Website Magazine August 2015

How to Set Up an Email Highlight Reel

10 CELEBRATING

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THE MAGAZINE FOR WEBSITE SUCCESS WEBSITEMAGAZINE.COM

AUGUST 2015

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Fundamentals of International SEO PASS OR FAIL: Tips for Grading Your Customer List Why is Your Content Not Converting?

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2015 Content NEWSLETTER

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

E-Commerce Express

Mastering Search

Social, Local, Mobile

Design & Development

Hot Trends

Feature

E-Commerce

Mastering Search

Design & Development

Top 50

Stat Watch

Digital Power Players Awards

Replatforming Guide

Create an SEO Plan

The Best Designs of '14

Marketing Solutions

Email

Content Marketing Strategies

Loyalty Programs

12/2

Trends in E-Commerce Design

Everyday Content Development

Data Visualization

Digital Ad Networks

Personalization

Gamification Tactics

Marketing Automation

1/1

Influence & Advertising

Affiliate Tactics for Online Retailers

Reducing Performance Hurdles

Security

Design Inspiration

Advertising

Big Brand Email Campaigns

Mobile Apps for Small Biz

2/3

Design & Usability Failures

Live Chat for Web Sellers

Modern Responsive Design

Affiliate Programs

Tech Spending

BI Solutions in Focus

Email Scheduling

3/3

MAY

Get Rich Quick (Affiliate Marketing)

Acquiring Product Reviews

Current Search Trends

Influential Design Tech

Essential Web Platforms

CRM Related

Enterprise Content Management

On-Demand Lead Generation

4/1

JUNE

Web Software Matchup

Payment Gateways in Focus

SEO Software Comparison

Advertising Design

WCMS Solutions

Collaboration & Productivity

Security Considerations

Usability Evaluation

5/1

JULY

The Local Web is Everywhere

Subscription Management Tips

The State of Structured Data

Frameworks in Focus

Domain Registrars

Web Customer Profiles

Mind Mapping

Customer Surveys

6/2

AUGUST

Essential & Edgy E-Commerce

Product Customization Tools

App Store Optimization

API Inspiration

Mobile Apps for Web Workers

E-Commerce Watch

Maximize CRM Value

Vertical Software

7/1

Mobile Growth Tactics

Lead Generation Tactics

International SEO

SEO for Designers

Essential 'Net Software

Mobile Growth

Demand Generation

Outsourcing Guide

8/4

Web Business Operations

Social Media Techniques

Local Web Optimization Tactics

Redesign Guide

Social Media Management

Big Data

Accounting & Finance

Net Customer Service

9/1

NOVEMBER

Social Tricks & Media Magic

E-Commerce KPIs

Web Design for SEO

What is Accessibility?

Email Service Providers

Social Focus

Channel Management

Web Conferencing

10/1

DECEMBER

Analytics for Everybody

Email for Online Merchants

Today's SEO Basics

Design Makeover

SEO Tools

Wealthiest Webbies

Mobile Marketing

Digital Advertising

11/3

TOPIC E-EDITION/ PRINT/IPAD

JANUARY

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Engagement & Personalization

MARCH

APRIL

SEPTEMBER

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SEO Troubleshooting

Considerations

Enterprise Ready

Small Biz

Ad Deadlines

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ESSENTIAL EDGY E-COMMERCE

Consumers’ shifting behaviors, expectations and tech-savvy are rapidly changing the way retailers market and sell products online. Shoppers’ often fragmented conversion paths are forcing the industry’s hand to let shoppers shop how, when and where they want – causing retailers to consider “edgy” technology that is now essential to every e-commerce brand’s success.

THIS MONTH IN WEBSITE MAGAZINE Explore Website Magazine’s

DEPARTMENTS

On-Site Social Strategies Brands are turning to solutions and strategies that bring engagement and traffic off social networks and on to their websites.

Why Content Isn’t Converting With every brand becoming a “publisher,” it’s hightime Web pros look at which companies actually need to create content and which ones don’t.

Stat Watch: Mobile’s Unstoppable Growth

Enterprise Ready: Grading Your Customer List

Small Business Lab: Tapping Into the Freelance Economy

Quiz Time: Consumers’ Mobile Behavior

Clean Up Your Code

Top 50:

The benefits of clear and uncluttered code will not only serve a developer well today, but also years down the digital road.

Mobile Solutions for the Enterprise

Send Email Highlight Reels

SEO Principles for ‘Net Builders

Across industries, marketers are sending messages highlighting the activity on their networks to motivate recipients to engage.

Mastering Search:

E-Commerce Express: Retail Lead Generation in Focus

Design & Development:

The Fundamentals of International SEO

Web Commentary:

Uncommon Ways to Measure SEO Campaigns There are lesser-used statistical analysis processes that can get to the root of why SEO initiatives are or are not working.

Selecting the Right Digital Ad Agency To make the most of a company-agency relationship, the right questions must be asked from day one.

The Great Gender Divide

GET THE DIGITAL SCOOP Check out Website Magazine’s email newsletters covering search, e-commerce, social, design and more at wsm.co/webscoop.

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From the

EDITOR A Non-Linear Path to E-Commerce Success While Amazon’s highly touted Prime Day event was marred with some minor bad publicity (related namely to the variety of somewhat odd products being featured including beer koozies, shoe horns and Adam Sandler movies) it did illustrate the complexities and potential of the e-commerce industry.

Find Website Magazine at these Internet industry tradeshows. *eTail East August 10-13 Boston, MA ClickZ August 10-12 San Francisco, CA LeadsCon August 25-26 New York City, NY *Website Magazine is a sponsor

The mid-summer event, touted early on as having “more deals than Black Friday,” did end up seeing peak order rates for the day surpassing that of the post-Thanksgiving digital shopping rush (according to Amazon), but the online buzz around Prime Day was arguably mixed at best, with some likening the event to a digital garage sale.

Adobe Digital Index, which examines online advertising and chatter on Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Foursquare and other sites, indicated that compared with Black Friday, Amazon Prime Day “failed to capture the social buzz of consumers.” Amazon Prime had just 90,000 social mentions compared to Black Friday 2014 having 1.6 million in the same time period – but that ultimately doesn’t matter much.

Even if Amazon did make some missteps, and Prime Day wasn’t the Christmas in July many were hoping for, it won’t slow the e-commerce juggernaut down in the least. One thing should be very clear: Amazon is the undisputed leader in the realm of e-commerce and every other Internet retailer will need every advantage in order to compete, turning to the essential, and sometimes edgy, e-commerce tactics necessary to do so. In this month’s feature article from Associate Editor Allison Howen, Website Magazine readers will discover many of these techniques and approaches and learn how to position their brand and products better as the holiday 2015 shopping season rolls around.

E-commerce is the primary focus of this edition of Website Magazine, but readers will also find many other useful articles to help readers accelerate their ‘Net success. This issue, for example, includes expert guidance CELEBRATING on email marketing, conversion optimization, search marketing, lead generation and a whole lot more.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue of Website Magazine and invite you to join us on the Web, where our editors and contributors explore the topics that matter most to digital success.

10

Best Web Wishes,

YEARS

Peter@WebsiteMagazine.com

Cheers to the Next 10 Years

Website Magazine is celebrating our 10-year anniversary by offering the chance for our loyal readers to win a $500 prize. Simply find the phrase “building blocks” in the second half of the magazine (hint: it’s in orange and bold) and then visit wsm.co/digitalwm15 to open the digital version of the August issue. Once you locate and click on the phrase, you’ll be directed to a landing page where you can enter to win $500.

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Website Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 8, August 2015, (ISSN# 1942-0633) is published 12 times a year, January through December by Website Services, Inc., 999 E. Touhy Ave., Des Plaines, IL 60018. Periodicals Postage Paid at Des Plaines, IL and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Website Magazine, 999 E. Touhy Ave., Des Plaines, IL 60018.

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Net

BRIEFS

Adobe is putting its Jan. 2015 Fotolia acquisition to good use, as the powerhouse expanded its portfolio with a service called Adobe Stock. The stock photo service provides 40 million royalty-free photos, illustrations and graphics. While accessible as a stand-alone service, designers are able to purchase photos (as part of a monthly package or individual downloads) directly within many Adobe products, like Photoshop CC. Due to the product integration, designers can even work on watermarked images until the purchase is approved. Once bought, all previous changes will be applied to the purchased image automatically within select Adobe design products.

MISSING: Social ROI Marketers still having trouble identifying a return on investment (ROI) for their brands’ social initiatives are not alone. In fact, data from Simply Measured’s 2015 “State of Social Marketing” report reveals that 60 percent of respondents identify ROI as their greatest social media marketing challenge. Despite this, the same report indicated that social media will account for 23 percent of marketers’ total budgets by 2020.

DOMAINS 360

The Fundamentals of Buying and Selling Domain Names

BY PETER PRESTIPINO

Adobe Loves Stock Photos

WEBSITE MAGAZINE’S

The Fundamentals of Buying and Selling Domain Names

Under the vision of CEO Satya Nadella (pictured), Microsoft is changing course - partnering with AOL to give the company control over its display ads division for the Microsoft portfolio across nine markets, including Brazil, France and the U.S. As part of the 10-year deal, Bing will power searches conducted on Aol.com starting Jan. 1 (replacing Google). Further leaving the ad game behind, AppNexus will become Microsoft’s exclusive programmatic technology and sales partner in 10 European markets.

learn more at domains360book.com DOMAINS 360

Microsoft Leaves the Ad Game

Master the Fundamentals of Buying & Selling Domain Names

PETER PRESTIPINO Editor-in-Chief, Website Magazine

AWS Bolsters its Mobile Lineup Through two separate announcements, Amazon Web Services (AWS) revealed its new Amazon API Gateway and AWS Device Farm. The Amazon API Gateway is a fully managed service for developing mobile and Web application backends that is able to handle all tasks associated with accepting and processing daily API calls, including traffic management and access control. The AWS Device Farm is an app testing service that enables mobile developers to test Android and Fire OS apps on real, physical phones and tablets.

