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October 24, 2023Contents:Navigating Marketing Challenges Together: Our Data Box CollaborationWhat are benchmarks?How often do you need to benchmark your company?What are the criteria you need to consider when benchmarking? In the Spotlight: A Retail Small Business Google Ads Benchmark ExampleJoin Our Survey: Why Participate?Small businesses are the backbone of the global economy, representing a significant portion of all enterprises. However, they often face unique challenges, particularly when it comes to digital marketing. In this blog post, we’ll explore the intricacies and possibilities of digital marketing efficiency for businesses with under 50 employees.Running a small business is no small feat. Limited budgets and time constraints can make it difficult to achieve optimal marketing outcomes. These constraints can manifest in several key metrics, including % New Sessions, Conversions, Total Ad Revenue, Total Revenue, Cost / Conversion, Conversion Value, and Cost.Small business owners understand the value of every pound and minute spent on marketing. These challenges, stemming from budget limitations, a lack of access to expert knowledge, and time constraints, have a direct impact on crucial performance metrics. In this post, we’ll delve deeper into these hurdles and share insights into how small businesses can navigate them effectively.Navigating Marketing Challenges Together: Our Data Box CollaborationHere’s the exciting part: you don’t have to face these challenges alone. We invite you to be part of our mission to uncover the solutions that can drive marketing success for small businesses. To achieve this, we’ve launched a comprehensive survey tailored specifically to small businesses with under 50 employees, in collaboration with Data Box, a trusted authority in data analytics and benchmarking. By participating in this survey, you’re not only contributing to a better understanding of the marketing landscape for businesses like yours but also gaining access to invaluable insights and strategies.Before delving into the specifics, let’s start by laying down the fundamentals of benchmarking.1. What is benchmarking?Benchmarking is a strategic process that involves evaluating and comparing your business’s performance, processes, or practices against those of competitors or industry leaders within the same market. By engaging in benchmarking, you gain valuable insights into how your business stacks up in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and overall competitiveness. It’s a proactive approach that enables you to identify areas for improvement, set realistic goals, and drive continuous growth and innovation. Benchmarking acts as a compass, guiding your business towards its full potential by learning from the successes and best practices of others in your industry.2. How often do you need to benchmark your company?Benchmarking is a dynamic process that adapts to your specific objectives and industry standards. The frequency of benchmarking can vary, spanning weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual intervals, depending on your goals and industry dynamics.To ensure your strategies stay on course, consistent metric tracking is essential. When you consistently meet the predefined benchmarks you’ve set, it serves as a clear signal that your plan is succeeding and should be sustained.For effective benchmarking, we recommend conducting benchmark assessments at least once every three months across your industry as a whole. Additionally, we suggest monthly benchmarking intervals to keep your strategies aligned with the evolving landscape and trends in your sector. This approach ensures that your business remains agile and adaptable to changing conditions, driving continued success.3. What are the criteria you need to consider when benchmarking?Relevance: The benchmark data should be relevant to your industry, sector, or specific goals. Ensure that you are comparing against organisations or practices that are directly comparable to your own.Data Accuracy: The data used for benchmarking should be accurate, up-to-date, and obtained from reliable sources. Inaccurate data can lead to misleading conclusions.Scope and Objectives: Clearly define the scope of your benchmarking project and the objectives you aim to achieve. Are you focusing on specific processes, departments, or the overall organisation? Having clear goals is essential.Data Consistency: Ensure that the data you’re comparing is consistent in terms of units of measurement, time periods, and other relevant factors. Inconsistencies can distort the analysis.Comparability: The organisations or practices you benchmark against should be comparable in terms of size, market, and complexity. An apples-to-apples comparison is more meaningful.Confidentiality: Respect confidentiality agreements and legal constraints when obtaining benchmarking data. Protect sensitive information and adhere to ethical practices.Benchmarking Methodology: Choose the right benchmarking methodology, whether it’s internal, competitive, or functional benchmarking, depending on your goals.Continuous Improvement: Benchmarking should not be a one-time effort. Consider it as part of an ongoing process of continuous improvement, where you revisit benchmarks regularly.Feedback and Adaptation: Be open to feedback from the benchmarking process and adapt your strategies accordingly. Flexibility and a willingness to change are crucial.Actionable Insights: The benchmarking process should provide actionable insights and recommendations for improvement. Ensure that the information you gather can be used to make meaningful changes.4. In the Spotlight: A Small Retail Business Google Ads Benchmark ExampleTo showcase this in numbers, the survey can present some valuable insights like this: Here is one of our retail clients’ performance when compared to small businesses under 1K employees. One of our clients stands out as a prime example of marketing efficiency. Their outstanding performance in conversion value is truly remarkable, achieving monthly conversion value higher than 60% of the rest of the group. This showcases the tangible benefits of implementing effective paid advertising strategies and underscores the potential for substantial growth within the small business sector. This also means that a small business budget is not an obstacle but an opportunity. Moreover, when it comes to cost/conversion, our client’s performance is nothing short of impressive, outperforming a remarkable 79% of the companies in the group. This highlights their efficient utilisation of PPC (Pay Per Click) Skills, setting a benchmark for others to follow.By benchmarking your business against others, you can gain a deeper understanding of what constitutes excellence within your industry. For instance, you might have initially considered a 2x Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) as sufficient. However, through benchmarking, you can uncover the untapped potential of your industry, redefining your standards and aspirations5. Join Our Survey: Test Your Benchmark Participating in our survey can offer you a wealth of benefits:Benchmarking: By participating, you’ll be able to benchmark your marketing performance against other businesses in a similar category. This benchmarking can provide you with valuable insights, helping you identify areas for improvement and set realistic goals.Access to Insights: When the survey results are in, you’ll gain access to a rich trove of insights and strategies. These insights are based on real-world experiences and successes of businesses like yours, facing similar challenges.Networking: Connect with a community of small business owners and managers who are dedicated to enhancing their marketing efforts. Share experiences, learn from others, and collaborate on solutions to common problems.Empowering Change: Your participation can contribute to a broader understanding of the unique challenges small businesses face in marketing. This data can be a catalyst for change, potentially leading to better support and resources for businesses like yours.How to ParticipateParticipation is straightforward and will only take a few minutes of your time. To ensure the survey results accurately represent the experiences of small businesses, please provide detailed and accurate information. Click here to join the survey and see how you rank against companies in your size. […]Read more…
September 19, 2023ContentsMastering Website Optimisation1. Optimise Website Speed for Better Performance2. Mobile-Friendliness Matters3. Improve Site Structure4. Page Speed InsightsConducting an SEO Audit: Finding and Resolving ProblemsThe impact of SEO on Digital Marketing Strategies1. Increased Organic Traffic2. Building Credibility and Trust3. Better User Experience4. Alignment with Content Marketing5. Data-Driven Insights6. Integration with social media7. Cost effectiveness8. Local SEO visibilityFor businesses to succeed in the rapidly changing digital world, having a strong online presence is essential. Making sure your website appears highly on search engine results pages (SERPs) is a crucial component of this presence. Quality of the content is certainly vital, but the technical aspects of SEO play an important role in deciding how search engines see and rank your website. In this post, we’ll examine the essential technical aspects of SEO that might improve your website’s potential for search results.Mastering Website Optimization1. Optimise Website Speed for Better Performance:User experience and ranking factors both heavily depend on website performance. Low search rankings and high bounce rates are two consequences of slow-loading websites. In order to speed up your website:Use efficient picture formats and image compression Reduce the number of plugins and scripts to reduce HTTP requests.Leverage browser caching to store frequently used elements.Reduce file sizes by turning on server compression.To distribute content among several servers, use a content delivery network (CDN).2. Mobile-Friendliness Matters:Because of the rise in mobile device usage, Google gives websites that are optimised for mobile devices a higher rating. To guarantee mobile friendliness, take the following actions:Use responsive design to make your website adaptable to various screen sizes.Optimise fonts and graphics for mobile viewing.Using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool, check whether your website is mobile-friendly.Ensure touch elements are appropriately spaced for easy navigation.3. Improve Site Structure:A well-structured website improves user experience while helping search engines comprehend the hierarchy of your content. Take into account these suggestions:One of the first things consumers and search engines see when viewing your website are the URLs. A URL that is clear and simple gives quick access to the page’s content.To show the user’s location on your site, utilise breadcrumb navigation. Breadcrumbs are typically displayed as a horizontal trail at the top of the page, such as: Home > Category > Subcategory > PageIn assisting in crawling, create an XML sitemap and submit it to search engines. An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website, helping search engines crawl and index your content more efficiently. Organise your content into a logical hierarchy with categories, subcategories, and relevant internal links. This approach also helps users find what they are looking for.4. Page Speed Insights: Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool is an essential tool for evaluating the speed of your website. It offers useful information and recommendations for enhancement, such as reducing render-blocking resources and code optimisation. Some benefits of ensuring your site speed is up to date are: Improved user experienceSearch engines consider Page speed as a ranking factor therefore it leads to improved SEO Conducting an SEO Audit: Finding and Resolving ProblemTo identify areas for improvement, an SEO audit is needed. Here’s how to do an audit effectively:Crawl Your Website: To find problems like broken links, duplicate content, and missing meta tags, use tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console.Keyword Analysis: Analyse the performance of your target keywords to find opportunities for optimization. On-page analysis: Review your content’s structure, headings, and keyword usage. Make sure meta descriptions and titles are optimised.Technical Analysis: Check for proper indexing, XML sitemap functionality, and structured data implementation.Site speed analysis: To find issues with the speed of your site and make the required adjustments, use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.Mobile-Friendliness Assessment: Test your website on various mobile devices and ensure seamless functionality.Backlink audit: Check the quality and relevancy of your backlink profile. Delete harmful links if required.The impact of SEO on Digital Marketing Strategies1. Increased Organic Traffic:Organic search visibility is mostly driven by SEO. You may improve your website’s chances of appearing higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) by optimising its content, structure, and technological elements. As a result, your website becomes more accessible to visitors who are actively looking for relevant topics, goods, or services, which substantially increases organic traffic.2. Building Credibility and Trust:High search engine rankings are often associated with credibility and trustworthiness.Users frequently consider the websites that show up on the first page of search results as reliable sources of information and therefore prefer to trust them. Effective SEO tactics not only increase your website’s exposure, but they also help your brand become more well-known.3. Better User Experience:SEO goes beyond only optimising keywords to provide a smooth user experience. Google and other search engines employ user engagement, mobile friendliness, and website speed as ranking factors. Indirectly improving user experience through these factors, SEO lowers bounce rates and boosts user retention.4. Alignment with Content Marketing:The foundation of digital marketing is content, and SEO is essential for content discovery. Users looking for information are more likely to find material that has been properly optimised. Keyword research, on-page optimisation, and link-building activities are all part of SEO-driven content marketing tactics that increase exposure and engagement.5. Data-Driven Insights:Analysing data is an essential part of SEO efforts. You can learn a lot about the tastes and trends of their target audience by looking at measures like organic traffic, keyword rankings, and user behaviour. These discoveries influence the development of content, audience targeting, and overall marketing strategies.6. Integration with Social Media:SEO and social media work hand in hand. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn may spread the reach of your information and increase website traffic. Similar to this, interesting and shareable material on social media may draw beneficial backlinks, which are essential for SEO success.7. Cost effectiveness:SEO offers a cost-effective strategy with a high return on investment (ROI) when compared to many other digital marketing strategies. Since there are no direct expenses associated with clicking on organic search results, SEO is a long-term investment that continues to attract benefits over time. 8. Local SEO visibility:For companies with a physical presence, this factor is crucial. By making your business visible in location-based searches, you may lead potential clients to your storefront by optimising for local search. This is especially important for brick-and-mortar businesses hoping to draw in local customers.In conclusion, SEO has a significant and transformational impact on digital marketing tactics. SEO is a crucial tool that influences a company’s performance online, from generating organic traffic and building credibility to aligning with content marketing and offering data-driven insights. Adopting good SEO techniques is crucial for reaching marketing objectives and remaining competitive as the digital world changes. […]Read more…
