Online marketing solutions

The internet is constantly changing. Internet marketing campaigns are getting harder and more statistically challenging every day. How do we get ourselves noticed among so many competitors? How do we stay on top in such a fast paced, high-end technological world? It isn’t easy. This presents challenges for both the small and large business alike.

We not only need to keep learning, but we must have a determination to re-evaluate and assess our business goals and strategies at every turn. Adapting to change is a constant to our business survival.  So how can we use SEO Keywords to help us attain growth and be seen?

Keywords are called the building blocks of SEO.  So what exactly is SEO? The term means Search Engine Optimization. When you query a search engine, it displays the results called (SERPS) – (Search Engine Results Pages).  Proper optimization of a web page gets it a higher ranking in the SERPs. The pages that rank the highest on the page, typically gain the greater amount of search engine traffic.

Normally, a majority of web users will click on one of the top five results, on the first page, after completing a search. So it is clear to see that the ultimate goal of any SEO (Search Engine Optimizer) is to win that high ranking. This should be every online marketer’s business objective.  How does a business get that highly coveted position? The answer is not that simple.  Let’s cover just a few.

Website optimization, SEO copywriting, link building, search engine submissions, article submissions, blogs, and twitter are just some of the networking avenues open to all business and individuals alike.  However, without targeting the most appropriate keywords for your business, you will be playing Russian roulette with the outcome.

How to Find your Target Keywords

The important thing to understand is that the words you may use when thinking about your business, product, or service, may not exactly be the way it is researched by others. What do I mean? You may be in the auto industry. Maybe most people search under cars, or a particular brand. Using keyword tools will give you two main advantages:

1. You will see what the most popular and most marketable words that are being used when searching for your brand or industry.

2. You can take a competitor’s website URL, extract and find out what their keywords are, especially if they are getting a higher ranking in the SERPs.

Again, a top position for any keyword is not the total solution. In order to increase your ROI, you need to ensure that you target the strongest and most appropriate keywords for your website and business. The more competitive and popular the keyword, the more pages you will need to compete, when aiming for success from any SEO campaign.

Simply put, reaching and obtaining your most accurate and most powerful keywords, can be painstaking, but necessary in order to discover the phrases, words, and terms people search for in your category.  Keyword research tools are essential for seeing what users truly search for.  Not only do you get the words and phrases, but you see stat results.

Free SEO Keyword Tools

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com

http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools

http://www.apogee-web-consulting.com/tools/keyword_tool.php

Whether you use direct mail, newsletters, or mass mailing email campaigns, do not neglect the power of transactional emails as a powerful and neglected marketing channel.  Statistics show that transactional emails are read almost twice as much as promotional email, making this well worth the learning.  They are the perfect tool for another avenue in providing your customers with product promotions and sales.  Every transaction becomes another opportunity to up sell.

For example, a transactional email could be an invoice, e-bill, or shipping confirmation.  What a perfect place to insert and include offers, sales, and promotional messages.  By using your autoreminders, triggered with a customized email, you guarantee sending out targeted, timely communications, as well as valuable information to an expectant audience.

Spice up your Messages. The content of most transactional emails are simple text.  However, adding eye-catching graphics and HTML into your promotional alerts, can increase readability.  Thinking out of the box will help you rise above your competition.

Outsmart the Spam Filters. Spam filters are and will always be a-marketer’s worst nightmare.  Legitimate mail can be spammed without a user’s knowledge.  Transactional email messages have a better proven percentage rate of reaching the inbox.  Why?  Because transactional emails contain valuable consumer information that is desired, recognized, and expected.

Make it a Priority. Transactional emails can become an extension of your company’s marketing vision and brand building.  You can generate incremental revenue while reinforcing your brand and a more frequent personal communication to your customers.

Factors Worth Considering:

Integration. Having the right infrastructure is essential when creating effective customized content and behavioral triggers.  Have you explored your options using email campaign software?  Without the right integration and power behind your campaigns, you won’t be able to leverage the marketing opportunity that transactional e-mail affords you.

Relevant Content. Sending your customers a generic marketing message is not the way to go.  Don’t waste any golden opportunities to up-sell.  Plan your content wisely.  No one wants to end up in the spam or trash.

Timely Responses. Transactional e-mails are a critical business communication tool.  They need a specific expedited delivery date.  Make sure that your marketing messages can be automatically and accurately inserted into your transactional e-mails, and sent quickly and securely to your customers.

Monitor Stat Results .  Whether yours is an email marketing campaign or e-newsletter survey, you need accurate real-time reports.  All present and future email campaigns depend on the hardcore results of every past campaign effort.  Don’t shoot in the dark.  Keep improving with every email campaign.