Net

BRIEFS #WEBTECHWATCH

Online Shoppers Up the Ante Sixty-eight percent of U.S. consumers are shopping online at least once per month according to a recent study from Walker Sands Communications. What’s more, 28 percent of these consumers make Web purchases at least once a week, indicating that consumers are becoming more comfortable with shopping online.

See what has the ‘Net community all abuzz with Website Magazine’s #WebTechWatch series, a weekly roundup available online profiling both emerging and established technologies and some of the most useful solutions for today’s Web workers. If you have a digital product or service you think deserves a mention, tweet @WebsiteMagazine with the hashtag #WebTechWatch.

+ Mentia: Insights and recommendations for social media content + ZenCastr: High-fidelity, Web-based podcasting platform for site owners

Rethinking CPC on Facebook

+ Flutter: Set up recurring tweets for dynamic content from the Web

Facebook updated the way it measures cost-perclick (CPC) ads on its network in hopes of helping advertisers better understand how their campaigns perform against their objectives. Previously, CPC was measured as any click taken within an ad unit, such as a like, comment, share or click to a website. With the update, however, Facebook will measure clicks related to ad objectives, such as a click to visit another website or a click to install an app.

+ MapFig: An open-source mapping tool for websites

MORE NEWS OF NOTE: Pinterest’s buyable pins make their debut: wsm.co/pinningbuy Bing gives it video search design a makeover: wsm.co/videosbing Mobile commerce is booming: wsm.co/mobilebuyboom Twitter tests new shopping features: wsm.co/twittershoptest Time to consider username and password alternatives: wsm.co/loginalts

+ Relais: Manage, control and optimize AWS instances

+ Coverr: Free videos for use in homepage backgrounds + Testfire (Editor’s Pick): Get screen video and app logs for every iOS and Android bug. Push issues to JIRA, GitHub, Pivotal Tracker, Trello and FogBugz.

Stat

WATCH

Mobile Matters for Today’s Growing Business In today’s always-on society, it should come as no surprise that small business owners are rarely ever disconnected from their companies – and mobile is mostly to thank.

In fact, 78 percent of small business owners check their work email and documents from their mobile device while on vacation, according to Manta’s 2015 Small Business Mobile Preferences Poll, released in July of this year. While this may sound bothersome for those running a business, 64 percent of them actually feel like they can enjoy their vacation more because of the connectivity enabled by mobile devices and applications. That is, of course, if they are able to take a vacation at all.

Manta’s poll also found that 43 percent of small business owners will not have time to take a summer vacation this year, with the majority (29 percent) not doing so because they don’t have anyone to cover their responsibilities while they are gone, followed by them not being able to afford it (24 percent).

Perhaps time off will be in the cards next year, however, as small business owners are relying on their mobile devices more and more to conduct business, with 27 percent of them doing so every day. Besides phone calls and checking emails, small business owners most often use their mobile devices for scheduling appointments and communicating with clients (56 percent), followed by note-taking and managing to-do lists (30 percent).

To increase efficiency even more, small business owners should check out, “10 Startups That Help SMBs Increase Productivity’ at wsm.co/10smbtools, many of which are mobile-based.

For additional ways to understand just how much mobile matters for growing businesses, check out the interesting stats on the right.

51%

By 2016, mobile will account for 51 percent of digital ad spend, totaling $101.37 billion to be spent on ads served to mobile phones and tablets worldwide next year. (eMarketer, April 2015)

18%

Mobile phones drove 18 percent of all e-commerce orders in Q1 2015, up 59 percent from Q1 2014, indicating strong shopping activity on those devices.

(Demandware, June 2015)

45%

When it comes to watching video, 45 percent of millennials prefer watching on their mobile device rather than on a laptop or desktop computer. Further, 80 percent of them find video helpful when researching a potential purchase.

(Animoto, June 2015)

10%

Based on an analysis of billions of emails sent in the first quarter of 2015, mobile clicks now account for 45 percent of all email clicks, up 10 percent from the previous quarter.

(Yesmail, June 2015)

73%

Facebook’s mobile advertising revenue represented approximately 73 percent of its total revenue for the first quarter of 2015, up from roughly 59 percent in the first quarter of 2014.

(Facebook, April 2015)

A U GU ST 2015

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10 YEARS

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Enterprise

READY Making the Grade

How to Best Engage with Every Email Contact

By EJ McGowan, General Manager of Campaigner

Every August stirs up the memory of summer vacation ending and back-toschool looming ahead. However, the upcoming season of homework, tests and grades doesn’t only include students and teachers, but can apply to email marketers as well.

A+

Email Tech to Consider Check out email tools Web pros can use to be more popular at

wsm.co/emailclass

10

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Every classroom has a mix of star students earning A’s and B’s, a middle of the road crew pulling in C’s, and the laggards skating by with D’s or even falling behind with F’s. It’s the same story with every marketer’s contact list, inevitably having a similar range of variation: highly engaged and active contacts, those who will occasionally show interest and click through an email and the unavoidable cluster of people who rarely even open an email message.

In order to help every email marketer fill their list with star students, here are a few key practices to engage with users of all levels of activity, from super active A+ contacts to completely inactive F-level contacts.

Give Star Contacts Extra Credit A+ contacts are those who marketers can count on to open their messages and engage with their brands across multiple mediums, and on a regular basis.

These are “star students” and likely make up 20 percent of a list while driving 80 percent of the revenue.

10 YEARS

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AUG UST 2015

Giving this group special attention will further deepen their loyalty and motivate them toward additional engagement with a brand. Email marketers should offer “extra credit” in the form of freebies, exclusive offers or promotional discounts for referrals. Further, brands should consider creating an exclusive “gold membership” group or another type of recognition to give these overachievers an elite status within the customer base. The elite membership must have worthwhile perks such as advance notice on sales or access to one-of-a-kind products. This will indicate the brand is taking notice of their activity and truly values their relationship, ensuring longtime loyalty and increased profits.

Incentivize C’s to Improve Every teacher knows that C students are capable of improving their grades with just a little extra encouragement. Who are these mediocre users? They are the contacts who have purchased in the past or perhaps open emails from time to time, yet only occasionally engage with a brand. With this group, it is worth putting in the effort to coax them along while a brand has their attention. Marketers need to take advantage of the interest they’ve shown and use it to push them toward becoming an active and highly engaged A+ contact. One way is to give them a taste of the benefits from elite membership and

provide clear steps toward the type of engagement necessary to keep them there. By offering a tier of perks within their grasp, such as a silver or bronze level of membership, this allows marketers to meet them at their current level of interest, encouraging them to increase their engagement and gain access to the top level of benefits reserved for only the most dedicated contacts.

Mix It Up to Get Failing Contacts Back on Track Unlike highly engaged A-level users, who are already attentive to a brand’s marketing efforts, contacts that get an “F” in engagement require a more creative approach. The challenge is to figure out what will spark their interest, and the best place to start is the subject line. The email subject line is the first hurdle to overcome and the primary tool to leverage when faced with a completely disinterested contact. Marketers should use A/B split testing to determine the best subject lines and content that will grab the attention of F-grade users. Since these contacts aren’t engaged with a brand at all, enterprises should consider each email as a chance for a fresh start and an opportu-

nity to make a lasting first impression. Marketers may find that F-grade users have slightly different responses to subject lines with higher open rates and some engagement, so this data can be used to segment a list further. Once a brand has had some success with eye-catching subject lines, they have the opportunity to encourage failing contacts to interact and turn them into mid- and upper-level users. Just like every student requires a different style of teacher, each type of user responds to different styles of subject lines. The only way to find out is by putting them to the test to determine what works best.

Any teacher would love to have a classroom full of self-motivated, A+ students; likewise, it’s a marketer’s dream to have an email list full of highly engaged and interactive contacts. By grading contacts according to their level of activity, brands can provide a targeted marketing approach that directly meets each of their needs. Though this may seem like an impossible task, with the right tailored tutoring and email marketing curriculum, marketers just might be able to boost their overall average – and not to mention, profits.

EXPELLED! Is there a right time to remove a contact from your email list? Find out at

wsm.co/expelemail

Small

BUSINESS LAB

The Freelance Economy Breaking the Full-Time Mold

By Derek Schou, Associate Editor

From software developers to copywriters, freelance work has become commonplace in a variety of industries over the years.

Did You Know?

According to Q1 2015 Freelancer.com data, the number of freelance jobs increased for: eBooks (up 43 percent) creative writing (up 41 percent) content writing (up 26 percent) ghostwriting (up 23 percent) 12

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As companies look to fill temporary positions or scale their workforce, many are turning to freelance professionals and it is proving to be a mutually beneficial relationship. In fact, 68 percent of users on Freelancer.com have joined the marketplace to make extra money, whereas 25 percent are using the marketplace to start a new full-time business and 19 percent to start a part-time business.

To connect companies with independent contractors, a variety of platforms exist. Top marketplaces include the aforementioned Freelancer.com, as well as Guru.com, Elance.com, Upwork.com (formerly oDesk) and others. Discover where to hire freelancers for a variety of projects at wsm.co/topflance.

Before jumping straight into the top freelance marketplaces, it’s important to note some of the advantages and disadvantages for companies hiring independent contractors in the new services economy.

Advantages of Hiring Freelancers

One of the greatest benefits of using freelance workers is the ability to select individuals with very specific skill sets for the task at hand. If a software design company is preparing to release a product, but is struggling on a specific aspect (e.g. the user interface), for example, it can hire a freelance programmer with expertise in this area.

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AUG UST 2015

Not only are freelancers brought in for their expertise on particular projects, but businesses also use these independent contractors to reduce costs over the long-term.

“I have been a freelancer for almost 20 years, but in the last couple of years, I have had to subcontract out some of my work to other freelancers to meet the demands of my clients,” said Lysa Miller, CEO of ladybugz.com, a Web design and Web marketing firm. “It has worked really well for me because my business is more project based, so I don’t have to pay people when I don’t have projects.

“Hiring freelancers has allowed me to grow my small business and meet the needs of more and larger clients. If I had to hire full-time staff to do the work, I would not be able to grow or meet their salary needs.”