September 12, 2023Advantages of Advertising on Bing1. Lower CPC (Cost-Per-Click)2. Less competition3. Unique User Demographic4. Better fit for certain business nichesTips To Optimise Bing Ads Campaigns1. Utilise Ad Extensions2. Use negative keywords3. A/B testing4. Geo-Targeting5. Import from Google Ads6. Use Remarketing7. Improved device targetingPay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising has become a vital approach for businesses to increase their online visibility and generate conversions in the constantly changing world of digital marketing. Although Google Ads may rule the industry, Bing Ads is a hidden treasure that many marketers miss. In this post, we’ll examine the benefits of Bing advertising, consider why it’s important, and offer helpful tips for optimising your Bing Ads campaigns.Advantages of Advertising on Bing:1. Lower CPC (Cost-Per-Click)One of Bing Ads’ most notable advantages is that it often has a lower CPC than Google Ads. For small and medium-sized businesses with limited advertising budgets, this means you can receive a greater number of clicks and engagements for your money. A reduced CPC makes it easier to increase your ROI and reach more people without spending a fortune.2. Less competitionThough many marketers prefer Google Ads, Bing Ads competes against fewer rivals. Because there is less competition, ads may be placed better, they may be more visible, and click-through rates may be greater. By using Bing Ads, you can stand out and engage a market that may already be swamped with advertisements on other platforms.3. Unique User DemographicCompared to other search engines, Bing targets a somewhat distinct user population. Statistics reveal that Bing frequently tends to draw an older, affluent audience. Advertising on Bing might be a smart decision to reach a more focused and possibly lucrative audience if your company fits in well with this group.4. Better fit for certain business nicheBusiness niches in some sectors and markets are better suited to Bing Ads than others. For instance, Bing’s older user base and their search preferences make it popular with companies in the financial, medical, and technological sectors. You may assess whether Bing’s user base better fits your industry by defining your target market and their online behaviourTips To Optimise Bing Ads Campaigns: 1. Utilise Ad ExtensionsTake advantage of Bing’s ad extensions to provide more information and promote clicks. Sitelink, Callout, and Location extensions help enhance engagement by increasing your ad’s exposure and relevance.2. Use negative keywordsJust as with Google Ads, negative keywords are essential for improving the targeting of your ads. In order to prevent your advertising from being displayed in response to irrelevant queries, evaluate, filter, and update your negative keyword list often.3. A/B testingTest several ad copy variations, headlines, and call-to-action wording to see which appeals to your audience the most. You can improve your messaging and increase the effectiveness of your ads by using A/B testing.4. Geo-TargetingBing has extensive geo-targeting capabilities that let you modify your advertising to target particular areas. This is especially advantageous for neighbourhood companies trying to draw in local clients.5. Import from Google AdsImport your current Google Ads campaigns into Bing Ads to save time. Although modifications may be required because of platform variations, this functionality might serve as a good starting point for your Bing Ads campaigns.6. Use RemarketingSet up remarketing campaigns using Bing’s Universal Event Tracking (UET). Focusing and targeting people who have already interacted with your website, may lead to an increase in conversion rates.7. Improved device targetingBing Ads outperforms Google Ads in terms of device targeting. Bing gives marketers the ability to target particular populations according to their OS and device type. If you simply want to target mobile users, you may choose not to display campaign advertising on laptops.Bing Ads stands out as a potent yet underutilised tool in the PPC marketing field due to its special features that are sometimes buried by its more well-known rivals. With its reduced CPC, lessened competition, different user demography, and potential alignment with specific business categories, Bing Ads offers smart advertisers a fantastic chance to diversify their advertising strategy.Are you interested in finding out whether Bing Ads can help your business? Hit the green button and book an intro call with us today! […]Read more…
August 26, 2023Hip hop celebrates 50 years this month…and there’s a lot about business you can learn from some of the lyrics we’ve been blessed with during that time.In this post we’re taking a bit of a break from the usual to celebrate some of our favourite and most inspirational hip hop lyrics, and consider what we can learn from them about business.These lyrics span West Coast to East Coast, and cover most (not quite all) of the fifty years hop hop has been with us.Let’s get in to it…Cash rules everything around me
C.R.E.A.M – Wu Tang ClanLets start with a fundamental truth. As any business owner is likely well aware of, cash flow is key particularly when you’re planning to grow. It’s usually readily available when you don’t need it and in tight supply when you do so plan accordingly–Well, from my understanding people get betterWhen they start to understand that they are valuable
Fear Not of Man – Mos DefMos is a legend in the delivery of conscious hip hop, exemplified by these lines. People are more important even than the cash if you want to succeed, and so make sure they know how important they are to you.–Stay far from timidOnly make moves when your heart’s in itAnd live the phrase “sky’s the limit”
Sky’s the limit – BiggieCan’t talk about hip hop without mentioning the Notorious B.I.G. Business is for the bold – remember why you started in the first place, and go B.I.G.–I got a million ways to get it, choose oneBring it back, now double your money and make it stackI’m on to the next one
On to the next one – Jay ZSticking in NY, mister board room rap himself Jay-Z reminds us that there literally are a million ways to succeed in business. Success is about forward momentum, “cause it’s all about progression, Loiterers should be arrested“–Keep integrity at every cost
Bridging the gap – NasI like this one so much its one of our company’s foundational values. Plus there’s no way Nas wasn’t going to make it on to this list.This line speaks for itself–I learned workin’ with the negatives could make for better pictures
HYFR – Drake ft Lil’ WayneLet’s face it, business isn’t a one way street of success – but it’s the failures that can actually move you on more than the successes if you pay them the right attention and use them as a tool to learn from–If it don’t make dollars it don’t make sense
Ayo – TygaPerhaps in the world of social enterprise not so relevant, but for most business owners out there, continuation & profitability of the business is paramount and so you NEED to double down on the activities that are making you money and drop those that don’tAdvice that Tyga’s ex and richest young person in the world Kiley Jenner has obviously taken to heart…–Thinking of a masterplan …Cause ain’t nothing’ but sweat inside my hand
Paid in Full – Eric B & RakimOld school wisdom & one of the first hip hop tracks I owned. Love how this is about strategy, hard work and the hard times that often come while you’re waiting to make it, conveyed so perfectly in just 12 words–Life without knowledge is death in disguise
K.O.S – Black StarWe’ve already featured some Mos Def advice, now time for this gem from his Black Star bandmate Talib KweliThe most successful and most interesting people I know are the knowledge-hungry ones – and I don’t mean people who just read the business success books. Read & consume knowledge widely, about everything, because you never know where inspiration will come from (Like hip hop lyrics for example…)–Man I’m working so hardWhen the check hit the bank, s**t, I ain’t even notice
Back to business – Dr DreThere’s a real lack of West Coast representation here so far so time for some words from Beats founder & business mogul Mr Andre Young.This line from unreleased vault track Back to Business typifies Dre’s attitude to hard work and is a blueprint to live by–I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man
Diamonds from Sierra Leone – Kanye West ft Jay-ZI’ll sign off with a reminder that (and I suspect this still rings true if you’re CEO of a multi-national corporation) you ARE your business & your business will be defined by who you are and what you do–Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the post, been challenged, found a tune or two you haven’t heard of before…Here’s to the next 50 years!Click here to listen to the playlist […]Read more…
August 8, 2023The world of online business is constantly evolving, and staying ahead of the game requires access to valuable data and insights. To meet this need, Google Analytics has introduced a new and powerful reporting framework called GA4 (Google Analytics 4).In this article, our team of Analytics experts will delve into the exciting features and capabilities of GA4 reporting, with a focus on its application to help business owners of all types.Additionally, we will showcase three lead generation reporting examples, along with three eCommerce reporting scenarios to demonstrate the versatility of GA4 and how to extract the information you can’t see.Get the best out of your reporting1. GA4 Reporting Examples For Everyone1.1 Acquisition Analysis1.2 User Engagement Analysis1.3 Cross-Platform Analysis2. Lead Generation Campaign GA4 Reporting Examples2.1 Lead Performance Analysis2.2 Lead Page visit by Device2.3 Lead Demographic Analysis3. eCommerce Campaign GA4 Reporting Examples3.1 Shopping Behaviour Analysis3.2 Revenue Attribution Modeling3.3 Customer Acquisition GA4You might think migrating to GA4 is a hassle, but once you get to know how to operate it and discover just how much better than the old Google Analytics it is, you will end up loving it.So just what is it that makes GA4 superior to Universal Analytics?Enhanced User-Centric Approach: GA4 takes a user-centric approach to reporting, allowing businesses to gain a deeper understanding of their customers. The new framework provides valuable insights into user behaviour across multiple devices and platforms, enabling businesses to craft targeted strategies for personalised experiences more than the old Google Analytics ever allowed us to.Streamlined Event Tracking: One of the key enhancements in GA4 is the simplified event tracking mechanism. With GA4, businesses can define events and track them more efficiently, enabling them to monitor specific actions, such as purchases, sign-ups, or downloads. This level of granularity empowers e-commerce businesses to optimize their conversion funnels and identify bottlenecks.Comprehensive Funnel Analysis: GA4 offers an improved funnel analysis capability, enabling e-commerce businesses to visualize and evaluate user journeys from acquisition to conversion. With this feature, you can identify where users drop off in the conversion process, pinpoint areas of improvement, and optimize your marketing efforts to enhance overall conversion rates.Deep Dive into Lifetime Value (LTV): Understanding customer lifetime value is vital for the long-term success of an e-commerce business. GA4 provides advanced reporting options to calculate and analyze LTV based on user behaviour, helping you identify high-value customers, personalize marketing campaigns, and optimize retention strategies.Get the best out of your reportingDepending on the type of campaigns you run on your website, there will be different requirements for your reports. For example, if you don’t sell anything online then a report for revenue and transactions isn’t so useful.These next three reports should be universally helpful however – and then later on we’ll take a look at specific reports for if you run lead generation campaigns, or are selling online.GA4 Reporting Examples For Everyone1- Acquisition Analysis:GA4 provides an in-depth analysis of acquisition channels, allowing you to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts across various channels, including organic search, paid search, social media, and referrals.This insight helps you allocate your marketing budget wisely and identify growth opportunities.Click here to view how to create this report step by step2- User Engagement Analysis:Understanding user engagement is crucial for optimizing website content and design. GA4 offers metrics such as time on page, scroll depth, and interaction events, enabling businesses to measure user engagement and identify areas where visitors are most engaged or disengaged.Click here to view how to create this report step by step3- Cross-Platform AnalysisIn today’s multi-device world, it’s essential to track user behaviour across different platforms. GA4 allows businesses to analyze user interactions across the web, mobile apps, and even offline touchpoints. This cross-platform analysis provides a holistic view of user behaviour, enabling businesses to deliver seamless experiences across all touchpoints.To see the rest and how to create a more in-depth report using cross-platform analysis click hereLead Generation Reporting1- Lead Performance Analysis:With the advent of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), marketers now have a powerful tool at their disposal to delve into the intricacies of user behaviour and uncover valuable insights. In this article, we present a comprehensive guide on harnessing the power of GA4 to create an impactful report specifically focused on lead path exploration performance analysis.By following the step-by-step process outlined here, you’ll be able to extract actionable data, gain a deeper understanding of your users’ journeys, and make informed decisions to enhance your lead generation strategies. Join us as we embark on this journey into the world of GA4 and unlock the potential of data-driven lead path exploration optimisation.Click here to view how to create this report step by step2- Lead Page visit by DeviceAnalysing how individuals progress through various phases of your conversion