding mobile concerns, TRUSTe found that 62
percent of smartphone users are aware that advertisers track mobile activities
for mobile ads, but only 1 percent likes this.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.dmconfidential.com/blogs/column/Web_Trends/3544/" target="_blank">Original Article...</a></div>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-69027834893585253002012-07-17T08:18:00.000-07:002012-07-17T08:18:40.191-07:007 of the Most Popular Social Networks for BusinessRebecca Corliss | HubSpot | July 17, 2012<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">People expect different
type of content on each social media network. Not only does that mean the
content you post to each network needs to be unique; it might also mean that
you shouldn't be hopping on every single social network out there to <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-crush-your-competitors-on-social-media-in-30-days/" target="_blank" title="meet your company's business goals"><span style="color: blue;">meet your company's
business goals</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">But how do you even make
that decision if you're new to the social media game? The best way is to get to
know the different "personalities" of each network so you can
understand how to leverage it best for your business. Using this article as
your guide, you'll get to know some of the <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-crush-your-competitors-on-social-media-in-30-days/" target="_blank" title="most popular social networks"><span style="color: blue;">most popular social networks</span></a>,
learn what their super powers are, and determine whether they're a good fit for
your brand. So let's analyze the key players in the social space, and talk
about each of their strengths and weaknesses to help you decide who you should
be hanging out with!</span><br />
<h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting to Know Twitter, The Buzz Generator</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Twitter hit its 5 millionth
user this past February, and the network is active and abuzz with links,
chatter, one line self reflections, and just plain content. To inbound
marketers, all of this content probably seems pretty great -- but it also means
it takes a lot of work to get <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">your
</span></em>content to stand out in the crowd. Just look at how often HubSpot
posts on Twitter to get our content some visibility in the news feed!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><img alt="twitter posting frequency" border="0" class="alignCenter shadow" id="img-1342468348800" src="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/images/twitter-posting-frequency.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Twitter's Superpower</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.hubspot.com/free-ebook-how-to-attract-customers-with-twitter/" target="_blank" title="Twitter"><span style="color: blue;">Twitter</span></a> brings a viral, buzz-generating
component to your marketing. For example, when a business has a massive group
of people either sharing content or using a hashtag all at once, that has a
big, very visible impact. Twitter is right for you if you are looking for a
network where you can build a large audience that you can incite to action --
potentially all at once to create a viral effect. Mind you, that type of
audience growth takes time ... but the value of creating such a large network
sure pays off!</span><br />
<h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting to Know Facebook, The Humanizer</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Facebook is most-used
social networking site around the world. In fact, <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/06/21/b2b-site-traffic-facebook/" target="_blank" title="a recent study"><span style="color: blue;">a recent study</span></a> found it to be the <strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">top-visited social media site in 126
of the 137 countries</span></strong> studied. Still think your audience isn't
using social media? Think again.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">People use Facebook to keep
in touch with friends, view their grandkid's baby pictures, discover content
their friends are sharing, and more. It's a truly powerful connector. But how
do companies fit into this social network that focuses so heavily on the human
connection? Users expect <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/Beyond-the-Facebook-Business-Page/" target="_blank" title="companies on Facebook"><span style="color: blue;">companies on Facebook</span></a> to act more like
friends, and less like, well, companies. This means your updates should be
friendlier, and show personality through photos and videos that make your brand
seem more relatable. That's why we use Facebook to share things like important
milestones in our company's life, just like you would with your friends and
family!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> <img alt="HubSpot on Facebook" border="0" class="alignCenter shadow" id="img-1340849741971" src="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/images/facebook3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Facebook's Superpower</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Facebook as a social tool
will help a business become more likeable. By engaging like you naturally would
with friends, your fans will respond and interact with you and your content in
the way they feel most comfortable on that network -- colloquially. Use this to
build a loyal fanbase who will view, click, and share your content so your
reach continues to grow. If your company is not comfortable being a bit more
flexible and friendly in its tone, however, Facebook might not be the best bet.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting to Know Quora, The Authority Builder</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.quora.com/How-much-traffic-does-Quora-get" target="_blank" title="Quora"><span style="color: blue;">Quora</span></a> boasts a slightly smaller user base than Twitter and
Facebook with 1.1 million monthly users. But even though the network is smaller
doesn't mean you should balk at its marketing potential. If you've ever
participated in Quora's Q&A, you'll know that the quality of questions
asked and answers provided is extremely high. While Quora might not be the
right network for your business as a major traffic driver considering the lower
usage volume, it could be a great place to build your company's authority and
thought leadership, generating much higher quality leads (albeit at a lower
volume) in the long run.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><img alt="HubSpot on Quora" border="0" class="alignCenter shadow" height="315" id="img-1342467725004" src="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/images/Quora.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="603" /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Quora's Superpower</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Use Quora to build the
authority of specific employees. For example, you could encourage your sales
and marketing employees to search for questions your leads commonly ask, and
provide insightful answers to which you can point future leads. What a great way
to build trust and rapport!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting to Know Google+, The Search Optimizer</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Google+ launched business
pages in fall of 2011, at which point Google+ usage picked up as brands started
creating their own pages and building their following. But since then, its been
reported that usage has significantly decreased -- <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1008932&R=1008932" target="_blank" title="eMarketer"><span style="color: blue;">eMarketer</span></a> reported that <strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">users only spend an average of 3.3
minutes on Google+ in a single session, down from 5.1 minutes in November 2011</span></strong>.
Yikes. Looks like it's not incredibly active as a <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-crush-your-competitors-on-social-media-in-30-days/" target="_blank" title="social network"><span style="color: blue;">social network</span></a> ... so what's the value?
The value comes from its SEO support.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><img alt="HubSpot on Google+" border="0" class="alignCenter shadow" id="img-1342474631900" src="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/images/GPLus.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Google+'s Superpower</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">When you post your content
to <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-use-google-plus-for-business/" target="_blank" title="Google+"><span style="color: blue;">Google+</span></a>, you're making it more likely your
company's content will rank well in Google's SERPs. That's because, much to the
dismay of many other social networks, Google is considering factors such as
+1's of content when deciding how high to rank a piece of content. Google also
started to index and feature Google+ status updates, author names, and 'Add to
Circles' buttons in search results, making your activity on Google+ even more
important for a strong organic search presence.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting to Know Pinterest, The Artist</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-use-pinterest-for-business/" target="_blank" title="Pinterest"><span style="color: blue;">Pinterest</span></a>, the "newest" social network on the
block, has actually been around since 2008! Gaining some serious popularity
earlier this year, the network is an excellent tool for sharing and spreading a
company's visual content. After all, images can often tell a far more profound
story or give insight into a feeling in a more powerful way than mere text. If
you're <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/55-brands-rocking-social-media-with-visual-content/" target="_blank" title="producing more visual content"><span style="color: blue;">producing more visual
content</span></a>, you can easily share that content through channels like Pinterest
by "pinning" it to a board. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><img alt="HubSpot on Pinterest" border="0" class="alignCenter shadow" height="342" id="img-1340850094375" src="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/images/pinterest3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="583" /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pinterest's Superpower</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Pinterest is easy to
maintain and grow if you're more reliant on visuals than text in your industry.