Be Flexible and Test-Test-Test.  Do not be afraid to test different creative approaches.  If you are adding HTML and graphics to your transactional emails, test its receptivity by sending them to different email clients.  See what is blocked and how others view your message.  Avoid costly mistakes.  Remember, the goal is not a campaign built on just numbers, but one that is built on thoughtful, well- planned strategy.

Know the Regulatory Guidelines. There is no law forbidding transactional messages from containing some promotional type content; however, there are certain guidelines you must adhere to, especially in the United States.  Get the facts and SPAM Rules around mixed messages.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm

At present, many businesses still do not understand how to use transactional email marketing as a new and powerful marketing tool.  The result is an overwhelming number of missed business marketing opportunities and new sales.  Knowing the difference between marketing and transactional email messages can make the difference for your bottom line.  Isn’t that every e-marketer’s goal?

Remember,  transactional emails are a great way to boost your sales.  Every transaction becomes an opportunity to further dialogue with you clients, offering them new products, services, or savings, while sending them relevant information.  It is still an underutilized pearl of knowledge.

Internet Marketers Need to Listen

“Can You Hear Me Now?”  Remember that all too familiar Verizon commercial years ago?  Verizon wanted to communicate a simple, clear, and precise message to their customers worldwide.  We know what is important to you and we’re on it.  Yes, we are listening!  Guess what?  It worked.  It worked so well, that at the end of 2 years; they raised their client base 25%, with just 5 small words that became a household expression.

The criteria for our present and future business email campaigns depend on listening – listening to our customers.  We need to understand what they want and what they don’t want.

How do you learn what Customers Really Want?  That’s Easy – Simply Ask Them!

Communicate and reach out to your customers in your surveys. In the technological world, word of mouth spreads faster, reaching thousands of people, while it carries as great an influence as ever.  Relevant customer surveys and feedback are an invaluable marketing tool and opportunity to hear  from your customers. The ability to electronically engage your customers in a dialogue using online feedback, in real-time, is very important.  This helps you get a real handle on what’s on their mind.

Each customer contact is a golden chance of opportunity in furthering that relationship with the goal of creating lifetime loyal clients.  Collecting, reading, and implementing their suggestions, shows that they are valued and respected.  When received, a timely response within 24 hours should be part of your business policy and procedure.

What do you Communicate to your Customers?
•    How do they feel about your service or product?
•    Are you measuring up to your promises?
•    What are they looking for from your company?

What a practical and simple way of gathering information that can be immediately implemented into your initiatives for future email marketing campaigns.  By communicating with customers directly, you open a channel that taps directly into your customers’ feelings. If you know there’s a problem or issue, then you can deal with it immediately. The sooner you identify the problem, the more quickly you can respond to it.

Ways to Reach Out to Customers:
1.    Insert a feedback text link in every email marketing campaign.

2.    Monitor and respond to non-customer service feedback inquiries.  All feedback is important.

3.    Select customers, at random, and get permission to contact them personally for a more candid response.  Now, you are sending a strong and positive signal.  You are telling them, in no uncertain terms, that they are valued; their opinions and suggestions are coveted and respected.

4.    Solicit personal testimonials on how they are using your products, and how your product has helped add value to their lives.

5.    Speak to your employees and your customer service department.  Learn what people are happy and unhappy about.  Get the facts.  Be quick to deal with negative issues. Build on your strengths.

Analyze your Consumer Feedback:
•    Use this input as the basis for business changes and adapting your email campaigns.
•    Include feedback in your tracking indicators.  Even a lack of customer response signals something.

After all, every problem in life can be turned into a possible opportunity.  Become a good listener.  Hear what matters to your customers today.

E-marketers spend so much time talking.  Internet marketing campaigns are filled with what we want our customers and prospects to know.  So, now it’s time to take a breath and find out what our customers are saying.  Are you listening?  Can you hear them now?

Let’s face it. We are in a tough economy and the light still is not shinning at the end of the tunnel. Our survival mode needs to kick in and our wallets must tighten.  Take this time and be resourceful. It should be our way of life. Concentrating on what works is one of the survival keys of life.

As email marketing software continues to be a successful path for all business email marketing, obtaining a large-scale, well-developed email list is worth its weight in gold.

So, why wait to build your own email address list? Any business knows that it takes a great amount of time to build up a formidable database of clients. Why spend all that time and energy when you can buy or rent a massive email address list ready-made? That is a good question. The answer is not black and white. Whether you are using lists for bulk email, direct mail, or e-newsletter campaigns, you will need to know the positives and negatives between the two, making your own conclusions.

Renting an Email Address List

Renting an email address list can be very cost-effective. For a fee, you are taking advantage of someone else’s hard earned email list building. Normally, these lists are credible and the people on the lists have given their permission to receive third-party mail. These emails are carefully monitored and the providers are normally not considered or guilty of spamming. Whether obtained from email campaigns, direct bulk email marketing, or an email newsletter subscriptions, these email address lists are a valuable source of sales and leads.