process enables you to pinpoint obstacles, like significant drop-off rates or extended durations at specific stages.Besides, it enables you to assess whether the website’s design and appearance are overly intricate, leading to user confusion or challenges, or if the content fails to captivate and sustain user interest.Click here to view how to create this report step by step3- Lead Demographic AnalysisUnderstanding the behaviour of our target audience is essential for crafting targeted marketing campaigns and driving impactful results. By leveraging the powerful features of GA4, we can unlock valuable insights into how different age groups interact with our brand and uncover opportunities for optimisation. Join us as we explore this process together and empower ourselves to make data-driven decisions that propel our marketing strategies to new heights.Click here to view how to create this report step by stepE-commerce Reporting Examples1- Shopping Behaviour Analysis:By tracking user interactions during their shopping journey, GA4 provides insights into how users navigate your website, add items to their carts, and proceed to checkout.Analysing shopping behaviour helps you optimise the user experience, streamline the checkout process, and reduce cart abandonment rates.Click here to view how to create this report step by step2- Revenue Attribution Modeling:Report revenue and transactions by source medium GA4 supports advanced revenue attribution modelling, allowing you to measure the effectiveness of various marketing channels and campaigns.By understanding which channels drive the highest value transactions, you can allocate your marketing budget more effectively and optimize your acquisition strategies.BONUS: You can get them in a neat-looking scatter plot!Click here to view how to create this report step by step3- Customer Acquisition GA4:This report provides businesses with the capability to track and analyze order IDs, revenue, and source/medium attribution for each transaction.By associating order IDs with the initial source/medium that brought customers to the website, businesses can gain insights into customer acquisition. This information allows businesses to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing efforts across different channels and make data-driven decisions regarding resource allocation and optimization.Additionally, GA4 offers metrics such as active users, transactions, purchase revenue, product revenue, and e-commerce revenue, enabling businesses to measure user engagement, assess the success of their marketing campaigns, and analyze product performance.This comprehensive reporting equips businesses with the insights they need to optimize inventory management, pricing strategies, and promotional campaigns, ultimately driving growth and profitability in the e-commerce landscape.Click here to view how to create this report step by stepGA4 reporting brings a new level of sophistication and insight to the world of e-commerce and general website analytics. With its user-centric approach, streamlined event tracking, comprehensive funnel analysis, and other powerful features, GA4 equips businesses with the tools they need to make data-driven decisions and drive success in the online marketplace.By utilizing GA4’s capabilities, e-commerce and lead generation businesses can uncover valuable insights, optimize marketing strategies, and enhance the overall customer experience.So, dive into GA4 and unlock the potential of your data for business growth and profitability. […]Read more…
July 28, 2023An essential element of any successful website is a high domain authority. It not only determines your website’s ranking on search engines but also increases your online credibility. However, building domain authority from scratch can be a daunting task. One effective way to increase domain authority is through strategic backlinking. But it’s not as simple as just getting any backlink. Quality is key when it comes to backlinking. You need to have a solid plan in place to gain relevant, high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites. In this blog, we will explore the best backlinking strategies to take your website from zero to hero and improve your domain authority and if it still feels like a daunting task at the end of this article, let us know and our professional team at Believe Digital will be happy to help you.1. What is Domain Authority and why does it matter?Domain Authority (DA) is a score developed by Moz that indicates the strength and credibility of your website. The score ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating better credibility. Domain Authority takes into account a range of factors, including the number and quality of backlinks pointing to your site, the relevance of your content, and your website’s age and history.Why does Domain Authority matter? First and foremost, it impacts your website’s search engine ranking. A high DA score means that your site is more likely to appear at the top of search engine results for relevant keywords. This translates to increased visibility and traffic to your site.Secondly, a high DA score can also improve your online credibility and reputation. When other reputable websites link to your content, it sends a signal to search engines and users that your site is trustworthy and authoritative.In summary, Domain Authority is an important metric for any website looking to establish a strong online presence. By implementing effective backlinking strategies and producing high-quality content, you can improve your DA score and position your website as a leader in your industry.2. The role of backlinks in improving Domain AuthorityBacklinks are one of the most crucial components of a successful Domain Authority strategy. A backlink is a link from another website that points to your website. The quality and relevance of backlinks can have a significant impact on your website’s Domain Authority. Here are some ways in which backlinks can help you improve your website’s authority:1. Establishes credibility: Quality backlinks from reputable websites signal to search engines that your website is credible and trustworthy. This, in turn, can improve your website’s search engine ranking and Domain Authority.2. Increases website traffic: Backlinks from high-traffic websites can drive traffic to your site, improving your website’s visibility and reach.3. Enhances brand exposure: Backlinks from authoritative websites can also help enhance your brand’s exposure and reputation. This can lead to better relationships with customers, media outlets, and other businesses in your industry.4. Builds relationships: Link building can also be an effective way to establish partnerships with other websites in your industry. This can lead to new business opportunities and collaborations that can help grow your business.Overall, backlinks play a vital role in improving your website’s Domain Authority. They are an essential component of any successful SEO strategy and can help your website establish its authority and reputation in your industry.3. How to acquire high-quality backlinks for your websiteAcquiring high-quality backlinks is crucial for improving your website’s Domain Authority. Here are some effective ways to acquire such backlinks:1. Guest Blogging: Guest blogging is one of the most popular and effective ways to acquire backlinks. It involves writing blog posts for other websites in your niche and including links back to your website. However, make sure that the websites you choose have a good Domain Authority and are relevant to your niche.2. Broken Link Building: Broken link building involves finding broken links on other websites in your niche and offering to replace them with links to your website. This is a win-win situation for both parties because you get a backlink, and the website owner gets a functional link.3. Infographic Submission: Creating and submitting infographics related to your niche can be an effective way to acquire backlinks. Many websites are constantly looking for high-quality infographics to share with their audience, and they are more likely to link back to your website if they find your infographic informative and engaging.4. Influencer Outreach: Influencers in your niche can be a great source of high-quality backlinks. Reach out to them via email or social media and request them to share your content on their website or social media pages, with a link back to your website.5. Social Media Promotion: Promote your content on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If your content is engaging and informative, people are more likely to share it on their websites or social media pages, providing you with valuable backlinks.6. Niche Directories: Although directory submissions are a method that has been abused in the past, there are still legitimate uses for this method of building backlinks. One of the most common is to build citations that help with Local SEO. Another is to find sector specific directories, and list your website there. For example, see our profile on DesignRush.In conclusion, acquiring high-quality backlinks for your website is essential for improving your Domain Authority. Use these strategies to acquire such backlinks and watch your website’s authority and reputation grow in your industry.4. Keyword research and anchor text optimizationOne essential part of backlink strategies to increase domain authority is keyword research and anchor text optimization. Keyword research involves identifying the relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for and incorporating them into your content. This helps to make your content more visible to your target audience, increasing the chances of it being shared and linked to by others.Anchor text optimization involves using keyword-rich anchor text to link to your website from other sites. This helps search engines understand the relevance of your content to the keywords being used in the anchor text, further boosting your website’s search rankings.When conducting keyword research, it is important to use tools such as Google Keyword Planner to identify relevant keywords and their search volume. Additionally, it is essential to monitor your website’s backlinks regularly to ensure that they are using the appropriate anchor text and keywords to help improve your domain authority and search engine rankings.Remember, high-quality backlinks from reputable websites with relevant content and using appropriate anchor text and keywords have a significant impact on your website’s domain authority. By investing time and effort into keyword research and anchor text optimization, you can increase your chances of acquiring quality backlinks and improving your website’s visibility online.5. The importance of maintaining a natural link profileIn addition to keyword research and anchor text optimization, maintaining a natural link profile is crucial in any backlink strategy to increase domain authority. A natural link profile refers to a collection of links pointing to your website that are acquired naturally without any manipulation.Many search engines, including Google, have algorithms in place to detect unnatural link profiles and will penalize sites that use manipulative tactics to acquire links. Therefore, it is important to avoid tactics such as buying links, participating in link exchanges, and using private blog networks (PBNs) to artificially inflate your backlink profile.Instead, focus on producing high-quality content that naturally attracts links from other relevant websites. You can also consider outreach to relevant websites in your industry and offering to collaborate on content or guest post opportunities that provide value to their audience while also linking back to your website.Overall, maintaining a natural link profile not only helps to improve your website’s domain authority but also protects it from potential penalties by search engines. By focusing on producing valuable and relevant content and ethical outreach tactics, you can build a sustainable and effective backlink strategy for your website.6. Measuring and tracking your Domain Authority progressOnce you have implemented various backlink strategies to increase your website’s domain authority, it is crucial to measure and track your progress regularly. Here are some ways to do so:1. Use a domain authority tool: There are several tools available, such as Moz‘s Domain Authority Checker, which can give you an accurate measurement of your website’s domain authority.2. Monitor your backlinks: Keep track of the number and quality of backlinks pointing to your website. Regularly check for any links that may be spammy or unnatural and disavow them if necessary.3. Analyse your website traffic: Higher domain authority should result in increased organic traffic to your website. Monitor your website traffic to see if there are any notable differences after implementing backlink strategies.4. Track ranking keywords: Monitor your website’s ranking keywords and check if there are any improvements over time.5. Keep an eye on your competitors: Monitor the domain authority of your competitors and see if your website is improving relative to theirs.By measuring and tracking your domain authority progress, you can identify the effectiveness of your backlink strategies and make necessary adjustments for continued improvement. Remember that building domain authority is a long-term process and requires consistent effort and dedication.Conclusion: The benefits of a strong Domain Authority and the impact on your website’s successIn conclusion, having a good website is not enough. Your website’s success is largely dependent on its visibility and credibility in search engine results pages. Building a strong domain authority through effective backlink strategies can have a significant impact on your website’s success. By following the steps and best practices we have highlighted in this article, you will have made significant progress in your quest to improve your Domain Authority. If you don’t have the time and expertise to do this, our Google Certified Marketers at Believe Digital can help you get it done. […]Read more…
