Michael Levitt's Blog, page 119

How To Design The Outside Area Of Your Office

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Designing the perfect office for your business is so important. The working environment has a big impact on employee productivity and overall well being, and if your office is outdated and uncomfortable, your team will not work as effectively as they could be. That’s why it’s important to consider things like open plan offices, team working spaces, and break areas where people can unwind. But have you put any thought into the outside areas?

The outside areas are an important part of office design but they are often neglected. If a potential customer or business partner visits your office, they will make a judgment about you as soon as they see the outside and if it is poorly designed and maintained, you won’t make a good first impression. The outside area can also be used as a workspace because studies show that being outside reduces stress levels and increases focus, creativity and productivity. Working outside is particularly beneficial right now as your business gets used to the new normal because it is easier to maintain social distancing. If you haven’t put any thought into the outside areas of your office before, here are a few simple design tips to help you get it right. 

Consider The Logistics 

If people are working outside, they still need all of the amenities that they have inside the office, so it’s important to consider the logistics. How far does your wifi signal stretch, for example? It’s important to place outside workspaces close enough so the connection is reliable at all times. Your employees will also need access to printing, so make sure to set up a wireless printer system so people don’t need to go back and forth to the office with their laptop. As long as you spend some time setting up in the right way, your employees can work outside with ease. 

Create Shaded Areas 

In the summer, when the weather is hot, you need to make sure that you have plenty of shaded areas because it’s tough to concentrate when you are uncomfortable. It also gives people a place to relax and cool off when they are taking a break. Get in touch with a metal building supplier and have them build a nice canopy for you outside so there is plenty of shade. This will also benefit you in the winter because people can still get out of the office and get some fresh air even if it is raining. 

Add Plenty Of Plants 

A dull grey concrete area isn’t very inspiring, so you should make an effort to create a more welcoming outside space for your employees. The easiest way to do that is to add plenty of plants because studies show that people are more relaxed and focused when they are close to nature. Having lots of nice plants outside the office also makes it look good for visitors so you can make a good first impression.

If you spend some time improving the outside area of your office, you give your employees more flexible work spaces and improve the overall image of your business.

Getting More From Your Team In These Challenging Times

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Due to the fallout of COVID-19, it's likely that your business operations now rely on remote-based workers. Adapting to this changing landscape isn't easy, but maintaining the highest levels of staff productivity is vital.

Learning to get more from your workforce during this difficult era will go a long way to maximizing your hopes of sustained success. Here's how to do it in style.

Consider Using Outside Companies

Adapting your workforce doesn't only cover the idea of using remote employees. You may also want to look at the prospect of using outsourced digital marketing teams or delivery firms. If those businesses are already familiar with working in a versatile manner, it can make your transition far smoother. Better still, it will free up more time that you can subsequently invest into the in-house teams. In turn, this makes the entire DNA of your venture make more sense. It also guarantees professional results.

Provide Better Management

Employees need help throughout their shifts. Sadly, the new way of working has presented major challenges for managers and team leaders who can't be in multiple places at once. The best workforce management software for call centers uses automation to analyze data. And deliver responsive insights for agents. The automatic triggers ensure that employees can get the support needed to offer clients the best possible UX. This is great for your bottom line, and also boosts their confidence. 

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Keep Employees Engaged

Motivated employees will provide far better results than unmotivated ones. Given that you cannot monitor them to quite the same level as when they worked on-site, you need to trust them. This is far easier to do when they are engaged in the work. Providing the latest systems, enabling them to show autonomy, and celebrating their triumphs is key. You want them to be excited about the opportunities that their work presents. In turn, their creativity will translate to greater results. Do not underestimate it.

Encourage Collaboration

Collaboration may seem harder than ever. However, cloud computing facilities enable real-time editing and discussions. When the systems alert all users to the edits, there's no reason for any ambiguity of mixed signals. Further ideas like video conferencing meetings that are kept to no longer than 20 minutes are wise. They keep the camaraderie despite the challenging times. They'll also promote the clarity needed for success. When the team works together, it inevitably succeeds. Now more than ever.