The negative to renting is that this precious email list never is yours. You never see or have access to it. You rely on the seller’s word that he is not a spammer and that his list is genuine. You create the email marketing campaign, and the owner sends out the email. You simply trust his word. At the end of the day are you sure that your direct mass mailings are going to a targeted receptive list? OR – are junked and spammed?

Buying an Email Address List. Once bought, you have full control over your list sending out your own promotions, whenever you want. If the owner of the list respects and preserves it, it is not just sold to the highest bidder – but are you sure? There is no guarantee. Before you shell out the big bucks, read on.

1. You may not be the sole owner of the list. How many other people have bought this list?

2. A list that is not built by your market niche may not be targeting the correct consumers.

3. If a list is being used and misused by others, you are in danger of being spammed or worse, you could end up on black lists.

4. You may receive little or no responses from annoyed recipients.

If people are not careful with these lists, recipients are bombarded with bulk mail that they don’t want coming at them from many different sources. Bottom Line – recipient responses collapse, making this purchased address list of little or no value for your business. OR, their happy little spam and delete fingers go right into action.

In conclusion: Whether you are a new business, or reviving the old, having a well developed and monitored email address list is crucial. Reaching out to the right audience with the right message and product is invaluable as the path to growing your revenues and increasing quality sales leads.

Your doorbell rings. Who is it?  No response. You suddenly hear a strange sound. You look down as your eyes observe several envelopes being shoved underneath your door. What nerve! You quickly open the door but no one is there. The envelopes look legitimate, addressed correctly you say to yourself, as you throw them quickly into the trash. Your privacy has been invaded and you do not appreciate it. You are annoyed and will never open them.

Does this scenario sound familiar? No? OK. Replace the door with your inbox and the envelopes will now represent a bunch of unknown mass email campaigns that have just arrived. You have no idea who the sender is and you don’t remember ever ordering anything from that company. You cannot hit the delete key fast enough as you send them to the trash bin. You feel the same way as the home owner did above. Your privacy has been invaded and you now have a spam trigger finger. We all know how this goes down.

The trash bin is good for trash and the spam button is good to punish a true spammer, agreed? So what’s a nice person like you to do? You have a real product; you are a hardworking business person and need to make a living. Life is tough, but the tough keep going. Here are some helpful tips we share with our clients:

What is Permission Based Email Marketing?
Permission based email is based on your opt-in lists. In other words, your email campaigns, newsletter campaigns or direct mail campaign has been requested. Prospects have voluntarily given you their email addresses and are expecting and anticipating your information.

Everyone appreciates their privacy and wants their choices treated with respect. OK, what is the up side?  Permission based email gives you:

• Greater response rates
• Better deliverability
• Increased loyalty and trust
• Brand recognition

With Permission Based Email you are:
• Creating successful Email Campaigns that focus on building relationships
• Not using spam tactics
• Sending relevant content, not hard sales gimmicks
• Reinforcing your legitimacy
• Honoring the requests, as well to opt-out
• Not overloading domains with useless campaigns
• Respecting your subscribers as people with needs and wants

Bit the bullet and keep yourself calm.  Plan your campaigns, do your demographics, while honoring the Opt-in an Opt-out choices.  The average email user is quite savvy, equipped with a well-developed Spam Trigger Finger.  Don’t make them use it.

I can still remember the time my “snail mail” mailbox was filled – most of it with junk advertising and enticing, but misleading coupon savings. I grunted and moaned as I threw half of it immediately into the trash, while trying to salvage at least one or two pieces of legitimate correspondence.

With the age of the internet, have things really changed that much? Let’s face it. Now, we are all suffering from drowning in email. The new medical term is called email fatigue. Does it never end!

We all know that spark of excitement every time we open up our inbox for the first time each morning. After all the mail is finally received into my inbox, I become a bit disappointed. What a bummer. Half of it is now in my junk folder, and what is left, I may be soon trash. I anxiously scan my inbox for friends, family, and business associates. All of this taking place in less than a few minutes.

So what’s the connection here? Am I just blabbering away with utter nonsense? No way! As business owners, we must understand ourselves to understand our prospects. Agreed? They are human beings like us, but the difference is, we need them! They hold the power. Their opinion and response to our direct mail campaigns, matters a great deal. So what can we do to avoid being trashed? Here are some tips I have learned along the way:

1. Respecting Personal Space: Your prospects and clients are people, with time constraints, jobs, and families. Don’t drown them. Use your direct mail wisely. Work on sending relevant information to a targeted audience.