July 25, 2023Whether you’re learning to love it, or just using it because you have no choice, Google Analytics 4 – or GA4 to their friends – is here to stay.You’ve no doubt been experimenting with the explorations available in order to recreate those old favourite reports that you’re missing from Universal Analytics. Those of you who were ahead of the game and using GA4 already before the demise of Universal Analytics on June 30th may have noticed a disturbing fact – the reports on the Explore tab only retain data going back 2 months.What’s going on here then? And more importantly, how are we ever going to do useful things like compare year on year performance if we only have two months worth of data in these explorations?Changing GA4 Data Retention settings from 2 to 14 monthsIt turns out that Google have defaulted data retention to 2 months but you are able to change this to a much more useful 14 month period, and we’ll show you how.While logged in to your GA4 profile, the first step is to click through to the admin screen (the gear-like icon in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen).You then need to expand the Data Settings sub-menu, and from there select Data Retention.You’ll see that your setting is set to the default of 2 months, and so change this to 14 months, and press the Save button.NOTE: leave the ‘reset user data on new activity’ switched to on – otherwise the update you are making will only apply to users who visit your site for the first time from now on, and existing user data will expire after two months.Now, those year on year data comparisons will be possible in the Explore reports – at least in another 12 months time.Linking GA4 with BigQuery for longer term data reportingYou may well be thinking that it would be nice to be able to compare data over periods that are longer than 14 months – and so what options are available to you here?The good news is that Google have made it simple to link your GA4 profile up with a (free for all but the busiest sites) BigQuery account.BigQuery is, in Google’s own words “a fully managed enterprise data warehouse that helps you manage and analyze your data with built-in features like machine learning, geospatial analysis, and business intelligence“. Sounds good, eh?You can learn more about BigQuery in their short explainer video below:Note, it is absolutely crucial that you set this up NOW because retrospective data will not be sent through to BigQuery if you wait and set the connection up later. That means that any visits being recorded by GA4 to your website at the present moment will be lost in 14 months time.So, how do we go about linking Google Analytics 4 with BigQuery so that we can take advantage of all of this?Firstly, sign up for a BigQuery account here:https://console.cloud.google.com/bigqueryIt will ask for your credit card, but you have 1TB worth of data for free before any billing will kick in, which is most likely sufficient for the majority of websites.NOTE: you should sign up for the BigQuery account while logged in to the Google account you use to access GA4 to make it easy to connect the two.Secondly, back in the admin section of your GA4 profile, you need to scroll down the list of menu options until you get to the Product Links section.Here you’ll click on BigQuery Links option:Which will show you a page with a Link button on it.Click this, and follow the wizard through to connect your GA4 profile with BigQuery and begin passing data through to it.Congratulations! Now you can assess your website’s performance year on year within Google Analytics 4 and you have your data being safely stored away in BigQuery for when you need to analyse more than 14 months at a time.Had problems with setting this up? Want someone to take it off your hands and do it for you? No problem – this is what we’re here for! Just get in touch with us for a quick call to discuss your needs here.Otherwise, stay tuned, as we’ll have more content in the coming months to show you how you can begin to make use of the data you are now sending to BigQuery.For more Google Analytics 4 reporting articles click here. […]Read more…
February 28, 2023Email marketing is a cost-effective and highly-engaging way for businesses to reach their target audience and promote their products and services. However, it’s not just about building a large email list, it’s also important to maintain and prune your list from time to time to ensure that the people within it are engaged. This not only improves your reputation as a sender, but it also helps keep the cost of your mailing platform down by reducing the subscriber count. In this blog post, we will discuss task 5 of our 7 crucial online business housekeeping tasks for 2023, which is to prune your email list for better results.Identify inactive subscribersThe first step in pruning your email list is to identify inactive subscribers. These are people who have not opened or clicked on your emails in a certain period of time, typically 6 months or more. You can use your email marketing platform’s analytics to identify these subscribers and segment them into a separate list.Send a re-engagement emailOnce you have identified inactive subscribers, the next step is to send them a re-engagement email. This is an email that is specifically designed to encourage them to open and engage with your future emails. You can include a special offer, a survey or even just a friendly reminder that they signed up for your emails.Remove unengaged subscribersAfter sending a re-engagement email, it’s important to remove unengaged subscribers who do not respond. This not only helps to improve your email open and click-through rates, but it also helps to keep your subscriber count down and your email marketing costs low.Monitor bounce ratesAnother important aspect of email list pruning is monitoring your bounce rates. A bounce rate refers to the percentage of emails that are returned to the sender as undeliverable. High bounce rates can indicate that your email list contains invalid or outdated email addresses. By regularly monitoring your bounce rates, you can identify and remove these email addresses to improve the deliverability of your emails.Use email verification toolsTo further improve the quality of your email list, you can use email verification tools. These tools can help to validate and clean your email list by removing invalid or disposable email addresses. This can help to improve your email deliverability and reduce your bounce rates.In conclusion, pruning your email list is an important task that should be done regularly to ensure that the people within it are engaged and interested in your business. By identifying inactive subscribers, sending a re-engagement email, removing unengaged subscribers, monitoring bounce rates, and using email verification tools, businesses can improve their email open and click-through rates, reduce their bounce rates, and keep their email marketing costs low. By carrying out these actions, you will avoid spam complaints, lower the number of bounced emails, and improve your reputation as a sender. […]Read more…
February 5, 2023Monitor average cost per click (CPC)Review conversion and revenue targetsSet an appropriate budgetRe-evaluate your pricing strategyMonitor your return on ad spend (ROAS)In the ever-changing digital landscape, it’s important for businesses to regularly review their budgets and performance targets to ensure that they are in line with current market trends and industry standards. This is particularly important for digital marketing campaigns, as costs and performance metrics can change rapidly. In this blog post, we will discuss reviewing budgets and performance targets.Monitor average cost per click (CPC)The first step to take when you want to review PPC budgets and performance targets is to monitor your average cost per click (CPC). The CPC is the amount that you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. If your average CPC has increased over the last year, it’s important to adjust your budget accordingly. This is because a higher CPC means that you’re getting less traffic for your money, and you’ll need to increase your budget to maintain the same level of performance.Review conversion and revenue targetsAnother important aspect of reviewing your budgets and performance targets is to review your conversion and revenue targets. Your conversion and revenue targets are based on the number of visitors that you expect to your website and the amount of money that you expect to make from those visitors. If your CPC has increased, the level of traffic to your website is likely to be lower than expected, and your budget or conversion and revenue targets may need to be adjusted accordingly.Set an appropriate budgetAlternatively, if you wish to retain the same conversion and revenue targets despite an increase in CPC, then the other option is to increase your media spend budget accordingly. For example, if you are now paying 25% more per click than when your budget was previously set, and you still wish to achieve the same number of sales, then the logical thing to do would be to add 25% to your budget in order to be able to achieve the same amount of traffic as when the target was originally set. Re-evaluate your pricing strategyIf your Google Ads, Microsoft Ads or LinkedIn CPC has increased, it may also be necessary to re-evaluate your pricing strategy. This is particularly true if you haven’t increased your budget or lowered your conversion/revenue targets. By re-evaluating your pricing strategy (i.e. increasing prices by 25% to reflect increases in your click costs), you can ensure that you’re making enough money to cover your costs and maintain your performance targets.Just beware that price increases can have a knock on effect on things like conversion rate, and so this option may still not produce the return that you are looking for. Monitor your return on ad spend (ROAS)Another important metric to monitor is your return on ad spend (ROAS). This is the amount of money that you make for every pound that you spend on advertising. Ideally you want to maintain a consistent ROAS over time, which is achieved by carefully balancing pricing strategy and available budget against the backdrop of price increases in traffic to your website and other changing trends. In conclusion, ensuring that you review PPC budgets and performance targets is crucial for any business that wants to remain competitive in the digital landscape. By monitoring your average CPC, reviewing your conversion and revenue targets, re-evaluating your pricing strategy, monitoring your ROAS, businesses can ensure that their campaigns are performing at their best and that they’re getting the best return on their investment. By doing this, you can be sure that your budget and targets are in line with current market trends and industry standards. […]Read more…
February 4, 2023What is Google Analytics 4 and why is it important?Google Analytics 4 setup on your websiteConfiguring Google Analytics 4 to track the right dataSetting up conversions & audiences in Google Analytics 4Ensuring data accuracy and privacy in Google Analytics 4Tips and best practices for maintaining and optimizing your Google Analytics 4 setupWhat is Google Analytics 4 and why is it important?Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s web analytics platform. It provides a range of features and tools for tracking and analyzing the performance of your website and marketing campaigns.GA4 is important for several reasons. Firstly, it offers a more comprehensive and accurate view of your website’s performance, as it collects data from multiple sources, including web and app activity, as well as offline events. This allows you to get a more holistic understanding of your customers’ journeys and how they interact with your brand.Secondly, GA4 integrates seamlessly with other Google products and platforms, such as Google Ads, Google BigQuery, and Google Tag Manager. This allows you to easily track and analyze the impact of your marketing campaigns and optimize your strategy accordingly.Finally, GA4 is the future of Google Analytics. As such, it’s important to start using it now in order to stay ahead of the curve and ensure that you’re getting the most out of your web analytics efforts.Google Analytics 4 setup on your websiteSetting up GA4 on your website is relatively straightforward. The first step is to create a Google Analytics account if you don’t already have one. Then, you’ll need to install the GA4 tracking code on your website.There are a few different ways you can do this, depending on your technical skill level and the platform you’re using. If you’re comfortable with coding, you can manually install the tracking code by following the instructions provided by Google. Alternatively, you can use a plugin or extension to automate the process, such as the Google Analytics for WordPress plugin or the Google Tag Manager extension.Once you’ve installed the tracking code, you’ll need to configure your GA4 property to track the right data. This involves setting up goals, events, and custom dimensions to define what you want to track and how you want to track it.The correct Google Analytics 4 setup is crucial for a successful websiteConfiguring GA4 to track the right dataOne of the key benefits of GA4 is its ability to track a wide range of data points and metrics. However, this can also be overwhelming if you’re not sure what you should be tracking.To get started, it’s important to set clear goals for your website and define what you want to track in order to measure progress towards those goals. This might include metrics such as page views, conversions, or engagement.Next, you’ll want to set up events to track specific actions that users take on your website. For example, you might want to track when users add items to their shopping carts or sign up for a newsletter.Finally, you can use custom dimensions to track additional data points that are specific to your business or industry. For example, you might want to track the type of device users are using, the source of their traffic, or the content they’re engaging with.Setting up conversions & audiences in Google Analytics 4Conversions and audiences are two important features in GA4 that allow you to track and analyze user behavior more effectively.Conversions allow you to track specific actions that users take on your website, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. You can set up multiple conversions for different goals, and track how well your website is performing in terms of meeting those goals.Audiences, on the other hand, allow you to segment your user data and analyze how different groups of users are interacting with your website. For example, you might want to create an audience for users who have visited your website multiple times, or users who have made a purchase. This can be useful for identifying trends and patterns in user behavior, and for targeting specific groups of users with personalized marketing campaigns.Ensuring data accuracy and privacy in GA4One of the key challenges of web analytics is ensuring that the data you’re collecting is accurate and representative of your users’ behavior. There are a few different factors that can affect data accuracy, including data sampling, cross-domain tracking, and cookie deletion.To ensure data accuracy in GA4, it’s important to set up your tracking code correctly and verify that it’s functioning properly. You should also regularly check your data for any anomalies or inconsistencies, and use filters to exclude irrelevant traffic.Privacy is another important consideration when it comes to web analytics. GA4 includes several features to help you comply with data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These include the ability to anonymize IP addresses, control cookie consent, and manage data retention.Tips and best practices for maintaining and optimizing your Google Analytics 4 setupOnce you have GA4 set up and configured, it’s important to regularly maintain and optimize your setup to ensure that you’re getting the most out of the platform. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:Set up regular reports and alerts to stay on top of key metrics and trendsUse Google Tag Manager to manage your tracking code and make changes more easilyUse testing tools, such as the Google Analytics Debugger and Google Tag Assistant, to ensure that your tracking code is functioning correctlyUse custom reports and dashboards to visualize and analyze your data in a way that’s meaningful to your businessRegularly review and update your tracking configuration to ensure that you’re tracking the right dataBy following these best practices, you can make sure that your GA4 setup is fully optimized and providing valuable insights into the performance of your website and marketing campaigns. […]Read more…