We do, however, recommend writing descriptions for every image you pin to
provide further explanation for those looking to learn more about your pin. And
before you go saying Pinterest is just for wedding planners and hairdressers,
remember that your visuals could include anything from photos, to graphs, to
infographics! They key with Pinterest is, when someone clicks your image to see
the source, you're directing them to your website so you can convert all that
Pinterest traffic. So go on, <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-crush-your-competitors-on-social-media-in-30-days/" target="_blank" title="have a little fun with your social media marketing"><span style="color: blue;">have
a little fun with your social media marketing</span></a>!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting to Know LinkedIn, The Professional</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">LinkedIn has a very
distinct personality. It's the most suited-up network, generally rather
conservative, and reserved for business-focused conversations. For B2B companies,
LinkedIn is an incredibly valuable channel. In a <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/30030/LinkedIn-277-More-Effective-for-Lead-Generation-Than-Facebook-Twitter-New-Data.aspx" target="_blank" title="HubSpot study"><span style="color: blue;">HubSpot study</span></a> last year, in fact, we
found that <strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">LinkedIn is
277% more effective for lead generation than Facebook and Twitter.</span></strong>
Since LinkedIn users are generally in a business-focused mindset, lead
generation content that's extremely valuable and provides a solution to a common
problem in your industry can work incredibly well.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><img alt="HubSpot on LinkedIn" border="0" class="alignCenter shadow" height="186" id="img-1342475661895" src="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/images/LinkedIn1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="586" /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LinkedIn's Superpower</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.hubspot.com/eBooks/learning-linkedin-from-the-experts/" target="_blank" title="Use LinkedIn"><span style="color: blue;">Use LinkedIn</span></a> to target other
businesses -- if that's your goal, of course. Use your content to provide
solutions to business-related problems, and people will naturally share your
content in an attempt to boost their own clout, not to mention click your
content so you can generate more leads. Don't be afraid of posting white papers
and reports here, either -- this is the type of content that typically performs
quite well on LinkedIn.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting to Know YouTube, The Story Teller</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">YouTube is different from
the rest of the bunch for obvious reasons -- it's geared specifically towards
video! And it has <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">a lot</span></em>
of video. In fact, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/t/press_statistics/" target="_blank" title="YouTube reports"><span style="color: blue;">YouTube reports</span></a> that 3 billion
hours of video are watched each month on the social network. Video is a
powerful story-telling mechanism, so it's no wonder marketers are using video
to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3muvq4WB0E" target="_self" title="story about a customer's suceess"><span style="color: blue;">celebrate customer success</span></a>, get
customers <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlBIRr2RIoQ" target="_self" title="excited about an event "><span style="color: blue;">excited about an event</span></a>, or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-lGe5MnBlY" target="_self" title="se music to teach someone"><span style="color: blue;">use music to teach someone</span></a> something
new. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" id="img-1342475986966" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/j3muvq4WB0E" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="560">
</iframe>
</span></strong></h4>
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">YouTube's Superpower</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Use YouTube to tell
important stories about your company, to entertain your audience, and even to
educate them (ever thought of creating a how-to video?) As with most visual
content, sometimes it's easier to get your message across with something a bit
more interactive; and that's when YouTube comes in handy! You can also embed
your videos in your blog or on other social networks so the videos can get more
reach. Plus, YouTube is owned by Google ... you can bet those videos will be
indexed in organic search!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">After you understand the
different personalities of each of these social networks, you're better
equipped to determine which ones match the personality and needs of your brand.
If you're just starting out in social media, it should help you approach these
networks with less of a blind eye, and create content that better matches the
tone of the content already on that platform.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Based on your brand,
which <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-crush-your-competitors-on-social-media-in-30-days/" target="_blank" title="social network"><span style="color: blue;">social network</span></a> do you think is the
best fit for you? How does your use of each social network differ?</span></em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33340/An-Introduction-to-7-of-the-Most-Popular-Social-Networks-for-Business.aspx" target="_blank">Original Article..</a>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-78102707513673122702012-07-16T14:01:00.000-07:002012-07-16T14:01:00.060-07:00Paid Search up 17% in Q2 2012, Keyword Pricing up for the First Time Since Q3 2011Jason Hahn | DM Confidential | July 18, 2012<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">According to Covario, paid search spending rose 17
percent in the second quarter compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile,
keyword pricing increased for the first time since the third quarter of 2011. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Covario’s quarterly global paid search spend
analysis showed that spending on paid search advertising was up 17 percent
year-over-year in the second quarter, and up 5 percent from the first quarter.
The company called the second-quarter growth healthy, but noted that it was down
from the spending that was observed during the previous three quarters.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“We expect things will further heat up in the
second half of 2012, especially since early signs indicate creeping CPC
inflation for paid search globally, which must be factored into advertiser
budget plans,” the report noted.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the Americas, spending was up 15 percent
year-over-year and up 1 percent quarter-over-quarter. Covario maintains its
forecast that annualized increases in spend for 2012 will fall in the 18-20
percent range.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In Europe and the Middle East, spend was up 2
percent year-over-year and up 1 percent quarter-over-quarter. Meanwhile, in
Asia-Pacific spend was up 41 percent year-over-year and up 23 percent
quarter-over-quarter, thanks to continued investment in China, Japan, India and
the Australia-New Zealand regions. </div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Paid search impressions were up 7 percent
year-over-year and 10 percent quarter-over-quarter, while clicks were up 18
percent year-over-year and down 1 percent quarter-over-quarter, and cost was up
17 percent year-over-year and up 6 percent quarter-over-quarter.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Google continued to dominate the global landscape,
claiming 86 percent of spend, 91 percent of impressions and 68 percent of
clicks.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Covario notes that spending on Google was up 16
percent from a year ago and up 5 percent from the previous quarter.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yahoo-Bing, which continues to benefit from the
implementation of “broad match,” saw its share of spend grow around 30 percent
year-over-year and 3 percent quarter-over-quarter. The alliance maintains 7
percent of spend, 3 percent of impressions and 5 percent of clicks.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the Americas, Google has about 90 percent of
the search engine market, while Yahoo-Bing has about 9 percent.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cost per click (CPC) for the five major global
search engines (Baidu, Bing, Google, Yahoo and Yandex) was $0.80, up 6 percent
quarter-over-quarter, the first increase since the third quarter of 2011.
Baidu’s CPC was $0.19, while Bing’s was $1.32, Google’s was $1.01, Yahoo’s was
$0.80 and Yandex’s was $0.61.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.dmconfidential.com/blogs/column/Marketing/3539/" target="_blank">Original Article...</a></div>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-83679627794419397122012-07-16T13:16:00.000-07:002012-07-16T13:16:38.343-07:00Nine ways to either tiptoe into mobile or take the plungeRobin Neifield | ClickZ | June 11, 2012<br />
<br />
You probably don't need convincing that a mobile strategy is necessary, but many digital marketers have been reluctant to jump in the water, waiting for all the ripples of devices, markets, and approaches to settle. They won't. In this very fractured digital media environment, mobile plays a unique and increasingly critical role, providing a wealth of personal, immediate, and location-smart ways to interact with specific audiences.<br />
<br />
The U.S. mobile environment is turbulent but full of growth and promise. The majority of mobile phones are now smartphones, many with larger screens and more sophisticated user options. Apps, tablets, and converging devices as well as the growing availability of good, useful, and functional mobile experiences have given consumers the opportunity to increasingly choose mobile over other digital connections. This ease of use and the attending dramatic adoption rates are largely responsible for the growth in mobile ads, mobile email, mobile websites, and mobile apps that follow and feed the consumer trends. The impact is felt across channels and verticals but it need not be an all or nothing commitment for you. Only you can assess how important mobile viewing and interactions are to your business, and the "right" strategy will be dependent on many variables including your audience demo and smartphone or tablet adoption, your competitive environment, available budget, and digital goals.<br />
<br />
Your minimum requirements may range from a tiptoe approach that cautiously tests your mobile opportunity to a full-out plunge into the mobile waters. But what may be a small test for a large or mobile-critical organization may seem like a plunge to a smaller business or one less reliant on mobile marketing, viewing, or interactions. Keeping that in mind - here are some ways to either tiptoe into mobile or advance to take the plunge.<br />
