Erik Qualman's Blog, page 567

5 Ways to Destroy Business Credibility in Less Than One Minute

Are you guilty of neglecting your website and online presence? According to a web credibility study done by Stanford University, 75% of users admit to making judgments about a company’s credibility based on a website’s design. Moreover, there is mounting evidence that brands with little to no social media marketing are more likely to suffer from poor online conversion.

Is your website slow? Not mobile-friendly? Unsecure? Beware of these digital follies—they will lead to poor user experience and destroy your company’s credibility faster than you can click refresh.

1) Lacking Social Media Presence

If you think not having a strong social media presence doesn’t negatively impact your bottom line, you’re wrong. Though measuring ROI for social media marketing and brand promotion can be ambiguous, there is a strong correlation between social signals and conversions.

Customers are becoming increasingly reliant on social proof, i.e. testimonials from their trusted circles, as well as general public opinion from aggregate review ratings on sites like Google Reviews and Yelp. If consumers look to social media channels to learn more about a brand prior to making a purchase decision and find insufficient social information, the chance of conversion drops dramatically. According to HubSpot, social media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than outbound marketing.

2) Poorly Designed Website

Even if a company’s website was well-designed five years ago, it’s likely outdated now. Sometimes users are willing to slog through a website if it has the necessary information, but if the overall user experience is frustrating, the bounce rate will increase and Google will penalize the site by decreasing its index status.

A visitor’s likelihood to convert to a paying customer is heavily influenced by their experience on the company’s website. In particular, users appreciate easily navigable sites, clean design, clear calls-to-action, and obvious ways to contact the company—including an email, phone number, and physical address. Appropriate use of key terms, good site maps, and proper grammar are also factors.

3) Slow Site Speed

If a webpage loads like molasses, it will become irrelevant. Google offers site speed tools and suggestions on how to increase speed because fast and optimized pages lead to higher visitor engagement, retention, and conversions. UX Magazine published a study done in-house by Walmart.com, which found that for every one second of load time improvement, the site experienced up to a 2% increase in conversions.

4) Non-responsive Design

Is your website designed to work with mobile devices? Smart Insights reports that in 2014 conversions from tablets outgrew conversions by desktop and this trend is expected to continue.  In an algorithm update last November, Google started factoring a site’s mobile-friendliness in search rank. Meaning if users are having a bad experience on a website because it hasn’t been updated to work with a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, etc., a company could expect to see a directly related drop in traffic.

5) Unsecured Site

Users have long been wary of websites that are not secured—those lacking data encryption—but now Google has taken action by flagging sites that do not employ secure data transmission, regardless of a site’s industry. Whether it’s Wikipedia or a business portfolio site, it needs to be secured. Users can tell if a site is secure by checking to see if an s follows the http in a site’s URL (https) or looking for the padlock icon in the search bar. This shouldn’t come as a big surprise given all of the recent massive hacking attacks. This week Google built a feature into its Chrome browser to warn users about websites that do not scramble their data during transmission in order to protect their users from identity thieves and even Uncle Sam.

Making these items a priority will improve a website’s technical integrity with Google and will increase user experience, which will also augment a site’s index. Tackling these aspects will not be an incredibly complicated undertaking,but will take time. Reputation investment is critically important to a company’s success so addressing these five influencers will certainly increase a brand’s wealth and preserve its credibility.

[image error]

Uber to open robotics research lab in Pittsburgh

John Biggs from TechCrunch reported that driver-on-demand service Uber is building a robotics research lab in Pittsburgh, PA to “kickstart autonomous taxi fleet development.”

They say the company has hired talent from Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, including lead engineering and commercialization experts. Uber published a blog post on Monday outlining its partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, confirming TechCrunch’s reporting.

Sources tell us Uber is hiring more than fifty senior scientists from Carnegie Mellon as well as from the National Robotics Engineering Center, a CMU-affiliated research entity. Carnegie Mellon, home of the Mars Rover and other high-profile robotics projects, declined to comment at this time, as did scientists mentioned by our source. Uber has “cleaned out” the Robotics Institute, said the source.

The source also noted that most of these technologies came through a “massive” military spending push over the past decade and should net the university millions in IP licensing fees.

Uber will be developing the core technology, the vehicles, and associated infrastructure at this Pittsburgh facility, according to sources. They have already hired a number of employees and made moves to outfit them with software, including a multi-hundred-thousand dollar investment in third-party engineering workstations.

In the past, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has said he would replace human drivers with self-driving cars. The decision to run the facility in Pittsburgh makes perfect sense, given the proximity to CMU and the potential secrecy afforded by moving research out of Silicon Valley.