January 31, 2023Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offers a powerful suite of tools for analyzing and understanding user behaviour across multiple devices. Device segmentation reporting is a crucial feature that allows you to gain valuable insights into how your website or app performs on different devices.In this article, our Analytics experts at Believe Digital will provide you with an easy to follow comprehensive 10-step guide to help you master device segmentation reporting in GA4 and make data-driven decisions to optimize your digital presence.1- The first part of the process starts at the explore tab of GA4 where you need to click on Blank to start a new report2- Click on the plus next to segment to add a new segment3- Click on session segment3- Click on add new condition to add the device category4- In the search bar of the condition type in device and select device category5- add in a filter to add the device type6- Write mobile and click on the first option that pops up7- Click on Untilted Segment and type Mobile8 – Click Save & apply9 – Now repeat the same process for Tablet & Desktop 10 – Then in Technique click on free form and change it to Segment overlapThe end result should look something like thisYou can check here other reports that you can create to maximise your GA4 outputWith GA4’s device segmentation reporting, you have the tools at your fingertips to analyze engagement metrics, compare device performance, and uncover hidden opportunities for optimization. By diving deep into the data and creating custom segments tailored to your unique needs, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your users’ behaviour, preferences, and pain points.But don’t stop there! By layering in secondary dimensions like traffic sources, demographics, and geographic locations, you’ll unveil correlations and actionable insights that can drive targeted marketing decisions. Remember, the true power lies in the ability to combine device segmentation with other dimensions to unlock a wealth of untapped potential.It doesn’t end with analysis alone. Armed with these insights, set ambitious goals and track your progress over time. Continuously refine your device segments and stay on top of evolving user behaviour. Adapt, optimize, and thrive.So, whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or business owner, don’t overlook the importance of device segmentation reporting in GA4. Embrace the mindset of data-driven decision-making and unlock the full potential of your digital presence. Take control of your analytics, and the results will speak for themselves.What next?check out the User Engagement Analysis reportcheck out the Acquisition Analysis reportlook at all of our GA4 reporting articles […]Read more…
January 24, 2023In the digital landscape, grasping user engagement is fundamental to optimizing website content and design. With the aid of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), businesses now have access to crucial metrics like time on page, scroll depth, and interaction events. These insightful metrics enable businesses to measure user engagement and pinpoint areas where visitors show the most interest or disinterest.By leveraging this data, organizations can make informed decisions to enhance user experiences and elevate overall website performance. In this article, we will delve into the significance of GA4’s user engagement metrics and their empowering impact on crafting compelling digital experiences for the audience.The first thing you need to do is go to the Google Analytics 4 home page and select “explore” on the left tab. You then want to create a new exploration therefore we are going to select the “blank” Template.2 . You will then be taken to your blank exploration, the first thing you can do is name your exploration and select a desired date range for your data.3. For the Segments, You need to click on User Segments then choose to “Platform / Device and then click “Platform/ Device Category”Then, in the categories, you can easily choose the platform you want to add: Desktop, Mobile, or Tablet. Additionally, you should type ‘Desktop Traffic’ into the top as the name than click apply. You can do the same for the rest.4. Then you can add some dimensions and metrics, select the “+” next to the dimensions column and add these 8 dimensions; “ Event Name, Country, Device Category, First User Medium, Town/City, Google Ads Query, First User Google Ads Keywords, First User Source/ Medium “You can easily type in what we want to find into the search button. When you Find it you just need to click the Blue Import button to add them.5. You want to add some metrics, select the “+” next to the Metrics column and add these “ Active Users, Event Count and Transactions”6. For the rows, you should simply pull data from dimensions and drop it in the rows. As for User Engagement, you can use ‘First User Medium’7. You need to follow the same process for Values. You can drop ‘Active Users,’ ‘Event Count,’ and ‘Transactions’ in the Values section.8. At the end of all the steps, you will reach your results.In conclusion, GA4’s user engagement metrics offer invaluable insights for optimizing website performance. By understanding user behaviour through metrics like time on page, scroll depth, and interaction events, businesses can enhance experiences, cater to preferences, and stay competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.Embracing these insights empowers businesses to build strong, lasting relationships with their online audience.For more Google Analytics 4 reporting articles click here.What next?Check out the Acquisition Analysis reportCheck out the Cross-Platform Analysis reportLook at all of our GA4 Reporting articles […]Read more…
January 21, 2023Understanding the shopping behaviour of your website visitors is crucial for optimizing your online store, improving every step of your customer journey and enhancing your marketing strategies, leading to higher conversions. With the advent of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), businesses now have access to powerful tools and features that provide deeper insights into their customers’ interactions.One such tool is the ability to create comprehensive shopping behaviour reports in GA4, which enable you to track user journeys, identify conversion paths, and analyze purchasing patterns. In this article, we will guide you through a step-by-step process to create insightful shopping behaviour reports in GA4, empowering you to make data-driven decisions and drive better business outcomes.Here’s what you need to do to create the report in GA4:Navigate to the google analytics homepage and select Explore on the left-hand tab. There are some default templates already however we want to select the blank option.2. You then want to rename the exploration and select the “technique” option under “tab settings” and select “funnel exploration”3. Under the “tab settings” drop-down you then want to click the little pencil icon by “steps” and this is where we are going to add the steps for the funnel4. What you are then going to do is Rename the step “All Sessions” and then select the “add new condition” button, you then want to click “events” and scroll down until you find the “session_start” option. If you can’t find it you can always search for it in the top bar.5. We are then going to add another step, rename this step “sessions with product view”, but this time when adding a new condition scroll through “events” until you find the “view_item”6. We are then going to add a third step and this step will be called “sessions with add to cart”, you are going to click the “add new condition” and go onto “events” -> “add_to_cart”7. You are then going to add another step to the funnel and name this one “sessions with checkout”, you are going to select “add new condition” and click to “events” -> “begin_checkout”8.You are then going to add the last step which is going to be called “sessions with transaction”, you are going to select the “add new condition” and click “events” -> “purchase”9. You are then going to click “apply” in the top right corner and here is your funnel!10. You can also analyse different user segments, dimensions and metrics to take a closer look at understanding your audience and making informed decisions. By examining user segments, you can identify specific groups of users based on various characteristics such as demographics, behaviours, or preferences and using different dimensions provides additional context to your analysis by categorising data into meaningful groups such as time, location, device type, or source of traffic.By considering different dimensions, you can uncover a variety of patterns and trends. Just as an example, below you can see we have added a “device category” dimension into the “breakdown” box and therefore the funnel shows us what device platform users are using.You can also change the date range to look at results from different time periods (the funnel will update itself).Google Analytics 4 offers an array of features and tools to help businesses unlock valuable insights into their customers’ journeys. By following the step-by-step process outlined in this article, you can harness the power of GA4 to create comprehensive shopping behaviour reports that improve every step of the customer journey.Remember, a deep understanding of your customers’ preferences, browsing habits, and purchasing patterns will enable you to optimize your marketing efforts, enhance user experiences, and ultimately boost conversions. Embrace the power of GA4 and embark on a journey of data-driven decision-making to unlock your business’s full potential in today’s digital age.What next?– check out the Revenue Attribution report– check out the Customer Acquisition report– look at all of our GA4 reporting articles […]Read more…
January 17, 2023Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a powerful tool that offers valuable insights into your marketing channels. From organic search to social media, GA4 provides data-driven information to optimize strategies, allocate budgets wisely, and uncover growth opportunities.In this blog post, we’ll explore GA4’s invaluable features and how it transforms marketing analysis. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a beginner, GA4 can revolutionize your approach, leading to increased conversions and sustained success in the fast-paced digital landscape by exploring the source of your conversions and which keywords are best for conversions. Let’s unlock GA4’s potential to amplify your marketing impact.Here’s what you need to do to create the report in GA4:Navigate to the google analytics homepage and select Explore on the left-hand tab. There are some default templates already however we want to select the blank option2. You want to rename the exploration but retain the technique as ‘Free-Form’3. For the Segments, You need to click on User Segments then choose to “Platform / Device and then click “Platform/ Device Category”4. Then, in the categories, you can easily choose the platform you want to add: Desktop, Mobile, or Tablet. Additionally, you should type ‘Desktop Traffic’ into the top as the name then click apply.You can do the same for the rest.5. The segments must include “ Direct Traffic, Paid Traffic, Mobile Traffic and Direct Traffic”6. Then you can add some dimensions and metrics, select the “+” next to the dimensions column and add these 10 dimensions; “ Event Name, Country, Device Category, First User Medium, Town/City, Google Ads Query, First User Google Ads Keywords, First User Source/ Medium, Landing Page +query string, Stream Name “You can easily type in what we want to find into the search button. When you find it you just need to click the Blue Import button to add them.7. You want to add some metrics, select the “+” next to the Metrics column and add these “ Active Users, Event Count, Transactions, Total Users, Conversions, Sessions, Purchase Revenue and User Conversion Rate”8. For the rows, you should simply pull data from dimensions and drop it in the rows. As for User Engagement, you can use ‘First User Google Ads Keywords ’9. You need to follow the same process for Columns and Values too. You need to drop the Landing Page +query string in the Columns section. Lastly, you can drop ‘Active Users,’ ‘Conversions,’ and ‘User Conversion Rate’ in the Values section.10. Upon completing all the steps, you will arrive at your results.In conclusion, acquisition analysis is crucial for optimizing marketing strategies. By understanding customer acquisition sources and channels, you can allocate budgets effectively and improve conversion rates. Utilizing tools like Google Analytics provides essential data for making informed decisions about the source of your conversions and which keywords are best for conversions and staying competitive in the digital landscape, leading to sustainable growth and success.What next?check out the User Engagement Analysis reportcheck out the Cross-Platform Analysis reportlook at all of our GA4 Reporting articles […]Read more…