<br />
<strong>Mobile Tiptoes</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Prepare for any mobile recommendations or budget requests by checking your site stats on a regular and recurring basis. What percentage of your audience is coming from a smartphone or tablet? Distinguish between the two. Set up your analytics to assess the behavioral characteristics of these groups. How did they find you? Are they new customers for you? Are they good customers?</li>
<li>Make sure your site experience on the most popular mobile devices is a good one. You'll have to do some rigorous quality assurance (QA) across devices and platforms. Mobile-friendly sites need not mimic every function or include all the content on your website, but they should satisfy the mobile user's needs and provide a positive, integrated experience that allows for more interaction, if desired.</li>
<li>If you are running a paid search program create a new ad group for mobile searchers that recognizes the different frame of mind of the on-the-go consumers. Their potentially timely and location-based needs may vary sharply from other searchers and that should impact your copy, bidding, and testing strategies. It also helps with budget management to have them in their own ad group. Make sure you have the mobile-friendly landing pages to send users.</li>
<li>Ensure that your email is readable and actionable from mobile devices and test segmenting mobile readers for a different messaging strategy and cadence.</li>
<li>Make good use of social options with mobile viewers. Users are an easy click away from sharing, rating, reviewing, commenting, etc…and you don't want to lose that opportunity.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Mobile Plunges</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Build mobile-specific destinations and experiences. A mobile site or an app can be a new point of entry that provides a unique experience for your viewers and may also bring new users to your brand family.</li>
<li>Expand your concept of push marketing beyond email to include opt-in text advertising. While the great majority of emails are never seen by their intended target, the vast majority of SMS messages are opened and seen within minutes of sending.</li>
<li>Incorporate mobile ads, including video ads, into your media plan to reach your audience where they spend an increasing portion of their time online. Take them through a mobile funnel to mobile conversions and track that separately.</li>
<li>Make mobile commerce easy or integrate with other e-commerce opportunities to start or finish the sale in mobile.</li>
</ul>
What's next for the very mobile inclined? Follow retail leaders as they wrestle with how to make their brick-and-mortar stores more online shopping-friendly or conversely work to guard against mobile price shopping comparisons. We can expect more offer pushes via text including indoor exact location positioning. Augmented reality could breathe new life into QR codes or replace them completely, and Articulated Naturality Web (coming) is augmented reality and then some: imagine pointing your smartphone to a restaurant and getting a coupon for a competing restaurant across the street; pointing your phone to the sky and getting a weather forecast.<br />
<br />
Whether you are in tiptoe mode or plunge mode, remember that the mobile experiences and opportunities that you provide do not stand alone. Your mobile consumer may and probably does touch you in multiple ways, so strive for consistency and use each channel in the most impactful way possible.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2190290/mad-dash-for-mobile" target="_blank">Original Article...</a>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-3430959919230764102012-07-09T13:30:00.000-07:002012-07-09T13:30:28.636-07:00Every Email Version Is Your 'Mobile Version'Mike Hotz | ClickZ | June 27, 2012<br />
<br />
What a difference a year makes.<br />
<br />
Return Path reported last month that mobile device email opens increased 82 percent over March 2011. At the same time, email read on the iPad increased 54 percent. Marketers are seeing an average of 30 percent of emails opened on mobile devices, with this rate expected to climb to over 50 percent by the end of 2012.<br />
<br />
Some other telling results: 63 percent of U.S. smartphone users say they would delete an email not optimized for their mobile device. Only 2.4 percent of smartphone users said they would open an email on both their mobile devices and computers.<br />
<br />
In May 2011, I recommended that you start optimizing your email creative for viewing on mobile devices ("<a href="http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2071289/optimize-email-mobile">Optimize Your Email for Mobile</a>").<br />
<br />
This new research indicates that the time to prepare is behind us. You can no longer think you've done your job if you simply link to a "mobile version" in your preheader.<br />
<br />
Every version of your email is now a mobile version with almost nine of every 10 email readers checking messages via mobile devices every day.<br />
<br />
It is now imperative to make your email creative easy to view on a mobile device. Your creative needs to adapt whether your subscriber is reading it on a desktop, a tablet, or a mobile device.<br />
<br />
<strong>Design With Mobile in Mind</strong><br />
As more subscribers use their smartphones to view your email, it becomes even harder to get the subscriber's attention in the mobile inbox. The mobile inbox takes up a third of the viewing space, leaving you only 200px to get your message across.<br />
<br />
As a result, the subject line counts as your headline. Mobile users are relying heavily on subject lines to signal messages they should open immediately, so yours needs to be compelling and make an impact.<br />
<br />
Consider these tips:<br />
<ul>
<li>Keep subject lines to 25 characters.</li>
<li>Decrease number of navigation items to three.</li>
<li>Continue to use HTML text. Most mobile email clients default to disabled images.</li>
</ul>
You also must keep the following creative considerations in mind when you are designing your creative for mobile devices:<br />
<ul>
<li><strong>Increase font size.</strong> Many designers recommend a minimum of 14 pixels for body text and a minimum of 22 pixels for headlines. Apple will automatically increase small fonts to a minimum of 13 pixels. On Android devices, 16 to 18 scale-independent pixels are considered medium and large text sizes.</li>
<li><strong>Add contrast.</strong> Many factors make reading on a mobile phone challenging: smaller screen, lighting conditions, distractions, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Add padding between sections.</strong> A typical adult finger covers 45 pixels when pressed against a mobile screen. Make sure that your calls-to-action are padded at least 10 to 15 pixels to avoid frustrating tap errors.</li>
<li><strong>Use distinctive colors for links.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Create larger buttons and links.</strong> Avoid clustering links in lists to make tapping more accurate.</li>
<li><strong>Design whole sections to be clickable.</strong></li>
</ul>
<strong>Test a Responsive Layout</strong><br />
The ultimate in mobile-friendly emails is created using a responsive layout. Responsive-layout email creative relies on the same HTML code for all versions and uses media queries to style the HTML based on screen size.<br />
<br />
Subscribers viewing the creative on larger screens (desktop, tablet) see the full design, while subscribers using native email apps see the smaller mobile version.<br />
<br />
REI is an excellent example of a marketer that has gotten this concept right. Its navigation condenses down from four items on the desktop version to two across on the mobile view.<br />
<br />
The primary imagery and content in the creative can scale to drop extra space when viewed on a smartphone. Tertiary messages are designed so that the image can be hidden while the overall message stays intact.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 468px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" colspan="2"><img alt="mega-deals-email" border="0" class="center" src="http://www.clickz.com/IMG/449/225449/mega-deals-email.jpg?1340647633" style="display: block;" title="mega-deals-email" /></td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" width="300">Desktop/Tablet version</td><td align="right" width="168">Smartphone version</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<strong>The Last Word</strong><br />
If you have been on the fence about getting your email creative in shape for mobile devices, now is the time.<br />
<br />
Your subscribers' move toward mobile is not showing any signs of slowing down. You can no longer assume that mobile users are returning to their desktops to get the full email experience.<br />
<br />
Don't try to fit everything in your desktop version of an email message into your mobile version. The secret is to plan to streamline content and ensure that your subscribers get your message and take action no matter which device they use to view your content.<br />
<br />
Research shows that 63 percent of U.S. consumers who have made a purchase via their smartphone did so in response to a marketing message delivered via mobile email.<br />
<br />
If you ensure a good experience across devices, you can bank on a continuing increase in opens, clicks, and conversions.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2186931/email-version-mobile-version" target="_blank">Original Article...</a>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-16956461259394511852012-07-09T13:13:00.000-07:002012-07-09T13:13:38.935-07:00Google Claims Nearly 80% of U.S. Search Advertising Spend in Q2 2012By Jason Hahn | DM Confidential | July 4, 2012<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">IgnitionOne recently released its “Online Advertising
Report: Q2 2012.” Among the findings was that search spend in the second quarter
of 2012 slowed down from the growth observed in the first quarter of the year.
Also, Google claimed for nearly $8 out of every $10 spent on U.S. search
advertising in the second quarter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the second quarter, paid search spending grew
15.5 percent year-over-year, slower than the 30.3 percent growth seen in the
first quarter and the 22.4 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2011.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to IgnitionOne, clicks were up 13.2
percent year-over-year in the second quarter, also slower than the 29.1 percent
increase seen in the previous quarter.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Total cost-per-click (CPC) was up 2.1 percent
year-over-year, with Google’s CPC down 3.1 percent. “This continued decrease can
be blamed on increasing reliance on mobile, which has cheaper CPCs as well as
increasing use of new ad formats which are generally lower PPC clicks,”
according to the report.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bing/Yahoo, on the other hand, saw its CPC surge
24.3 percent, about the same as its increase in the previous quarter.