Adapt To Them

It's not only your business that has had to change its ways. The workers have had to make significant alterations too. Therefore, the least you can do is learn to make life a little more convenient. Allow them to use their own devices. Ask them whether different shifts would be suitable. Think about whether any tech or software could make their work better. If you can increase their speed and quality without developing their skills, success will follow. For them, and for the business.

There's no escaping that the coronavirus has posed a few new challenges. With the right preparations in place, though, your team can come through it to achieve greatness.

Driving Sales Post-Lockdown: Tips For Forward-Thinking Business Owners

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All over the world, business owners and consumers are facing a ‘new normal.’ In the aftermath of the Coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdowns, the way we buy and sell will change. For forward-thinking business owners, it’s beneficial to be adaptable and flexible and to think about new ways to drive sales. In this guide, we’ll explore some effective strategies to reach new customers, generate and convert leads and retain existing clients. 

Selling online

If you don’t already sell products online, now is the time to investigate your options. Statistics show that Internet usage hit an all-time high during lockdown, with online shopping booming. Even after lockdown measures have been eased in some countries, people are more inclined to shop online because it’s safer and more convenient. Providing an alternative outlet to a physical store can also act as a preventative measure, as there is a risk of case numbers increasing in the coming months, which could lead to stores closing again. 

For many businesses, the best way to sell is through the company website. If you have a site up and running, you can use it to market and sell products and services. Link your landing pages and product description pages to social media posts and feeds and consider creating an app if you don’t already have one. You could also set up an e-commerce store or learn how to sell on Amazon. Base your selling decisions on the types of products you offer and your target market. You want to be able to reach your target buyer in the best possible way. Carry out research to see what kinds of sites your ideal customer uses, and ask your existing clients what kinds of buying options they’d like you to offer. 

If your website is dated, you haven’t modified it since the COVID-19 outbreak, or it was more geared towards promoting your business and providing information than selling, it’s crucial to make some changes. Ensure that customers have access to up-to-date information about the products and services available, provide photographs and video clips to showcase each item, include an FAQ section, add news or a blog to inform customers about how you’ve adapted in light of COVID-19 and outline the measures you’re taking to keep your staff and customers safe. It’s a great idea to offer a live chat feature to respond to queries swiftly and to check social media notifications on a regular basis to ensure you see comments and questions. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly, and provide a quick, seamless way for shoppers to make purchases. 

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Sprucing up your marketing strategy

The world is now a very different place, and it’s critical for business owners to understand the challenges faced by consumers and to take emerging trends and changing preferences into consideration. You might find that the objectives of your marketing strategy are slightly different in the post-lockdown era. Many businesses are going out of their way to push online sales and generate interest via social channels and email, for example, and it’s also important to build trust and confidence. Consider your main goals and adjust your strategy accordingly. Run campaigns that target customers and encourage them to take the steps you want them to make, for example, ordering online, using a click and collect service, following your social media handles or coming to visit your COVID-secure store. Make use of the Internet to introduce your brand to new customers, maintain contact with loyal clients and push your products and services. Web usage is increasing all the time, and even if you sell products or services offline, you can generate leads online. People tend to use the web to find information about local businesses, even if they plan to go to a physical store or make a call to book an appointment. Local SEO stats suggest that 88% of smartphone users who conduct a local search will either call or visit a store within 24 hours. 

If you are planning to refresh or revamp your marketing campaigns, conduct some research and analyze data related to web use and consumer preferences. As well as promoting your company to drive sales, it’s also an excellent idea to utilize your marketing campaigns to strengthen relationships and make people feel safe and more comfortable with the idea of buying from you during a pandemic. There will be people who don’t want to go out just yet, or those that have fears about buying online due to cybersecurity. Provide information and frequent updates to tell your customers what you’re doing to ensure safety and security, and use strategies like social media posts and live clips and storytelling to up-sell the human side of your brand. 