January 15, 2023Keeping your WordPress or other CMS software up to dateUsing strong, unique passwords and proper user account managementRegularly backing up your website’s data and filesUsing a reputable security plugin or serviceOptimizing your website’s performance through caching and image compressionAs a website owner, it’s crucial to keep your Content Management System (CMS) software, such as WordPress, secure and running smoothly. With the increasing number of cyber attacks, it’s important to take the necessary steps to protect your website from potential threats.In this article, we’ll go over five key steps you can take to help keep your WordPress or other CMS secure and performant.Keeping your WordPress or other CMS software up to dateOne of the most important things you can do to keep your website secure is to ensure that your CMS software is always up to date. Software updates often include security patches and fixes for known vulnerabilities, so it’s essential to install them as soon as they become available.In the case of WordPress, updates can be easily installed by going to the “Updates” section in the backend of your website. It’s also a good idea to set your website to automatically install updates, so you don’t have to worry about manually checking for updates every time.Using strong, unique passwords and proper user account managementAnother important aspect of website security is proper user account management. This includes using strong, unique passwords for all user accounts and regularly changing them. Avoid using common words or phrases that can easily be guessed, and consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords for you.You should also avoid sharing user accounts. This increases the chances of a security breach and also makes it difficult if you ever need to audit what changes were made by whom.It’s also important to limit the number of users who have access to your website’s backend, and to remove any user accounts that are no longer needed. This can help to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to your website’s sensitive data.Lady making WordPress secure by upgrading itRegularly backing up your website’s data and filesWebsite data and files are important assets that should be protected. Regularly backing up your website’s data and files can help to ensure that you can quickly and easily restore your website in case of a disaster or cyber attack.In the case of WordPress, there are many plugins available that can help you to easily schedule regular backups of your website’s data and files. It’s also a good idea to store backups in multiple locations, such as on your local computer and in the cloud, to ensure that you always have a copy available in case of emergency.Using a reputable security plugin or serviceThere are many security plugins and services available for WordPress and other CMS software. These can help to protect your website from a wide variety of threats, including malware, spam, and hackers.When choosing a security plugin or service, it’s important to select one that is reputable and has been well-reviewed by other users. It’s also a good idea to check for regular updates and support for the plugin or service to ensure that it is always up-to-date and able to protect your website from the latest threats.Optimizing your website’s performance through caching and image compressionOptimizing your website’s performance can help to ensure that it loads quickly and runs smoothly, which can help to improve user experience and increase conversions. Caching and image compression are two ways to optimize website performance.Caching can help to speed up your website by storing frequently-used data and files in the user’s browser, so they don’t have to be loaded from your server every time the page is accessed.Image compression can also help to improve website performance by reducing the size of images, so they load faster. There are many image compression plugins available for WordPress and other CMS software, or you can use an image compression tool such as TinyPNG or the website Optimizilla.ConclusionKeeping your WordPress or other CMS secure and performant is essential for protecting your website and maintaining a positive user experience. By following the steps outlined in this article, such as keeping your software up to date, using strong and unique passwords, regularly backing up your data, using a reputable security plugin or service, and optimizing your website’s performance through caching and image compression, you can help to protect your website from potential threats and ensure that it runs smoothly.It’s important to note that website security is an ongoing process, and it’s not enough to take these steps once and forget about it. Regularly review your website’s security and performance, and make sure to update your software and plugins as needed. Additionally, stay informed about new threats and vulnerabilities, and take action to address them if they may affect your website.By taking the time to keep your installation of WordPress secure and performant, you can help to protect your business and provide a positive experience for your users. Remember that website security is not only the responsibility of the IT or development department, but also of all the website administrators and users. Everyone should take the necessary steps to ensure that the website is secure and safe. […]Read more…
January 10, 2023With Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you can easily create reports on customer acquisition, allowing you to track and analyze the effectiveness of your marketing strategies. In this article, we will take you through a step-by-step process on how to create a customer acquisition model in GA4.By following this guide, you will gain valuable insights into how your customers discover and engage with your website, and track your transactions and revenue by user source and medium as well as from the landing page, enabling you to make data-driven decisions to improve your customer acquisition effortThe first thing you need to do is go to the Google Analytics 4 home page and select “explore” on the left tab. You then want to create a new exploration therefore we are going to select the “blank” Template.2. You will then be taken to your blank exploration, the first thing you can do is name your exploration and select a desired date range for your data.3. You then want to add some dimensions and metrics, select the “+” next to the dimensions column and add these three dimensions – “Transaction ID”,” Landing Page + Query String”, “ First User Source / Medium”E-commerce -> Transaction IDPage / Screen -> Landing Page + Query StringTraffic Source -> First User Source / MediumIf you fail to find these you can search for them in the top bar, Once you have found them click the blue “import” button in the top right-hand corner.4. You then want to add some metrics, select the “+” next to the Metrics column and add these – “Transactions”, “Purchase Revenue”, “Product Revenue”, and “E-commerce Revenue”, these are all found under the E-commerce ColumnIf you fail to find them you can always search for them using the top bar.Once you have found them click the blue “import” button in the top right corner.5. You then want to add the dimensions we imported to the “rows” column under the “tab settings” drop down and the metrics to the “values” column.6. Your exploration will then update!If you choose to change the date range your exploration will automatically update the data.Additionally, you can filter out certain things using the “filter” column at the bottom of the “tab settings” drop-down and also have the data displayed in a variety of different styles such as a heat map, bar chart or just plain text.If you select a column at the top of the graph this will also filter from lowest to highest value etc. This can make things a little easier when analysing your results.Creating a customer acquisition model in GA4 is a powerful way to gain insights into your marketing strategies. By understanding how customers discover and interact with your website, you can optimize your marketing campaigns to attract more high-value customers.In this article, we provided a step-by-step guide on how to create a customer acquisition model in GA4. We hope that you found this guide useful and that it will help you leverage the power of GA4 to drive effective customer acquisition for your business and track your transactions and revenue by user source and medium as well as from the landing page. Start creating your reports today and unlock the potential for growth and success.What next?check out the Shopping Behaviour Analysis reportcheck out the Revenue Attribution reportlook at all of our GA4 reporting articles […]Read more…
January 3, 2023Funnel explorations in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) are a great way to visualise and analyse user journeys through multiple stages of a website. This data helps you improve your funnels to make them more catered to your customers and identify customer journey issues when they arise leading to increased conversions.By understanding how users move through different stages of your conversion process, it can help you identify bottlenecks, such as high drop-off rates or prolonged durations at specific steps. Additionally, it allows you to evaluate whether the layout and overall look of the website is too complex, causing confusion or difficulties for users, or if they are not engaging enough to capture and maintain user interest.In this guide, we will provide you with a step-by-step process to create a funnel exploration. Additionally, we will explain the significance and implications of each available option.First things first, log into GA4 and click the explore button on the left side menu, you then want to start a new funnel exploration therefore click on the funnel template.You will need to think about the type of funnel you want to visualise and analyse. If your website focuses on transactions, it could represent the journey of a user making a purchase, or it could be a funnel that maps users from a home page to a certain product page, blog, or thank-you page of a form.For this guide we’ll be using this particular journey:Home page -> contact us page -> Confirmation page of contact formOnce you click into the funnel exploration it will come up with an already-made graph which should look something like this-On the far left side you have a variables column and on the right side you have the tab settings column, we will go through what each column means in more detail.Variables drop down:Exploration name: Name your new exploration reportDate Range: Select a desired date range – you can also change the date range at any point which can help when comparing dataSegments: Subsets of users, you can compare different sets of users by dragging a segment into the “segment comparison” section on the “tab settings” drop-down (we will go through this later on), to add a segment press the +Dimensions: these are the things you want to analyse, you can compare the different dimensions by dragging them into the “breakdown” section on the “tab settings” drop-down (we will go through this later on), to add a new dimension press the +Metrics: Provide the numbers in your exploration, you can add these metrics to the “values” area under the “tab settings” drop down.Tab settings drop-down:Visualisation: Allows you to display data within different formats eg. pie charts, and bar charts. For funnel exploration, there are two types of funnels which it can display the information (we will show you what these two graphs look like displaying the data later on)Make open funnel toggle: User journeys are often flexible, allowing users to enter the process at any point between A and Z. If desired, you can explore how users progress through the funnel assuming it was closed by toggling the option. By selecting this option, the data presented will be adjusted accordingly based on your choice. In the example we are currently examining, we will keep this funnel open.Segment comparisons: You can drop “segments” in this option to compare them.Steps: Where you add steps of your desired user journey.Breakdown: You can add “dimensions” to this section to compare.Show elapsed time toggle: Useful if you want to see the average time elapsed between funnel steps.Next action: Allows you to see what most common actions users are performing besides moving to the next step in the funnel.Filters: Allows you to focus on specific data, you can filter on metrics and dimensions.Tutorial:1. The first thing we want to do is create funnel steps. To do this go onto the steps option under the “tab setting” drop-down and click the +As a reminder, the journey we are following in this funnel is:Home page -> contact us page -> Confirmation page of contact formTherefore we want to name this first step Homepage2. We then want to click on the “add new condition” and select Events -> page_view(if you are unable to locate this you can type it in the search bar.)3. Once you have that you then want to click onto the add parameter button4. You then want to select Other -> page_location (you can search for this in the top bar if you are struggling to locate it)5. You will then need to input what page you want to gather the data from – for our example we are starting with the home page, ensure you select the condition “ends with”There are several buttons when creating the steps:You have the option to create and/or conditions for a specific stepYou can select whether the step is indirectly followed by or directly followed by, if your funnel needs to follow a particular order and users can’t go back or elsewhere then you should select the “is directly followed by” option however In this instance “indirectly followed by” is appropriate.The timer icon allows you to create a time constraint between the steps, if the user journey is time sensitive then toggle this option.6 . You then want to repeat the first few steps for each stage of your journey. Once completed select “apply” in the top right corner.7. It will then take you to your funnel. The data is quite easy to understand, as you can see our example is showing the completion and abandonment rate for each step.8.To add additional insights the “segment comparisons” and “breakdown” options are highly useful in analysing particular things.At any point when creating your exploration you can change the visualisation, for example here is the same data but in a trended funnel.Additionally, If you right click it will bring up more optionsYou will have the option to “create segments from users” This allows you to create segments to use elsewhere in Google Analytics 4, however, you can only create these segments when the funnel is closed.You also have the ability to view users for each step of the funnel. By clicking on that option, a user exploration report will open in another tab within the same report.By enabling the “Next Action” option, you can access data on the most common user actions that follow each step of the funnel. This feature provides insights into the typical behaviours exhibited by users after completing each stage, just hover over the bar column to see this additional information.Funnel explorations offer valuable insights, and there are numerous configurations available to you when creating steps, incorporating breakdowns, and applying filters. These flexible options allow you to customise the analysis based on your specific requirements and extract meaningful information from the data. This data helps you improve your funnels to make them more catered to your customers and identify customer journey issues when they arise.What next?check out the Lead Demographic Analysis reportcheck out the Lead Performance Analysis reportlook at all of our GA4 reporting articles […]Read more…
January 3, 2023One of the most important aspects of running a successful business is understanding where your revenue comes from. With the help of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), online businesses can easily track their revenue attribution by source and medium.In today’s data-driven business world, understanding your revenue attribution can help you make informed decisions. In this article, we will guide you through the step-by-step process of setting up revenue attribution modelling in GA4.The first thing you need to do is go onto the left-hand tab in Google Analytics 4 and select “explore”, we then want to create a brand new exploration, therefore, you click on the “blank” template.2. You will then be taken to your blank exploration, give this exploration a name and set a desired date range in the “variables” drop-down tab.3. We need to start then adding in some segments, dimensions and metrics to the left “variables” drop-down bar. The first thing you want to do is select the “+” next to the “dimensions” column and select traffic source -> “first user medium” and “first user source”If you can seem to find these options you can also use the search bar at the top to filter and look. You then want to press the blue “import” button in the top right corner.
