Website Magazine January 2015 by Website Magazine

Web Loyalty Programs in Focus, page 12

10 CELEBRATING

YEARS

THE MAGAZINE FOR WEBSITE SUCCESS JANUARY 2015

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE... Expert CRO Predictions for 2015 Graduate from Email 101 Using Online Discount Codes

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DIGITAL

POWER PLAYERS

Internet professionals know more about their audiences than ever before, are designing and developing digital experiences that resonate with their customers, and are experiencing greater operational efficiency and profits as a result. These are the digital power players helping make it all happen for Web businesses.

THIS MONTH IN WEBSITE MAGAZINE

Explore Website Magazine’s

DEPARTMENTS

30 Bloggers Get Moving

Discover several platforms that enable their users to get away from the desktop and blog from their smartphones.

CRO Predictions from the Experts

Check out what several top conversion rate optimization experts believe 2015 will present to Web enterprises.

Stat Watch: Data To Shape the New Year

Enterprise Ready:

Small Business Lab:

Think Outside the Blog Post Web-Only Loyalty Programs

Quiz Time: What Do You Know About Online Advertising?

34 The Dark Side of Social

A majority of online sharing activity is now taking place via “dark social” channels. Find out what digital marketers can do about it.

Maximize Reach of Discount Codes

Access to better data and smarter use of that data can help brands optimize and energize their affiliate marketing programs.

38 Know Thy Digital Enemy

Win the ad war, gain an unfair advantage, and shorten the time to profitability with competitive intelligence tools.

39 Graduate from Email 101

Take email marketing initiatives to the next level with some practical tactics for increasing interaction and engagement. 2

10 YEARS

JANUARY 2015

50 Top: Marketing & Sales Automation

Mastering Search: A Practical SEO Roadmap for 2015

E-Commerce Express: Core Features of the Modern E-Commerce Platform

Design & Development: Best Web Design Trends of 2014

Web Commentary: Outlandish Digital Predictions from WM

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 The Digital Power Players You Should Know Website Magazine is entering its tenth year in operation – and we believe that the best the ‘Net has to offer is yet to come. In order to look forward, however, it is necessary to look back.

Find Website Magazine at these Internet industry tradeshows. NRF Jan. 11-14 New York City, NY Affiliate Summit West Jan. 18-20 Las Vegas, NV eTail West Feb. 17-20 Palm Desert, CA

The feature article in this edition profiles those who, in 2014, made a positive impact in the world of Web business and are poised for even greater things in the years to come. It’s a useful exploration of the technology landscape - and its industry’s leaders - that we are confident will be very helpful to your enterprise in 2015 and beyond. These “Digital Power Players,” and the services and solutions they provide, are the focus of this edition of Website Magazine, but there’s a whole lot more to explore that can help your enterprise accelerate its ‘Net success. This issue of Website Magazine also includes practical guidance on digitalloyalty programs, highlights some of the best Web designs from the past year, and covers the dark side of social media marketing. Website Magazine has once again also gathered together some incredibly knowledgeable industry veterans for this issue, including Jamie Smith addressing competitive intelligence, E.J McGowan discussing automation in email marketing, and Matt Swan who tackles the incredibly interesting topic of using discount codes in performance marketing. Website Magazine readers will also find a round-up of predictions from Tim Ash (and other notable thought leaders) on conversion rate optimization in this issue. We’re confident you’ll find this issue of Website Magazine one of our best ever and CELEBRATING invite you to join us on the ‘Net, where our editors and contributors explore the topics that matter most to your digital success each and every day. Best Web Wishes,

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10 YEARS

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Celebrate with Website Magazine & Enter to WIN $500 To celebrate Website Magazine’s 10-year anniversary – we are sending our readers on a digital mission! Find the phrase “cohesive experience” (hint: it’s blue and bold and in the second half of this issue), open up the digital edition of Website Magazine (wsm.co/digitalwm15), and click that phrase. Participants will then be directed to a special landing page where they can enter to win a $500 prize. Website Magazine will be sending readers on these special missions throughout 2015, so keep a digital eye on this space in the months to come!

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Website Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 1, January 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. Canada Post: Please send undeliverable items to: 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor ON, N8T 3B7 Copyright 2014 by Website Magazine. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. For reprints of any article, contact the editor. *The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of Website Magazine.

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7 Ways The Mobile Consumer Changes Everything

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Shoppers’ mobile use in research and buying is exploding. Currently, eight in ten smartphone owners are smartphone shoppers. And by 2016, 85 percent of all digital shoppers will be mobile shoppers as well. It’s no longer enough to think of consumers as online versus in-store. The mobile shopper is neither and both of these, fast becoming the norm rather than the exception. Sponsored by BazaarVoice

American Express, one of the largest brands in the world, has recently announced that it plans to shift 100 percent of its online ad budget to buying ads automatically (AKA Programmatic Buying) hoping to use technology to buy ads from now on, as opposed to using people for sending insertion orders to publishers. Digital media buying is quite effective, but is this true for the SMBs too? Sponsored by AdClarity

Download free at www.WebsiteMagazine.com/resources

Net

BRIEFS The Year of

Social Commerce? 2014 was a good year for social commerce, but 2015 may be even better. Months after Twitter and Facebook announced they were testing “Buy” buttons within their newsfeeds and streams, Tumblr jumped on the bandwagon by unveiling a set of new calls-to-action for certain content posted on its platform (wsm.co/tumblrsoco). Twitter also released a feature dubbed Twitter Offers in November, which enables advertisers to create card-linked promotions and share them in the newsfeed (wsm.co/twittersoco). “Not to be out done,” Snapchat made progress with its monetization initiatives by launching a feature called Snapcash (wsm.co/snapchatcash) that allows users to send cash to friends directly through the application.

SKYPE ARRIVES IN THE BROWSER Skype is making it easier for users to connect with friends and colleagues around the world, as the telecommunications company (owned by Microsoft) unveiled a new product called Skype for Web (Beta). Users can now leverage the Skype for Web platform directly from within their browser to send instant messages, and will be able to make voice and video calls after installing a plugin. Members can even go directly to Skype.com and sign in to see their contacts and conversation history.

The Winner of .BOOK is… One of the most sought-after new generic toplevel domain extensions, .book, is now under the control of Amazon. The e-commerce juggernaut was competing against eight others for the domain name, but apparently ended up outbidding the rest at auction. While the ﬁnal price won’t be made public, many are speculating that it may be one of the most expensive extensions that has gone to auction.

Improving MOBILE SEARCH Google is taking steps to enhance the mobile browsing experience. The search juggernaut announced that it is now displaying “mobile friendly” labels in its mobile search results as well as including additional product information in mobile SERPs. “The new labels will show up on websites that meet specific criteria, such as sites that do not use software like Adobe Flash as well as sites that do use text that is readable without requiring users to zoom-in. In addition, mobile-friendly product information will show up when users search for specific items on their smartphones.” This additional data appears on an expandable product card that includes information like product reviews and specifications.

’Tis the Season of Acquisitions AOL Bets Big On Video AOL’s recent acquisition of Vidible will likely position the media company to become a leader in the video content management and syndication space. Vidible is a cross-screen video management and exchange platform for digital media buyers and sellers. The company offers a set of self-service tools and exchange capabilities for content creators and publishers, who can leverage the platform to expand distribution reach and increase the monetization options of their video content. The acquisition adds more than 300,000 videos to AOL’s existing library of 1 million videos. 6

10 YEARS

JANUARY 2015

AOL isn’t the only company making acquisitions during the holiday season. Microsoft also made headlines with its purchase of mobile email app Acompli. Available for both iOS and Android devices, Accompli offers access to a variety of email services including Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo and Microsoft Exchange. The app’s most noteworthy feature, however, is its Focused Inbox that learns users’ habits over time in order to prioritize messages. According to Acompli’s CEO, the company’s team and products will become part of Microsoft’s ambitious effort to “reimagine productivity for the mobile era.”

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Net

BRIEFS

Mention & Pin at G+ Google+ may be a virtual ghost town, but the network has launched two new features it hopes will encourage users to engage and interact more often. Google released a “Mentions” tab which enables desktop users to see when a page or personal profile is mentioned, as well as released a feature which enables users to “pin” specific posts to the top of their feed. While neither new feature is a game-changer, they should prove useful to businesses that are interested in keeping track of conversations about their brand and those that want to highlight their most interesting content.

The Future of Tech? platform launched a new website to help the public discover (and buy) innovative and unique products. According to the company, the Innovators Collective site features cool and cutting-edge products of tomorrow, including a Wi-fi enabled, multi-colored, energy-efficient light bulb and a Bluetooth gramophone.