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Diversifying your product range

The demand for some products and services has plummeted as a result of COVID-19, but some industries are booming. If you sell products, there could be opportunities to diversify and capitalize on growing demand for specific items and ranges. Think about what people want or need in the post-lockdown age and look out for emerging trends. In many cases, you may be able to modify existing designs or blueprints to create a wider range of products or items that solve practical issues that have only come to light as a by-product of either the outbreak or the lockdown that followed. Consumers want to buy products that will keep them safe, but they’re also looking for ways to work from home effectively and to entertain themselves and enjoy time off while it’s not possible to do things they would normally do at weekends, for example, going to a concert, having a group of friends around for dinner or going to watch a play or a musical. If you can adapt and spot gaps in the market, you could tap into lucrative revenue streams. 

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Communicate

Communication should always be a priority, but at the moment, it’s more important than ever before. As a business owner, it’s beneficial to keep in touch with customers, to let them know how you’re responding to COVID-19 and to provide details of special offers or promotions. If you’ve recently reopened a store, a salon or an eatery, you’ve launched new products, you’re offering deals, or you’ve diversified your ordering or delivery options, let people know. 

Use social media, email marketing and posts on your website to keep customers in the loop and promote your products and services and encourage them to spread the word by sharing posts and offering incentives for referrals and new customer purchases. Bear in mind that consumers are more likely to have questions or concerns at the moment. Some people will be desperate to go out shopping, book a table at a restaurant or get away for a weekend and stay at a hotel, but others will have reservations. Keep channels of communication open, provide an FAQ section related to COVID-19, which responds to common queries, add live chat to your website and check social media networks regularly to respond to questions. If you can answer quickly or direct a shopper to a helpful section on your website, you should find that sales increase and that people are happy with the service you provide. If you leave customers waiting for a response to a question about online deliveries, or they’re unsure about whether it’s safe to come to your store, there’s a risk of losing them. 

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Life after lockdown is going to be different for both customers and business owners. If you run a company, and you’re looking to adjust and adapt to try and thrive in the coming months, it’s essential to take action now. Hopefully, this guide will point you in the right direction. 

The Art Of Standing Out In The Era Of COVID-19

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First impressions count for everything in business, and that's nothing new. However, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the landscape in which you will try to make those lasting impacts is vastly different. Therefore, developing a strategy that focuses on the areas where you can thrive is vital.

So, what can your business do to ensure it hits the right notes over the months to come? Here's all you need to know.

#1. Rethink Your Demographic

Before worrying about how to market your business, try to concentrate on who you will promote the brand to. A broad approach to generic demographics like women, sports fans, or teenagers may have worked before. But not now. With so many analytical tools and target marketing systems available, you must build a clear target consumer profile. From here, you will have a far better shot at creating engaging ad campaigns and focusing on the right USPs. Subsequently, then, every aspect of your marketing plan will improve.

#2. Make Your Store Exterior Count

People are now using offline shops once more. Still, there's no question that the consumer habits have changed in recent times. Most shoppers are no longer prepared to enter stores on a whim. As such, you must do everything possible to capture the attention of passers-by. Outdoor business signs are a fantastic solution for foot and car traffic alike. As prospective clients get closer to the shop, window displays can grow the interest further. In today's climate, simply getting them through the door is a major bonus.

#3. Build A Comprehensive Site

Even if you target offline customers, you should accept that people conduct their research online. With this in mind, it's imperative that your website is built to stand out. A great web design and marketing plan that's clear and sticks to the brand color schemes will work best. Modern internet users will also turn to search engines and social media to learn about brands. A strong Google My Business listing can inspire trust in your services, especially when supported by lots of reviews. When you are active on social media too, it's possible to build a rapport.

#4. Use Social Media Influencers

While your marketing strategies have a big role to play, consumers aren't stupid. They will take everything you say with a pinch of salt. Conversely, though, they are often easily manipulated by the people they look up to. Social media personalities may command big fees. Nonetheless, when they share a similar audience to yours, the impact that their content brings will blow your mind. The financial aspects, as well as the time savings made, will deliver brilliant results. Aside from increased awareness, their work will point punters to your sales funnel.