IgnitionOne attributes this to the alliance’s promotion of best practices,
“which led to greater competition in auctions through the increased use of broad
match keywords as a stepping stone for exposure across other match types.”</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the second quarter, Google held 79.1 percent of
U.S. search engine ad spend, while Bing/Yahoo claimed 20.9 percent. Google grew
its share of search ad spend by 11.4 percent year-over-year, while Bing/Yahoo
increased its spend by 32.9 percent year-over-year.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Spending on mobile search ads is up 333 percent
year-over-year, according to IgnitionOne. Impressions are up 130 percent and
clicks are up 325 percent.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to the report, mobile search claimed 14
percent of total search advertising spend in the second quarter, a 12.3 percent
increase from the previous quarter. Tablets accounted for 60 percent of mobile
search advertising spend in the second quarter, while mobile phones accounted
for the other 40 percent.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
IgnitionOne pointed out that travel search
advertising spend grew 37.8 percent year-over-year, compared to its 22.8 percent
growth in the first quarter. Impressions grew 61.9 percent year-over-year, a
notable rise from the 34.3 percent growth in the previous quarter.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The report also shared an estimate that Facebook’s
real-time bidding advertising platform will drive an incremental 12-15 percent
in retargeting budgets and drive overall display spend higher.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.dmconfidential.com/blogs/column/Marketing/3532/" target="_blank">Original Article...</a></div>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-14683332597155199622012-07-02T14:12:00.000-07:002012-07-02T14:12:47.787-07:00SEO Results in Less than One MonthBrian Starzec | HVAC Business Solutions | July 2, 2012<br />
<br />
On June 12, 2012 we launched two websites for one of our customers - Air Clinic - and then proceeded with SEO. Roughly two weeks later, on June 27, we ran our initial progress report and were delighted that both websites went from only ranking on their name to ranking on the first page of Google for several air conditioning specific keywords for service and repair (see the images below).<br />
<br />
Normally we wouldn't see this type of result so quickly, but it does show that it is possible to achieve results with the right set of circumstances - take an existing website, update the code properly, then apply search-engine approved SEO techniques with a very specific local target and it is possible to get achieve results sooner than expected. <br />
<br />
If you are interested in improving your website's rankings this summer, please contact us immediately - 713-270-6400. We only work with one company for a given targeted area and we provide a guarantee on our services. <br />
<br />
<strong>Primary Website After Two Weeks of SEO</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-edBAvUlS4fQ/T_ILrY7w7OI/AAAAAAAAAC4/dtwrsrQlcSU/s1600/air-clinic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-edBAvUlS4fQ/T_ILrY7w7OI/AAAAAAAAAC4/dtwrsrQlcSU/s640/air-clinic.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<strong>Second Website After Two Weeks of SEO</strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-unYrZjBhS-k/T_IMAjIHGOI/AAAAAAAAADA/Z5Jc2XIWEO8/s1600/air-clinic-ellis-county.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-unYrZjBhS-k/T_IMAjIHGOI/AAAAAAAAADA/Z5Jc2XIWEO8/s640/air-clinic-ellis-county.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Please note that in the rankings report above, the number listed in the search engine column reflects the overall rank for the keyword. <br />HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-59519792107624700042012-06-29T12:36:00.000-07:002012-07-02T12:36:36.348-07:0021 Internet Marketing Stats That Will Blow Your MindKipp Bodnar | HubSpot | June 29, 2012<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Sick of hearing the same
"the internet is changing marketing" speeches? Want hard data to
reference so that you can properly forecast and adjust future marketing plans
and budgets? Just want to sound smart in board meetings? Look no further; this
post will show you some current data about <a href="http://www.blogger.com/amazing%20marketing%20statsintroductory3%20%20Sick%20of%20hearing%20the%20same%20%22the%20internet%20is%20changing%20marketing%22%20speeches?%20Want%20hard%20data%20to%20reference%20so%20that%20you%20can%20properly%20forecast%20and%20adjust%20future%20marketing%20plans%20and%20budgets?%20Just%20want%20to%20sound%20smart%20in%20board%20meetings?%20Look%20no%20further;%20this%20post%20will%20show%20you%20some%20current%20data%20about%20the%20state%20of%20the%20internet%20marketing%20world%20that%20are%20both%20helpful,%20and%20frankly%20kind%20of%20shocking.%20Take%20a%20gander!%2021%20Online%20Marketing%20Statistics%20That%20You%20Won't%20Believe%20%201)%20The%20more%20posts%20per%20day,%20the%20less%20engagement%20--%20when%20a%20brand%20posts%20twice%20a%20day,%20those%20posts%20only%20receive%2057%25%20of%20the%20likes%20and%2078%25%20of%20the%20comments%20per%20post.%20(Source:%20Track%20Social)%20Be%20mindful%20of%20your%20publishing%20frequency%20on%20Facebook,%20and%20start%20testing%20with%20your%20own%20page%20to%20see%20what%20frequency%20is%20right%20for%20your%20community.%20%202)%20The%20click-through%20rate%20on%20triggered%20messages%20is%20119%25%20higher%20than%20“Business%20as%20Usual”%20messages.%20(Source:%20Epsilon%20and%20DMA)%20Using%20personalized%20and%20timely%20lead%20nurturing%20with%20marketing%20automation%20is%20an%20important%20strategy%20for%20improving%20the%20overall%20performance%20of%20your%20email%20marketing%20and%20customer%20generation.%20%203)%20On%20average,%20companies%20respond%20to%20only%2030%25%20of%20social%20media%20fans'%20feedback.%20(Source:%20Factbrowser)%20Engagement%20is%20rare.%20Stand%20out%20from%20your%20competition%20by%20caring%20and%20engaging%20with%20your%20social%20media%20community.%20%204)%20The%20average%20tablet%20user%20spends%2013.9%20hours%20per%20week%20with%20the%20device.%20(Source:%20OPA)%20The%20tablet%20is%20quickly%20becoming%20the%20new%20laptop.%20Survey%20your%20customers%20and%20leads%20to%20understand%20how%20they%20are%20using%20tablets,%20and%20let%20that%20data%20influence%20future%20marketing%20strategies%20targeted%20at%20tablet%20users.%20%205)%20Text%20messaging%20users%20send%20or%20receive%20an%20average%20of%2035%20messages%20per%20day.%20(Source:%20Forrester%20Research)%20Peer-to-peer%20communication%20through%20text%20messaging%20has%20become%20of%20core%20part%20of%20society's%20communication%20infrastructure.%20Is%20there%20is%20any%20possible%20communication%20that%20your%20customers%20and%20prospects%20would%20like%20to%20receive%20via%20text%20message?%20%206)%20Email%20opens%20on%20smartphones%20and%20tablets%20have%20increased%2080%25%20over%20the%20last%20six%20months.%20(Source:%20Litmus)%20Mobile%20devices%20have%20bec" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">the state of the internet marketing world</span></a> that are both
helpful, and frankly kind of shocking. Take a gander!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">21 Internet Marketing Statistics That May Surprise You</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">1) The more posts
per day, the less engagement -- when a brand posts twice a day, those posts
only receive 57% of the likes and 78% of the comments per post.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://tracksocial.com/blog/2012/06/optimizing-facebook-engagement-part-2-how-frequently-to-post/" target="_blank" title="Track Social"><span style="color: blue;">Track Social</span></a>) Be mindful of your
publishing frequency on Facebook, and start testing with your own page to see
what frequency is right for your community. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/Z7h2e" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">2) The
click-through rate on triggered messages is 119% higher than “Business as
Usual” messages.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">
(Source: <a href="http://www.epsilon.com/download/q1-2012-north-america-email-trend-results-open-rates-improve-over-previous-quarter-and-prev" target="_blank" title="Epsilon and DMA"><span style="color: blue;">Epsilon and DMA</span></a>) Using personalized
and timely lead nurturing with <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/products/email-automation/" target="_blank" title="marketing automation"><span style="color: blue;">marketing automation</span></a> is an important strategy
for improving the overall performance of your email marketing and customer
generation. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/77D_i" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">3) On average,
companies respond to only 30% of social media fans' feedback.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://www.factbrowser.com/facts/8317/" target="_blank" title="Factbrowser"><span style="color: blue;">Factbrowser</span></a>) Engagement is rare. Stand out from your
competition by caring and engaging with your social media community. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/651EJ" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">4) The average
tablet user spends 13.9 hours per week with the device.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://onlinepubs.ehclients.com/images/pdf/MMF-OPA_--_Portrait_of_Tablet_User-Wave_2_--_Jun12_%28Public%29.pdf" target="_blank" title="OPA"><span style="color: blue;">OPA</span></a>)<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">
</span></strong>The tablet is quickly becoming the new laptop. Survey your
customers and leads to understand how they are using tablets, and let that data
influence future marketing strategies targeted at tablet users. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/belbd" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">5) Text messaging
users send or receive an average of 35 messages per day.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/michael_ogrady/12-06-19-sms_usage_remains_strong_in_the_us_6_billion_sms_messages_are_sent_each_day" target="_blank" title="Forrester Research"><span style="color: blue;">Forrester Research</span></a>) Peer-to-peer
communication through text messaging has become of core part of society's
communication infrastructure. Is there is any possible communication that your
customers and prospects would like to receive via <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32433/When-SMS-Text-Messaging-Actually-Makes-Sense-for-Marketers.aspx" target="_blank" title="text message"><span style="color: blue;">text message</span></a>? <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/oVBRr" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">6) Email opens on
smartphones and tablets have increased 80% over the last six months.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://litmus.com/blog/email-client-market-share-stats-infographic-june-2012" target="_blank" title="Litmus"><span style="color: blue;">Litmus</span></a>) Mobile devices have become a major
source of email usage. Make sure that your email marketing message displays