 

Article originally published on TechCrunch.com 

Image from uber.com

Thumbnail from shutterstock.com 

 

[image error]

5 Unorthodox Marketing Methods to Get Your Business off the Ground

A lot of modern advertising techniques originate from the 60s and, frankly speaking, they didn’t change all that much since then. But the world itself changed, and changed drastically – leading to the decline of traditional marketing methods, such as print and TV advertising, direct mail and suchlike. People are too used to them, they’ve become too savvy to believe anything they hear in advertisements, they’ve learnt to automatically sift them out. Ironically, competition for advertising space is growing stronger, and as a result we get growing prices and diminishing returns.

In such a situation, it is only natural to look for less orthodox ways to bring your brand to clients. Let’s take a look at some of them.

1.      Content Marketing

With the emergence of new Google algorithms that render a number of less savory online marketing techniques useless, content marketing has turned into, arguably, the leading trend. However, the ways to use it may differ wildly. You can simply offer some free advice concerning your main business, or provide video manuals, or enroll people on seminars teaching how to use your products.

2.      Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing is exactly what it says on the tin: small-scale, low-budget campaigns that rely more on ingenuity than on the sheer amount of resources to achieve its results. It is amazing how far one can go if one simply discards the preconceptions of what advertising is and what it isn’t, what it does and what it doesn’t. It doesn’t matter how mundane your product or service is – if you manage to make it look and sound interesting, like this company selling mail-order razor blades, the success is in within your grasp.

3.      Posting on Freelance Sites

Freelancers, due to their very nature, have to click on job posts and read their descriptions with a certain degree of attention – which means that if you market through such sites, you get almost 100% guarantee that everyone who clicks on them will read your posts. Bonus points if freelancers comprise the majority of your target audience.

4.      Don’t Be

Unless you create something completely and entirely new and original, there are supposed to be dozens (if not hundreds) of similar offers on the market. Here’s an easy way to stand out – don’t be a typical representative of your category. Change the packaging, the online experience, the marketing materials to make it look unlike what it is.

5.      Sell Purple Cows

Purple cow as a term was introduced by a well-known modern marketer Seth Godin – it means making your product so unique, unusual and just plain weird that people can’t help buying it or at least telling their friends about it. Tennis ball textured sneakers. Sandals with bottle-openers in their soles. In other words, anything that would make your clients stop in their tracks and wonder what it is.

Modern marketing ventures further and further from well-trodden paths; and very often your success or failure depends on how far away you are ready to step.

Image from shutterstock.com 

[image error]

Are You Tapping Into Social Media for Technology?

From the latest electronic gadgets for your home to the top devices for business, technology continues to evolve on a daily basis here in the United States and in many other countries. As a result, knowing where to find the latest tech offerings is as important as ever.

For those who turn to social media seeking advice on technology, there is an entire world out there just waiting to be discovered.

As more technology companies have realized in recent years, social media is essentially a free tool for them to discuss and promote their brands, be they to savvy tech folks or the green ones who are looking to become more technologically educated.

So, how can your tech-related business become better in-tune with consumers via social networking?

Relevancy and Consistency Matter

To begin with, whether your brand is iOS app developers Blue Rocket or one of countless others, you need to be a relevant tech company and you need to consistently hammer home your message on social media.

Many tech companies, however, might wonder just where a large volume of their customers are when it comes to social media.

Are they on Facebook or Twitter? Maybe they’re more image-focused and spend the bulk of their time on Instagram or Pinterest? Videos might be what catch their attention; therefore they’re more apt to visit sites such as YouTube?

Take the time to research exactly where many of your customers are likely to be in the world of social media. Otherwise, you run the risk of wasting time and resources.

Secondly, be a consistent player on social media.

While that sounds like an easy thing to do, you’d be surprised how many companies fail at this simple task.

Begin with setting up a regular schedule for tweeting, sharing, pinning and more.

There are numerous reports and analytic options out there to help you deduce the best times to post and get the most bang for your dollar. One key, however, is avoiding posting too often. The last thing you want to do is turn people off and make it seem like you are shoving information and/or sales down their throats.

Don’t Forget to Network

Another important reminder is to share your social media output with others, including other businesses.

Now while you understandably might be hesitant to promote competitors that does not mean you can’t publicize relevant tech news. If something in the tech world would be of interest to the general public, then by all means talk about it on social media.

Lastly, be sure to keep in mind (if you are not already) that making your current and potential clients happy should always be a top priority as you look at strategies for building customer loyalty.

In the end, your customers and how you treat them go a long way in determining your success.

When you deploy social media as part of that process, your odds for success are that much higher.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

[image error]

Are You in the Driver’s Seat with Social Media?

Looking to purchase a new or used car?