MORE ‘NET NEWS See what’s trending on the Web today at wsm.co/NetFeatures DoubleClick Broke The Internet: wsm.co/broketheweb Yahoo Increased Search Share with Mozilla Deal: wsm.co/yahoomoz Manage Negative Social Media Comments (Infographic): wsm.co/negcomm Google Offering Ad-Free Internet: wsm.co/gadblocks

.com

The ‘Net moves pretty fast and if you don’t tune in to the latest technology releases once in a while, you’ll be left behind – and not just in a virtual way. Website Magazine recently launched a new weekly series profiling some of the most interesting technologies, digital tools and ‘Net services available to Internet professionals like you – and we’re bringing it to the print edition too! Search for “Web Tech Watch” at Website Magazine and discover a few reader favorites from December 2014 below:

+ Front: Shared inboxes for virtual teams to manage email, Twitter and SMS + KillBill: Open-source subscription billing and payment platform for websites + CrowdCast: Analytics, chat and voting for Google Hangouts

EBay is ready for the future, as the popular e-commerce

WEB TECH WATCH

JANUARY2015 2015 | |JANUARY

+ Flare: A customizable sharing bar for websites + Batch Insights: Track mobile push notifications of your competitors + WithOomph: A simple logo generation solution + Synup: Online marketing software for local, geo-focused businesses + Instapage: Build and A/B test landing pages + Precursor: A collaborative idea tool for sketching, prototyping and note taking + Publitas: Upload PDF’s to publish clickable catalogs, magazines and brochures

Stat

WATCH Stats that Will Shape The

NEW YEAR Modern consumers are becoming quite transparent about what makes them click or not click, buy or not buy. Directly asking online shoppers what their top purchase drivers and deterrents are, however, remains one of the most effective approaches to improving engagement and increasing conversions in today’s digital enterprise. Key findings, for example, of Visual Website Optimizer’s (VWO) Nov. 2014 e-commerce survey “Trends and Insights to Find and Convert Buyers” indicated the importance of retargeting shoppers to complete transactions. According to the survey, 54 percent of shoppers say they will purchase products left in their cart if they are offered them again at a discounted price. Among millennials (age 25-34), the number is significantly higher (72 percent). Why do shoppers abandon their carts in the first place? According to VWO’s study, unexpected shipping costs were the top sales deterrent (preventing 28 percent of buyers from completing their purchases), followed by the requirement for creating a new user account (23 percent). Finally, people were hesitant to buy because they were only conducting research (16 percent) or had payment security concerns (13 percent). “Online shoppers are diverse and constantly changing,” said Paras Chopra, CEO and founder of VWO. “In the highly competitive e-commerce marketplace, even a slight marketing misstep can be costly. When armed with consumer intelligence, marketers can ensure that they’re optimizing their websites and winning the conversion game.” For more insights into the state of today’s ecommerce buyer, visit wsm.co/14buyer.

60%

61k

At least 60 percent of those investing a minimum of six hours per week in social media marketing saw improvements in search engine rankings.

U.S. small- and medium-sized business owners with websites that aren’t optimized for mobile believe their revenue would rise by $61,000 annually if they upgrade. (Source: hibu, 2014)

(Source: Social Media Examiner, 2014)

69%

It’s becoming a challenge for 69 percent of marketers at mid-size companies to manage the growing number of technology vendors that exist when using multiple marketing technology solutions – adding time and complexity to their already demanding jobs.

16%

(Source: DNN, 2014)

Nielsen reports 16 percent year over year (YoY) growth in overall digital use – both on computers and mobile devices – among persons 18-34, with a 53 percent growth in digital video viewing for that same demographic. (Source: Nielsen, 2014)

$1 Billion Target’s 2013 retail hack reduced its brand value in 2014 by $1 billion.

34%

(Source: Certainsafe, 2014)

Research from hybris reveals that 34 percent of consumers believe online customer service has improved over the past three years. (Source: hybris, 2014)

J A N U A R Y 2015

10 YEARS

Enterprise

READY Content Marketing:

Thinking Outside the Blog Post By Allison Howen, Associate Editor

Banner blindness and ad-blocking plugins are forcing enterprises to get more creative with their promotional campaigns online – and many are turning to content marketing as a way to increase brand reach across the Web. How companies produce and share their content, however, is what separates successful content marketing initiatives (those that engage audiences in unique, meaningful ways) with those that simply waste time and money. While not an easy task, there are enterprises that have shown they are up for the digital challenge. Discover three brands below that are thinking outside the blog post when it comes to their content marketing initiatives.

Limited’s StyleLIST section features a A. The Social Stream that displays user-generated content in a gallery layout.

UGC that Increases Conversions It can be difficult to highlight content initiatives on some websites. Take the e-commerce industry as an example, which typically hosts sites that are image heavy and include dramatic calls to action (CTAs). Although it can be challenging for retailers to showcase content without distracting users and shifting their attention away from inventory, some retailers have found ways to make it work. The Limited, for instance, effectively uses content to complement its product pages, boost engagement and guide shoppers toward conversion. The clothing retailer does this by prominently featuring a “StyleLIST” section on its main navigation menu. Consumers can view unique and interactive content in this section, including a “Social Stream” that highlights branded content from the company’s customers. 10

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Consumers can shop directly from the Social Stream, which is powered by Olapic.

Marketing C. Iterable Director Sherry Chao markets her company by answering relevant questions on popular Q&A platform Quora.

The Limited’s Social Stream is powered by visual commerce and marketing company Olapic (also used by Hard Rock, Jet Blue, etc.). With Olapic, retailers can collect relevant images from site visitors as well as images shared by consumers on social networks like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Retailers can then approve and display the images on their site either in a separate gallery page like The Limited does (see Image A), or within product detail pages. Olapic also helps boost conversions, as site visitors can shop for the products featured in the user-generated content directly from the Social Stream (see Image B).

Curiosity Saves the Content Marketer Content marketing doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. In fact, brands can increase the visibility of their content simply by sharing it within niche communities or joining in on conversations happening around the ‘Net. Popular question and answer site Quora, for example, presents a powerful opportunity for enterprises trying to reach new prospects. While company accounts are not yet allowed on Quora, brand representatives can sign up for the site and contribute to relevant conversations, as well as write their own blogs on the platform to share expertise and raise awareness for their company. The Quora profile of Sherry Chao, from email and message optimization platform Iterable, is a good example (Image C). For transparency’s sake, Chao identifies herself as a marketing representative for Iterable in conversations she participates in and blog posts she writes. Chao also uses her experience to share helpful answers on the platform and includes links to Iterable’s website when appropriate. It is important to note that participating in conversations and blogging on Quora is beneficial not only because it increases a brand’s visibility on the Q&A platform itself, but also because it can increase a brand’s visibility in the SERPs – where popular Quora threads tend to rank high.

Link-Building with SlideShare Many enterprises underestimate the power of the SlideShare platform, which is among the top 120 most-visited websites in the world. The platform, which was acquired by LinkedIn in 2012, is essentially a content distribution and discovery network (with social elements) that features more than 15 million content assets available from both individuals and organizations in a variety of verticals. Brands that are leading the way on the platform, like Salesforce and Marketo (see Image D), have already realized the benefits to having a presence on Slide-

Share. Not only is all content on the platform searchable (both internally and externally), but brands can also embed documents and presentations directly onto their websites. Plus, all content comes with functionality that allows any viewer to share it through email or on social media networks, as well as on websites via an embed code. That feature can help enterprises raise awareness for their brands, as it gives website administrators the ability to add a SlideShare presentation onto their websites. Additionally, brands can include links within their presentations, which can boost referral traffic.

shares conD. Marketo tent on a regular basis with its more than 15,000 SlideShare followers.

Content Marketing Demands Innovation Technology may be making it easier for consumers to block advertisements from their online experiences, but content marketing is helping enterprises fight back. The trick, however, is to get innovative and think outside the blog post. By improving the way your enterprise produces and shares content, it’s not only possible to expand a brand’s digital footprint, but more effectively move consumers toward conversion.

Better Content in 2015 Q&A sites are a great place for brands to generate topic ideas for future content initiatives. Discover five more ways to spark ideas for your 2015 content calendar at wsm.co/contentin15.

J A N U A R Y 2015

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Small

BUSINESS LAB WEB ONLY

LOYALTY PROGRAMS By Amberly Dressler, Managing Editor

Loyalty programs, those which reward customers for repeat actions including visits and purchases, are no longer exclusive to local retailers or large multi-national corporations with a “brick-and-mortar” presence. The availability of such loyalty solutions is helping digital enterprises optimize their customer retention efforts, as well as generate greater profits for retailers, service providers and information publishers without an actual physical location.

500friends Recently acquired by Merkle, a customer relationship management (CRM) agency, San Francisco-based 500friends is a cloud-based omnichannel loyalty solution. Web-only retailers need not be scared of its “omnichannel” stance, however, as notable companies including 1-800-Flowers and Omaha Steaks are leveraging the platform to drive retention and increase customer lifetime value (LTV). 500friends provides a potentially valuable service as it allows its retail customers to customize point earning/redeeming for its users/members, while using their own branding (thanks to 500friend’s white-label offering). 1-800-Flowers, for example, runs “Fresh Rewards,” where members earn points for every dollar they spend, which can be redeemed across its family of brands (like The Popcorn Factory). Depending on the loyalty program objectives, however, brands can allow members to not only earn points for purchases, Using the PunchTab loyalty platform, but also from engagement activities (e.g. PURELL is able to connect and learn leaving reviews or sharing links on social about its consumers directly without media). 500friends also supports a variety relying on third parties. of other loyalty tactics. 12

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JANUARY 2015

500friends client Build.com, for example, encourages its members to earn points to unlock badges (through gamification layer) by completing actions like making two purchases in 30 days, referring friends that make purchases, opening emails and even clicking on links. For the unfamiliar, gamification incorporates traditional game elements like levels, badges, points and leaderboards to motivate participation. For businesses, these activities not only encourage recurring customer activity and assist with acquisition efforts (through referrals), but they also provide them with customer profile data.

PunchTab A software-as-a-service platform, PunchTab empowers retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands to engage customers and gain actionable insights. It counts big names like Arby’s, The History Channel and Energizer as clients, and, most recently, PURELL, which hoped to understand why people buy its hand-cleaning products, educate consumers about hand hygiene and increase overall brand awareness. While PURELL is, of course, sold in stores, its loyalty program is Web-based and, for the first time, gives PURELL a direct relationship with its customers. Members can earn points by completing their profiles and participating in surveys (giving PURELL access to direct data about purchase frequency, motivations, etc.), reading hygiene-related articles, exploring new products, watching videos, following PURELL on Pinterest and more. Members can redeem their points for coupons, products and gift cards. PURELL’s loyalty program offers several takeaways for Web-only businesses. First, it encourages users to register using their Facebook accounts, which gives PURELL access to public profile information and users’ email addresses (if that specific opt-in box remains checked). Finally, PURELL motivates members to complete the daily point-earning incentives by marking actions as complete, which provides immediate gratification and positively reinforces members’ actions.