Freelancers are so in demand that Intuit even went as far as predicting that more than 40 percent of the U.S. workforce would be freelancers by 2020. It should be noted, however, that the prediction was made in 2010, in the aftermath of the U.S. economic downturn.

What to Watch For

While greater expertise and lower overhead are certainly solid business reasons to hire freelancers, there are several drawbacks to the practice; most notably the issue with intellectual property.

For those who need a quick refresher, Intellectual Property (IP) refers to “creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce,” (World Intellectual Property Organization). In other words, who owns the work that is created?

According to the Freelancers Union, unlike regular full-time employees, freelancers have the legal rights to whatever “self- (not group) created products” they designed for companies. In fact, when freelancers are working for a client, said client is actually paying them for the right to use their Intellectual Property. While companies can negotiate their use of freelancers’ IP for years after its creation, contract talks can become lengthy and costly.

While the intellectual property concern is a major one, there are other issues that must be addressed, including onboarding, access to essential business platforms (e.g. content management or e-commerce systems), communication protocols and more. Check out a 10-step checklist for working effectively with freelancers in the new services economy at wsm.co/flance10.

Quiz

TIME

1. What percentage of consumers uses their mobile device within stores when seeking help making a purchasing decision? a. 90 percent b. 63 percent c. 40 percent d. 23 percent

Consumers’ Mobile Behavior in Focus Web professionals that make an effort to understand the mobile behaviors of their customers are the ones best positioned for success in today’s omnichannel world.

Data from Pew Research reveals that 64 percent of American adults now own a smartphone, and it’s safe to say that these devices are impacting everything from the way consumers connect with brands to how they are discovering content on the Web. In fact, Google notes that more searches are taking place on mobile devices than on desktop computers in 10 countries, while data from Yesmail reveals that mobile now represents 45 percent of all email clicks.

What the data reveals is that brands that optimize their digital presence in accordance with their audience’s increasingly mobile preference will result in happier customers and a positive impact on revenue. Looking for a mobile edge? Stay up-to-date with all of the latest mobile data and trends by regularly visiting Website Magazine’s Mobile World channel at wsm.co/mobileworld15.

Discover how much you know about consumers’ mobile behaviors by checking out this month’s Quiz Time. Get access to the answers at wsm.co/qtaug15.

2. Sixty-two percent of smartphone owners have leveraged their device for what? a. Conducting online banking b. Looking up real estate listings c. Discovering information about a health condition d. Submitting a job application

3. What percentage of consumers said they would definitely share personal data with a retailer via mobile app? a. 72 percent b. 34 percent c. 11 percent d. 3 percent

4. Which U.S. region has the most (71 percent) smartphone users? a. West b. Midwest c. South d. Northeast

5. What percentage of the global smartphone video viewing audience say they watch less TV because they watch videos on their smartphones? a. 13 percent b. 81 percent c. 65 percent d. 22 percent A U GU ST 2015

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Top

50

RANK WEBSITE

Mobile Resources for the Digital Enterprise When Website Magazine first began publishing its monthly Top 50 list nearly 10 years ago, “mobile” was but a digital dream.

As consumer expectations continue to evolve and technology providers and brands manage to keep pace, it is becoming clear that there remains room for improvement when it comes to understanding usage, optimizing messaging and creating better mobile experiences in general. This is very clear in the realm of mobile advertising in particular.

Reporting recently on mobile advertising benchmarks, ad management company Sizmek revealed that waste and inefficiency play a major role in campaigns when ads make their way on to mobile devices. In fact, more than 5.35 billion rich media impressions served to mobile devices were squandered in the first quarter of 2015 alone. The most flagrant example of mobile ad waste is format compatibility, when interactivity is dropped (or limited) by inhospitable browsing environments. This format failure is a problem for the continued growth of click and interaction rates on mobile, but despite the many issues with advertising in the mobile medium, digital enterprises have (for the most part) embraced mobile. Solutions are available now and continue to emerge, which promise to make all brands friendlier to the shifting usage patterns of consumers.

+

Discover 5 of the Most Popular Mobile Advertising Networks at wsm.co/5mobilead

In this month’s Top 50 from Website Magazine, readers will find many of the best mobile resources to make their enterprises more efficient and effective. There are solutions for mobile analytics including Flurry (#1 - acquired

by Yahoo in 2014), Mixpanel (#3) and Localytics (#10); mobile engagement offerings including UrbanAirship (#5) and Vibes (#11); and a seemingly endless variety of other providers positioning their products in front of enterprises clamoring for greater success in the mobile channel including A/B testing product Apptimize (#30) and LeanPlum (#34).

Every enterprise is different and so too will be the approach it takes to make the most of mobile. Let this month’s Top 50 serve as a starting point as your brand expands its understanding of mobile usage, optimizes its messages for the small screen, and develops richer and more meaningful experiences for users.

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E-Commerce

EXPRESS

Customer Acquisition for Online Retailers

By Peter Prestipino, Editor-In-Chief

Enterprises can’t grow (or exist for that matter) without a steady stream of new and qualified leads (customers).

It is a challenge for all ‘Net professionals, of course, but particularly difficult in the realm of e-commerce, where the battle for consumers’ attention (and dollars) can be both competitive and costly.

In addition, as more sophisticated attribution models (how credit for sales/conversions is assigned to touchpoints in conversion paths) come into use by marketers (see sidebar on the next page), the combination of the channels used to drive conversion become even more important to the digital success of an enterprise.

Marketing Sherpa data indicates organic search is the most frequently reported source of significant traffic across all success levels.

What this means is that not only do today’s ecommerce merchants need to find creative and compelling ways to capture the attention of a prospect (through engaging and compelling content and quality products), but also also select the right combination of marketing channels – be it direct or via search, social, display ad or referral – where their message will resonate to the tune of increased conversions.

Search & Proper Attribution The ultimate measure of a quality lead generation campaign is the volume and quality (e.g. lifetime value) of conversions that are generated. So what is the best source of new users for Internet retailers today? Without question, the answer remains search.

According to Marketing Sherpa’s 2015 “E-Commerce Benchmark” study, organic search was the most frequently reported source of significant traffic at all success levels, while respondents at the lowest success levels were disproportionately frequent in their reliance on direct traffic and product listing ads (see image).

Where Marketing Sherpa’s study comes up somewhat short, however, is in not differentiating how consumers initially found a retailer from how they ultimately converted from these channels.

In late 2014, however, Bizible analyzed data from nearly 500,000 leads tracked through its Salesforce marketing analytics platform to provide insights into how marketers should address attribution models and why the traditional last-click model is no longer the best approach. What they found when looking at last-touch only data was that search accounted for 41 percent of the leads generated – significant by any measure. When considering the first-touch in addition, however, search actually accounted for 56 percent of the leads (37 percent last-touch). Essentially, organic search is even more important than many e-commerce brands may realize – and they should invest accordingly.

E-Commerce SEO Search engine optimization is getting more complicated by the moment. Discover practical tips for establishing and improving any retail website at wsm.co/seoecomm.

There are, of course, numerous variables that influence the success of a lead generation initiative for merchants. The methods used within the actual moment of lead capture and conversion receive their due attention (read this month’s feature for more), but it’s almost always going to be the channel where message distribution occurs (e.g. the awareness phase) that should remain top of mind with e-commerce merchants. For that reason, the role of digital advertising must also be addressed.

Display Ads: Remarketing & Managed Placements Traditional display advertising can be both expensive and challenging so many of the savviest merchants are wisely turning to two very effective tactics – remarketing and managed placement.

Remarketing is an expansive and nuanced topic, but several best practices have emerged that brands should consider to maximize their investment. In order to best serve its readers, Website Magazine has assembled a detailed three-step guide to the advertising practice that should certainly make a positive impact on revenue for Internet retailers at wsm.co/3retarget.

Managed display placements is another viable option for e-commerce advertisers to drive new business as it is perhaps the only targeting method that gives advertisers the granular control required over where their ads are being placed. For those who use methods like interests or topic targeting at Google, for example, that system automatically does the decisionmaking on its own about which sites are relevant.

Managed placements, however, allow e-commerce advertisers to choose exactly the sites they want their ads to be displayed on, which is why it’s a safe bet when branching out into display.

The Paid Social Media Channel Brands must participate in social media, and while organic (unpaid) participation is important, that content and the relationships developed can also be used in advertising. While many have struggled with this channel, some recent developments could make social a more effective method of customer acquisition.

Facebook, for example, recently modified its advertising model and redefined its approach to costper-click. In the past, Facebook measured CPC as any click taken within an ad unit, including a like, comment, share, click to a website and more. With the update, however, Facebook will measure “link clicks,” which is defined as clicks related to certain ad objectives. For example, link clicks include clicks to visit another website, call-to-action (CTA) clicks that go to another website, clicks to install an app, clicks to Facebook canvas apps or clicks to view a video on another website.

Not to be outdone, Twitter is also experimenting with some rather creative advertising experiences for ecommerce. See them in action at wsm.co/twittershoptest.

Data Feeds & the Performance Channel Datafeed creation can be a frustrating process.

Most development teams cringe at the request, but that is changing thanks to some innovative new technologies. Datafeed creation is now possible without any tech resources thanks to ChloeWorks’s new tool, Chloe Feed Assembler (CFA), a Web extractor/site scraper that crawls any retail website, gathering product data and assembling that data into a feed for all major U.S. and international affiliate networks.

After signing up and requesting a feed, the Chloe Feed Assembler crawls the requested site on the designated days, assembles the data, cleans it and exports it to the network(s) chosen, including Linkshare, ShareASale, AvantLink, Impact Radius, Google and many other networks. CFA can crawl an unlimited number of products and schedule recurring feed creation in advance.

Ready for New Customers?

There will never be a one-size-fits-all strategy for e-commerce retailers when it comes to the optimal approach to acquiring new customers. Understanding that each of the aforementioned channels can in some way contribute to the success of an enterprise, and prioritizing efforts to focus on those opportunities that benefit the bottom line most, however, is the fast track to website success for Internet retailers.

Who’s Getting Paid?