Most likely, this is one of the largest purchases you will make, next to your home. In fact, the average price of a new car is more than $31,000 according to TrueCar.com.

When it comes to buying a car, the more money you can save, the better. Cars depreciate the second you drive them off the lot and unlike a home; your car isn’t something you can use forever.

Luckily, there are many ways you can save money when buying your next vehicle.

Don’t Overlook Your Budget

The article “How the right budget app can help you save for a car” discusses why it’s important to plan in advance for your purchase and to take other car expenses into consideration, such as insurance, registration and fees, maintenance, fuel, sales tax and repairs.

It’s always best to budget beforehand and know exactly what you can afford before stepping foot into the dealership.

By using a budget app on your phone, you can easily track your goals and spending so you know with confidence when you can afford your car.

The Social Aspect

Once you’ve determined a budget, it’s time to look for even more ways you can save on your purchase. This is where social media comes into play.

Ways to save via social media include:

Ask friends on social media for their advice – Make a Facebook post stating that you’re in the market for a new car and want to know which vehicles get the best gas mileage, have had the fewest problems and require the least expensive maintenance. Take it one step further and ask if anyone knows of any dealerships offering a discount in the coming weeks.
Visit the dealership’s social media pages – Before going to your chosen car dealerships, head over to their social media pages to see what’s going on. Dealerships use social media heavily and may have specials or sales going on that you could find out about. They also may be giving away a free car that particular weekend and if so, you will want to enter! Follow and like their pages so you can stay up-to-date on upcoming specials and promotions.
Price shop – Use social media and dealership websites to comparison shop the prices of your desired vehicle make and model. While you’re never expected to pay sticker price on the car, you can’t always talk the salesperson down to the lowest price possible. You can, however, browse online until you find a dealership price that you are comfortable paying. Social media can help you in your research when trying to find the most affordable car.

While social media used to just be a way to connect with old friends, family members and colleagues, it has grown into a tool for businesses and consumers to promote their products, share information and get the best deal.

Between budgeting for your car and saving money via social media, you will be driving your dream car off the lot in no time!

Photo credit: Image courtesy of shutterstock.com

[image error]

Super Bowl XLIX was Most Viewed Show in U.S History

In this article from Buzzfeed, Claudia Koerner reports that more than 114 million people tuned in to the Super Bowl on Sunday, making it the most viewed show in U.S. history, according to ratings data released by NBC.

It beat last year’s broadcast by about 2 million viewers, according to national data from Nielsen. It was also the highest-rated Super Bowl since 1986, with about 47% of households tuning in.

More people than ever also watched the final half-hour of the nail-biting game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Viewership peaked with 120.8 million watching in the fourth quarter.

NBC’s live stream also set records, the network said. Analytics showed 800,000 average viewers per minute watched on computers or tablets, and on average, they tuned in for about 84 minutes. At its highest — during Patriots center back Malcolm Butler’s game-winning interception — the live stream had 1.3 million viewers.

The Super Bowl is generally the most watched T.V. show of any year. Here are the most viewed broadcasts of U.S. history:

1. 114.4 Million – Super Bowl XLIX, NBC (2015)

2. 112.2 Million – Super Bowl XLVIII, Fox (2014)

3. 111.3 Million – Super Bowl XLVI, NBC (2012)

4. 111.0 Million – Super Bowl XLV, FOX (2011)

5. 108.7 Million – Super Bowl XLVII, CBS (2013)

6. 106.5 Million – Super Bowl XLIV, CBS (2010)

7. 106.0 Million – M.A.S.H. Finale, CBS (1983)

8. 98.7 Million – Super Bowl XLIII, NBC (2009)

Article originally published on Buzzfeed. 

Image from azcardinals.com 

 

[image error]

Your LinkedIn Profile: The Basics

Chances are you’ve heard this advice before, but if not, here goes: if you’re not on LinkedIn, you should be on LinkedIn.

A 2014 survey found that 73% of businesses intend to increase their investment in recruiting through social networks, and 94% of recruiters used LinkedIn. Even if you’re not on LinkedIn, companies you apply to will be looking for you there. At Career Glider, we’re driven by helping people achieve career success, and LinkedIn is increasingly important to careers.

If you’re not familiar with LinkedIn, your profile can be thought of as a professional Facebook page, which shows your education, experience, and skills instead of your likes and photos. And on LinkedIn you make connections, which you can think of as professional friends.

A LinkedIn profile is a number of things:

an online resume which showcases your qualifications;
a filtering mechanism for job recruiters—if you’re not on LinkedIn, or if your profile isn’t up to scratch, recruiters may cross you off their list;
a way of being headhunted by recruiters for job openings, even openings that haven’t been advertised.