Joining the Club According to the Consumer Loyalty Survey conducted by Hotels.com, more than one-third of Americans participate in brand loyalty programs. This means that consumers are not only familiar with the give and take of such programs but, more importantly, are more than willing to participate. As more consumers research and shop online, this means that Web-only businesses (of all sizes) will need to pair themselves with a loyalty platform to earn customers’ digital loyalty, which is clearly up for grabs.

Quiz

TIME WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT...

ONLINE ADVERTISING? Digital advertising today is far different than what has

display, video and search (as well as native) advertis-

been available in the past; it’s much faster and more ef-

ing channels. The more you know about how the cur-

ficient, but if you’re not careful, it can be far more ex-

rent systems, models and processes work, the better

pensive too. Website Magazine readers can stay up to

positioned your brand will be to capitalize on the en-

date on key developments within the ‘Net Advertising

gagement opportunities available — profiting from the

channel at WebsiteMagazine.com, but thanks to the ex-

strategic, creative and tactical efforts your enterprise

treme pace of innovation, there is always more to know.

makes each day.

Technology has developed to a point where enter-

In this edition of Website Magazine’s Quiz Time,

prises can now make smarter decisions about their digi-

test your familiarity with the modern advertising ecosys-

tal advertising investments when the aim is to not just

tem and see how much you really know about how it all

raise awareness but also to drive conversions through

works. Find the answers at wsm.co/jan15qt.

When digital advertisers opt to show placements only on Web pages related to a specific topic or interest category, this is known as: - Audience targeting - Contextual targeting - Behavioral targeting - Retargeting

FALSE Demand-Side Platforms were TRUE built primarily to enable advertisers to bid on inventory across multiple exchanges programmatically, whereas Supply-Side Platforms were built to enable publishers to effectively manage/ sell their inventory programmatically.

FALSE An Interstitial is a digital adverTRUE tising unit that appears in the middle of a content page (including pop-ups).

De-duplication occurs in display advertising when... - Too many conversions have been credited across media placements - Two ad calls are answered with matching bids - Duplicate creative calls occur on the same publisher page - Two unique users share a common user ID

An Ad Tag… - Gathers basic reporting data such as impressions, time watched, etc. - Tracks users’ activity after viewing a digital advertisement - Gives a browser serving/interaction instructions for an advertising unit - All of the Above

J A N U A R Y 2015

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| 13

Top

Marketing & Sales Automation For digital enterprises to have a successful 2015 they will need the right technology solutions in place; increasingly, that means deploying, and taking better advantage of, marketing and sales automation platforms. Now an integral part of the virtual business software world, marketing and sales automation solutions combine activities related to CRM, email, content management, search engine optimization, lead scoring, advertising and analytics. These holistic systems can be (and are with greater frequency) used to dramatically improve response rates by delivering the most relevant and timely messaging to prospects as well as a businesses’ existing clientele. Those that have invested in these solutions have already reaped the many rewards. According to Forrester Research, B2B marketers who implement marketing automation increase their sales-pipeline contribution by 10 percent (“The Forrester Wave Lead-To-Revenue Management Platform Vendors,” 2014). What’s more, the Aberdeen Group’s “Marketing Lead Management Report” revealed that companies using marketing automation solutions see 53 percent higher conversion rates from initial response to marketing qualified lead (MQL) and a revenue growth that is 3.1 percent higher than non-users. So why aren’t more enterprises taking advantage of these powerful systems? The problem may just be that there are hundreds of marketing automation solutions on the market today, which can make deciding which option is right for a business challenging. What’s more, 85 percent of B2B marketers using these platforms in 2014 felt that they were not using them to their full potential (SiriusDecisions - “Increasing Adoption of Marketing Automation Platforms,” 2014), indicating that greater buy-in from the C-Suite is required. In this installment of Top50, Website Magazine has assembled a list of the most popular marketing automation systems on the market today. While there are hundreds of vendors, many specializing in different aspects of the digital experience, those listed here are making a name for themselves on the ‘Net, and Web professionals like you would be wise to keep track of their progress in 2015 and beyond.

Don’t Miss Website Magazine’s “Top 10 Digital Testing Tools” Identify many of the most powerful optimization solutions on the

market today at wsm.co/toptest10.

10 YEARS

JANUARY 2015

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.

HubSpot.com Infusionsoft.com Marketo.com Act-On.com Eloqua.com Pardot.com Silverpop.com Percolate.com Integrate.com GetAmbassador.com Radius.com SimplyCast.com AutopilotHQ.com Ontraport.com Leadformix.com SalesFusion.com OutMarket.com Net-Results.com eTrigue.com Appforma.com Attentive.ly LeadSquared.com BuzzPortal.com WindsorCircle.com v12Groupinc.com SignalHQ.com BrandMaker.com RightOnInteractive.com Mindmatrix.net Marketing360.com Plumb5.com Autosend.io Hatchbuck.com SearchForce.com Salesformics.com Salesenginemedia.com Signupto.com goldLasso.com IBM.com CommuniGator.co.uk Salesnet.com Leanplum.com NextBee.com Genoo.com Adobe.com Teradata.com GetEnsight.com DeskGod.com ActiveConversion.com LeadLife.com

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12/2

FEBRUARY

Engagement &

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

Personalization

MARCH

APRIL

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

SEO Troubleshooting

Considerations

Enterprise Ready

Small Biz

Ad Deadlines

Mastering

A Practical SEO Roadmap for 2015 By Jason Squardo

Marketers consistently rank search engine optimization (SEO) as one of the greatest drivers of ROI, and the supporting evidence clearly shows that having an actual SEO plan is an essential part of any comprehensive digital marketing strategy.

Quick Roundup of Top SEO Tools Discover software that is driving the SEO success of modern digital enterprises at

wsm.co/qrseo15 16

Planning for SEO, whether that initiative is managed in-house or in conjunction with an agency partner, requires identifying target audiences and keywords, analyzing the competitive landscape and identifying website barriers, as well as building off-page signals through outreach. Learn more about these tactics below and consider employing the following approaches when building out a comprehensive SEO plan for your enterprise in 2015. Identify Key Target Audiences Using a variety of proprietary and third-party consumer data, it is important for marketers to start any SEO planning with a clear understanding of their target audience. Through data layering from owned databases, Google Analytics and third parties (e.g. Facebook), marketers can gain valuable information 10 YEARS

JANUARY 2015

about their customers that will help direct content and SEO initiatives moving forward. For example, marketers have the ability to track website visitors back to their profiles on Facebook and target them based on their social sharing behaviors. Identifying target audiences by geographic area, interests and other demographic information, allows marketers to build “roadmaps” for optimization. This initial research helps build a clear picture of how users are searching for and sharing information, and provides valuable insights into keywords, hashtags, topics and purchase intent. For example, local linguistic analysis and keyword research (check out Website Magazine’s “Big List of Free Keyword Tools” at wsm.co/ktools14 ) can identify how users in different geographic areas search for information. The often subtle differences in how users in Phoenix search for hotels versus users in Dallas for example, may determine how marketers will optimize for local searches in those areas. Analyze Off-Page Search Signals & the Competitive Landscape Using data analysis and initial keyword research,

search marketers should then determine what factors may be influencing a competitors’ rank. This research is particularly useful when factoring in offpage SEO, which includes the digital public relations and blogger outreach tactics used by a brand’s competitors to build high-quality links from credible, authoritative publishers. Once the search result positions of competitors are identified, as well as the factors potentially contributing to their success, search marketers can start to build a strategy for increasing their own website’s ranking. For example, if a company can determine which websites and publishers are linking to its competitors, it can make inferences about the types of publishers that it too will need to build relationships with in order to improve its off-page ranking factors. Using ranking analytics tools can help brands determine which publishers are the most authoritative and will therefore be most influential in helping increase their own positions on the search engine result pages (SERPs) for competitive keywords. Think About Where Users Are Coming From When it comes to on-page SEO, having a responsive website design that is optimized for searches made on all devices is essential. On-page structure, content and code that are optimized not only for search engines, but are also user-friendly, are critical to success in search engine optimization. Identify Optimization Barriers & Adjust Code/Site Structure Before diving into optimization with target audiences and keywords in mind, it’s important to consider the many SEO obstacles that can present themselves. Recognizing SEO obstacles can help marketers effectively maximize all digital marketing efforts, including outlining roadmaps for content. Use Local Directories to Your Advantage Local SEO is a rising area of expertise among search engine optimization professionals. It’s the process of making a company’s locations more visible to individuals searching with a geographic focus, especially on mobile devices. Data analysis and local SEO tools can help marketers determine which local directories,

including unique domains and citations, are accurate, up-to-date, and complete for their brand. Local directories should be filled out completely and consistently for each and every individual location, ideally with a link back to a unique location URL. Uploading to primary local directories (such as Yelp and Yellow Pages) as well as industry-specific directories (like Angie’s List for local service providers) can help increase search signals from these highly authoritative sites. Increasing a brand’s local search rankings is an essential component of SEO, as it increases visibility at the very moment users search. This qualified referral traffic can lead to increased online and offline sales.

“

Increasing search rankings for local search is an essential component of SEO, as it increases visibility in front of users at the very moment they search.

For further reading, check out “21 Local SEO Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making” at wsm.co/localmishaps. Build on Success to Optimize for Ongoing Success While these four strategies are essential building blocks to create an effective SEO plan, it is important to remember to take an active approach with your plan. Keeping pace with changing trends is crucial to staying ahead of search engine algorithm updates and the efforts of your competition. Remember to consistently review results, site performance and industry trends. By utilizing these four strategies and taking an active approach, marketers can create an optimized SEO plan to help increase visibility and drive sales.

Jason Squardo is the executive vice president of search at ZOG Digital, a digital marketing company based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Jason has worked for more than 16 years helping Fortune 500 and emerging brands with their SEO efforts.