properly on mobile devices to maximize the results of your sends. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/w2Z3i" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">7)</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> <strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">27% of TV sets shipped worldwide in Q1 of 2012 had
internet connectivity.</span></strong> (Source: <a href="http://www.displaysearch.com/cps/rde/xchg/displaysearch/hs.xsl/120612_smart_tv_surges_in_popularity_worldwide.asp" target="_blank" title="Display Search"><span style="color: blue;">Display Search</span></a>) Internet
connectivity is becoming standard for all devices. With the internet becoming a
bigger part of the living room, plan for how this change might disrupt your
current broadcast marketing tactics. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/US576" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">8) By 2016, more
than half of the dollars spent in US retail will be influenced by the web.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/sucharita_mulpuru/12-06-12-our_cross_channel_numbers_show_showrooming_could_be_overblown" target="_blank" title="Forrester Research"><span style="color: blue;">Forrester Research</span></a>) Commerce is
shifting more and more online. Make sure that you have a method to easily sell
your product or service online. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/QdltU" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">9) In any given
week, less than 0.5% of Facebook fans engage with the brand they are fans of.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://marketingscience.info/assets/documents/275/Facebook_fans_A_fan_for_life.pdf" target="_blank" title="MarketingScience"><span style="color: blue;">Marketing Science</span></a>) Brands aren't
providing the right kind of content and experience to engage their fans. Ask
your <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/Beyond-the-Facebook-Business-Page/" target="_blank" title="Facebook"><span style="color: blue;">Facebook</span></a> fans what type of content they want
to see, and then give it to them! <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/I3u2Q" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">10) 45% of the
world's 2 billion internet users live in Asia.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/docs/Ecommerce%20Europe%20report%20online%20payments%202012(1).pdf" target="_blank" title="Ecommerce Europe"><span style="color: blue;">Ecommerce Europe</span></a>) If you actively
sell and market to Asian markets, the internet is a channel that can't be
ignored. Understand how internet usage and habits differ in Asia compared to
the United States. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/efbAc" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">11) 61% of emails
received at professional email accounts are non-essential.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://www.mimecast.com/About-us/Press-releases/Dates/2012/6/Only-one-in-three-emails-received-is-essential-for-work/" target="_blank" title="Mimecast"><span style="color: blue;">Mimecast</span></a>) Inboxes are overflowing with
marketing email. Use personalization, proper timing, and offers valuable to the
recipient to break through the clutter and be seen. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/fimhj" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">12) 20% of Facebook
users have purchased something because of ads or comments they saw there.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://ipsos-na.com/news-polls/" target="_blank" title="Ipsos"><span style="color: blue;">Ipsos</span></a>)
People are influenced by, well, other people. Use paid and organic marketing on
Facebook to influence the conversion actions that drive your business. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/XfxDQ" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">13) 17% of the top
1000 search terms on Twitter "churn over" on an hourly basis.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://engineering.twitter.com/2012/06/studying-rapidly-evolving-user.html" target="_blank" title="Twitter"><span style="color: blue;">Twitter</span></a>) Twitter is all about novelty and
news. Publish more frequently and focus on timely content to appeal to
Twitter's hungry users. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/QtaX9" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">14) U.S. consumers
send 2.304 trillion text messages per year, up from 2.052 trillion in 2010.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://blog.ctia.org/2012/05/17/indices-report/" target="_blank" title="CTIA"><span style="color: blue;">CTIA</span></a>) Wow! That is a ton of text messages. If you are marketing
to heavy texting demographics, consider incorporating a text message opt-in as
part of your campaign. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/15ERq" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">15) 40% of the
accounts and 8% of the messages on social media sites are spam.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-24/likejacking-spammers-hit-social-media" target="_blank" title="Businessweek"><span style="color: blue;">Businessweek</span></a>) Email isn't the online
platform with a spam problem. Take the time to customize your social media
account and content so you stand out from the spam bots. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/P2sNl" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">16)</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> <strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">88% of adults in the US have a cell phone, 57% have a
laptop, 19% own an e-reader, and 19% have a tablet.</span></strong> (Source: <a href="http://pewinternet.org/Static-Pages/Trend-Data-%28Adults%29/Device-Ownership.aspx" target="_blank" title="Pew Internet"><span style="color: blue;">Pew Internet</span></a>) The cell phone is the
dominant communication tool in the United States, but information consumption
is fragmented. Optimize your digital marketing for all of the screens and
devices used by your target audience. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/Vz6Z0" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">17) 64% of
smartphone owners are using their mobile devices to shop online. </span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">(Source: <a href="http://www.edigitalresearch.com/news/item/nid/243999809" target="_blank" title="eDigitalResearch"><span style="color: blue;">eDigitalResearch</span></a>) The smartphone is ripe with
impulse shopping revenue. If you sell goods online, target specific campaigns
to smartphone users. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/at4dO" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">18) YouTube users
watch more than 3B hours of video per month.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2012/05/its-youtubes-7th-birthday-and-youve.html" target="_blank" title="YouTube"><span style="color: blue;">YouTube</span></a>)<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> </span></strong>Video is a major part of the online
experience, but it's different from traditional broadcast productions. When
integrating online video into your inbound marketing strategy be sure to consider
not only production value, but length. Most successful online videos are less
than two minutes long. <strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://clicktotweet.com/rZJ4v" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></a></span></strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">19) About 1 in 3
bloggers are moms.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">
(Source: <a href="http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/digital-lives-of-american-moms/" target="_blank" title="Nielsen"><span style="color: blue;">Nielsen</span></a>) When looking for blogging expertise,
look no further than the mommy bloggers. Everyone has influence and expertise
you can learn from and leverage. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/zbI8r" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">20) 73% of
smartphone owners access social networks through apps at least once per day.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://www.lightspeedresearch.com/press-releases/apps-fun-or-functional/" target="_blank" title="Lightspeed Research"><span style="color: blue;">Lightspeed Research</span></a>) Social is
mobile. Make sure that content you're sharing on social networks -- like your
blog articles and <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/marketing-ebook/free-ebook-optimizing-landing-pages/" target="_blank" title="landing pages"><span style="color: blue;">landing pages</span></a> -- are optimized for
mobile devices. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/bOqca" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">21) 91% of online
adults use social media regularly.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> (Source: <a href="http://www.experian.com/simmons-research/register-2012-digital-marketer.html" target="_blank" title="Experian"><span style="color: blue;">Experian</span></a>) Social media is fully integrated
into communication culture. Make sure it is an integrated part of your
marketing strategy, too. <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/Uic9V" target="_blank" title="Tweet This Stat!"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Tweet This Stat!</span></span></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Which of these internet
marketing statistics was the most surprising to you?</span></em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/"><span style="color: blue;">stevendepolo</span></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="border-width: 0px;" id="hs-cta-wrapper-14bd6c87-c746-494d-abaa-1b14f5cb52bd"><span id="hs-cta-14bd6c87-c746-494d-abaa-1b14f5cb52bd"><a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33328/21-Internet-Marketing-Stats-That-Will-Blow-Your-Mind.aspx" target="_blank">Original Article...</a></span></span>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-69142253220362249082012-06-29T12:32:00.000-07:002012-07-02T12:32:16.713-07:0013 Little Landing Page Tweaks That Can Make a BIG DifferencePamela Vaughan | HubSpot | June 28, 2012<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">It's no news flash that
inbound marketers have to produce a lot of content and offers. After all,
without these valuable assets -- and plenty of 'em -- inbound lead generation
would be quite a challenge. And with every new offer, marketers must also spin
out a new <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/marketing-ebook/intro-to-building-landing-pages/" target="_blank" title="landing page"><span style="color: blue;">landing page</span></a> to go with it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">But because landing page creation
has become such a regular practice, and considering that <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/products/landing-pages/" target="_blank" title="many tools make it so quick and easy to create a new landing page in minutes"><span style="color: blue;">many
tools make it so quick and easy to create a new landing page in minutes</span></a>,
attention to landing page optimization can also easily fly out the window. So
if you've been guilty of launching landing pages left and right all willy
nilly, you may be overlooking some little details that can take the performance
of your landing pages from good, to great. Got 15 extra minutes on your hands?