4. You then want to select the “+” next to the “metrics” column and select these three things, E-commerce Revenue, Transactions, and Active Users.
E-commerce -> Ecommerce Revenue, TransactionsUser -> Active UsersIf you fail to find these you can use the search bar at the top. Once you have selected all three press the blue “import” button on the top right.5. We then want to add these dimensions and metrics into the “rows” and “values” columns found under the tab settings.6. It will then update to your exploration!
Once your exploration has been created if you choose to update the date range the data will update with it.Additionally, you can also press each of the columns to reorder the data from highest to lowest etc.
7. If you scroll to the top of the “tab settings” drop down you can also see there is an option to change the visualisation.
The best way to see the data in a new graph is to click the “+” next to your current exploration to create a new page.As an example, we are using the scatter plot graph. When creating a new visualisation sometimes you need to alter the way you input the dimensions and metrics. For this one, we have put “E-commerce Revenue” in the Y axis, “Transactions” in the X axis and in the “breakdown” column we have put a new dimension “first user source/medium”You can find this new dimension by clicking the “+” in the dimensions column going into traffic source -> First user source/medium
If you fail to find it you can use the top bar to search for it.This will then show the data in an accurate scatter plot graph.Overall, GA4’s revenue attribution modelling by source and medium is a powerful tool for any online business. Once set up, business owners can gain valuable insights into where their revenue is coming from and understand which marketing strategies are working for them. Hopefully, this article has provided a clear, step-by-step process on how to set up this feature in your GA4 account. With this knowledge, you can optimize your marketing strategies and continue to grow your business.What next?check out the Shopping Behaviour Analysis reportcheck out the Customer Acquisition reportlook at all of our GA4 Reporting articles […]Read more…
January 1, 2023In a world inundated with information and countless marketing messages, standing out and capturing your audience’s attention has become a formidable challenge. However, amidst this sea of noise, there are pioneers who understand the art of captivating storytelling and creating remarkable experiences.In this article, we delve into the step-by-step process of crafting a report on GA4 that unravels the mysteries of lead segment overlap by age performance analysis.By following this guide, you’ll not only decode the behaviour of your target audience but also gain the ability to deliver tailored messages that resonate deeply with different age groups.Here’s how to create a lead demographic analysis report on GA41- The first part of the process starts at the explore tab of GA4 where you need to click on Blank to start a new report2- Click on the plus next to segment to add a new segment3- Click on event segment4- Click on add new condition5- Choose Event> Event Name6- Click on add filter7- Choose your first event Name: Ours for the sake of this example os Enquiry Started8 – Change the name of your segment from Untiled Segment to Enquiry Started9 – Click on Save & Apply10 – Repeat the process for all the events that you created in the lead collection journey11- Take Active Users and drag it to values12- Choose Segment Overlap as Technique13- Click on the + sign next to Dimensions14- Select Age under Demographics then Import15- Drag Age to Breakdowns and Active Users from Metrics to ValueIn conclusion, harnessing the capabilities of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for lead segment overlap by age performance analysis empowers marketers to gain a deeper understanding of their target audience.By following the step-by-step process outlined in this article, you can create a comprehensive report that unveils valuable insights into your lead segments and their age overlap. Remember to define clear objectives, segment your data effectively, leverage the age dimensions in GA4, and visualise your findings to communicate your analysis.Armed with this information, you can tailor your marketing strategies to target specific age groups, optimize your lead generation efforts, and drive better business outcomes.What next?check out the Lead Performance reportcheck out the User Journey Analysis reportlook at all of our GA4 Reporting articles […]Read more…
December 30, 2022What are toxic backlinks and why are they harmful to your website?How to identify toxic backlinks on your websiteThe importance of regularly checking and disavowing toxic backlinksThe potential consequences of ignoring toxic backlinksBest practices for preventing toxic backlinks in the futureAs a website owner or digital marketer, it’s important to ensure that your website has a strong and healthy link profile. This means that the links pointing to your website should come from reputable sources and should not be considered “toxic backlinks” that are harmful to your website’s search engine rankings.But what exactly are “toxic” links, and why are they harmful to your website?What are toxic backlinks and why are they harmful to your website?Toxic links – or harmful links – are links that come from low-quality or spammy websites and can harm the ranking and reputation of your website. These types of links are often created through tactics such as link schemes, paid links, and other unethical methods that violate search engine guidelines.Google and other search engines use algorithms to evaluate the quality and relevance of websites and their links. When a website has a large number of toxic links, it can signal to search engines that the website is attempting to manipulate its search rankings and may result in causing harm to your website’s search engine optimisation by leading to a penalty or de-indexing of the website.Not only can toxic links harm your website’s search engine rankings, but they can also damage your website’s reputation and credibility. If your website is linked to from a spammy or low-quality website, it can reflect poorly on your business and deter potential customers from visiting your website.How to identify toxic backlinks on your websiteThere are several tools and methods you can use to identify toxic backlinks on your website. Some options include:Using a backlink analysis tool: There are a variety of tools available that allow you to analyze the backlinks pointing to your website. These tools can help you identify potentially toxic links and provide information about the quality and reputation of the linking website. Some popular backlink analysis tools include Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Majestic.Checking your website’s link profile manually: You can also manually check your website’s link profile by using the “Links to Your Site” feature in Google Search Console. This tool allows you to see a list of the websites that are linking to your website and can help you identify any potentially toxic links.Using the disavow tool: If you’ve identified a large number of toxic links on your website, you can use the disavow tool in Google Search Console to tell Google to ignore these links. This can help protect your website from any potential penalties or negative effects from harmful links.The importance of regularly checking and disavowing toxic linksIt’s important to regularly check for toxic backlinks on your website and take steps to disavow or remove them. This can help protect your website from any negative effects and ensure that your website’s search engine rankings are not negatively impacted.Ignoring toxic backlinks or failing to take action to remove them can have serious consequences for your website. Not only can it harm your search engine rankings, but it can also damage your website’s reputation and credibility.The potential consequences of ignoring toxic linksIgnoring harmful backlinks or failing to take action to remove them can have several negative consequences for your website, including:Decreased search engine rankings: If your website has a large number of toxic links, it can signal to search engines that your website is attempting to manipulate its search rankings and result in a penalty or de-indexing of the website. This can significantly decrease your website’s search engine rankings and make it harder for potential customers to find your website.Damage to your website’s reputation: Being linked to from low-quality or spammy websites can damage your website’s reputation and credibility and deter potential customers from visiting your website. This can have a negative impact on your business and make it harder to gain the trust of potential customers.Loss of traffic: If your website’s search engine rankings decrease as a result of toxic backlinks, it can lead to a significant loss of traffic to your website. This can have a significant impact on your business, as less traffic to your website can lead to fewer leads and sales.Best practices for preventing toxic backlinks in the futureTo prevent toxic backlinks from harming your website, it’s important to follow best practices for link building and avoid unethical tactics such as link schemes and paid links. Some ways to prevent these in the future include:Only link to reputable websites: Be selective about the websites you link to from your own website. Only link to websites that are reputable and relevant to your business or industry.Monitor your website’s link profile regularly: Regularly check your website’s link profile for toxic links and take action to disavow or remove them as needed.Use the nofollow attribute: If you must link to a website that you are not confident is reputable, you can use the nofollow attribute to tell search engines not to follow the link. This can help prevent the link from passing any potential negative effects to your website.In conclusion, it’s essential to regularly check and disavow toxic backlinks to protect your website’s search engine rankings and reputation. By following best practices for link building and monitoring your website’s link profile, you can prevent them from harming your website and negatively impacting your business. […]Read more…
February 9, 2022What is checkout abandonment rate (CAR) and how is it affecting your company’s sales?How do you measure it?What do you need to be doing to reduce checkout abandonment?The difference between mobile and desktop commerce and why it affects the CAR?What are some reasons why your mobile customers are not checking out on their mobile devices?What is checkout abandonment rate (CAR) and how is it affecting your company’s sales?First, let’s have a look at the definition of checkout abandonment…‘The checkout abandonment rate is the percentage of customers that are leaving checkout after initiating the checkout process’ – Source: Dynamic Yield.You may be wondering how exactly a retailer keeps track of the rate of checkout abandonment. Well, one can calculate this by dividing the number of successful purchases by the number of shopping baskets initially created by the customer. Once this is done, you can subtract the previous value from one and multiply that value by 100. And that’s how you calculate the percentage rate! How do you measure it?But how do we measure Checkout Abandonment for our clients you may wonder? Well, let us show you! By using the program Google Analytics we can track a wide range of information from our clients’ websites, ad campaigns, and much more. Take a look at the screenshot below of the checkout abandonment rate for one of our clients:All data for checkout abandonment can be found under the e-commerce tab under the subsection ‘checkout behaviour’. In the second screenshot (below you can see how google analytics gives us the data for how many new or returning visitors visited us on that particular day, the number of sessions, abandonment rate, and the ‘dropoff rate’ which helps us analyse the number of visitors that left a conversion process but did not proceed to make a purchase (create a conversion).What do you need to be doing to reduce checkout abandonment?Many aspects could be affecting the checkout abandonment rate of your e-commerce sales. Have a ponder over some of our top tips below and see if you could make any improvements in these areas..?Does your ad campaign include clear CTA’s (call to action) – make sure your audience knows what’s in it for them if they make a purchase from you and do this with a sense of urgency. E.g – ‘Activate Xyznumber Today!’–Provide a choice of payment options – by doing so your visitors can see that payment can be paid without any hassle. E.g – many have realised that pay later options such as Klarna and Clear have helped lower the checkout abandonment rate for their e-commerce sales.Be honest about the total price – Have you heard of the saying ‘Honesty is the best policy’ well this saying is just as valuable in this respect. Customers want a company to be upfront with the total cost of their product instead of adding a large sum as soon as you’re going to checkout for delivery charges. How can you avoid this..?E.g – perhaps consider a shipping calculator that can determine the cost when a visitor enters their postcode.Give the option to save basket contents for later – this will higher the percentage rate of conversion if your customer is aware that their products will be there when they return to your site at a later time.The difference between mobile and desktop commerce and why it affects the CAR?Since mobile devices have smaller interfaces than desktop devices web developers adapt the companies website to limit the number of interruptions that may distract a customer from purchasing on the site. Not many brands/ companies have tackled this problem which leads to their Checkout Abandonment Rate being high as customers are coming in contact with too many interruptions such as glitches and perhaps leave to visit a competitor’s site instead. Whereas on a desktop device the checkout abandonment rate tends to be much lower due to the larger interface.What are some reasons why your mobile customers are not checking out on their mobile devices?Security doubtsLong checkout processNo option for guest checkoutNot a very mobile user-friendly websiteDoes this sound like your e-commerce site? If so, get in contact with us today and we would be happy to be of assistance to aid you with these issues! […]Read more…