SEO Extensions & Modules to Know A variety of Web-based apps and browser extensions exist that make quick work of identifying barriers to optimization. See a full list at wsm.co/extseo

J A N U A R Y 2015

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E-Commerce

EXPRESS

For Your Digital Consideration

4 Core Features of the Modern E-Commerce Platform By Derek Schou, Associate Editor

Selecting a new e-commerce platform is one of the most important (and often most intimidating) decisions that any online merchant can make. The platform that is chosen will be experienced everyday by hundreds, if not thousands, of website visitors all expecting (and increasingly, demanding) a comprehensive, functional and ultimately flawless site. Are you up to the challenge? Every merchant has certain criteria they are looking for in an e-commerce platform, of course, but there are several features that any Internet retailer selling on the ‘Net today must pay particular attention to as they make their final decision and begin the often long rollout of a new digital presence.

Mobile Optimization In order to help consumers get the most out of their digital experience today, merchants must make sure they have a mobile optimized website. One of the most popular design-related approaches or strategies is, of course, to implement a responsive interface. Websites that are created with responsive design automatically adjust for any screen size, so regardless of the device a website is being viewed upon (desktop, tablet, smartphone), consumers will always experience a familiar interface. Also, because the site will adjust to fit any screen size perfectly, there is no need to create an entirely separate dedicated site for users (which would cost merchants extra time and money to setup and manage). Responsive is not always the best solution, of course, but it’s hard to deny the trend and some amazing websites have been built using the technique. Check out five beautiful and incredibly effective responsive retail sites at wsm.co/respretail.

Advanced Reporting From the number of unique visitors to the average order value of purchases, online stores can provide 18

10 YEARS

JANUARY 2015

merchants with a plethora of valuable data to help accelerate their success. Through advanced reporting features, however, merchants can uncover hidden trends – aspects of their website that are performing better or worse than expected. Merchants can then turn around and use this information to evaluate their current marketing or design strategy and decide whether or not it needs to be adjusted. Not all e-commerce solutions provide such granular data, of course, so many merchants turn to business intelligence solutions to fill in the gaps. Find a few of the most powerful options at wsm.co/ecomintel.

Consumer Reviews For consumers, few things are as influential as reviews. Whether at a brick-and-mortar store or shopping on their laptop or tablet in the comfort of their home, there is a significant chance that consumers have checked reviews before they purchase any product. In fact, according “to a 2013” survey by Dimensional Research, 90 percent of consumers indicated that reading a positive online review influenced their buying decision in the past. With consumer reviews having such a positive effect on purchasing, it’s vital that merchants select a platform that supports the collection and publishing of reviews (Discover several powerful extensions and modules for most popular e-commerce platforms at wsm.co/reviewmods ) . Merchants that don’t put reviews front and center in the purchasing experience risk consumers searching other sites where they could end up finding a better deal.

What’s Important to You? There are numerous e-commerce platform options available for merchants to leverage – just check out Website Magazine Master List of Solutions for Internet Retailers at wsm.co/etail2015. With today’s solutions boasting expansive arrays of features, it is important that merchants not forget which are the most fundamental to their success. With a platform offering mobile-compliance, email integrations, advanced reporting and consumer reviews, merchants can improve their profitability and deepen customer engagement with ease.

Resource Center FINELY FOCUSED INFORMATION FROM INDUSTRY SPONSORS Scan to visit our Resource Center at www.WebsiteMagazine.com/resources.

Website Magazine’s Resource Center presents white papers and webinars from our sponsors that provide information, specifics and metrics to help you make decisions for website success. www.WebsiteMagazine.com/resources.

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10 YEARS

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Design and

DEVELOPMENT

Best

Web Design Trends of 2014

By Allison Howen, Associate Editor

Every year there are a variety of website design trends that take the Internet by storm. While some of these trends end up being timeless best practices that are seen on websites for years to come, others will turn out to be fads and quickly thrown to the digital wayside by the Web design community. To find the best Web design and develop trends of 2014, Website Magazine editors reached out to the digital design community (our readers and indus-

A. 20

Virgin America detects a userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location to deliver a personalized landing page. 10 YEARS

JANUARY 2015

try connections) to discover which Web properties were deemed most attractive, functional and generally impressive. Many of the nominations and submissions were deserving of a mention for the best Web designs of 2014, but the three featured below stood out from the rest by showcasing well some of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest trends.

Virgin America - Personalized Landing Page Janrain data reveals that 74 percent of online consumers get frustrated with websites when content appears that has nothing to do with their interests. Fortunately, brands can remedy this problem at the very first impression by delivering a personalized landing page experience. An example of a company embracing personalization is Virgin America. The travel company uses the tactic of personalization to provide a better experience to its customers, but more specifically, to streamline the ticket purchasing process. To do this, Virgin America automatically detects the location of its site visitors and uses the closest airport as the starting point for the visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s travel itinerary (see Image A).

Jonathan Adler features images within its navigation menu bar to make it easier for consumers to find what they are looking for.

Reichman’s minimal “use of text” compliments the site’s image-heavy design.

While there are a variety of solutions available to make personalization an easy feat, Baynote and AddThis are a couple worth checking out. Baynote, for instance, can be leveraged to match landing pages to a consumer’s most recent search activity. Conversely, AddThis (which is typically known for its social sharing capabilities) recently launched an audience targeting tool that enables site owners to personalize their website based on a variety of factors, such as the websites the consumer has recently visited, the device they are using to access the site and their specific interests (learn more about this tool at wsm.co/audtarget ).

Jonathan Adler – Visual Navigation When it comes to having a successful or unsuccessful presence on the ‘Net, website navigation can be the determining factor. Websites that are not easy to navigate will frustrate consumers and increase the likelihood of site abandonment (pushing them closer to the competition). Website owners must keep in mind that on-site navigation must not only be functional, specific and correct, but also intuitive so that visitors have an easier time finding exactly what they are looking for. One way to do this is by featuring images in navigation menus. These images should be easily recognizable and accurately represent a specific category or section of the website they redirect visitors to, as this enables consumers to get a better idea of the site’s content with just a glance. Take Jonathan Adler as an example. This home goods retailer features a traditional navigation menu bar across the top of its site. When visitors mouse over each menu category, however, they are presented with a more detailed slide down menu that displays an image to represent each category (see Image B). While not a major departure from the traditional menu bar, the images do make it easier for consumers to digest the site’s content and find the section they are searching for more quickly.

Reichman – Image-Heavy Design Images are one of the most valuable types of content on the Web right now, and for good reason. Not only

do images have the ability to quickly convey a story, but they also attract attention better than line after line of text. Because of this, many brands opted for imageheavy designs on their websites in 2014 (discover five retailers rockin’ image-rich sites at wsm.co/imagerich ). Subscriber-nominated Reichman Sales and Services, for example, features a revolving carousel of high-quality and captivating images on its landing page (see Image C). In fact, these images make up about 90 percent of the site’s landing page above the fold and do an exceptional job representing the website’s content to new visitors. It is also important to point out that the site’s minimal use of text compliments its image-heavy design and also help visitors learn more about the company without requiring them to read through a lot of information or click through to an “about” page.

Trending in 2015 For most people, the New Year is a time to look back at the past and make resolutions for the future. In the tech world, this means that professionals like digital designers and developers will be sorting through the hottest trends of 2014 to figure out which technologies and tactics should be implemented and improved upon in 2015 and which should be thrown to the digital wayside with other technologies of yesteryear. J A N U A R Y 2015

Best of the Web? Discover 5 more designs that deserve to be in the best Web design conversation at

wsm.co/top2014design 10 YEARS

| 21

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DIGITAL

POWER PLAYERS By Peter Prestipino, Editor-In-Chief

10 YEARS

JANUARY 2015

When Website Magazine launched nearly ten years ago the ‘Net was a far different place. Google was threatening the digital dominance that Yahoo! had enjoyed for years, websites loaded in double or triple the time in some instances and pure-play social media networks were but a vision in the minds of technology innovators.

It might seem odd to start off a list of Digital Power Players with a category on project management software, but anyone that has run a Web-based business will understand. There are so many moving parts to today’s ‘Net enterprises, that only those who are organized and capable of streamlining their task completion will be able to achieve success. Fortunately, many software solutions exist – both commercial and open-source – to help brands keep + Wrike.com track of the work they are doing and + Basecamp.com optimize their processes. Learn more + Trello.com about these project management systems + Microsoft.com and others at wsm.co/toppm15. + Harvest.com

Domain Names Few verticals in the world of Web business have seen as much disruption in 2014 as that of the domain space. With the introduction of the new generic top-level domains (gTLD’s), the preferred .COM – which, of course, remains the dominant extension – is experiencing slower growth as geographic extensions including .BERLIN and .NYC, and community and industry focused extensions such as .CLUB and .REALTOR capture the attention of Internet professionals. With thousands of the new gTLD’s entering the digital landscape in 2014, domain name registrars have benefitted greatly from the increased attention as you might expect. Those registrars that have managed to garner most of the new gTLD registrations this year top Website Magazine’s list of the Digital Power Players in the category of Domain Names. + GoDaddy.com + 1and1.com + NetworkSolutions.com + eNom.com + NameCheap.com

+ Name.com + Doteasy.com + Domain.com + Register.com + Web.com

b lu

d i g

Things have changed dramatically since then, and very much for the better. Website Magazine has been fortunate to be at the intersection (and often at the epicenter) of Web business and digital technology in the past decade, occupying a vantage point that affords us a unique view into the most powerful solutions, practices and processes employed by the millions of readers, and offered by the thousands of companies, we have had the opportunity - and privilege - to see emerge, grow, and sometimes even falter and fail as much and as often as they succeed. One thing is for certain, the Web is truly an amazing place. As a result, it is useful from time to time to explore (and reward with a virtual high-five) those that are making a positive difference in the lives of each and every Website Magazine reader (as well as the ‘Net community at large) – the millions of digital professionals that over the years have turned to this print and online publication for guidance on accelerating their website success. As you might imagine, it is no simple task, no easy feat, to develop a guide to something as provocative (and potentially disruptive) as a list of “Digital Power Players,” but that was exactly our aim in this edition of Website Magazine. In this issue, readers will discover the companies that moved the Web forward in exciting, useful and innovative ways in 2014. But we didn’t stop there, you will also find some insights from our community on their favorite solutions and why they believe many of those earned the Digital Power Players designation. Website Magazine realizes you might p l a y e r l s disagree with some of those companies a t we have nominated as Digital Power Players, and to this we say… you might be right. Each and every category included has established vendors and emerging players, but there are many others that were excluded that easily could have garnered a mention. We are confident, however, that, by engaging in your own research, consideration and examination of these solutions, you will be able to see why they were included. You are encouraged to visit Website Magazine and tell the story of the brands, services and solutions you believe are the ‘Net’s most dominant Digital Power Players.