Audit one of your landing pages, and see if you can make any of the following
little tweaks that can make a BIG difference in your lead-gen results.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">13 Little Tweaks That Can Make a BIG Difference in Landing
Page Performance</span></strong></h2>
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1) Punch Up Your Headline</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Every landing page should
have an attention-grabbing headline that clearly indicates what the offer its
featuring is about. If your landing page visitor read nothing else on the page
but the headline, would she know exactly what she'd receive by completing and
submitting the form? If it's not clear, make it so.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">In addition to clarity,
punch up the prominence and language of the headline. Does it stand out? Make
it bold, and use a header tag. Is it compelling? Use strong verbs, adjectives,
and keywords (for SEO!) like you would in a <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/28689/How-to-Master-the-Art-of-Exceptional-Blog-Titles.aspx" target="_blank" title="blog post title"><span style="color: blue;">blog post title</span></a>. Your headline is
probably the first thing your visitors' eyes will gravitate toward when they
reach your page, so you need to make it count. For example, just take a look at
<a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-master-the-design-and-copy-of-calls-to-action/" target="_blank" title="HubSpot's landing page for one of our ebooks"><span style="color: blue;">HubSpot's
landing page for one of our ebooks</span></a>, pictured below. The headline is bold,
it clearly states what the visitor will receive ("Free Guide"), and
it uses compelling language ("Mastering").<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><img alt="cta landing page headline resized 600" border="0" class="alignCenter shadow" id="img-1340816839332" src="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/images/cta-landing-page-headline-resized-600.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2) Shorten Your Copy</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">If your landing page looks
more like a blog post than, well, a landing page, it's probably a good
indication that you need to shorten your copy. A landing page with lots and
lots of explanatory text is not only initially daunting to the reader, but it
also buries the value of your offer. Shoot for around 100 words of copy or
fewer in your landing page description so your visitors can quickly read and
understand what your offer is about -- and be enticed to convert. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3) Make the Value Clearer</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Speaking of value, does
your landing page make it totally obvious what your prospects will get out of
redeeming your offer? It's not just enough to tell them that they'll receive, say,
an <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-create-effective-calls-to-action/" target="_blank" title="ebook on creating calls-to-action"><span style="color: blue;">ebook on creating
calls-to-action</span></a>; you need to emphasize the <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">value</span></em> in it. Remember, you're trying to
convince your landing page visitors that filling out a form and providing their
personal information is worth what they'll get in return.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">In our landing page example
above, for example, the copy on our page clearly indicates that our CTA ebook
will teach you how to "improve your calls-to-action and optimize them for
maximum conversions." In other words, as a potential ebook downloader, you
'get' that after you've read our ebook, you'll know how to get more conversions
out of your CTAs. When visitors clearly understand the value of downloading the
ebook, and they're more inclined to fill out the form to obtain that valuable
information.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4) Break Up Text</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">A final point about landing
page copy to piggyback off the last two. You may only have 80 words of copy on
your page, and it may clearly emphasize the value of your offer, but if it's
all in one big chunk of unformatted text, it might also be all for naught.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Separate your landing page
text into bite-size chunks that are easily scannable. As I said earlier, your
landing page visitors don't want to waste their precious time trying to
understand <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">why </span></em>they
should redeem your offer. And if at any point, they feel like it's not worth
determining, they'll leave -- offerless. Consider using bullet points to help
describe your offer and highlight the value it provides, as we've done in our
previous <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-master-the-design-and-copy-of-calls-to-action/" target="_blank" title="landing page example"><span style="color: blue;">landing page example</span></a> above.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5) Move That Form Up 'Above the Fold'</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Do your visitors have to
scroll down on the page or search high and low to find <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">where </span></em>or <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">how </span></em>they can redeem your
offer? No bueno. If your form is below the fold (in other words, your visitors
have to scroll down on the page in order to find it), move it up so it's more
prominently visible. Worse -- if they don't understand that they need to fill
out the form to redeem the offer in the first place, make it clear. There
should be no guesswork involved in offer redemption from your prospects'
perspective.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6) Shorten (or Lengthen) Your Form</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">"(Or Lengthen)"?
Stay with us folks. First of all, understand that the more form fields you
have, the less likely it is people will want to fill them out. Therefore, <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32079/How-Long-Should-Your-Landing-Page-Forms-Be.aspx" target="_blank" title="the length of your form needs to align with your lead generation goals"><span style="color: blue;">the
length of your form needs to align with your lead generation goals</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">So if your sales team has
too many leads on their hands and they don't have the time to qualify them all,
you might want to make your forms longer so they gather more information about
your leads, enabling your sales team to better qualify them up front. If you're
not generating <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">enough</span></em>
leads, on the other hand, it might make sense to shorten your forms. The fewer
fields you require, <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/29396/Master-Online-Lead-Generation-by-Reducing-Friction.aspx" target="_blank" title="the less friction you'll create"><span style="color: blue;">the less friction
you'll create</span></a>, and the more people will be willing to complete the form.
Get it? Got it? Good.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7) Improve Your Form's Submit Button Text</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">What does the text on your
landing page's submit button read? It it reads, "Submit," you might
want to make a little tweak. <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6737/Don-t-Submit-To-Landing-Page-Button-Text.aspx" target="_blank" title="According to research"><span style="color: blue;">According to research</span></a>
conducted for the <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/webinars/the-science-of-lead-generation/" target="_blank" title="Science of Lead Generation"><span style="color: blue;">Science of Lead Generation</span></a>,
landing pages with submit buttons actually labeled "Submit" tended to
have lower conversion rates than those that used other wording. Why? We think
it's because of the level of commitment the word "submit" implies,
compared to other words like "Click Here" or "Go."<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><img alt="submit resized 600" border="0" class="alignCenter" height="411" id="img-1340819628848" src="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/images/submit-resized-600.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="531" /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Use this data as a starting
off point, and test different button text to see what works with your pages and
your audience.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8) Add a Link to Your Privacy Policy</span></strong></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><img alt="privacy policy" border="0" class="alignRight" height="266" id="img-1340898496049" src="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/images/privacy-policy1.png" style="float: right;" width="215" />Try this quick and
simple trick for reducing visitors' landing page form anxiety. You have a
privacy policy that explains how you'll use your leads' information, right? (If
not, add this to your general to-do list.) You know how to create a link, yes?
Great.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Add a link to your landing
page -- preferably right on the form itself -- that directs form-wary visitors
to a page that outlines your privacy. This will help quell any fears they might
have about how you plan to use their information, and make them more likely to
complete the form. It will also make you seem transparent, trustworthy, and
credible (because you are!).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9) Add Social Sharing Buttons</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Want to easily extend the
reach of your offers? Put your visitors to work! Your landing page visitors
have their own networks of contacts, and many of them are likely not in yours,
so if they share your landing page in social media, you'll be expanding your
reach beyond your direct network.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">But really, you don't want
to actually make it <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">work</span></em>
for them to share your offers with their networks, so how about you just make
it as easy as possible for them to do so? Add social media and email sharing
buttons to your landing page <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">and
</span></em>its <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32692/How-to-Leverage-Thank-You-Page-Real-Estate-for-Better-Marketing.aspx" target="_blank" title="thank-you page"><span style="color: blue;">thank-you page</span></a>! Just be sure that
the URL you include in these pre-populated updates links to your offers'
landing page, not the thank-you page where leads can access the offer
(remember, you want to capture that conversion first!). If you're not sure how
to create these handy little buttons, check out our <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/29544/The-Ultimate-Cheat-Sheet-for-Creating-Social-Media-Buttons.aspx" target="_blank" title="guide to creating social media sharing links and buttons here"><span style="color: blue;">guide to creating
social media sharing links and buttons here</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10) Add a Visual (or a More Compelling One)</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">We humans are visual
creatures, so it's no wonder we've seen an increasing emphasis on visuals in
marketing lately. (Think about all those <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/28436/10-Traits-of-Amazingly-Awesome-Infographics.aspx" target="_blank" title="infographics"><span style="color: blue;">infographics</span></a>, <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33197/10-Popular-Memes-Masquerading-as-Marketing-Campaigns.aspx" target="_blank" title="memes"><span style="color: blue;">memes</span></a>, and the rise in visual-centric social
networks like <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-use-pinterest-for-business/" target="_blank" title="Pinterest"><span style="color: blue;">Pinterest</span></a>.) Hey, they don't say "a picture is worth a
thousand words" for nothing. So if your landing page doesn't include some
kind of visual -- or a compelling one, for that matter -- adding one is an easy
upgrade. Even though you've explained what the offer is and the value they'll
get from it through your copy, it can still seem like a mystery to your
visitors. Thus, we recommend including a visual that more tangibly <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">shows</span></em> the visitor what
they're actually going to get.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">At HubSpot, for example,
you'll notice that the majority of our ebook landing pages feature an image of
the ebook's cover page. This gives potential downloaders a very tangible idea