Today, we’ll focus on how to address 1. and 2—how to do the essentials, and how to avoid the basic, disqualifying mistakes. A solid, basic profile will put you ahead of a lot of people.

Most importantly: no typos, and no formatting errors—they’re avoidable and they hurt you. And if lying on a resume is a very bad idea, on LinkedIn it’s a terrible idea—a whole network of your connections will know very well that you’re stretching the truth. With that in mind, here are some tips for sections of the profile you’re setting up.

Name

As well as your full name, you can add a maiden name or nickname here, if people are likely to search for you by that name. You can add suffixes, like “Jr.”, or add certifications, but putting in the Name field is unacceptable to LinkedIn and will get you in trouble.

Photo

Your photo is important. Profiles with a photo are at least seven times more likely to be viewed than profiles without one. You’ll see that if you search LinkedIn, profiles without photos cluster near the bottom of the results. But it has to be the right photo.

Your photo should be a professional-looking headshot, of you, and only you. You should be dressed for your industry—if that means a suit, you should be wearing a suit. And while it might surprise you this advice is necessary, you should not be at a party, or drunk, in your LinkedIn profile photo. It’s worth considering having a photo professionally taken. This may all seem obvious, but you’ll be surprised how many people don’t do it!

Summary

Your summary should capture not just what you do, but who you are. It’s a way to introduce yourself to people, and should showcase not just what you do, but what you can do, by giving a sense of your accomplishments. Your summary can also link to other places that people can find you online.

People debate whether to use the word “I” on your resume, but on LinkedIn it’s usual to write in the first person and use the word “I” freely. You have up to 2,000 characters for your summary, and some people will advise you to use them every character no matter what, but no one wants to read filler. So do your readers a favor and don’t write just to fill space.

Experience (and Education)

Describe your experience and education similarly to how you would on your resume. One great thing about LinkedIn is you don’t have to leave experience off to save space. In fact, it can help to include all your experience, especially if you’re early in your career, to show you’ve kept busy. It’s still important to be concise.

Groups

Joining groups is important for two reasons. First, it shows a engagement with an institution or industry. Secondly, you can contact people in that group directly (otherwise, you can only reach out to connections or use LinkedIn’s paid InMail). So take some time to join a few relevant groups: industry groups, alumni associations, and so on.

Volunteering

One study found volunteers were 27% more likely to land a job than non-volunteers, so if you have volunteering experience, don’t skip this step.

Next week, we’ll look at your LinkedIn profile’s more advanced features and how to use them to make yourself stand out. In later posts, we’ll look at other features of LinkedIn, including skills, endorsements and recommendations, your network, and job searching on LinkedIn. In the meantime, good luck!

[image error]

VIDEO: Groundhog Bites Ear of Wisconsin Mayor

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (AP) — A mayor in Wisconsin has learned a valuable lesson about his city’s weather-predicting critter: Don’t get too close.

Jimmy, the official groundhog in Sun Prairie, bit the mayor’s ear during a Groundhog Day celebration on Monday.

The groundhog’s handler was holding the animal next to Mayor Jonathan Freund’s face when it promptly bit down.

Freund flinched, but he went on with his declaration that Jimmy had predicted an early spring.

WISC-TV reports ( http://bit.ly/16792SP ) that the Groundhog Day celebration became even more precarious when Jimmy’s handlers, Jerry and Maria Hahn, said the mayor had gotten it wrong and that there would be six more weeks of winter.

The city later issued a statement saying only the mayor can translate Jimmy’s prediction.

Article originally published on The Associated Press.

 

 

[image error]

Best 2015 Super Bowl Ads – Top 6

The post-Super Bowl Ad analysis tradition has begun! Here are some of the Socialnomics’ team favorites.

 

2015 Super Bowl Ad: Coca Cola #MakeItHappy

2015 Super Bowl Ad: BMW #hellofuture

2015 Super Bowl Ad: Always #LikeAGirl

2015 Super Bowl Ad: Kim’s Datastash & T-Mobile

2015 Super Bowl Ad: eSurance & Sorta Greg

2015 Super Bowl Ad: Skittles

 

[image error]

Trending: Best 2015 Super Bowl Ads – Top 6

The post-Super Bowl Ad analysis tradition has begun! Here are some of the Socialnomics’ team favorites.

 

2015 Super Bowl Ad: Coca Cola #MakeItHappy

2015 Super Bowl Ad: BMW #hellofuture

2015 Super Bowl Ad: Always #LikeAGirl

2015 Super Bowl Ad: Kim’s Datastash & T-Mobile

2015 Super Bowl Ad: eSurance & Sorta Greg

2015 Super Bowl Ad: Skittles

 

[image error]