Project Management Software

QUICK HIT Discover several noteworthy developments in the world of domain names at wsm.co/domdevjan15

Web Hosting The Web is moving faster and faster, and Internet professionals that manage to deliver a faster experience to users not only benefit from an increase in engagement and sales, but can even see higher search engine rankings as well. For these reasons, the Web hosting decision made by your enterprise is an important one. With the varying J A N U A R Y 2015

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demands of the modern Web business however, it’s nearly impossible to identify which Web hosting providers are worthy of being designated as 2014’s Digital Power Players. There is shared hosting, dedicated hosting, managed hosting, database hosting, not to mention cloud hosting. Vendors in a category like shared hosting don’t belong alongside vendors which cater to larger enterprises focusing on e-commerce or those which run database-driven apps in the cloud. Website Magazine has published a deeper look at the Web hosting market in general to supplement this issue (available at wsm.co/wmhg15), but there are hosting companies that stood out in 2014 and earned Website Magazine’s designation as Digital Power Players, including: Budget Hosting: HostGator.com Dedicated Hosting: Softlayer.com Cloud Hosting: Microsoft Azure E-Commerce Hosting: Rackspace.com Application Hosting: Amazon

SEM - Search Advertising & Optimization Of all the different types of online marketing that today’s digital-minded brands can leverage – including email and social – search remains dominant and, as a result of the value it can potentially provide in terms of raw unique visitor numbers, is perhaps the most attractive option. There has always been confusion about what search engine marketing (SEM) really is, however – is it purely unpaid and natural traffic from the search engines, or does it relate to advertising on the search engines, paying for visitors with a clear, keyword-driven intent? SEM is essentially any marketing on search engines -- be it through advertising or through optimization. The market for solutions on both sides is in great demand and many Digital Power Players have emerged to help ‘Net brands increase exposure in this important channel of Web business today. Search Advertising + WordStream.com + MarinSoftware.com + Kenshoo.com + SEMRush.com + Acqusio.com

SEO Software + WebCEO.com + SEOclarity.net + Moz.com + RavenTools.com + Position.ly

SEMrush “I have found SEMrush to be one of my go to tools. I use it for the obvious reasons like competitive analysis but I have also found it to be a great prospecting tool for new clients as well. If you do not have this in your toolbox, get it!” ~ Travis Bliffen, Owner of Stellar SEO 26

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JANUARY 2015

E-Commerce Of the numerous topics covered in Website Magazine (online, in our weekly email newsletter, as well as in print), e-commerce consistently elicits a great deal of attention from our community of digital professionals. Total annual e-commerce sales increase each year, due in great part to today’s software solutions which provide Internet retailers with opportunities to do ever more amazing things with their digital presence. E-Commerce is always one of the first to benefit from innovation and the Digital Power Players in this category are perfect examples. Stay up to date on key e-commerce developments at wsm.co/EcommerceExpress. + MagentoCommerce.com + Shopify.com + BigCommerce.com + 3DCart.com + Mozu.com

+ Volusion.com + Hybris.com + X-Cart.com + GoeCart.com + Miva.com

Social Media Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (sorry Google+) have become an integral part of maintaining a digital presence on the ‘Net. While the value these ‘Net destinations provide to enterprises is up for debate, marketers continue to take advantage of these platforms in the hopes of raising awareness for their brands, deepening engagement with their fans and followers, (and with any luck, increasing conversion) thanks to Social Media’s Digital Power Players, including: + Hootsuite.com + SproutSocial.com + AgoraPulse.com + GroSocial.com + Bufferapp.com

+ Sendible.com + Buzzsumo.com + ViralHeat.com + SocialBro.com + Offerpop.com

Buzzsumo “Buzzsumo is the best online marketing tool to come out this year. It makes finding tastemakers and thought leaders to interact with via social media a snap, and you can sort by their follower count, Klout, likelihood to respond to your tweets, etc. Buzzsumo also tells you which pieces of content on any given subject are most shared, and it uses that data to dig deeper and provide you with info about which types of blog posts are likely to resonate well with your target audience (including suggested word count and title type).” ~Kari DePhillips, Owner of The Content Factory

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Live Chat Software

Sales & Marketing Automation

Once an absolute necessity in the arsenal of digital tools for top Web brands, live chat software remains a popular option for those that want to help guide their users to a more personal experience and a more profitable one for their brand. Discover the features + Livechatinc.com that brands should + HelpOnClick.com demand from their + Olark.com live chat software + Velaro.com solutions at wsm.co/lcfeat. + TouchCommerce.com TouchCommerce “At T-Mobile, our primary goal with our chat teams is to improve the quality of our agents’ performance and to deliver a high quality customer experience, while servicing more customers as costeffectively as we can. TouchCommerce helps us achieve these objectives. For example, TouchCommerce provides us readouts of the most common topics and questions we get from customers through chat transcript analysis. For topics that exceeded a specific threshold, we dig in to see how we could better prepare our reps. The goal is to educate our reps to be able to anticipate what customers need, so they can not only answer the questions of that chat interaction, but the next ones as well.” ~ Derek Johnson, Content Strategist at T-Mobile

Email Love it or loathe it, email is a fundamental element of the Web today. Every digital brand from information publishers to service providers (e-commerce merchants too) use email to communicate with customers and their audience, and ultimately drive conversions. Those platforms that make the process simpler, empower marketers with the tools they need to automate the required processes (see Website Magazine’s recent December ’14 issue) and integrate with existing systems are those that worthy of being called 2014’s Digital Power Players in the category of email, and those which will likely continue to do so in 2015 and beyond. + ConstantContact.com + MailChimp.com + AWeber.com + Campaigner.com + Listrak.com

10 YEARS

JANUARY 2015

+ GetResponse.com + iContact.com + ActiveCampaign.com + VerticalResponse.com + MyEmma.com

If 2014 will be remembered for anything (at least from the perspective of Website Magazine editors), it will be the dramatic increase in usage of sales and marketing automation solutions. These systems are now considered vital for efficient and effective operations on the ‘Net today, combining many of the core solutions and activities of digital brands – from CRM, email, content management, search engine optimization, lead scoring, advertising and analytics. There is often great disparity in the scope of services the leading vendors provide, and it can be a challenging task to find a solution that meets the needs and demands of a specific enterprise. Fortunately, Website Magazine’s Top 50 this month profiles many of the most popular sales and marketing automation solutions. Readers can find that list in this issue on page 14, and on the Web at wsm.co/top50ms.

Advertising & Performance Marketing For those brands that need to raise awareness and garner mindshare in their respective markets, digital advertising and performance marketing are increasingly necessary. However, the industry has seen and experienced a variety of discouraging setbacks in 2014, from Google’s recent acknowledgement that just over half of its display ads are visible, to the ongoing tracking challenges for affiliate networks. Even with these rather significant issues, digital advertising and performance marketing are healthy industries and remain effective options for those looking to improve their bottom line. Online Advertising + AdRoll.com + 7Search.com + Chitika.com + Criteo.com + Brightroll.com

Performance Marketing + Conversant.com + RakutenMarketing.com + ShareaSale.com + AvantLink.com + ClickBank.com

Help Desk Solutions There’s a growing trend among today’s ‘Net enterprises – improving the efficiency of customer service. Where companies once had to staff call centers with knowledgeable teams of sales and support personnel, today they are turning to help desk solutions so customers can, effectively, serve themselves. Fortunately, some powerful tech- + Zendesk.com nology platforms have + Desk.com emerged that are making a posi- + Freshdesk.com tive difference in the world of + TeamSupport.com Web business. + HappyFox.com

If there is one single word that defined 2014, it’s that of “experience.” The data is clear, enterprises that deliver personal experiences, those which speak directly to the needs and wants of users, are the ones that are accelerating their success and + WebTrends.com reaching prof+ Optimizely.com itability far + Monetate.com faster than + Unbounce.com their competition.

+ VisualWebsiteOptimizer.com

Today’s ‘Net users expect a different, a better, experience from the brands they patronize. They do not just want great products and service, they want to be rewarded for giving their time and attention. That demand has been met with some rather innovative solutions which enable brands + Klout.com to employ gamification + Influitive.com principles to deepen en- + Bazaarvoice.com gagement and increase the number + Badgeville.com + Bunchball.com and quality of interactions.