of what they're going to receive when they fill out the form. Remember:
Surprises are fun when it's your birthday, not when you're providing a random
company with your personal deets.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><img alt="describe the image" border="0" class="alignCenter shadow" id="img-1340822085155" src="http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/images/pinterest-ebook-cover-resized-600.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">11) Remove Distractions</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Think of your landing page
visitors like kids in a candy store. If you put a lot of bells, whistles, and
different choices in front of them, you'll never be able to corral them. That's
why it's critical to limit as many potential distractions as possible on your
landing pages. You want your visitors to focus on one thing and one thing only
-- completing the form to redeem the offer. So don't include anything on your
page that might prevent them from doing just that.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Remove any website
navigation so visitors aren't tempted to visit another part of your website,
and get rid of any other calls-to-action for other offers you might have on the
page.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">12) Conduct an A/B Test</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">A/B tests are great for
tweaking and optimizing your landing pages, especially because sometimes even
the simplest A/B test can yield really powerful results. Another great thing
about A/B tests is, there are so many possible variables you can test -- and
you don't even have to limit these tests to your landing pages.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">But since landing pages are
the topic at hand today, let's focus there. Some simple <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/30055/How-Non-Techies-Can-Succeed-With-Landing-Page-Testing.aspx" target="_blank" title="landing page variables you can try A/B testing"><span style="color: blue;">landing
page variables you can try A/B testing</span></a> include page layout, design, copy,
images, and number of form fields. Be sure to pay close attention to your
analytics so you know how your A/B test performed. To learn more about how to
conduct A/B tests the right way, you can <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/an-introduction-to-ab-testing/" target="_blank" title="download our complete guide here"><span style="color: blue;">download our complete guide here</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="margin: 1.33em 0in;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">13) Promote It!</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">While promoting your
landing pages may not exactly be a "tweak," it's important not to
overlook. After all, if you don't promote your landing pages, all of the above
tweaks won't really make much of a difference! Be sure that along with every
offer's landing page, you create CTA buttons that you can use in blog posts
(just check the bottom of this blog post for an example) and on other website
pages. Furthermore, promote links to your landing pages in your website's <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31883/7-Places-You-Need-to-Publish-Content-on-Your-Website-Beyond-Your-Blog.aspx" target="_blank" title="resource center"><span style="color: blue;">resource center</span></a>, social media
updates, email marketing sends, and lead nurturing campaigns. You put all that
work into creating the offer and optimizing the landing page, so make sure you
squeeze the most ROI out of it as possible!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Speaking of ROI, let your <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32000/5-Actionable-Insights-to-Extract-From-Your-Landing-Page-Analytics.aspx" target="_blank" title="landing page analytics"><span style="color: blue;">landing page analytics</span></a> be
your guide as you make tweaks and optimize your landing pages. If you notice a
tweak has actually hurt, not helped your page, you'll be able to track that,
and switch it back!</span><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">What other little
landing page tweaks have you noticed made a BIG difference in the performance
of your landing pages?</span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33335/13-Little-Landing-Page-Tweaks-That-Can-Make-a-BIG-Difference.aspx" target="_blank">Original Article...</a></span></em>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-36495725056742178632012-06-28T12:27:00.000-07:002012-07-02T12:27:42.927-07:00Android Claims More Than Half of the U.S. Smartphone Market in April 2012Jason Hahn | DM Confidential | June 27, 2012<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">According to the latest numbers from comScore,
Google’s Android took control of more than half of the U.S. smartphone market in
April. Meanwhile, more than half of U.S. smartphone subscribers used downloaded
apps in April, while a third played games on their phones. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
More than 107 million people in the U.S. owned
smartphones during the three months ending in April, up 6 percent from January,
according to comScore.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Using a three-month average ending in April,
comScore found that 50.8 percent of U.S. smartphone users were on the Android
platform, up 2.2 percentage points from the 48.6 percent share in January.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Apple followed with 31.4 percent of the market, up
1.9 percentage points from the 29.5 percent it had in January. RIM was third
with 11.6 percent, down 3.6 points from its 15.2 percent share in January.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Microsoft followed with 4.0 percent of the market,
down 0.4 points from its 4.4 percent share in January. Symbian was fifth with
1.3 percent of the market, down 0.2 points from its 1.5 percent share in
January.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to comScore, Samsung was the top mobile
original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in April with 25.9 percent of the market,
up 0.5 points from its 25.4 percent share in January.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
LG was second with 19.2 percent of the market,
followed by Apple with 14.4 percent, Motorola with 12.5 percent and HTC with 6.0
percent.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
During the three months ending in April, 74.1
percent of U.S. smartphone users sent text messages to another phone, down 0.5
percentage points from the 74.6 percent who did the same in January. Meanwhile,
50.2 percent of smartphone users used downloaded apps in April, up 1.6 points
from the 48.6 percent in January.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Forty-nine percent used a browser on their
smartphones in April, while 36.0 percent accessed a social networking site or
blog, 33.1 percent played games, and 25.8 percent listened to music on their
mobile phones.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Separate numbers from inneractive take a look at
the top three countries, by ad requests, in major app categories across all
mobile platforms.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to inneractive, the U.S. leads the
arcade and action mobile app category with 19.75 percent of ad requests,
followed by India with 10.51 percent and the U.K. with 6.01 percent.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The U.S. leads the news and info category with
10.72 percent of ad requests, followed by Russia with 8.70 percent and Germany
with 5.48 percent.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The brain and puzzle mobile app category is led by
the U.K. with 12.02 percent, followed by the U.S. with 10.73 percent and Turkey
with 6.64 percent.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The U.S. leads the tools category with 11.26
percent, followed by Mexico with 11.17 percent and India with 8.63 percent.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
India leads the entertainment category with 13.34
percent of ad requests, followed by Russia with 7.17 percent and the U.K. with
7.03 percent.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.dmconfidential.com/blogs/column/Marketing/3501/" target="_blank">Original Article...</a></div>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-30961004664951813972012-06-27T12:24:00.000-07:002012-07-02T12:25:07.528-07:00Hulu Serves 1.7 Billion Video Ads in May 2012Jason Hahn | DM Confidential | June 27, 2012<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">According to comScore, Hulu led all U.S. online video
ad properties when it came to video ads viewed in May, and Americans viewed a
record number of video ads during the month. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
comScore’s Video Metrix numbers from May reveal
that U.S. online video viewers watched a total of 10.1 billion video ads in May,
an all-time high. Hulu accounted for 1.7 billion of the video ads delivered
during the month, with 55.5 ads served per viewer and a reach of 9.8 percent of
the total U.S. population.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Google Sites followed with 1.4 billion video ads
served in May, with 18.6 ads per viewer and a reach of 24.3 percent of the U.S.
population. Meanwhile, BrightRoll Video Network served 1.1 billion video ads,
with 10.3 ads per viewer and a reach of 35.8 percent of the population.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Adap.tv (966 million video ads), TubeMogul Video
Ad Platform (897 million video ads), Specific Media (752 million video ads),
Tremor Video (726 million video ads), SpotXchange Video Ad Marketplace (615
million video ads), Auditude Inc. (570 million video ads) and ESPN (490 million
video ads) rounded out the list of the top 10 U.S. online video ad properties
ranked by video ads viewed.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Separate numbers from Nielsen
reveal the top online video destinations in May, ranked by unique viewers:</div>
<ol>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
YouTube (136 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yahoo (45.3 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
VEVO (42.0 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
AOL Media Network (25.6 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
MSN/Windows Live/Bing (24.3 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Facebook (23.2 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The CollegeHumor Network (22.9 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hulu (15.5 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Perform Group (12.0 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
ESPN Digital Network (11.4 million)</div>
</li>
</ol>
<strong>Nielsen also listed the top
online video destinations ranked by total streams:</strong><br />
<ol>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
YouTube (16.5 billion)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hulu (968 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
VEVO (727 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yahoo (434 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
AOL Media Network (331 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Netflix (301 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dailymotion (229 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
ESPN Digital Network (219 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
MSN/Windows Live/Bing (205 million)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Facebook (121 million)</div>
</li>
</ol>
According to Nielsen, there were 163 million
unique video viewers in the U.S. in May, and they streamed a total of 26.2
billion videos, good for 160.1 streams per viewer.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dmconfidential.com/blogs/column/Marketing/3525/" target="_blank">Original Article...</a>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-16410285224574380622012-06-27T12:20:00.000-07:002012-07-02T12:20:56.885-07:00Tuesday Is the Best Day to Deploy a Facebook CampaignJason Hahn | DM Confidential | June 27th, 2012<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">A report from Yesmail titled “Using Digital Market
Intelligence to Drive Multi-Channel Success” examines campaigns deployed via
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and email. Among the findings is that Tuesday,
surprisingly, is the best day of the week to deploy a Facebook campaign, while
the five most engaging brands deployed 45-70 Twitter campaigns per month. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to the report, Facebook campaigns
deployed on Tuesday get the highest level of engagement, despite the fact that
Tuesday ranks fourth in terms of number of deployed campaigns.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Meanwhile, Facebook campaigns deployed between 10
p.m. and midnight Eastern time get the most engagement. However, this is the
least utilized time slot for deployments. The least engaging time of day to