A heated discussion on today’s attribution models at

wsm.co/attrmodels15

Design and

DEVELOPMENT

SEO Principles for ‘Net Builders

By Amberly Dressler, Managing Editor

There are plenty of considerations to be made when designing a website for visibility, usability and conversion.

This is especially true when one considers just how many people are involved in a Web design project – often leaving Web designers and developers at the mercy of making modifications for marketers, the C-Suite and others who have a stake in the success of a site.

What some ‘Net builders need in order to contribute to the conversation, particularly when it comes to SEO, is a better understanding of the choices they can make to affect a website’s rankings for the better. Website Magazine has enlisted the help of several industry experts who outline their guiding principles below. ~ Farhad Divecha Farhad Divecha, Managing Director of AccuraCast

Martin Milanov, Digital Marketing Lead at Fair Point GmbH

Leverage Responsive Design Following Google’s recent, well-publicized algorithm update, all webmasters should be aware of the importance of having a mobile-optimized site. Responsive design is Google’s recommended design pattern (over dynamic serving and having a separate mobile site) as viewers only have one URL to go to [and the search engine only has one site to crawl]. ~ Martin Milanov

Design and Code with Change in Mind Simon Ensor, Managing Director at Yellowball

There is nothing more frustrating when a developer makes a good website that becomes successful only to realize there is barely any room left for expansion or change. Make sure to create a design that is open for additions [to adapt to Google algorithm changes].

Address Loading Speed Dmitri Logounov, Head Designer and Founder of New Design Group 18

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Minifying, merging and compressing CSS and JS files and optimizing images for the Web should be nobrainer routines for any Web developer.

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~ Simon Ensor

Leave Space for Text Websites have become very image led in recent years.

While this might look great for the user, it can be restrictive when it comes to SEO, because text content on a site is crucial for Google to understand what a website is about (Google cannot interpret images like humans can). Therefore, developers need to assign areas on each page for text.

Show the User the Way User and usage data is an ever-increasing metric in SEO as well as being critical for website conversions. Clear page structure, menu and content areas will prevent high bounce or drop-off rates – [metrics which have long been considered part of Google’s multi-faceted algorithm]. ~ Dmitri Logounov

Make it Accessible Often, when a site is being developed, best practices are to disallow search engines from accessing it. When the website is finished and delivered to the client, it is highly important to ensure that all of the blocking directives are removed; otherwise the site will simply not appear in the search results.

Design for the Actual Search Result Since designers usually focus on what the user sees when viewing the website, they tend to skip certain tags such as the meta title, meta description and structured data implementation for rich snippets.

These “invisible” tags help search engines better understand what the content is about, and can use them to style how the website appears in the results.

Block Pages with Thin Content In certain situations, a website may be configured in such a way that it would generate pages that contain little to no content. These pages may not even be intentionally generated, but can be found by search engines, in which case they could lower the overall perceived quality of the website. There are cases, however, when pages like these are actually a result of the website’s normal behavior; such as when applying filters in an e-commerce store that leads to showing empty pages. In any case, it’s recommended to block search engines from indexing these types of pages, thus making sure that they only offer quality results to users.

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Mastering

SEARCH

Fundamentals of

INTERNATIONAL SEO

By Peter Prestipino, Editor-In-Chief

Of all the various user acquisition channels available to today’s enterprises – organic search remains one of the most attractive (as well as the most elusive).

As Google and its search engine counterparts continue to shape and reshape the digital search and discovery experience, brands are simultaneously looking for ways to increase their presence. Moving to support a more global or international audience provides just the sort of accessible initiative to make it happen. Let’s address a few of the key fundamentals of internationalizing a brand’s search engine presence and some practical guidance for getting started.

Finder reveals that for the search term “running shoes,” filtered for Africa, there are more local monthly searches in South Africa than Egypt (there is also greater competition and a higher recommended bid). If a U.S.-based, English-speaking business was considering expanding to Africa and had to choose where their investment might be most lucrative, South Africa might be the best option (as no Arabic translation services would be needed as they would if the country focus was Egypt).

Identify True International Opportunity One of the more serious mistakes related to international SEO initiatives is failing to understand product or service demand in various countries (or among audiences). For example, there might be a great deal of interest in Sweden, but a disproportionately low amount in Siberia. Brands can attempt to gain a greater understanding of the existing search volume in specific markets for their products or services by using a tool such as Google’s own Global Market Finder (wsm.co/gmarketfinder), which lets SEOs compare opportunities from different locations (using Google search data and AdWords keyword bids) to determine opportunity and competition for translated keywords.

In the image on the right, for example, the geographic distribution from Google’s Global Market 20

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Engage in Appropriate ‘Market’ Targeting Once there is some confidence that a genuine opportunity exists (wherein the potential traffic and conversions coming from additional countries or languages would outweigh the cost associated with developing an additional Web presence), it is necessary to determine whether it is optimal to 1) target the global audience speaking a specific language (regardless of location) or to 2) target a geographically focused audience speaking a specific language. There’s a big difference between the two

(e.g. the French-Canadians in Montreal may have different digital expectations than speakers of the same language in French Guiana). Let’s take a closer look at which is most appropriate for various enterprise scenarios.

Language targeting is best used when the geographic location isn’t necessarily important, or when it doesn’t carry much weight when it comes to the goals of a website. Say, for example, that (based on research) the traffic arriving on a website is distributed over many countries that speak the same language. It would be wasteful (in terms of resources) to create a new website section for all the countries that spoke Spanish for example, but it would make sense to create a section dedicated exclusively to Spanish speakers (which could include multiple countries simultaneously).

Country targeting, on the other hand, is ideal in those instances when the location is a factor in the online business model but the language is irrelevant. If there is enough country- or region-specific search traffic (identified through the research) then building a site version targeting a specific country is the right option for the enterprise.

If there is interest in establishing a footprint in new markets, but budgets for translation are limited or nonexistent, targeting those countries that use the same language as the business is the optimal approach as it enables the enterprise to scale their international initiative. There are, of course, plenty of other considerations that must also be made.

Consider Website Structure and Code Deciding on country or language targeting can seem difficult, but in reality, it’s really only about whether one or many languages are spoken in a country, as well as the goals of the enterprise. Several technical issues, however, must also be addressed.

Website structure, for example, is routinely mentioned when international SEO is involved. There are many who tout the importance of choosing an appropriate site structure (directories, subdirectories, subdomains or even ccTLDs – which are already geo-targeted in the virtual eyes of Google – that are focused on a language or country/region) based on audience targeting and demographic characteristics.

For others, it’s not high on the priority list as they know that search engines tend not to put too much importance on the terminology used within naming conventions (although there is likely some weight assigned to it). Just remember that the aim should be to create an organized site-wide hierarchy that can be crawled and indexed by the search engines.

The best way to convey to search engines that a website (or its subdirectories or subdomains) is meant for a specific country (language targeting will be addressed next), however, is to indicate the geographic target to the search engines directly. Google, Bing and Yandex all offer this capability within their respective webmaster consoles, providing SEOs a means to directly specify which location/country the content is associated with. To make a page/site language specific, however, it is necessary to dive into the code and get (somewhat) technical.

When it is necessary to indicate to search engines that a document is language specific, consider using the rel=”alternate” hreflang=”x” annotation in the HTMLs <head> tag, the HTTP header or the sitemap. The code-based approach is used to signal to the search engines that pages may have substantially similar content with small differences that are important (e.g. perhaps including pricing data or shipping information) or where there are fully translated pages. Using language annotations is a rather advanced SEO technique so Website Magazine has put together a more in-depth guide to getting started at wsm.co/seospeak.

It should, of course, go without saying that the most important aspect of internationalizing a digital presence of search is actually localizing the content – and that includes nearly every element; from the page title to the navigation, the copy, the images, the currency, phone numbers and more. SEOs should not just port over the same site – it’s absolutely necessary to consider the linguistic and cultural differences, the demographics of an audience as well as the seasonality (see sidebar).

Measuring performance is another key stage in internationalizing SEO initiatives. Best practice is to track each of the language/country versions independently in separate Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools site profiles (including for subdirectories, subdomains and ccTLDs) as well as separately within the analytics solution currently in use by the enterprise. Some popular SEO software solutions (see Website Magazine’s Master List at wsm.co/seosoftware15 ) even offer rank tracking for specific countries.

Going International Taking a digital presence international with SEO can be very beneficial to a brand’s bottom line. By understanding demand, developing the right site structure and continually measuring performance, brands will find themselves on the fast track to international success.

Discover how some brands are using a hybrid approach to website translation with both tech and human help at

wsm.co/translate15

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EDGY &

ESSENTIAL E-COMMERCE

By Allison Howen, Associate Editor

Retail is rapidly evolving before our digital eyes, and consumers – with their changing behaviors, expectations and tech-savvy – are leading the way both online and offline.

Internet retailers, for example, have (historically) been at an inherent disadvantage when compared to their brickand-mortar counterparts. Despite their bigger selection, 24/7 access and competitive prices, online stores struggled to match the customer service, personalized experiences and quick, same-day turnaround local merchants could provide. Today, however, all of that is changing as a consumer’s buying journey becomes less traditional – moving from a linear path to purchase (e.g. pre-website, on website, add to cart, checkout) to a nonlinear, fragmented path (e.g. pre-website, on website, leaves website, goes to a competitor’s site, returns to website via retargeted ad, adds products to cart, abandons cart, checks social on smartphone, clicks back to website through retargeted email and the path continues).

Even with such a fragmented conversion path, consumers still demand consistent brand experiences across channels as well as experiences tailored to them as individuals. In fact, a 2015 MyBuys study found that 53 percent of consumers say it’s important retailers recognize them as the same person across different channels and devices, 24

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while 48 percent recognize they purchase more from retailers that leverage shopper interests and buying behavior to personalize the customer experience across channels.

Many savvy retailers have already taken notice of consumers’ evolving shopping preferences and are leveraging strategies and technologies that may have seemed “edgy” years ago, but are actually essential to stay competitive in today’s e-commerce landscape. To keep your enterprise with the digital times, explore several ways modern Internet retailers are catering to their customers by improving the common non-linear path to purchase and, as a result, increasing conversions.