Subscription Management One of the most exciting trends in 2014 was the uptick in subscription management usage by ‘Net enterprises. No longer content with traditional payment models, technology vendors emerged forcefully to enable brands to + Zuora.com offer subscription-based bill- + Chargebee.com ing and recurring billing in a + Cleverbee.com way that was both affordable + Avangate.com and incredibly effective. + Braintree.com

Mobile Smartphones were supposed to change everything – and they did. Upwards of 30 percent of all Website traffic these days comes from mobile devices, and the savviest brands are doing everything

+ Flurry.com + Appcelerator.com

The Digital Power Players identified in this issue of Website Magazine are capable of helping your digital brand accelerate its ‘Net success. If you are ready for big things in 2015, let this serve as your initial inspiration to try something new and refocus your energy on what really matters. a

Website Magazine Readers Speak Below are three solutions that WM readers said make a positive difference in their pursuit of Web success. Find more online at wsm.co/wmfavs14

a y e r s p l

Gamiﬁcation & Loyalty

To 2015 and Beyond

Optimizely “As a data-driven e-commerce agency, we rely on tools to help us gather data. Optimizely, an A/B testing platform, allows us to easily run multiple tests on a website and the results are clearly presented. For our clients, the data translates to websites optimized for the best possible user experience.” ~ Kevin Eichelberger, Founder and CEO of Blue Acorn

they can to get in on the action – from rolling out responsive or adaptive designs, to personalizing and prioritizing content for users when they are away from the desktop. Solutions catering to this increasing demand fared quite well in 2014 and mobile analytics, mobile site builders and app + MixPanel.com platforms captured the attention + AppAnnie.com + DudaMobile.com of digital professionals.

d i g it

Experience Optimization Software

AnswerDash “As useful as AnswerDash is to assist our customer it is also very useful to assist them before they know assistance is needed. The analytics tools show us what the customer is clicking on the most within the Q&A tab. This has helped us ensure those pages are populated with [the most sought-after] Q&As. This has also helped slow down the amount of new questions asked on the tab. Now, none of us feel like we are drowning in support.” ~ Maya Starbuck, Manager of Customer Care at PetHub PicMonkey “PicMonkey is a free online image editing tool that helps anyone with a little online savvy produce beautiful images. We use PicMonkey to do basic tasks like resizing and cropping blog images and more advanced tasks like adding text and titles to stock photos. Our editors use PicMonkey every day to add engaging images to our written content. We couldn’t live without it.” ~ Lee Price, Senior Director, Marketing Strategy at Reputation Capital Media Services Contactually “The tool that’s nurtured my growth the most in 2014 is CONTACTUALLY. In essence, it’s a CRM Platform, but what sets it apart is its focus on building and nurturing relationships. Through its effortless Bucket System and Innovative Reminders, I’ve taken relationships to exciting levels, and grown because of this.”written content. We couldn’t live without it.” ~ Matthew Turner, Author at TURNDOG

J A N U A R Y 2015

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Mobile

MATTERS Don’t Sit Idly By,

START MOVING

BLOGGERS By Derek Schou, Associate Editor

Mobile devices have dramatically altered the way business is conducted. No longer are professionals bound to their desktops, but instead, can take their work with them on the go. One of the many types of digital professionals that smartphones have positively impacted is bloggers, as they can meet consumers’ insatiable demands for new content from wherever they are. Below are five of the most popular blogging content management systems (CMSs) that enable every user to blog on the go thanks to dedicated mobile apps.

WordPress

(Preview of OverBlog’s blogging option for mobile users)

As one of the most powerful and popular CMSs on the market, WordPress enables mobile bloggers to easily create and edit blog posts. Bloggers can post, comment, edit and upload media to their blogs all from their Android or iOS devices, while also monitoring their top posts and most popular stories thanks to WordPress’s stats. Further, users can discover where their readers are coming from to ensure they are producing the right content for the right audience.

OverBlog

(Preview of Blogger’s mobile app with a geotagged post) 30

With an interesting array of features, OverBlog’s mobile app provides is a quick way to create, update and manage one’s OverBlog. One of the most unique features from OverBlog is the ability to insert content from many of the most popular social media networks. If bloggers see an interesting image on Flickr or a unique video on YouTube, for example, they can easily import the media into their posts for readers to interact with. What’s also particularly useful is that OverBlog lets users moderate comments on the go, as well as switch between multiple 10 YEARS

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accounts. The latter is something even the most popular apps (like Instagram) do not allow users to do.

Tumblr

With more than 194 million blogs, Tumblr is one of the most popular blogging networks on the Web. Tumblr’s mobile app provides its users with a comprehensive experience through which they can publish posts, videos, images, links and even manage multiple blogs from their mobile devices. Perhaps one of the most helpful features is the ability to schedule posts for publication so they can keep a constant stream of new content on their blogs without having to manually publish articles throughout the day and night. Another interesting capability of Tumblr’s mobile app is that it enables bloggers to edit their mobile layout. This feature, released just last year, is available within the main app for easy use by all.

Blogger

When working on the go it’s important to understand that interruptions are bound to happen. One of the many useful features of Blogger’s mobile app is the ability to quickly save an unfinished post for completion at a later point. To help make posts more engaging, the app enables bloggers to insert pictures from their smartphone’s image gallery or by taking a picture from within the app. Another unique feature available through Blogger is the ability to geo-tag posts. By adding location information, bloggers can help to elevate engagement for location sensitive material like a post relating to a trade show at a conference center.

Weebly

A robust mobile app, Weebly lets users start an entirely new blog from their smartphones, complete with a dragand-drop creator and modern themes. It, of course, also enables mobile users to create new blog posts, respond to blog comments, share posts on social media and more. One of the most interesting features the Weebly mobile app offers bloggers is image filters. By leveraging this option, bloggers can take ordinary photos and transform them into something more visually engaging.

Get Up, Get Moving

Mobile devices have forever changed the way that business is conducted. No longer must bloggers sit at a desktop surrounded by the walls of their home or office. Instead, they can be out and about and still communicate with their audience. So what are you waiting for? Get up and start exploring.

MASTER AFFILIATE MARKETING Affiliate 360: Fundamentals of Performance Marketing provides a foundation for understanding the challenges and opportunities in affiliate marketing, so you can shorten your road to Web success.

Affiliate 360, published by Website Magazine, is an action plan for achieving success as an affiliate marketer. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find yourself highlighting and earmarking the pages, as you discover practical tools and effective strategies from top minds in performance marketing. To learn more, visit WebsiteMagazine.com/Affiliate360

Conversion

CORNER

CRO

PREDICTIONS FOR 2015 By Tim Ash

In recent years, conversion rate optimization (CRO) has emerged as a top priority for marketers across virtually every vertical. Big data and a myriad of technological advancements have made website testing and optimization available to companies of all sizes, and a growing percentage of organizations are dedicating marketing dollars and staff resources to this important discipline. So with all this growth, what will conversion rate optimization look like in 2015? Here’s what some of the experts are predicting:

A Focus on Relevance E-commerce expert Charles Nicholls, Chief Strategy Officer of SeeWhy, predicts that context will play an increasingly important role as marketers seek to present personalized experiences to visitors. “As more data becomes available in real time about individual consumers, the ability to glean what is relevant to visitors from their digital and offline footprints will lead to changes in the way marketers think about CRO,” Nicholls says. “Does she convert on this device? Where is she on her journey? What’s the weather like where she is? Is the item she’s looking at trending currently on social? Do we know enough about her to build a personal landing page?” Using data to answer these questions will allow marketers to present contextually relevant Web experiences to each visitor. Adobe’s Kevin Lindsay, Director of Conversion Product Marketing, agrees that the biggest trends in 32

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CRO revolve around the growing consumer demand for hyper-relevant experiences. He explains: “Hyperrelevance is that perfectly curated moment where ‘last millisecond’ targeting — delivering immediate, meaningful digital experiences — meets ‘last inch’ targeting — the moment the consumer walks through the doors of that (actual) store. It’ll be evidenced by activities like push notifications that steer consumers toward products and offers, made even more relevant through micro-location targeting and iBeacons.” Of course, figuring out how to create a hyper-relevant, individualized experience for millions of unique visitors presents some unique challenges, and not all companies will be able to take this leap. But even smaller organizations should be thinking about personalization on whatever scale they can manage.

Mobile Use Brings New Opportunities Few events in history have caused as rapid of an evolution in consumer behavior as mobile Web devices. Smartphones, tablets and e-readers have allowed people to easily perform Web-based activities that just a few years ago could only be efficiently done on a desktop computer. This fact alone has changed the landscape of conversion rate optimization. Conversion optimization pioneer Bryan Eisenberg says that “the collision of mobile traffic rising and the consumption of video is one of the biggest factors affecting conversion today.” His CRO prediction for 2015 is that “we will start to see a lot more people personalizing, localizing and testing video content to improve conversions.”

The rising use of mobile has also profoundly changed have seen this typically can increase a business’s conthe way people search. With an increasing number of version rate by over 10 or even 20 percent.” people using voice commands to search, it’s easy to see Sandra Neihaus, VP of UX at Closed Loop, sughow the expectation for desktop search has changed. gests that 2015 will be the year that “pre-testing” gains Rather than enter keywords and phrases in an attempt momentum. According to Neihaus, “CRO practitioners to “match” the results of a machine-driven search algo- looking for an edge will start using UX and market rithm, a growing number of people are using plain con- research methods to narrow the field of test options versational language in their searches, a practice called before running a live traffic test. Why waste weeks or “natural language search.” months testing bad options when a simple survey or Jordi Torras, CEO of Inbenta (a company special- eye tracking study could get you 20 miles further down izing in artificial intelligence and natural language the conversion highway in a matter of days? The adprocessing), predicts that in 2015 and beyond, vantages are too strong to ignore, and in 2015 CRO websites that are able to communicate with and un- practitioners looking for an edge will increasingly turn derstand visitors using their own words will enjoy to pre-testing approaches.” significantly improved conversion rates. People exIn addition, “more test ideas will come from outside pect a website to understand what the organization than from inside,” they want. Enabling artificial inpredicts Closed Loop CEO and In 2015, telligence features, like semantic Founder Lance Loveday. “Savvy search, will fulfill that expectation companies will realize that customCRO will find by providing results based on what ers should have more of a voice in the visitor intends, not necessarily identifying and prioritizing test ideas its greatest what was typed. and not just be used as guinea pigs.” Brian Massey, the self-titled successes in Conversion Scientist, predicts a Breaking Through the Gate wholesale demise of what he calls The content marketing explosion useful, interac“Mobile 1.0”. He envisions 2015 has proven to marketers that people to be the year in which “concepts are attracted to quality, relevant tive, un-gated like the hamburger menu button, content. Plus, sites like BuzzFeed form fields, and even the thought have demonstrated how addicting content experi- and share-worthy quizzes, games that responsive designs are acceptable for small screens will melt and interactive experiences can be. ences. away.” While not all marketers will That could be why Justin Talerico, co-founder and CEO of ion inagree, it is clear that companies that expect visitors to convert via mobile devices will teractive, predicts, “In 2015, CRO will find its greatneed to approach cross-device integration more est successes in useful, interactive, un-gated content holistically than they have in the past. Conversions experiences.” Talerico suggests that un-gating content often start on one device and end on another, and it can build trust with website visitors and lead to higher will be increasingly critical for marketers to ensure a conversions downstream. “The people we want to cohesive experience that understands how people convert are in charge,” says Talerico. “They want more control. More transparency. And more access to inforbrowse, shop and buy. mation deeper and deeper into their journey. CRO will Testing and Optimization move its gates back behind interactive content that enWill Get Smarter gages by giving people what they want — before asking Technology is becoming more robust and less expen- for the conversion.” sive, which will allow marketers to get savvier and more efficient in their approach to optimization and More Tests Means More Jobs testing. Entrepreneur and analytics expert Neil Patel Finally, Optimizely’s Head of Optimization Kyle Rush expects to see a growing number of companies lever- predicts that businesses will start running more experiaging existing technologies to boost conversion rates in ments across all their channels, including mobile apps. 2015. “For example,” Patel says, “most marketers are “We will see many open job postings for conversion asking for users to sign-up with an email address and optimization positions,” says Rush. “More and more password, when they could be getting that information businesses will hire someone to do conversion optimifrom Facebook or Google authentication. From what I zation full time.”