#5. Offer Loyalty Promotions

People are reluctant to use new companies right now, not least because funds are tight for millions. This is the perfect opportunity to repay the loyalty of your customers to keep them coming back. Whether it's a loyalty membership scheme or a 10% off voucher is up to you. Either way, taking a smaller profit per item to ensure that the volume of sales remains high can work wonders. The promotional offers will catch their attention like never before. As soon as they can imagine themselves using the item, the chances of conversion are greatly increased.

Digital Health and COVID-19

Six months ago, noticing you had a sore throat or a runny nose (or even a persistent cough) might have made you think you were coming down with a cold. And while that might have made you want to check in with a doctor or stop by a wellness store for some immunity-boosting supplements, in 2020, the warning signs of a health concern might make you feel more on edge. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are symptoms you can look out for that would indicate you might have contracted COVID-19. And because those symptoms may not appear for up to two weeks after a person contracts the virus (and with the virus itself ranging from mild to severe), it’s easy to see why so many people might be turning to the web to help them understand what’s going on with their body and when to seek medical attention. 

Of course, the availability of medical information isn’t the same for everyone in a global health pandemic, and not everyone consumes medical advice the same way in our digital world. RateMDs recently conducted a study of 2019 IPUMS health surveys to understand where the gaps currently exist with access to virtual health care and sound medical advice. As their analysis revealed, financial status may not fuel the only disparity between technology and personal health information. 

The Digital Gender Gap 

More than 1 in 3 Americans surveyed by RateMDs said they looked up symptoms of COVID-19 online at least once a week or more, though 17% of people age 60 and over also acknowledged they’d never used the internet for this purpose. 

Compared to men (49%), women (59%) were more likely to utilize digital health platforms. Women were also more likely to use the web for practical health purposes, including refilling prescriptions online (13%) and communicating with their health care providers via email (16%). 

In an age of social distancing and self-quarantine, younger people may also have an advantage when it comes to utilizing online health resources. People in their 20s (64%) and 30s (63%) were the most likely to utilize the web to search for health information. Older generations – including people in their 40s and 50s – more often used digital options for refilling their prescriptions. 

Finding Good Health Online 

While not everyone utilizes the web the same way to research health concerns or for more immediate needs, like communicating with their health care providers or refilling perceptions, are they healthier for their digital interactions?

The short answer is yes. 

People who use the internet to search for health information were 12 percentage points more likely to identify as being in good health, along with those who communicate with their providers via email (5 percentage points) and refill their prescriptions online (.1 percentage point). 

As the analysis revealed, utilizing online health resources made the biggest difference in how healthy people felt among older generations, particularly those in their 60s (who also happen to be among the most vulnerable to COVID-19). 

Of course, the internet may not always be the best resource for people worried about their health. 

Photo source: Pexels

Men were the most likely to be negatively affected by looking up health information online. Overall, people who used the internet to search for health information were 13 percentage points more likely to feel restless, including 45% of women and 43% of men. While younger generations were more inclined to use the web to answer their health questions, people in their 20s and 30s were also the most likely to feel restless after doing so. 

Socially Distant Health Care 

In the age of COVID-19, accessing quality health information online can help avoid high-risk, possibly dangerous physical exposure to the virus. When it’s possible to utilize the web for services that don’t require in-person interactions (like chatting with a doctor or refilling a prescription), people can save those in-office appointments for patients who need them. 

Those who use the web for various health aspects reported feeling healthier, but they might also be overloaded with access to too much information. In the midst of the health pandemic, being able to use the web for medical information requires balance to avoid feeling overwhelmed by all of the data (and opinions) you can find on the internet.

Be A Showstopper At Any Event You Attend

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Attending business events, be they networking events, trade shows, industry conferences, or otherwise, can be a hugely important part of your annual marketing strategy. Few channels provide you with such an opportunity to work directly on leads and build a buzz around the latest developments of the business. But that’s only true if you’re able to use those events effectively.