Catering to Customers The on- and offline shopping experiences are becoming increasingly intertwined as consumers hop from channel to channel to ultimately (at least hopefully) complete their goals. The most successful retailers are those who remove conversion barriers, allowing consumers to shop the way they want, whether that’s in-store, online or a mixture of the two – all while providing a consistent brand experience.

To meet consumers’ expectations, many retailers have turned to technology solutions that support them in providing options like in-store pickup and ship-from-store, which give shoppers the best of both worlds.

It’s Back!

Discover popular back-in-stock solutions for e-commerce retailers at wsm.co/itsbackecomm

In fact, John Pincott, SVP of Europe and Global Marketing for Shopatron, notes that in today’s commerce landscape retailers have a better chance to close the sale if they provide consumers with options. For instance, shoppers can buy online and still have the instant gratification of same-day, in-store pickup. Shopatron’s own research found that more than 40 percent of in-store pickup orders result in additional sales when the shopper picks up their order.

Similarly, a ship-from-store feature can increase the speed of delivery, provide a broader suite of inventory to fulfill online orders, increase customer satisfaction and drive loyalty.

“By providing these advanced order management solutions, consumers can choose the buying path that best suites them,” said Pincott. “You are no longer providing a ‘one-size-fits-all’ type of buying experience. It’s personalized to each consumer, which will ultimately create more repeat customers and lessen the likelihood of them searching for another merchant.”

In addition to advanced order management solutions, savvy retailers are catering to customers with tools like backin-stock notifications. With this type of functionality, retailers can encourage shoppers via email to revisit their website when the desired item is back in stock. In the process, merchants win-back what could have been a lost sale.

To provide this advanced functionality, retailers must have the right technology in place, like one which automates inventory emails. One such solution is InStockNotify for BigCommerce stores, which replaces out-of-stock copy on a product page with an email field, so website visitors can leave their contact information to receive back-in-stock messages when the product is available again (see image A).

In addition to logistic and product page features that cater to consumers’ changing expectations, retailers can further bridge the brick-and-mortar gap by honing in on their online customer service initiatives.

Cross-Channel Customer Service Since consumers move from websites to social networks to mobile applications (and any combination of channels) during their shopping experiences, online retailers may want to consider adding a technology solution that can

help them answer customer questions in the moments that matter the most.

Live chat is one of the more popular solutions for providing cross-channel customer service. In fact, a recent survey from Software Advice found nearly 60 percent of millennials prefer live chat over phone. What’s more, Karl Pawlewicz, of Olark, notes that offering live chat can be instrumental in instilling trust. “(Live chat) helps new customers get answers they need to buy with confidence,” said Pawlewicz. “They ask questions like, ‘How does this fit?’; ‘When will this ship?’; or ‘What’s your return policy?’ If you can answer questions like these at the right time, you increase the likelihood of closing the sale and gaining a returning customer.

“For returning customers, live chat is all about convenience. They know they can use chat to accomplish something quickly, like place a repeat order, or update their account, and they can do it without breaking away from what they’re working on.”

Today’s savviest retailers are offering much more than just chat windows on their e-commerce sites though. In fact, many live chat solution providers are giving retailers the ability to incorporate live chat into their mobile sites and apps, as well as offering self-service options for websites.

TouchCommerce, for instance, not only offers mobile live chat support, but also a service called TouchConnect that enables service agents to use features like co-browsing and content sharing in hopes customers will be more inclined to use selfservice options, rather than calling a traditional help line.

To implement a true omnichannel customer service initiative, retailers must also take social media into con- A. InStockNotify allows customers to enter sideration. This is an area of op- their email address directly on the product portunity for retailers who want page to receive back-in-stock alerts.

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to separate themselves from the competition, as a recent survey from The Northridge Group reveals that 33 percent of consumers who contact brands with a customer service question on social media never get a response.

While some social media management platforms like Sprout Social can be leveraged to assist teams with social customer service initiatives (read more at wsm.co/smartinbox), there are also solutions available from brands like SnapEngage, which offers a Facebook Fan Page Chat feature that enables retailers to chat directly with their fans and followers on the social network.

Catering to customers with modern shopping tools and customer service initiatives is definitely essential in today’s e-commerce landscape, but there are other ways retailers can improve their omnichannel e-commerce presence to give consumers a better and more “connected” experience no matter where they shop.

Blending Physical and Digital Retail Establishing a true omnichannel plan comes with its fair share of challenges. In fact, 2014 data from eMarketer reveals 37 percent of retailers feel as if they are lagging when it comes to implementing their omnichannel strategy.

When devising a plan, retailers should focus on providing consistency and convenience across channels.

“It’s not about selling online vs selling offline,” said Pincott, of Shopatron. “It’s about selling where the consumer is. Sometimes consumers are online, sometimes offline, and more often than not they are online while in-stores.”

At the beginning of the mobile evolution, many retailers were wary of shoppers who leveraged their mobile devices while shopping in-stores due to a trend known as “showrooming.” Many traditional retailers perceive showrooming as a practice that could hurt their bottom line, as they fear consumers who use mobile devices in-stores are checking out products and will later convert online with a competitor (like Amazon) who has listed the item at a lower price.

BUY @ GOOGLE Google recently announced that shoppers will now be able to purchase items directly via Google Product Listing Ads (PLAs) from selected retailers when shopping on their mobile devices; a major development that could represent a significant advancement for consumers and a very real opportunity for retailers and brands. Learn more at wsm.co/buyatgoogle

As mobile has continued to mature, however, data shows it is not necessarily a bad thing for merchants when customers leverage their smartphones in-stores. A 2014 study from Deloitte Digital, for instance, reveals that consumers who use a device during their shopping journey convert at a 40 percent higher rate.

With statistics like this, it is no surprise that savvy retailers have embraced mobile-connected shoppers by implementing price-match strategies and other tactics to help them combat the digital competition and link the physical and digital shopping experience beyond features like in-store pickup.

Retailers like Best Buy, for example, offer QR codes instores so customers can easily learn more about products and access customer reviews. Additionally, retailers like Nordstrom have decided to highlight popular Pinterest products in-stores with signs that label specific items as “Top Pinned Items.” Another way retailers are intertwining the physical and digital shopping experiences, however, is with offerings such as CloudTags, a solution brick-andmortar retailers can leverage to create a “connected” store.

Upon entering a participating retailer’s store, customers are offered a CloudTags-enabled tablet that they can use to learn more about products during their shopping trip. Furniture retailer American Signature leveraged the solution in four of its Value City Furniture stores near the company’s Ohio headquarters. When shoppers browse the retailer’s brick-and-mortar stores with the CloudTagsenabled tablet, they are able to tap on special product tags placed on pieces of furniture. Using digital sensors and near field communication (NFC) technology, the tablet is able to offer detailed content to shoppers, including product features, reviews, real-time availability information, delivery dates and related online-only products. Moreover, CloudTags analyzes the items each shopper interacts with in order to deliver personalized product recommendations and alerts. It is also important to note that customers are not required to log in or register when leveraging CloudTags, but are able to opt-in later.

“By letting shoppers opt-in with their email address at the end, we are able to treat the shopper the same way they’re treated on a website,” said CloudTags CEO James Yancey.

“Most shoppers browse and research before they enter the store, but they are unknown to the retailer when they walk through the door. With CloudTags, these shoppers can choose to engage with the brand and jumpstart a digital relationship that spans brick-and-mortar, online, email and mobile.”

Once a shopper opts-in, a profile is created or associated with an existing profile in the retailer’s customer relationship management (CRM). In the case of American Signature, 95 percent of the customer emails collected were previously unknown to the brand. After opt-in, re-

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tailers can retarget shoppers online with products they browsed in-stores.

“We really understand that the shopping journey for a large-ticket item begins with a need and starts online,” said George Vernadakis, vice president of e-commerce and emerging technology at American Signature. “Customers go online to find a brand they trust and products they like, and to narrow down the list of stores they want to visit. Then they visit the stores and start making purchase decisions. Often, the last store wins the sale.

CloudTags makes it easier for in-store shoppers to convert in the channel of their choice (online or in-store).

They have all information they need, and the ability to save it and share with a significant other once they’re back at home. They don’t have to return to the store to make the purchase.”

Connecting the in-store and online shopping experience is one way to step up omnichannel initiatives, but retailers should also consider making it easier for consumers to shop in other channels, such as social.

on the social network via Facebook’s “Buy” call-to-action (CTA) that was launched in Feb. 2015 (see image B). The feature enables retailers to display and sell their products on consumers’ News Feeds and on Pages without requiring the consumer to leave the social network (learn more at wsm.co/shopifyfb).

Supporting Sales on Social

This is a big step for social commerce on Facebook, because before the social network unveiled the Buy CTA, retailers had to leverage a solution like Ecwid for their social selling initiatives. While Ecwid is a popular shopping cart solution, its social selling feature requires consumers to visit the retailer’s Facebook Page in order to shop rather than displaying the shoppable products where consumers already are – their News Feeds.

In addition to Facebook, merchants can take steps to sell on other popular social networks, including Instagram and Wanelo. Curalate, for instance, offers a solution called Like2Buy that retailers can leverage to make their Instagram feeds shoppable. With the solution, retailers can feature a short link in the “about” section of their social profile, which connects photos from the retailer’s Instagram account to products available on the retailer’s e-commerce website.

Wanelo, on the other hand, is an emerging social discovery site that receives 1 million unique visitors a month (learn more about the platform at wsm.co/wwwanelo). To access this customer base, retailers can add the Wanelo save button directly to their product pages with just a few lines of code. Additionally, Shopify retailers have the ability to sell directly on the discovery platform via an app built specifically for Shopify.

It is safe to say that social commerce will continue to evolve in the coming years, and the savviest retailers must stay up-to-date with these advancements in order to reach an expansive and active audience. That said, retailers should also pay attention to their content marketing initiatives, as many consumers need inspiration before conversion.

Retailers have been looking for ways to sell inventory via social media since the inception of Facebook and Twitter – typically without much luck.