“

J A N U A R Y 2015

Master CRO

Access all Website Magazine’s Conversion Corner articles from 2014 at

wsm.co/mastercro 10 YEARS

| 33

Social Media

MAVENS Shedding Light on

SOCIAL MEDIA’ S

DARK SIDE By Amberly Dressler, Managing Editor

Internet professionals just need to look to the upheaval that Facebook’s Messenger app caused in 2014 or the chaos that ensues after any privacy policy change to know that social media users are growing increasingly concerned about what information is being collected by social networks (and available to advertisers) or which activities (comments, likes, shares and posts) are being seen by their digital “friends.”

Did You Know?

+ Arts and entertainment (80%), careers (78%) and travel (78%) are most often discussed via dark social channels + Pets (84%), family and parenting (63%) and real estate (55%) are most discussed via social channels like Facebook and Twitter

This may be one of the reasons that 56 percent of all online sharing activity in the U.S. is now taking place via “dark social” channels, compared to just 31 percent via Facebook and 10 percent on all other social channels combined, according to data released by advertising software company RadiumOne in Dec. 2014. As RadiumOne defines it, “dark social” refers to any inbound Web traffic coming from sources that traditional Web analytics platforms are unable to track. It typically occurs when online content is shared by copying a URL and pasting it into messaging platforms such as email, forums or instant messaging (IM) rather than sharing it via social networks. Aside from possible privacy concerns, consumers are also favoring sharing material “in the dark” versus publicly because of today’s social norms, as well as context and situation. “Sharing photos or greetings from a trip to Maui is a pretty normal public sharing event,” said Eric Bader, the CMO of RadiumOne. “Forwarding a picture of the zip line at a Maui resort through email, text or IM and asking friends if they think you’ll like it, because you know they have been there before, is more typical of a private sharing event. “The difference is that most Web analytics programs that marketers have access to don’t track the sharing between the group of friends via email, text or IM, just the more public stuff via social networks.” 10 YEARS

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When consumers share content, products or other information via dark social channels (email, text or chat), marketers are missing out on a huge amount of data about preferences, interests and intentions that they can’t see or don’t get to consider when making media planning and buying decisions. “The content that people share between a connected group via email, text and IM is likely to be different from what people post or share via public networks and therefore provides marketers a whole other aspect of consumer interests and intent,” said Bader. One way marketers can find out how and where their content, videos and pictures are being shared is through their current link shortener service. When a company, for example, uses a shortened link on social media but users copy and paste that short URL into a text message, some link shorteners will reveal how many times it was shared, where it was shared and by whom. Many of the most popular URL shorteners (e.g. bitly) will simply provide an “unknown” category for links that weren’t shared on channels it tracks (like Facebook, Google+ and Twitter). RadiumOne’s Po.st Link Shortener product, however, provides surface-level analytics for URLs shared via email and IMs, as well as the different social networks. Its sharing widgets provide the most data, however, and can be incorporated on a website to ensure brands can monitor how and where their content is being shared (e.g. email, messenger, etc.) in real-time to understand more about a consumer’s purchase journey, for example. Even so, most Web analytics programs have a lot of ground to cover if they want to provide marketers with insights into how consumers are sharing content via dark social channels like text, email or chat, but the good news is “dark social” is getting its time in the sun and will get social media marketers thinking in the new year.

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Afﬁliate

INSIDER

Tips to Maximize the Reach & Effectiveness of

“Exclusive” Discount Codes Matt Swan, Client Strategist at Affiliate Window

Exclusive discount codes can be one of the most powerful tools for advertisers to ensure they receive extensive coverage across publisher sites. With “performance marketers” looking to gain loyalty from their user base, securing these “exclusive” codes can be a practical way to keep visitors returning to their websites – but it isn’t always the easiest initiative to get off the virtual ground. While “exclusives” are a valuable tool to have in your promotional toolbox, the challenge for advertisers is in understanding the types of codes that convert, as well as the publishers that are most effective at distributing them to a wide audience. Providing exclusive codes (such as vouchers and coupons) is all well and good but it is essential to have a strategy in place to ensure their successful distribution and exposure in order to maximize sales. Consider the following ideas for distributing exclusive codes effectively.

Rotation of Codes In order to secure coverage across a number of publisher sites, the rotation of codes is a good idea. 36

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With numerous advertisers vying for exposure across sites and within newsletters, the proper distribution of vouchers is vital. If exclusives are consistently given to the same publishers, the impact of these discount codes will be negated. By offering these across a variety of sites, the tactic can extend reach for advertisers and keep a number of publishers engaged with the brand.

Start with Volume Drivers Exclusive codes are typically distributed in order to increase sales and hit revenue targets. It is advisable for advertisers to give themselves the best possible chance of achieving these targets by enticing customers immediately following the release of the codes. If these codes are to be rotated, it only makes sense to try the exclusive offer first with the publisher that is going to generate the most exposure. The more coverage a publisher is prepared to give codes – and the greater reach they have - the more likely advertisers are to generate a significant volume of sales. If the offer is not working with a large volume driver, this could be an indication that the offer is unlikely to convert with other publishers. This provides an opportunity to tweak the offer to ensure consumer uptake is at a maximum level.

Analyze Current Performance

Negotiate Increased Exposure

It can be tempting to use an exclusive discount code to engage with a new publisher or a smaller volume driver. While this is a perfectly viable solution to engage with a wider publisher base, it isn’t always guaranteed to deliver results. An exclusive code can often be difficult for an advertiser to secure and with the erosion of profit margins, it is essential the code delivers. Before testing an exclusive code with a new publisher, consider analyzing current program performance with existing generic offers. If there isn’t a great level of activity for these, it is an indication that an exclusive code may not perform as well.

Tying in with the previous point, if advertisers don’t ask, they don’t receive. It is possible to negotiate exposure across a publisher’s site. The stronger the offer, the more likely advertisers are to secure a prime spot across the site, as well as possible newsletter inclusion. Publishers will typically have a rate card for the exposure they are able to offer, but stronger discount codes will provide a solid negotiating position to secure the best spots.

Often an exclusive discount code will be applied to a particular product or product range (or product line), rather than across the whole site. When this is the case, transactional data can help determine which publishers already have demand for the product/range being offered. If a publisher has no history of selling the product, it indicates they do not have an audience that is engaged with that particular range. It is important to identify the publishers that will be effective at converting users to the offer.

Seek Publisher Feedback

Rewarding publishers for hitting sales targets can be a good way for incentivizing them to push the code as much as possible. This also gives advertisers a stronger hand in securing the prime spots across the When site when negotiating the coverreleasing an age they will receive. By making clear to the publisher exclusive code, expectations and rewarding them for delivergenerating some ing, there is a clear incentive for them to maximize sales.

“

excitement before the code goes live can ensure it gets off to a great start.

Publishers will know to which offers their visitors will respond. For some it may be a money-off code, but for others a percentage-off incentive may convert best. “Stretch and save” codes (where consumers add additional items for a discount) can also work well for many publishers if the objective of the code is to drive up basket values as well as increase sales volumes. Being flexible can enable your voucher code strategy to perform to its maximum potential.

Create Buzz When releasing an exclusive code, generating some excitement before the code goes live can ensure it gets off to a great start. If the discount code is going to provide a truly compelling offer it could be beneficial for the publisher that runs it to let their visitors know beforehand when it will be made available. Publishers will be willing to negotiate exposure and if the offer is particularly strong, advertisers may even be able to secure a countdown to the exclusive rate on the site. This may not be possible for all publishers but it is certainly a question worth asking.

“

Know The Publisher Base

Incentivize Further

Using Generic Codes as Exclusives It isn’t always easy for advertisers to provide an exclusive code but it is possible to make a generic code into an exclusive on a short-term basis. Releasing a generic code a few days earlier to one lucky publisher can effectively act as an exclusive code during that period.

Action Plan

This is by no means an exhaustive list of how to increase activity through the distribution of discount codes, but hopefully it provides an outline of strategies that can be considered. Careful monitoring of performance will provide insights for rolling out additional codes both in terms of the types of codes you should be issuing and the publishers you should be looking to gain exposure with.