Build the hype

Events do not begin when the doors open to visitors. They begin well before that, when the event coordinators and many attending businesses will be bringing attention to the event and what they plan to do there. Make sure that you’re making good use of social media and other hype-building channels, such as your email marketing systems. Spread the word that you are going, share the news other attendees and the organizers are putting out, and give highlights as to what news or information you might be sharing there.

Bring your best

Whether you’re attending the event or not, you need to make sure that your brand is represented by the team who have the best skills when it comes to communicating your core value offer. As such, bringing members of the sales or marketing team is recommended as they will have the experience needed to capitalize on the lead-building opportunities there.

Stand out

A well-designed booth goes a long way in grabbing attention at an event. This doesn’t simply mean a clean build with a nicely printed image of your brand’s logo on it, either. To really stand out, you should look at using more attention-grabbing and active options such as LEDs and video screens from eventdisplay.com.au. This will give you the best possible opportunity to represent your brand in a way that actually attracts people to talk to you.

Be a great listener

You want to have a solid pitch ready to deliver to people who stop by your booth. Rehearsing your talking points and value proposition is important. However, too many event attendees talk too rigidly around those points, losing the interest of potential leads who feel like they’re listening to a pitch, rather than having a conversation. Practice active listening with your team to make sure that you and they are responding to their input, rather than just barrelling over them.

Follow up

Every interaction that ends with some sort of swapping of details deserves a follow-up. In the case of low-value leads, this may simply be thanking them for their time (while leaving the door open for more.) For others, you might want to use CRM systems like https://www.crm.com.au/ to record details on the kind of conversation you had with them so, when you get back to the office, you can make sure you remember and follow up on details specific to that conversation. It can help you make a great impression if they feel seen and remembered, which is more likely to lead them further down the sales funnel. 

With the tips above, you can help maximize the impact and the reach of your appearance at any event that your business makes a showing at. If you’re taking the time to make events part of your marketing calendar, then it’s worth investing in making them a success, too.

Reduce Fuel Costs for Your Fleet

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When your company has a fleet of vehicles, it can be an advantage (or a necessity), but it can also be a large expense. Fuel costs are often one of the most difficult things to control, and they can quickly get out of hand if you don't pay attention to how you can keep them as low as possible. To keep your fleet fuel costs low, both you and your drivers might need to make some changes. There are multiple options for cutting down on fuel costs, and you have to find those that are right for your company. Try these options for reducing fuel costs for your fleet.

Make the Right Vehicle Choice

You might not be in the market for new vehicles at the moment, but this is worth keeping in mind for when you do need to buy or lease new vehicles. Choosing the best vehicle for the job is a must if you want to avoid your fuel costs being too high. There are several things to think about, including the weight of the vehicle, the engine specifications, and various other technicalities that can affect the performance of the vehicle. You need something capable of carrying enough weight without being overly powerful and fuel-guzzling.

Monitor Driver Behavior

The behavior of your drivers is a major factor when it comes to controlling fuel costs. The right training can make a significant difference in how well your drivers perform and how much fuel they use. However, how do you know if they are following the rules? Installing dash cams allows you to monitor your drivers' behavior so that you can check if they are driving well. If they're not, you can make sure they get more training or are reminded of how they are expected to behave on the road.

Stay on Top of Maintenance

Vehicle maintenance also helps to keep fuel costs low. Vehicles can use less fuel if they're serviced and performing well. A proper maintenance program will ensure all of your vehicles receive the attention that they deserve. Preventative maintenance is often more cost-effective than waiting for something to go wrong and having to make repairs. It allows you to work on vehicles when they are already planned to be off the road, rather than have to remove them from your fleet unexpectedly when they suddenly need to undergo repairs.

Make Use of Fleet Data

Data from your fleet can provide lots of advantages that help you to reduce costs. When you monitor things like fuel usage, economy and mileage, you can make sure you're getting more from your fleet. It can also help you to detect and prevent problems such as fuel theft or unauthorized fuel purchases. You can use fleet management technology to provide you with the data that you need and help you to analyze the information for insights into your fleet.

Bring down fuel costs for your business when you take a close look at the factors that can affect your fuel consumption.