Retailers are fixated on social commerce because these networks are leveraged every day by consumers, with Pew Research revealing 71 percent of Internet users were on Facebook in 2014. This provides retailers with an opportunity to put their products in front of a large audience and allows selling within environments where customers are already active.

Fortunately, significant strides have been made in the social commerce arena in the last two years with social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest all offering new tools to make shopping easier on their respective platforms (get a roundup of the ’Net’s latest social commerce updates at wsm.co/socialbuynews). What’s more, technology companies like Shopify and Curalate are also offering tools to assist retailers in their social commerce initiatives.

For instance, Shopify and Facebook recently expanded their beta test allowing additional Shopify retailers to sell

Customers Have It From Here Learn the importance of online self-service for SMBs at wsm.co/selfserve411

B. Shopify merchants can advertise and sell their products with Facebook’s “Buy” CTA.

4 Essential Product Page Features

Inspiring Digital Conversions E-commerce sites are conventionally inventory-driven, essentially acting like digital catalogs where consumers can browse through inventory, read descriptions, view product images and discover other consumers’ opinions. While all of this information is important, retailers can take additional steps to increase conversions by delivering content that encourages action, promotes upselling and highlights product usage.

When adding inspirational content to an e-commerce site, it is important retailers feature this marketing material in a way that isn’t too distracting. After all, some consumers know exactly what actions they want to take when they arrive at an e-commerce site, while others may need a virtual “push.”

Increasingly, retailers are leveraging user-generated content (UGC) to inspire their customers’ purchasing decisions. Apparel retailers, such as The Limited, use visual commerce platforms like Olapic to feature shoppable photo galleries on their e-commerce websites. Through the technology, The Limited is able to curate, approve and publish social content from customers who have used one of the retailer’s branded hashtags. To make conversion easier, some of the UGC features a “Shop Now” CTA when clicked on, which makes it simple for consumers to take action once they have been inspired to purchase (read more about ways to inspire purchases with content at wsm.co/ugcontent).

Aside from UGC, however, retailers can inspire by carefully positioning content like articles, blog posts and guides on their e-commerce sites. Take online retailer Homebase as an example. The company, which is based in the UK and Ireland, was tasked with finding a way to not only inspire its website visitors with decorating and do-it-yourself (DIY) project ideas, but also with informing consumers how to use products to see their home improvement ventures come to life.

To do so, Homebase leveraged CoreMedia’s digital engagement application dubbed LiveContext 2.0.

Combined with the IBM WebSphere Commerce (WCS) platform, LiveContext is able to provide Homebase’s online marketing team with enhanced control of digital content, including promotional pages, inspirational guides and microsites. This enables the retailer to deliver blended content objects that take real-time product and pricing data from IBM WCS and combine it branded content.

For instance, Homebase features a “Project Centre” section on its site that is made possible by CoreMedia. This section is essentially a content hub that aims to inspire consumers with articles that include design ideas and advice. Some of the content is also interactive and conversiondriven, enabling consumers to click on small, green plus

Learn how to give customers a virtual push on your site’s most important pages by visiting wsm.co/4prodpages

C. Homebase’s Project Centre provides consumers with inspiration for home improvement projects and offers interactive, conversion-driving elements.

signs to view a product window with real-time pricing (see image C) and a CTA to click-through to the product page.

Retailers should keep in mind that inspirational content, regardless of the form it comes in (e.g. video, UGC, blog posts, etc.) can be a very important part of a customer’s path to purchase. In fact, the savviest retailers are using content as a tool to give consumers the virtual push they need to get out of the research stage and into the conversion stage.

The New Path Retailers should embrace the nonlinear path to purchase because it is quickly becoming the industry’s new normal. The only way to do so, however, is by establishing an omnichannel strategy that delivers consistent experiences to customers across channels.

After all, the strategies retailers use to see as “edgy,” are now essential to stay competitive in today’s fragmented marketplace.

Social Media

MAVENS

3 Tips to Make Your Website More Social

By Derek Schou, Associate Editor

As social media has matured, it has made one of the most difficult transitions a medium can undergo, evolving from a casual time waster to a necessary business tool.

Seeing the massive amount of time consumers spend on social networks, many brands have incorporated social elements into their own websites in hopes of driving more traffic, higher on-site engagement and increased conversions. Let’s explore a few ways to make your website more social.

1. Leverage the Power of Reviews

Customer reviews are one of the most important social elements that a company can incorporate on its website. In fact, according to a study conducted by Dimensional Research, 88 percent of respondents reported to be influenced by reviews — negative and positive alike. Thanks to consumers’ desire for customer reviews, there are a variety of firms that provide the necessary technology.

One of the most popular customer review technologies on the market, PowerReviews, provides a range of services to businesses, including Social Answers.

Through this product, brands are able to display commonly asked questions directly on their product pages with answers from consumers who have been verified as actual buyers. PowerReviews customer Skechers saw a 32 percent conversion increase with Social Answers.

networks on other sites. For Twitter users, a single line of HTML is all that is needed to embed a timeline of any account’s Tweets, favorites or hashtags on a site. Brands are also able to embed content from their Facebook Page on their website via the network’s social plugin. Users can even customize the embedded content (posts and video players) in a variety of ways including its height and width to fit specific dimensions.

3. Create Your Own Network

Another available option for companies looking to incorporate more social elements into their sites is to create their own social forum – like Skype did.

Created by social media solution provider Lithium, Skype’s onsite social network, dubbed “Skype Community,” is a forum where users can go to voice their opinions and concerns regarding how their Skype is working as well as help other users who are experiencing difficulties. When users see a post they find particularly helpful, they are able to award “Kudos” to the author. To leverage these peer ratings, Skype created a leaderboard on the front page of its Skype Community – encouraging participation and utility (see image). Discover three more platforms to host a social network on a company website at wsm.co/cyosocial.

2. Embed Off-Site Content

Another way companies are making their websites more social is by incorporating content from social networks directly onto their Web pages, such as with real-time Twitter feeds.

“Should a visitor dive into any of a site’s pages, we embed the brand’s Twitter feed to illustrate its active presence on social media,” said Vanessa Labi, a digital engagement specialist at Creative California. “Installing the feed keeps a site’s page fresh and current, especially those that may be otherwise static.”

Conveniently, both Facebook and Twitter provide detailed guidance on incorporating content from their

Skype’s social network offers gamification elements, helpful advice and more to keep its community engaged on its own website.

Although these are just three examples, brands should strongly consider finding ways to direct social traffic to their own websites (where sales can be made) rather than spending all their time and money on third-party networks where it’s difficult to prove their return on investment.

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Conversion

CORNER

#ContentFail Why Your Content Does Not Convert & How to Fix It

By Tim Ash, CEO of SiteTuners

No sane person would deny that “content is king,” so Web professionals spend their days pumping it out – a never-ending, deadline-driven assembly line of infographics, webinars, whitepapers, blog posts, videos and articles. Their focus is on editorial calendars, and the cadence of new content creation.

From there, they try to amplify the impact of their content by syndicating it into as many distribution channels as possible. They recycle and tweak their key ideas in a frantic attempt to minimize the amount of new topics to be created. In fact, many marketers are proud of the fact they can repackage a single content piece (such as a live webinar) into multiple content fragments (a video recording, a SlideShare presentation, a blog post, a text transcript and a slickly produced e-book). Some even make believe that their occasional well-shared pieces are actually virality that they somehow cleverly and intentionally engineered.

The reality, however, is that most content marketing is self-serving broadcast “noisemaking.”

The biggest problem with this approach is the assumption and philosophy behind it. Today’s marketing commandment is that all businesses need to become a “publisher.” The very word, however, belies its roots in the declining broadcast journalism of the last century. Everyday companies do not run a monopolistic TV channel. They do not have exclusive rights to broadcast within a narrow frequency range of the radio spectrum. Nor do they own a mass-circulation print publication. And everyone who is in broadcast journalism had to pay massive amounts of money over decades to establish their reach and audience.

It gets worse. There are actually millions of channels and mini competitors out there for the very limited attention of people. The Internet and mobile wireless 32

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devices have penetrated to almost every corner of the globe. This fragmented “Tower of Babel” is available on-demand, and 24/7/365.

It is impossible (and quite narcissistic) to believe that an individual marketer’s content will out-scream everyone else’s and penetrate unwanted into the brains of targeted prospects.

Try being helpful instead The premise behind the content marketing described above is that people care about individual marketers and their respective companies. This is simply not true.

They care only about themselves and their problems of the moment. That is why the inside-out approach (broadcasting from the inside of a company to the larger world) is doomed to fail.

The right approach is to think of content from the outside-in perspective. This means marketers take their online prospects exactly where they are right now, and guide them toward the solution of their own problems (some of which will ultimately result in financial benefit to your company). In other words, conversion-focused content is based on being of service to real people.

This kind of content is useful and speaks to today’s modern consumer who is much more sophisticated and does not want to be “sold” to. They like self-service, and will gather information on their own terms because it leaves them in control.

Real conversion-focused content has the following characteristics:

+ It is created from the needs of visitors – not those of the business

+ It supports every stage of the customer journey and does not ignore early stage prospects simply because they do not intend to buy today

+ It is of excellent quality, and is not a product of arbitrary editorial deadlines

+ It is durable, and does not have a short and ephemeral shelf-life of relevance

+ It is laser-focused to cut through the noise, and resonate powerfully with a specific target audience

+ It is tracked and measured over time to the ultimate downstream effectiveness on real business metrics

Sometimes content is not the answer Web professionals also have to be realistic, and recognize that sometimes content plays a very minimal role in an enterprise’s online strategy. It is not a one-sizefits-all prescription.

The following qualities define the sweet-spot of content importance:

+ High-ticket expensive purchases + Rare purchasing frequency + Multiple and complex trade-offs involved in the buying process

+ High level of specific domain knowledge required to make the selection or decision

+ A business-to-business environment with multiple decision makers

Remember that website information architecture is, in itself, a critical form of content. A company may have to redesign the whole Web experience from a usercentered perspective, but once it does, the site architecture can serve as additional market research if its navigation is based on the important roles and tasks of the audience. Specific navigation choices can be noted for later lead-scoring and personalization. Brands can also create specific downloads to identify audience segments (e.g. “The single parent’s guide to going back to school,” or “The 7 biggest mistakes when applying for a jumbo mortgage”).