2. Appearance Matters: Professionals look professional. Great content within a poorly designed email might never be read. Paying attention to every aspect of your email campaign includes the designing, content, and grammar. Have you tried using an email template design?

3. Quality is Better than Quantity: It is better to send fifty emails to opt-in subscribers, than to hundreds of hopeful possibilities. Remember to include a clearly stated opt-out in your newsletters or direct mail campaigns.

4. Encourage Feedback: One-way conversations are boring. No one wants a relationship with a company or department. Encourage feedback and honest communications. Take the time to learn what interests your prospects.

5. Avoid the Dark Side:   CAN-SPAM Laws must be followed. Know the rules.

You have just seconds to get noticed in the inbox. Remember, we are all subscribers to someone, somewhere in this technological cyberspace universe.  Make good use of that window of opportunity.

Statistics is not a dirty word.  We all remember taking that boring class in college – no offense; maybe some of you actually enjoyed it.  Funny, how things change.  Now that very word takes on new meaning – it is the key to our survival in our email campaigns.  We need to maintain our edge  in this stress filled, highly competitive world we call internet marketing. Knowing what works and what doesn’t, determines it all.

If you are like me, you may not enjoy dealing with numbers, stats, and results. But such is life.  If you don’t track your e-campaigns,  or your mass direct mail marketing, your future efforts may just go down the toilet.

Without obtaining specific results,  measuring campaign to campaign, how can we ever hope to be succeed?   We need to make the necessary changes needed to move on a continuous and positive path.

Faith and prayer may soothe the soul, but only knowledge and statistics increase our bottom line.

There is no better tool than email campaign software when wanting a first-hand and professional tool to measure our stats and progress.  There are no easy alternatives, and no shortcuts.  You need the best technical tools available in order to be a successful marketer.  This is our expertise, offering our clients the best options and teaching them how to optimize their results.

We are always on the move to help our clients improve and grow.

For some strange reason, people think that by sending out hundreds of newsletters someone will eventually join or click through within the newsletter.  Unfortunately, that is not true.  You newsletter may not even reach the inbox and even if it does, may end up in the trash bin.  There goes all your hard work – doesn’t make any sense and definitely is an unproductive approach.  Don’t you want to know who opened up your email, and if any of the links or call to action were clicked on?

Why would you want to repeat a failure?  Can you afford to play Russian roulette with your business and livelihood?  I don’t think so.  I certainly can’t. Tracking your email marketing campaigns results in campaigns made stronger, resulting in better focus and visibility.

Tracking lets you see:

• who opened your email campaigns

• what was the percentage of opened mail?

• what links did they click within your newsletter or email campaign?

• how many people opted to subscribe/unsubscribe?

• if you are attracting new subscribers?

• subscriber comments

Active Trail believes that an informed client becomes a successful one.  Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Pajamas are the business suit of the future.  Don’t laugh; I do my best work at home, relaxed in front of my computer.  Don’t you?

That is why I would want to use everything within my power to save myself time, stress, and money.  In my company, we are always researching the latest tools and information to offer our clients.  Whether you use a newsletter or a direct marketing approach, we all want a professional look and great results from all our HTML Email Campaigns.  If we don’t, then why create them?

What makes you open an email?

You recognize the sender? The email somehow evokes curiosity, or does the subject line catch your eye?  One thing is for sure, ugly and tacky just doesn’t cut it. Flashing images, oversized text screaming at you, colors that make you wish you were color blind can be the deciding factor on your email finding its way into the trash bin very quickly.  It happens within seconds – scary isn’t it?

Great content is useless if it is never read.  Did you know that the average consumer may spend less then a few seconds scanning their inbox for sender and subject information? Remember, they have the power of life and death within their mouse.  One click determines it all.  Now don’t get depressed or discouraged.  Knowing and dealing with hard facts lead to truth.  Only the truth sets people free. So how do you conquer and achieve that noticeable edge in your email that will stand out in the inbox?  The solution is quite simple – use a template design.

Why?

1. In the beginning there were HTML template designers, making a great deal of money off of you.  They charged so much, you needed to weigh the outcome.  Now, everyone is a designer, well able to produce a polished and professional email campaign.

2. Uniformity and Consistency.  Keeping your design and format consistent, enables your readers to easily recognize your email and company brand.

3. Don’t Waste your Creativity.  An email template allows you to focus on the most important thing, turning prospects into clients.  Write that great subject line accompanied by exciting, and relevant content.  Leave the design to the template.  Less headaches, more time with family and friends.

4. All Email Campaign Goals are Important.  Time is money.  If you must deal with a designer and your content that could put your deadline back too far.  You need to be in control of your e-campaign from start to finish.

Remember, the power has shifted into the hands of the consumer.  They are computer savvy with a short window of time.  Make that window work for you.