BECOME AN AFFILIATE INSIDER Get the news and emerging best practices that are shaping the modern affiliate industry in Website Magazine’s Affiliate Insider channel at wsm.co/affinsider

J A N U A R Y 2015

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Net

ADVERTISING

KNOW YOUR

ENEMY By Jamie Smith, Co-founder of Engine Ready & acting VP of Growth for iSpionage

In the Art of War, Sun Tzu tells us to “Know the Enemy” - which just so happens to apply in the world of marketing too. To win the war against the competition, and gain an unfair advantage, brands should start using competitive intelligence.

Image A

When brands start marketing online (where the competition is fierce but easier to measure and generally less expensive than traditional advertising), the aim is to achieve profitability quickly and maintain it. One way to shorten the time to profitability is through competitive intelligence. Competitive intelligence tools aggregate PPC and SEO data, enabling brands to closely examine industry categories or specific competitors. These powerful systems “allow” advertisers to evaluate how much the competition is spending, which keywords they are using, their ad copy variations, SEO terms they are ranking for, as well as the landing pages and offers being used. With the click of a button, advertisers can download a complete list of the keywords and sort them to find which are the most effective and which have the highest search volume. This allows advertisers (and agencies) to create profitable campaigns faster since they don’t have to start from scratch or spend their entire budget trying to find the best keywords and ads. Let’s take a closer look at the specific benefits.

#1: Competitive Keyword Research Advertisers can search competitive intelligence databases by keyword to see what brands are bidding. As seen in Image A (using competitive intelligence tool iSpionage for the keyword “laptop backback”) we can see there are 48 advertisers and 155 ads. Gaining access to keywords the competition is using helps advertisers find additional terms and phrases for their own campaigns. It is also possible to quickly learn who the top competitors are and how much they’re spending per month on paid search ads. 10 YEARS

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#2: Ad Copy Research Advertisers only have two to three seconds to capture the attention of a searcher with a compelling offer. Using ad copy research, advertisers can discover what ads competitors are using, sorting them by AEI (Ad Effectiveness Index) “with” a competitive intelligence tool like iSpionage. Instead of clicking through Google results one by one, advertisers can access and review competitors’ ads in one place and learn how they can write ads that stand out. Writing ad copy that gets a higher clickthrough-rate will improve campaigns’ Quality Score.

#3: Landing Page Research With landing page research, available in most competitive intelligence tools, advertisers can also discover how their competitors are making their offer unique. And with more insights into competitors’ strategy, brands have a greater ability to optimize their own pages. If a competitor is investing heavily in conversion rate optimization, brands can even piggyback off of what they’ve learned and apply the lessons to their campaign.

#4: Competitor Alerts The competitor alert features of these tools also automatically notify advertisers when key competitors make a change to their campaigns. If they add PPC keywords, use new ad copy or rank for new SEO terms, you’ll be the first to know. This is really helpful for holiday promotions, as you can make sure to match or beat the offer presented by your competition. Points one through three are useful for creating new profitable campaigns faster, but competitor alerts help to make sure campaigns stays profitable over the long term.

#5: Keyword Monitoring Guarding your most profitable keywords with daily monitoring is one of the most valuable features of competitive intelligence tools. Advertisers save time monitoring core keywords with with these systems which allow them to sit back and wait for an alert. Once there’s a change, like a new advertiser or a significant campaign change to their strategy for the keywords being watched, users get notified by email. This enables brands to know when a competitor runs a new special offer or increases their spending for key terms. Digital advertising is extremely competitive. Smaller advertisers must compete with big advertisers so any advantage you can get is worth leveraging. For only a few dollars per day, competitive intelligence provides visibility into what’s working for the competition so you can get an even better return on your campaigns investment.

EXPERIENCE GRADUATE FROM

EMAIL MARKETING 101 By E.J. McGowan, General Manager of Campaigner

Email is an immensely powerful channel for any marketing team. This “tried-andtrue” digital method has continuously provided returns and it is only expected to continue to do so. A 2013 report by MarketingSherpa revealed that marketers saw a 60 percent return on investment (ROI) on email marketing, and the 32 percent who did not, expected that it eventually would produce an ROI. Yet there are still claims that the increasing presence of social media will mark the decline of email, and in turn social commerce will bring an end to email marketing altogether. Well, they’re wrong. Email marketing has a 40 times higher customer acquisition rate than that of Facebook and Twitter combined, according to research from global consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Additionally, marketers’ campaigns are only getting better through tactics such as A/B split testing, segmentation and the use of transactional emails – ultimately pushing email marketing full force into the age of automation. Instead of turning to the “new trend” of social commerce, it’s time for digital marketers to master what they already know.

Push the Cart Across the Purchase Line Too often, shopping carts get abandoned in the purchasing process. The Baymard Institute crunched the numbers over the years and reports a whopping 68 percent average abandonment rate. Retailers can avoid missing out on potential revenue by giving shoppers a “nudge.” Something as simple as setting up auto-responders to remind customers when they have items left in their cart will help move products from wish lists to purchased.

Build Rapport and Customer Loyalty Auto-responders can serve as more than just reminders. Start small with automated emails that send thankyou or transactional emails – personalized, triggered messages sent based on a specific action like new website sign-ups. These small but important steps can offer a big payout. In fact, Experian found that recipi-

ents opened transactional emails nearly 100 percent of the time, referred to them more than once and engaged with them at higher rate than other promotional emails. Additionally, there is a 20 percent higher transaction rate for transactional emails that include crosssell items versus those without – definitely a strategy to consider.

Secure New Leads Effortlessly

When a prospect downloads a whitepaper or attends a webinar, those are moments to secure potential email list recipients. Have an automatic follow-up (e.g. autoresponders) that asks them to conduct a demo, or follow-up messages that will concentrate on the specific products or information requested. This also helps with email segmentation, providing useful data on customer preferences that will help brands optimize their promotional outreach. With automated Web activity triggers in place, email marketers hardly need to lift a finger to follow up with dozens of new leads.

Establish a Cadence

Although auto-responders can be extremely effective, it is important to tread lightly with an appropriate level of follow-up, avoiding a point where customers feel overwhelmed. Establish a cadence that will help customers come to expect the arrival of a brand’s message. Here, building upon the segmentation process is key. Understand customer preferences and don’t only use that for email content, but also to see when they are most likely to read emails or how often they actually filter through their inbox. As mentioned above, make sure to implement the auto-responses confirming purchases or shipping information. These “reassuring” emails show customers a company is active and reliable, and will prove to be a great way to build trust with customers. Ultimately, creating automatic modes of engagement at different levels provide multiple touch points that increase the likelihood of a completed purchase. So, don’t fall behind, take advantage of the opportunity to take your email-marketing initiatives to the next level. J A N U A R Y 2015

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Web

COMMENTARY

2015’s Most Outlandish Predictions By Website Magazine Editorial Staff

The typical January newsfeed and social stream is littered with predictions, as many people are sharing their favorite experts’ opinions on what they believe the New Year has in store. It’s a digital tradition of sorts that the ‘Net community can always expect – and it always elicits a response. What is important to keep in mind about the practice of predicting the future, however, is that making prognostications about what is to come simply isn’t easy – especially in the tech world where innovative new solutions can change the way we work and live overnight. The Website Magazine staff decided to take a more, well, light-hearted approach for our annual predictions, forecasting some rather outlandish potential developments in the broader technology space that could seriously shake up the digital world as we know it if they were to actually come true in 2015. While some of the predictions may seem downright ludicrous, they do drive home the point that technology, by nature, is truly unpredictable (so get used to it).

Yahoo Makes a BIG Acquisition In attempt to regain its’ once formidable position as a power player on the Internet, Yahoo acquires Grumpy Cat for a reported $273.5 million. The acquisition falls on the virtual heels of Yahoo!’s 24-hour Marissa Mayer cam, which was met with a lukewarm response by Internet users.

Amazon Goes Real-Time with Package Delivery Responding to the feedback of its most active Prime customers, Amazon rolls out a program to have a guy stand out front of your house to actually make all the stuff you order from Amazon – because you just can’t get a horse head mask delivered fast enough.

Pinterest Teams Up with the NFL

Get Serious! Website Magazine editors have also published some more “traditional” predictions on the ‘net at wsm.co/wm15pred 40

A new partnership between Pinterest and the NFL aims to get more men engaged with the social network. Through the partnership, the starting quarterbacks of all 32 teams are required to create a new Pinboard for their profiles each week. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers’ feed will reportedly have nothing but images of cheese curds and Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson. 10 YEARS

JANUARY 2015

Humanity is Saved by AI Elon Musk’s and Stephen Hawking’s obsessive warnings of the danger of artificial intelligence (AI) will prove to be unfounded. With AI helping to oversee the everyday operations of major banks, regulating the stock market as well as scheduling and executing military operations, the world has never been a safer or more peaceful place.

Microsoft Gets Nostalgic Microsoft taps into its nostalgic side and decides to bring back Office sidekick “Clippy.” As a result, the company sees record-breaking website traffic numbers and a 75 percent increase in subscriptions in just 24 hours.

Virtual Reality Redefines E-Commerce Virtual reality (VR) becomes the new darling of the e-commerce industry. Eventually becoming known throughout the industry as v-commerce, VR obliterates both desktop and mobile e-commerce figures on its way to dominance. Due to its success, Facebook, owner of VR maker Oculus VR, becomes the most valuable company in the world – eclipsing Apple on its way to a $10 trillion valuation. Zuckerberg still refuses to wear anything but a t-shirt or hoodie.

Kim K and PSY #BreaktheInternet In an effort to shoot back into relevancy, AOL hires Kim Kardashian as its Marketing Director. Kim’s first move is hiring Korean K-Pop star PSY, the artist behind the video “Gangnam Style,” which broke YouTube’s view counter. Together the two create AOL’s first fully produced music video for the company’s entertainment platform AOL On. The song’s title “YouTube, Can I Sign Your Cast?” garners more views than all YouTube videos for the next six months.

Google Turns Out to Be Evil In a dramatic turn of events, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announce on Google+ that Google is, in fact, totally and completely evil. Since no one actually visits Google+ however, no one notices.

“I see you!” “You see me and so do your customers!”

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