Tracking and collecting information is critical. Here are a few guidelines for doing it right:

+ Construct visitors profiles over time via progressive disclosure (piece things together as more information is revealed over multiple visits or interactions)

+ Create content on the fly to avoid losing information later (dynamically embed critical information directly into downloadable material links)

+ Measure not only outcomes, but also the time delays between steps in a conversion process

+ Start with basic content changing rules (such as different content for first-time and repeat visitors), then graduate to predictive modeling and more sophisticated personalization

+ Create interactive marketing applications to collect data (typically with email gathering only at the end)

The more of these features that are present in a situation, the more likely that content will play a critical role in a brand’s online success. Conversely, the absence of these conditions probably means that content marketing is not essential.

A prescription for success Start with a detailed content-for-conversion audit:

+ Define mission-critical roles and tasks (visitor scenarios and their intent)

+ Identify gaps in the Web experience, and the supporting content currently available

+ Create a prioritized list of content that needs to be cre-

Some of these content “prescriptions” will require marketers and optimizers to have a flexible and powerful marketing technology stack. Typical pieces include a content management system, processes for content creation and editorial workflow, Web analytics, split testing tools, marketing automation software, predictive modeling, lead scoring, and real-time behavioral targeting and personalization.

Yes, it is a lot of work to get all of this in place, but so is mindlessly cranking out content that is not tied to the needs of visitors. The decision is now in your royal court: keep doing more of the same because content is king, or try to genuinely help your “subjects”?

ated or reworked

+ Pay attention to the connective tissue (page flow, callsto-action and gating of information)

Tim Ash is the CEO of SiteTuners, Chair of Conversion Conference and bestselling author of “Landing Page Optimization.”

The Ultimate State of Content Marketing in 2015 From auditing to curating, discover the who, what, where and why of content marketing today at

wsm.co/cmin2015

Code

JUNKIE

How to Keep Your Code Clean, Readable & Accessible

By Neill Harmer, Lead Designer at LightCMS

If there is one piece of advice all HTML and CSS coders should follow, it would be: Whenever you write code, spare a thought for whoever has to read and modify your work in the future.

When developers and designers write code with the reader firmly in mind, they can focus on the importance of creating clean, readable and accessible code, which not only makes sense in the moment it is being written, but is also fully comprehensible in a year or two.

Consider the different potential audiences for code including the original coder, other members of a development team or those of a third-party partner and even clients. Code should be thought of as a way to communicate with those different readers. Clean code is like a well laid out and error-free business letter where time has been taken to write clearly and without ambiguity. Contrast that with less thoughtfully written code, which often resembles a hastily scrawled note full of spelling and grammatical mistakes – leaving it open to misinterpretation.

Writing for Readability Writing cluttered and poorly organized code might seem like a quick fix at the time, but it may result in extra work.

Imagine returning to fix, maintain, update or build upon 34

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code you wrote that uses bad naming conventions or lacks structure. Valuable time can be wasted trying to navigate that code and working out previous intentions – and you’re the original author. Just think how much tougher it will be for others to read that same code.

When working with a team of developers, it is necessary to have a set structure and agreed-upon coding style so that it’s easy to work on someone else’s code.

By doing so, development and design teams will avoid ending up with a jumbled mess of code that’s difficult to work with and decipher. Furthermore, as new staff is added, they too must be educated on the organization’s coding style and adhere to it so that the code produced looks as if it were written by one single developer and not by multiple individuals.

Those writing code also need to think about the client. Write code with the expectation that clients will eventually want or need to make their own changes to it. For instance, plan on including an index at the top of the code to let clients know where particular elements can be found. If a client has trouble reading and navigating the code, any changes they make may end up tangling the mess of original code still further, ultimately resulting in a poor-performing website.

One general rule about writing code is this: less is more. At the very least, clean code translates to a faster

running website. The advice provided below should reveal how the result of writing clean code is almost always less code.

+ Alphabetical Declarations. Chances are high that

Let’s look first at HTML and some of the basics around code structure. Focusing on the following areas will help designers and developers generate clean code every time:

developers will find they write the same lists of descriptions multiple times in a single piece of code; e.g., ‘font, width, border, margin, padding.’ Putting that list in alphabetical order ‘border, font, margin, padding, width’ not only makes for better readability but will make it easier to immediately spot and correct any duplication of terms.

+ Grouping. Consider how elements are placed to-

+ Vendor Prefixes. This is an area that changes reg-

gether in code as a way of aiding navigation. Keep code linear with a clear flow from the header at the top to the footer at the end.

ularly so make sure to keep up to date on what browser vendors are using for prefixes so code has the best browser support (also consider hand coding or using third-party text editor services to help plug in the most current vendor prefixes or fully automate that process).

Writing Clean HTML

+ Naming. Use naming conventions that are not overly specific. The danger in opting for a column name, for example, that references a particular color or font style or position in relation to other code elements is that all of the above are likely to change at some point in the life of the code. Overly specific names may no longer make sense in the long term, so choose wisely. Ensure that the development team all uses the same style for class names so there’s no variance, for instance, in how a name might be capitalized, hyphenated or underscored.

+ Tags or Attributes. Use the correct tag or attribute and, in particular, think about whether divs are being overused as block-level code elements, like paragraphs of text and images, are grouped.

+ Indentation. One key thing in making code more readable is to indent where necessary so it’s clear when a new code element, perhaps a child element of the tag above it, is introduced. Be consistent when applying indentation within code so the hierarchy is clearly delineated and readers can use indentation as a way to navigate through the code. Overly dense code is difficult to read, so remember, white space is every coder’s friend.

+ ID versus Class. When applying a particular style to one or more code elements, make sure to use IDs or classes. An ID is for a unique element so it should only occur once in the code – ideally in the sections for a website logo or header or footer. A class like ‘quote,’ however, can be used over and over again.

Writing Clean CSS Code Now, let’s turn to CSS and some of the basics around code structure. Again, grouping, naming and indenting code are very important factors in writing clean, so much of what was addressed previously about HTML also applies to CSS. In addition, focus attention on these three areas specifically:

+ Comments. Adding comments to code can act as a visual memory aid to clearly indicate why a developer did what they did at a particular point in time.

Consider writing comments in a straightforward and conversational tone so the meaning is very clear.

Many find it particularly useful to add in a comment whenever the code includes a mathematical calculation, for example, in order to flag and explain which kind of calculation is being performed and how the result of that calculation should be expressed.

Clean Code Is Usable and Reusable Code

HTML and CSS code form the building blocks of welldesigned websites, so why not apply the lessons of great website design to coding? Think about clear and uncluttered layouts, easily comprehensible navigation and all the potential readers who may visit the finished work. Write clean, readable and accessible code for the benefit of your future self, your peers, partners and clients.

Who Codes in 2015?

According to a Stack Overflow study: + 29 years old is the average age of a developer, worldwide + 92 percent of coders are male + 25 percent of developers worldwide have more than 10 years of coding experience + 48 percent never received a degree in computer science + 42 percent are self-taught See more at wsm.co/whocodes15

Email

EXPERIENCE

Set Up an Automated Email Highlight Reel

By Amberly Dressler, Managing Editor

With a click-through rate higher than many industries - including retail, sports and travel - social media networks like Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ are capitalizing on their users’ willingness to open their emails (22 percent open rate, according to MailChimp) and click through (4 percent) by creating “email highlight reels” to showcase some of the most popular activity occurring on their network.

Social networks are using their ocean of data to personalize these emails to motivate individuals to act based on posts they may have missed, people they should follow and what is popular within their own network. To get started, let’s look at real-world examples of this trend and the strategies used before marketers hit send.

Twitter’s “Popular in Your Network” emails highlight activity a user may be interested in further engaging with, like this tweet from the LA Dodgers.

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Engagement First While other social networks are sending highlight reel emails too, these messages may be especially important for the future of Twitter because of its largely inactive user base.

Business Insider came to the conclusion that for every five new Twitter signups, four don’t go on to use the service even once per month. Part of the problem could be users don’t see enough content that interests them enough to participate. As such, Twitter has not only started sending recommendations on who to follow, but also “Popular in Your Network” emails that highlight popular tweets from accounts a person already follows – hoping they will motivate users to visit the network then, and again (see image).

Although receiving similar emails daily could make recipients lose interest, the near real-time nature of highlight reels, as well as the personalization factor (targeted to the individual based on their behaviors, demographics and preferences) keeps the content fresh. Further, there is an anticipatory effect that brands create in the mind of a customer

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when a brand promotes a specific message or content module on a regular basis, according to Ryan Hofmann, chief brand strategist at Listrak.

Perhaps more importantly, Listrak reports that onethird of the top 1,000 retailers send more than 20 emails per month – with little to show in the way of targeting, much less personalization – so sending highly relevant daily or weekly emails should be of little concern as it relates to desensitization. In fact, this common lack of personalization is one of the reasons retailers are taking a page from social networks’ playbooks and creating email highlight reels of their own.

Selling Second When it comes to gathering the data needed to send highly personalized highlight reel emails, social media networks have a major advantage as their users freely surrender their information, such as who they are, what they like and who they are associated with. Retailers, on the other hand, have to work a little harder to gather complete customer profiles, especially for shoppers who have yet to buy. This is where email highlight reels prove useful. Using the wisdom of the crowd (what people, who are similar to the recipient, are clicking on and buying), retailers can send recommendations based on newest trending products and top sellers from that month. Leveraging Listrak, Mood – a fabric store often featured on the show “Project Runway” – does just that to drive revenue, website traffic and engagement (read more about Mood’s email strategy at wsm.co/emailrunway).

Hofmann of Listrak warns that these campaigns do take a bit more time to set up initially but do not require much upkeep. Email marketers will want to ensure the messaging and taglines used don’t necessarily go out of style or that the content doesn’t need to be changed more often than seasonally. Once the content is selected, the recommendations are dynamically populated by a retailer’s product catalog and visitor behavior, with limited maintenance needed from the brand.