7 Reasons To Hire A Digital Marketing Agency

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Digital Marketing is a broad term. It refers to many online methods of growing your business, including SEO, PPC, email, social media, and blogging, each of which is also constantly evolving and changing. Each of these elements alone can feel like a full-time job. As a small or growing team, it can be overwhelming for an internal marketing person or department to cope - which is where a digital marketing agency comes. If you’re on the fence about hiring a digital marketing agency to handle your digital campaigns, then here are seven things that may help you to decide. 

Experts handle your marketing. 

Digital marketing agencies, such as Cardinal Digital Marketing, hire only the best talent, giving you access to some of the best people in the industry without you needing to have them on your payroll. 

You get to focus on your business. 

Digital marketing can be extremely time-consuming. Outsourcing to an agency gives you and your team this time back to focus on other areas of your business, such as sales and growth. 

It can work out cheaper. 

Over time, an external marketing agency almost always ends up being cheaper than a marketing operation in-house - especially when the experience of the individuals that you are working with is taken into consideration. Agencies are also independent contractors and so you get to eliminate payroll taxes, and there’s no need to provide costly employee benefits. 

They bring new ideas to the table.

Digital marketing agencies make their living from being innovative and coming up with great ideas that help businesses to reach their marketing goals. Unlike your internal employees, they’re not stifled by over-exposure to your brand or business, and so can bring new and exciting opportunities to the table that you may not have ever considered.  

They’re scalable. 

By hiring an external digital marketing agency, as your business grows and your marketing needs expand, there’s no need to undertake expensive hiring in-house, you can simply scale up your service. Similarly, if you go through a fallow period, you can scale down the service that you need accordingly without needing to let anyone go. 

They have the tools of the trade.

If you’ve ever researched digital marketing tools, then you’ll know that there is a lot to get to grips with. Aside from it being expensive to unlock their full features, these tools also take years to learn and to master, which is time you quite simply don’t have. Digital marketing agencies have these tools on tap and know how to get the most out of them on your behalf. 

They are on the ball with any changes.

Last but not least, digital marketing is always changing. Legislation is coming in all the time, new platforms emerge, and it is essential to stay relevant. Digital marketing agencies live and breathe digital marketing - it’s what they do, and so they’re continually updating their knowledge and staying on top of any changes which will keep your business ahead of your competitors. 

So there you have it - seven reasons why you may want to consider hiring a digital marketing agency. Have we changed your mind? Let us know if you have ever hired a digital marketing agency in the comments and how you got on. 

5 Steps to Defeat One of the Biggest (and Least Talked about) Causes of Burnout” Webinar August 12, 2020 @ 10:00 am Eastern

I wanted to tell you about my upcoming webinar, “5 Steps to Defeat One of the Biggest (and Least Talked about) Causes of Burnout”

You know that I want to help you beat burnout before it ever happens to you. But burnout is an even bigger problem now that so many people are working from home. Clients keep talking to me about how exhausted  they are. They don't have any boundaries between work and home. And so many people are stressed out as the world around us is in chaos.

If you have kids, they're starting to go back to school and get involved in activities again. 

These times can feel overwhelming, and that means that a lot of people are heading toward burnout.

I want to make sure that you avoid burnout. But you can only beat it if you know some of the causes of it.

In this webinar that's coming up, I'm partnering with Dr. Garland Vance to help you discover one of the biggest -- and least talked about -- causes of burnout. 

REGISTER here now:

https://advanceleadership.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/457075/register

Date: Wednesday, August 12

Time: 10:00 am ET

During this FREE webinar you'll learn what this secret problem is, how scientists have known about it for years, and why no one talks about it. 

We'll also show you the five simple steps that you can take to get rid of this problem once and for all. These steps are grounded in tons of research and real-life experience. 

Here's the best part! You will have the opportunity to ask questions about your specific situation and how you can prevent burnout in this crazy time. 

Register now and join me for the webinar:

https://advanceleadership.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/457075/register

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Michael

What Are The Goals Behind Your Digital Marketing Strategy?