deploy a Facebook campaign is 1-4 a.m. Eastern time. The most popular time of
day for deploying Facebook campaigns is 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern time, though this
slot is in the bottom 30 percent in terms of engagement, according to
Yesmail.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
While Yesmail didn’t see a clear-cut answer when
it comes to determining the best frequency for Facebook campaigns deployed per
month, a look at the five most engaging retail brands on Facebook revealed that
they deploy 20-32 campaigns per month. Meanwhile, the five least engaging brands
deploy an average of 54 campaigns per month.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yesmail also found that on Facebook, photo content
is the most engaging campaign type, probably because it’s easy to share, quick
to browse and doesn’t require lots of time.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The study revealed that Facebook engagement
increases by about 50 percent when one email campaign is deployed, and by 100
percent when two email campaigns are deployed in the same time frame. “Given the
wide adoption of social share buttons, this relationship makes a compelling case
for multi-channel marketing programs that are spearheaded by email,” according
to Yesmail.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When it comes to Twitter, the highest levels of
engagement happen on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. While 20 percent of all
Twitter campaigns are deployed on Fridays, that day displays the lowest level of
customer engagement.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yesmail also looked at the commonalities between
the most engaging Twitter campaigns. It found that they often adhere to one or
more of the following practices:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
communicate purpose by identifying the desired
customer behavior</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
provide an incentive for performing a specific
action</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
empower the customer by putting them in charge</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
feature a celebrity mention</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
include a famous saying or a celebrity quote</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
incorporate fun, feel-good tweets with fun,
feel-good hashtags</div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Twitter engagement also benefits from email
marketing, as engagement rises by more than 25 percent with one email campaign
and by more than 40 percent with two campaigns.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For YouTube, Monday and Tuesday exhibit the
highest levels of engagement. While Monday displays the highest engagement, it’s
one of the three least utilized deployment days.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yesmail also notes that a third of top performing
YouTube campaigns are shorter than 30 seconds, while 28 percent are 60-90
seconds, 17 percent are 120-180 seconds and 11 percent are longer than 180
seconds.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.dmconfidential.com/blogs/column/Marketing/3523/" target="_blank">Original Article...</a></div>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-53802357655049275432012-06-26T13:35:00.001-07:002012-06-26T13:35:42.602-07:00Americans Spent 4.5B Minutes With Video Ads in MayDaniel Mickens | June 19, 2012 | ClickZ<br />
<br />
Video ads have posted another record-breaking month in May, going over the 10 billion mark for the first time. ComScore reported Hulu was at the top of the list with over 1.6 billion video ads delivered. YouTube and Google sites followed with nearly 1.4 billion video ads. BrightRoll Video Network was the only other video ad property to break the billion mark with 1.1 billion video ads delivered.<br />
<br />
ComScore includes only streaming-video advertising in its report, and does not measure other types of video monetization, such as overlays, branded players, matching banner ads, etc.<br />
<br />
Americans spent over 4.5 billion minutes watching video ads in May. Hulu led this category as well with 725 million minutes. BrightRoll Video Network and Adap.tv were the next two leading properties with 673 million and 556 million minutes, respectively.<br />
<br />
Video ads reached 52 percent of the U.S. population an average of 64 times during the month of May. Hulu once again topped the category by delivering the highest frequency of video ads to their viewers with an average of 56. ESPN was second in the category with an average of 29 ads per viewer.<br />
<br />
Despite being a leader in those three categories, Hulu ranked near the bottom of the list in reaching the U.S. population. Compared to the leaders in this category - BrightRoll Video Network (35.8 percent) and Specific Media (31.9 percent), Hulu reached just 10 percent of the population.<br />
<br />
ComScore also released data from the comScore Video Metrix showing that over 180 million U.S. Internet users watched 36.6 billion content videos last month. YouTube, VEVO, and Yahoo Sites topped almost every category of the video content rankings.<br />
<br />
<table bgcolor="#2b3856" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" style="width: 400px;"><tbody>
<tr bgcolor="#2b3856"><th colspan="5"><span style="color: white; font-family: verdana,lucida,arial,helvetica;">Top U.S. Online Video Ad Properties <br /> Ranked by Video Ads Viewed, May 2012</span></th></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#777777"><th align="center" valign="top"><span style="color: black;"> Property </span></th><th align="center" valign="top"><span style="color: black;"> Video Ads (000) </span></th><th align="center" valign="top"><span style="color: black;">Total Ad Minutes (MM)</span></th><th align="center" valign="top"><span style="color: black;">Frequency (Ads per Viewer) </span></th><th align="center" valign="top"><span style="color: black;">% Reach Total U.S. Population</span></th></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">Total Internet: Total Audience</td><td align="center" valign="top">10,076,499</td><td align="center" valign="top">4,517</td><td align="center" valign="top">63.6</td><td align="center" valign="top">51.7</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">Hulu</td><td align="center" valign="top">1,666,846</td><td align="center" valign="top">725</td><td align="center" valign="top">55.5</td><td align="center" valign="top">9.8</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">Google Sites</td><td align="center" valign="top">1,385,273</td><td align="center" valign="top">143</td><td align="center" valign="top">18.6</td><td align="center" valign="top">24.3</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">BrightRoll Video Network</td><td align="center" valign="top">1,130,983</td><td align="center" valign="top">673</td><td align="center" valign="top">10.3</td><td align="center" valign="top">35.8</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">Adap.tv</td><td align="center" valign="top">966,204</td><td align="center" valign="top">556</td><td align="center" valign="top">13.1</td><td align="center" valign="top">24.1</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">TubeMogul Video Ad Platform</td><td align="center" valign="top">896,787</td><td align="center" valign="top">259</td><td align="center" valign="top">17.4</td><td align="center" valign="top">16.8</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">Specific Media</td><td align="center" valign="top">751,542</td><td align="center" valign="top">359</td><td align="center" valign="top">7.7</td><td align="center" valign="top">31.9</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">Tremor Video</td><td align="center" valign="top">725,944</td><td align="center" valign="top">408</td><td align="center" valign="top">14.1</td><td align="center" valign="top">16.8</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">SpotXchange Video Ad Marketplace</td><td align="center" valign="top">615,290</td><td align="center" valign="top">326</td><td align="center" valign="top">13.5</td><td align="center" valign="top">14.9</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">Auditude, Inc.</td><td align="center" valign="top">569,862</td><td align="center" valign="top">219</td><td align="center" valign="top">11.6</td><td align="center" valign="top">16.0</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" valign="top">ESPN</td><td align="center" valign="top">490,103</td><td align="center" valign="top">169</td><td align="center" valign="top">28.6</td><td align="center" valign="top">5.6</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<em>Data provided by comScore Video Metrix.</em><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2185578/americans-spent-45b-minutes-video-ads" target="_blank">Original Article...</a>HVAC Business Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16134784586109211862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971472449779530684.post-11444173558765898532012-06-26T13:32:00.000-07:002012-06-26T13:32:02.879-07:00What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC?Lisa Raehsler | ClickZ | June 26, 2012<br />
<br />
A commonly asked question in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is "what is a good click-through rate (CTR)?" There is no easy answer and it can vary greatly depending on channel, targeting, keywords, and more.<br />
<br />
First, the basics of the CTR:<br />
<br />
<strong>Defined:</strong> The number of clicks received divided by the number of impressions generated. For example, an ad that is displayed 1,000 times and receives 10 clicks has a click-through rate of 1 percent.<br />
<br />
<strong>Channel differentials:</strong> Search and display channel results are very different. We tend to see higher CTRs in search because the searcher is looking for specific information, and is therefore more likely to click when they find it. With display ads, the viewer is passive - doing something else when the ad is served to them.<br />
<br />
Why do people care so much about CTRs? The CTR can be an indicator of how relevant an ad is to the searcher or to the audience targeted. It can demonstrate interest in a product message or show what "resonates" with searchers. I also have a theory that there can be an ego factor with CTRs. The bigger the better, right?<br />
<br />
Several factors can impact CTR on an ad, which is why there is no definitive answer to the question. A few of the factors to consider include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Audiences and targeting</li>
<li>B2B or B2C</li>
<li>Brand or non-branded</li>
<li>A keyword's place in the search funnel</li>
<li>Ad copy's creative messaging - CTA</li>
<li>Type of offer</li>
<li>Display URL</li>
<li>Images/design</li>
<li>Industry competitiveness</li>
</ul>
There are some observed trends in the industry based on PPC managers' experience and the channel's own data.<br />
<br />
<strong>Search:</strong> In a healthy account you will see CTRs vary depending on the type of campaign. For example, branding campaigns typically earn a much higher CTR than non-brand. Advertisers may see 1 percent to 7 percent for non-brand with brand ads being 3 percent and up. Consider the differences in each campaign, but focus on optimizing ads with a CTR less than 1 percent.<br />
<br />
<strong>Display:</strong> Typically advertisers could see 0.05 percent and above, with retargeting campaigns' CTR as much as double the percentage of site targeting campaigns. Try to optimize any ads with CTRs lower than about 0.03 percent, if clicks are a consideration. Most of the time, display ads are used for branding so impressions are a more important metric.<br />
<br />
<strong>Facebook:</strong> Facebook offers two different types of CTR. One is ad CTR, which is the percentage of times the ad or sponsored story is clicked on. The other CTR is the social CTR. This number represents clicks on ads shown with the names of the viewer's friend. Facebook reps have said that CTR is not important and have not shared an average or goal CTR. This seems to be counterintuitive since part of Facebook's algorithm is based on an ad's CTR. Many advertisers will see 0.020 percent to 0.040 percent on average, but I regularly see several CTRs of 0.063 percent and up to 0.5 percent. Focus on optimizing or pausing any ads with less than 0.02 percent.<br />
<br />
<strong>LinkedIn:</strong> According to a LinkedIn rep, the average CTR for ads on LinkedIn is about 0.025 percent. I see that percentage on the low end and then up to 0.06 percent. Focus on optimizing or pausing anything under 0.018 percent.<br />
<br />
Determining a good CTR is also common-sense marketing. Sometimes to increase awareness or achieve a goal, advertisers have to bid on less relevant or complementary keywords or audience targets. This can result in a lower than expected CTR. This happens. It's OK. The bottom line is if campaigns are achieving their goals in conversions, traffic, or branding, the CTR is only one piece of the data pie.<br />
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