For the Win By personalizing highlight-reel content based on individuals’ activity and the wisdom of their networks, brands will stay top of mind as recipients consider what to buy or how to spend their time in the long term.

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A U GU ST 2015

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Insights on

ANALYTICS

3 Uncommon Ways to 2.

Determine if Your SEO Initiatives are Working

By Bryan Olshock and Justin Gabbert of Red Door Interactive

There has never been more data available to digital marketers. With this abundance of information, however, comes the significant challenge of understanding and leveraging the data.

The goal of any SEO campaign is to look at a project and quantify its impact. Was the project a success?

What was the lifetime value of a project? What types of projects work best for each objective?

Once these facts are known, it is possible to gain a better understanding of how and why certain projects were successful and then predict the impact of future projects and initiatives.

More specifically, if the expected return on a project is known, it is possible to prioritize budget and timing accordingly.

Most marketing experts measure unique users, page views, time on site, bounce rate and search rankings to determine if a campaign is working. These metrics don’t determine, however, why it worked. Fortunately, there are lesser-used statistical analysis processes that can be leveraged to make these determinations and get to the root causes of poor performance.

1.

Grow Your SEO See what gardening and SEO have in common in this infographic at

wsm.co/gardenseo

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Simple Linear Regression

A simple linear regression is a basic input versus output equation. In relation to SEO terms, analyze organic search trends over a 12-month period and adjust for seasonality. To do this, first find the seasonal index, a breakdown that shows the relationship of one month to the entire year. Once the index is complete, “de-seasonalize” the data by dividing each month by its seasonal index, run a simple linear regression to find a true forecast and then re-apply the seasonal index to each corresponding month.

Once this simple linear regression is complete, it is then possible to create yearly forecasts for organic search traffic, set accurate SEO program goals and generate monthly expectations for a project that takes seasonality into account.

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Multiple Linear Regressions

A lot more variables exist that can impact organic search traffic than just seasonal trends, and that’s where the use of multiple linear regression becomes effective. This is an approach for modeling the relationship between a dependent variable (“Y”) and multiple explanatory variables (denoted “X”).

From an SEO standpoint, a multiple linear regression takes external factors such as paid search, display advertising, market fluctuations and seasonality into consideration. With these factors included in the equation, it is possible to determine how various inputs impact search traffic, accurately predict future organic search traffic and provide a historical indication of where SEO may have led to incremental traffic.

3.

Impact Analysis Model

Multiple linear regression relies heavily on historical organic search traffic, but the impact analysis model (another form of analysis) allows us to establish a baseline, incorporate multiple inputs and uncover the incremental value of SEO projects. A baseline for organic search traffic is essentially what the numbers would be without the use of SEO. That being said, traffic should fluctuate with industry search trends. In order to develop a baseline, first determine the search volume trends within the industry or vertical. Once that is complete, determine a year-over-year growth/decline rate for each month within that sector and then apply (monthly) the growth/decline rate to the previous year’s organic search visits and get this year’s baseline. Then, using a multiple linear regression, determine the impact of media spend contributions including online media click and impression contributions. This process takes into account both online and offline advertisements. Incremental visits are then determined using the following equation: Organic visits - (Organic Baseline + Online Media Click Contribution + Online Media Impression Contribution) = Incremental Visits.

With these factors considered, digital marketers can determine how many incremental visits and conversions the SEO project drove over the course of a year, how the various SEO projects impacted traffic and what the impact of future projects will be. Using linear regressions to forecast the future, multiple linear regressions to understand the external factors and the impact analysis model to determine expected return on a project, it becomes possible to prioritize budget and timing moving forward.

Applying this level of advanced statistics to SEO projects can seem to be a relatively novel concept, but its effectiveness demands a closer look.

Net

ADVERTISING Don’t Be Hasty:

Selecting the Right Digital Ad Agency

By Derek Schou, Associate Editor

Companies of all sizes have an opportunity like never before to reach consumers from around the world via digital ads.

due diligence to see what kind of ROI previous clients received.”

As businesses look to take full advantage of the benefits that digital ads supply (acquisition, retention, etc.), many have turned to agencies in order to make the most of their online advertising efforts. Before signing with an agency, however, there are plenty of considerations to make.

Another element for companies to consider before deciding upon an agency is the type of services they offer. Many agencies offer a variety of services, from social and search marketing to analytics and Web design, yet often these “popular” services only scratch the surface of what agencies offer. For instance, AMP, a digital ad agency, provides services that help companies understand consumer behaviors, enabling them to discover how best to engage with each consumer.

“The agencies out there that create value-adds offer multiple services and keep an eye on and review other channels to see how they can hit your business objectives and drive growth; not just drive more impressions, clicks and conversions,” said Andy Groller, vice president of digital advertising at DragonSearch. “At the end of the day, you need revenue for your business across a variety of channels for sustainable, long-term growth.”

What Industry Are They Familiar With?

One of the first things that companies should look for when scouting for ad agencies is their area of expertise.

A company that sells sporting equipment, for example, would not want to sign a contract with an ad agency that specializes in the music industry, two dramatically different areas of business that require different skill sets and knowledge.

The simplest way in which companies can tell if an ad agency has experience working in their vertical is by examining their client list. Readily available on many ad agency websites, client rosters can help companies understand whether or not the agency is the right fit for them based on the commonalities of their accounts (e.g. industry, size, etc.).

What Type of Success Have their Previous Campaigns Had? Companies should also make sure to ask for case studies of successful campaigns that agencies have run in the past. By examining an agency’s previous work, companies can find which types of campaigns the agency excels at creating as well as what type of return on investment (ROI) they can reasonably expect from their campaigns.

“The biggest problem I see with agencies is the performance,” said Brett Bastian, CEO of Blast Moba, a mobile marketing firm for small agencies. “Some agencies perform very well, while others fail to produce results. Before considering an agency, every business should do their

What Type of Services Do They Offer?

What is Their Payment Structure?

Before signing on the dotted line, companies must carefully read over and understand the agency’s fee structure. In the digital ad space there are various types of fee structures so it’s important that companies understand how they will be expected to pay before signing on the dotted line. For example, does the agency charge based off the amount of time they spend on the campaign or based on the performance of the campaign?

Decision Time While digital ad agencies can be an invaluable part of a company’s overall plan, it’s vital that companies do the necessary background research to make sure they are signing with an ad agency that works best for them. Use the preceding questions as a starting point in your quest to select the right agency for your brand.

Agency Life From hours worked to the need for outside contractors, check out what life is really like at a digital ad agency at

wsm.co/insideagency

Web

COMMENTARY

BALANCING GENDER ROLES IN BUSINESS

By Amberly Dressler, Managing Editor

Tech is a male-dominated field, there’s no two ways about it. Visiting an “executive team” Web page can at times be comical with row after row of similar-looking men, with little to no females holding top roles.

Girls Who Code & Other GenderGap Closers Check out some of the progress being made in this industry at

wsm.co/gapclosers

In fact, 2014 data from the Center for American Progress indicates that in the information technology field, women hold just 9 percent of management positions and account for only 14 percent of senior management positions at Silicon Valley startups.

Adding fuel to the fire, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the International Computer Science Institute found that setting a user’s gender to female within Google’s Ad Settings resulted in getting fewer instances of an ad related to high paying jobs than setting it to male (read more at wsm.co/adsgenderbias).

Then, of course, there is the widely reported gender wage gap (the White House indicates that women earn just 77 centers for every dollar a man earns).

What’s particularly interesting is that even within their own companies, women devalue their contributions.

Female small business owners are, on average, paying themselves 80 percent of the salary of their male counterparts, according to 2014 data from Goldman Sachs and Babson College.

Something has to give, especially considering a 2008 McKinsey & Company study found that companies

with the most gender diverse management teams have an average of 48 percent higher earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) than industry norms.

Despite the benefits of gender equality, it is clear that women are not only underrepresented in executive roles in most companies, but also underpaid.

What’s to blame? It can’t all be chauvinism, can it?

The high costs of child care recently got the nation’s attention when President Obama addressed it in his 2015 State of the Union Address, spotlighting one family whose basic child care cost more than their mortgage – very typical for American families with dual-working parents.

According to a 2014 PBS.org article, in three out of four regions of the U.S., the cost of full-time center-based child care for two children is the highest household expense (data from the 2013 Census), often measured as about 40 percent of a mother’s full-time salary.

Some believe more affordable child care would lead to more upward mobility for women – not forcing new mothers (although not all working women are mothers) to make the decision to leave the workforce because it’s more affordable (just merely one reason a woman makes the decision to stay home, of course) – but this starts to become a political issue when the resolution involves deeper tax cuts and changes to business policy.

For the tech industry in particular, the answer may not be in Washington, but rather closer to home.

This month’s focus on e-commerce is the perfect example. When interviewing a married, male executive about e-commerce or listening to one speak at a conference, there’s a high probability his wife will somehow be mentioned in the conversation as an example. To some degree it makes sense. Women are responsible for the majority of purchasing decisions in a household, so if there is a story to be told about commerce, these executives look no further than their spouses to relay how today’s shoppers shop. Similar generalizations can be seen about other demographics, like millennials and baby boomers.

On the other hand, equating a sophisticated tech solution or strategy to a wife’s shopping “habits” can come off as sexist, especially when a quick glance at the executive panel reveals an all-male C-Suite. Even if a “wife story” is proving the speaker’s point about omnichannel, social commerce or whatever the e-commerce angle might be (these wife stories happen so often there are multiple available examples), quite often the only female representation is of a woman who is spending all of her husband’s money.

Changing these conversations won’t change everything, but it’s just one example of being more vigilant about a major issue in this industry and others.

10 YEARS

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Are You Using Engagement Tiles?

Back in the Hopper: The Marketplace Fairness Act

Trust Or Bust: How To Make Summertime Shoppers Feel Safe Online

2015 Trends for the Commerce Marketer

Mobile Payments and Fraud: 2015 Report

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