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Social media marketing, search engine marketing, advertising, content marketing. There are so many different tools in a digital marketing strategy that it can be difficult to know where to start. However, that’s often because we’re looking at it in the wrong way. Rather than trying to find the best online marketing tools, you should start by thinking about the goals of your digital marketing strategy, then choose the tools that fit those goals. Here are some of the goals you should focus on, and some of the strategies that can best help you reach them.

Increasing awareness

Awareness is as simple as it sounds. It’s a measure of how well known your company, brand, products, and services are. The aim here is not to show your distinct brand (though that can be incorporated) but simply to get as many people noticing your brand as possible. To that, creating a great, organic social media presence is a great way to engage directly with an active community, many of whom might be receptive to your messaging. Otherwise, native advertising, as well as social media advertising, tend to grab a lot of attention for the brand. Of course, good press relations are important and, online, that means working not just with newspapers and traditional media but new media like podcast sponsorships and influencers, too.

Growing the brand

The brand of the business is a powerful tool, indeed. It’s a language, using not only text, but the imagery, iconography, and a story that is told throughout all of your marketing when done well. Whenever it comes to establishing a home for the brand on the net, few things do it better than a well-designed website. With outsourced web development, you can ensure that your website is given the attention and professional care needed to not only make it fit your needs but also presents your brand in the best possible light. Developing a brand style guide can help you stay consistent with that style all the way through your different marketing materials.

Driving traffic

When it comes to growing the brand, increasing awareness, or otherwise using the site to further your business goals, you also have to consider the fact that people need to be on the website in the first place. As such, driving traffic is not usually a primary goal, but a necessity that you have to tick to reach other goals as named above. Great advertising with landing pages leading to the website work as a way to drive traffic to the website. Content marketing that addresses problems faced by the audience is another great way to bring traffic onto the website, as well. It’s important to remember that traffic doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting meaningful interactions or sales, so be sure to utilize the tips mentioned in the other points if that’s really what you’re after.

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Driving sales

How you drive sales all depends on the process by which you sell to the customer in the first place. If it’s done on the site, then bringing customers to the site with the communicated intention of offering them a product is the cleanest way to drive sales. However, you need to make sure the website is designed to funnel them towards that point of conversion. This is done through what is called a conversion rate optimization strategy. Effectively, it’s all about looking at what elements of the website might need to change in order to make it easier and more efficient for them to navigate towards that aforementioned point of conversion.

Growing leads

Not all businesses work by driving customers towards a point of sale, however. Some need to build a relationship with a customer, incentivizing them to get in touch or to respond to offers that get sent their way. If you need a more gradual approach towards that business to client/customer relationship, then lead building is the strategy. Lead building uses SEO, advertising, and content marketing just as much as the other goals mentioned above. But it also necessitates that you can track your leads, as well. One of the best ways to do that is by using a site lead capture form tool. When used to take details in order to register them for an email campaign, you get a point of ongoing communication with them but, more importantly, you get identifiable details by which you can start tracking the lead nurturing process from there.

Showing thought leadership

Just as well as a brand can help dazzle and sell your audience on the benefits of the business and its products and services, don’t underestimate the power that the right business leader can have on the perceptions of the market, either. As well as content marketing on your own website, writing content and articles for other publications, blogs, and authoritative spaces online can help you build your personal brand. Your personal brand can reflect on your business. If you get a reputation for being a respectable and insightful business leader, then people expect a similar level of quality from your business, too.

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Measuring the specifics

As well as setting the goals that best suit the needs of your business and choosing the marketing methods that can best help you reach those goals, it’s important to have methods of tracking them. When it comes to driving traffic or sales, then there are very clear numbers you can easily track so see how effective you are at those. However, for other objectives, setting SMART goals and finding the KPIs needed to track your progress on them is essential. Otherwise, you might have a course in mind, but without quantitative proof of it, you can’t tell if you’re heading in the right direction.

The next time you’re looking to launch a digital marketing campaign, be sure to start by identifying why you’re doing it in the first place. You don’t need to have a single goal, but you need to have defined and solid goals.