November 15, 2021Now you know the basics of click through rate, it’s time to learn about how to improve yours. Below I will tell you all the best ways to improve your click through rate in Google Ads.Click through rate is one of the most important things to pay attention to, in order to be spending your google ads budget efficiently. To find out all about click through rate head to our blog post “What is click through rate and why is it important”. Improving your click through rate might seem complicated, but it is all about staying on top of the organisation of your Google ads account and making sure you are not throwing money away and not receiving conversions. In this blog post, I am going to break down the most important things to do in order to improve your click through rate and therefore improve your ad rank.Write High-Quality Ad CopyThis seems like an obvious one, but it is often forgotten. It is incredibly important to have ads that show your business in the best light, enticing people to click on them. Your Ads should be written in a clear compelling way that makes it clear what you are selling. they should be unique to your business, you don’t want to be confused with your competitors! Look through your current ads and see if they can be improved, make sure to utilise your keywords and mention your key selling points!Use Extensions!Extensions are essentially free real estate for your ads, when you don’t use them you are missing out on valuable space that could be drawing potential customers eyes to your ads. These often underappreciated ad extensions boost the amount of information your ad can convey, therefore increasing the chance that people will see something they like and click through. There are about 10 types of ad extensions, available for you to take advantage of, including structured snippet, call, and site link. Structured snippet extensions are a great way to highlight compelling features of your business and improve your click through rate.Learn more hereKeep Your Ad Groups TightYou don’t want any difference in the meaning of your keywords and the specificity of your ads. Each ad group should have a small but valuable selection of keywords, that exactly matches up to the ads. This makes it more likely that a potential customers will find what they are looking for in your ads, and click on it, therefore improving your click through rate. In contrast, keeping an eye on your keywords ensures that your budget isn’t wasted on irrelevant keywords. For example, you might have a keyword with a really high click through rate but isn’t converting as it is irrelevant to your business. You should be checking your keywords weekly to make sure they are all still a good fit for you.Add Negative KeywordsOn the other hand, negative keywords are equally as important to curate, in order to improve your click through rate. Negative keywords are A type of keyword that prevents your ad from being triggered by a certain word or phrase. Using negative keywords means that you are showcasing your ads to a relevant audience, resulting in a higher click through rate.All of these tips will help you cultivate your click through rate, resulting in a higher ad rank which will hopefully result in a higher ad rank. This will lower your cost per click and therefore each conversion you make will cost you less. Overall keeping your google ads account organised and cultivating your keywords, will result in a higher click through rate. I hope this blog has been helpful to you in improving your Google ads knowledge, Please send us any questions you have! […]Read more…
November 15, 2021Read this blog post to learn all about click through rate in Google Ads, and learn the importance of it for your pay per click ads.How to Calculate Click through Rate What Is Expected Click Through Rate In Google Ads?What Is A Good Click Through Rate?When Is A High Click Through Rate Bad?How To Find Out Your Click Through Rate?Now I Know My Click Through Rate What Should I Do Next?The short answer is: Click Through Rate (or CTR) is the ratio of people who see your ad, compared to the number of people who actually click on it.In the marketing world, It is of great importance as it helps to gauge how well your ads and keywords are performing and determines your ad rank. Overall it is definitely a metric that you should be keeping an eye on. In this blog post, we will explain the basics of click through rates, such as how to find it, what is a good CTR and your next steps. In this blog post I’m going to focus on CTR in Google Ads formerly knowns as AdWords) specifically.How To Calculate Click Through Rate?CTR is the number of clicks on your ad divided by the number of times your ad is shown. The click through rate formula is: Clicks ÷ Impressions = Click Through RateFor example, if you had 5 clicks and 100 impressions, then your CTR would be 5%.Source: Google supportWhat Is Expected Click Through Rate In Google Ads?Expected CTR is Google’s estimation of the rate at which viewers of your ad will click through to the landing page. To calculate your expected CTR, Google refers to how well your keyword has performed, based on the position of your ad. Expected click through rate is especially important as it affects your quality score, which in turn affects how cost-effective your ad will be. What Is A Good Click Through Rate?A good click through rate really depends on what industry you’re working in, your specific goals, and your business. The average click through rate in Google ads is 1.91% for search and 0.35% for display. This only shows us the average across all industries. We would say a good idea is to regard a good Google Ads click through rate as 4-5%+ on the search network or 0.5-1%+ on the display network (source: Smart Insights)Simply, your aim is always to beat the average. Generally, we’ve found that higher CTR correlates with more conversions!When Is A High Click Through Rate Bad?We just said that you are aiming for the highest CTR you can manage, but when is this not the case? Usually, a High CTR is good but not always. If for example you are bidding on expensive keywords or getting lots of clicks on keywords that aren’t converting, then a high click through rate would certainly be seen as a negative. Another reason a high CTR would be bad is if you have irrelevant terms bringing in clicks, this is why it is important to regularly comb through your Google ads account to weed out any keywords that are generating clicks but not resulting in any conversions.How To Find Out Your Click Through Rate?Your CTR can be found on the dashboard of your Google ads account. To see individual campaigns Click Through Rate click into campaigns and find the column labelled CTR. You can also view at Ad group, ad and keyword level.Now I Know My Click Through Rate, What Should I Do Next?If your CTR is below your goal then consider your ads. Is your text enticing and clickable? Are you utilising all your keywords in the ads effectively? Remember to utilise extensions to your advantage. Over the coming weeks monitor your ads and work out how to improve and get those conversions!Overall, click through rate is a key part of getting those all-important conversions. In order to get them, you have to start with keywords that are relevant and affordable, to avoid wasting your budget. Lastly, you have to remember, the higher your click through rate, the better your quality scores will likely be, and high quality scores are one of the best predictors of success in PPC. Keep an eye out on our blog in order to find out how to improve your click through rate. […]Read more…
January 11, 2020Switch up your marketing techniques this holiday season! Social messaging marketing > email marketingUsing the same digital marketing techniques? Maybe it’s time to try a different advertising technique to start the new decade. Content marketing through social messaging apps that are likely to get three times better CTR than email!Read more here: https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2019/11/text-social-messaging-apps/‘Tis the season for reporting! (And a new mini SEO guide)It’s December. We know how time consuming it is to create those end of year reports for clients, but what if you could get help with these? Read more here about the new mini SEO guide that will make your reporting 10 times easier!https://moz.com/blog/new-mini-guide-seo-reportingStart the new decade right! Top 10 best paid search and PPC practices for 2020!Another year is quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to review your current PPC best practices to start improving your performance today.https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ppc-best-practices/274019/#closeGood at content marketing? Become great at it in 2020.Short term success is becoming more common due to the “on-demand” generation and now it may be time to evolve to the long term.Here are some opportunities for marketers to consider… https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2019/12/demand-gen-content-research/ […]Read more…
September 10, 2019Most people spend a good part of their days on social media – that is
not an exaggeration. Not in today’s world.Social media has become an integral part of people’s lives and daily
routines. Some are addicted to it so much that the first thing they do after
waking up is to check their social media feeds.Given the importance of social media in consumers’ lives, marketers and
businesses flock to social platforms in the hope of connecting with their target
customers. However, there is a content overload on social media and the
competition is very high. It can be extremely difficult for you to stand out
unless you have a clear social media strategy.Temporary Content Will Keep Gaining
Popularity Temporary content is something that is available only for a short
duration and disappears afterwards. Instagram and Snapchat Stories are perfect
examples of this type of content.Today, people’s attention spans are short and the way they like to
consume content has also changed. Therefore, content formats like Stories have
become popular. They are short, engaging, and addictive in a way that people
can spend hours scrolling through one Story after another.This is evident by the substantial rise in Instagram Stories’ daily
active users, as shown below.Marketers have taken notice of this trend and will continue to leverage
it to their advantage. According to this recent report by Hootsuite,
64% of marketers either already have incorporated Instagram stories
into their strategies or plan to. Another study suggests that brands post a Story once in four days,
again, proving the point that these are getting more and more popular.Niche Social Platforms Will Perform WellFacebook and Instagram have long dominated social media as the largest
and most popular platforms. However, in recent years, several other niche
social media platforms have not only emerged but have significantly risen to
fame. TikTok, for example, is one such platform that started in 2016 and
immediately gained popularity among youth. B2B companies prefer LinkedIn for
their social media initiatives, while the gaming community flocks to Twitch.
There are several such alternative social media platforms that are gaining
popularity and will continue doing so in 2020 and beyond.Here are some of the most popular social media platforms by the number
of users or registered accounts.Image
Source: StatistaSocial Commerce Will ExpandSocial media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook have long
been used by brands to sell their products. Social commerce has become a new
retail avenue for brands and this trend is only going to get stronger.Social commerce is well on its way to becoming a mainstream retail
channel on par with other mediums like websites and offline stores. This trend
will strengthen further with more and more social networks introducing
pro-selling features like shoppable posts.From shoppable posts to Instagram Storefronts, social networks are
continuously evolving to become retail platforms. Brands and marketers will
leverage these and incorporate social commerce in their sales strategies.Video Content Will DominateVideo content is one of the most engaging forms of content and will soon
dominate the social media a clear winner over all other types of content.
Whether it is short-form videos like those popular on TikTok or Stories or
long-form content on YouTube, videos are the future of social media content.According to a Cisco study, by 2022, 82% of all online content
will be video content. This clearly shows how important it is to start
utilising video content to stay relevant in the social media domain.If you’re not currently creating videos, it is time that you include it
in your content strategy. Soon, videos will dominate social media and anyone
who doesn’t realise that will have a tough time.You can start by using features like Stories both for your social media
content and for advertisements. You can also add videos to your social media
posts, even on platforms that were traditionally dominated by image or text
content.Technology Adoption Will Be at an
All-Time HighSocial media will see a rise in the adoption of technologies like
augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). As these platforms grow, users
will demand better and more engaging experiences and these technologies can
make that happen.Facebook is already taking huge steps in this direction with the
introduction of horizon, their social virtual reality world. This is a
kind of virtual world where people can connect, play games, and explore. This
is the next level of social connection and could very well be the future of
social media.While the adoption of VR in social media might still be at an extremely
nascent stage, the same can’t be said for AR. Augmented reality filters are now
being used on several major platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. These were
introduced to enhance the visual content shared on social media and are widely
popular.Influencer Marketing Will Continue to
SoarInfluencer marketing is not a new trend, but it is one that is
going to stay for a while. Social media today is dominated by influencers who
are getting paid exorbitant amounts to promote brands. The adoption of this trend can be seen from both perspectives. One can
be seen by the sheer rise in the number of influencers on social media. Second
can be seen by the increase in marketing spend on influencer marketing by
businesses.Investing in influencers is much cheaper than running paid ad campaigns
and yet it delivers good results. Moreover, influencers can help marketers achieve
a variety of marketing goals and not just generate leads. These are the two
main reasons why it has become so popular and is continuously getting stronger
and bolder.Marketers are not just collaborating with 1-2 influencers now, but are working
with a whole network of small, relevant, niche influencers. This kind of
influencers get much higher engagement and cost much less. Going forward, more
and more marketers will use this strategy and work with multiple smaller
influencers instead of one celebrity.Higher Adoption of Augmented RealityAugmented
reality enhances our reality by adding digital elements to it and changing the
way things look. Social media platforms have found interesting use cases for
this technology and have started leveraging it in recent years.Instagram,
for example, uses augmented reality for its numerous photo filters. Have you
seen those filters that can add makeup to your face or a sunglass or bunny
ears? That’s nothing but an application of augmented reality for social media.This
trend, though heavily popularised by Instagram and Snapchat, will be adopted by
other social media platforms in the coming years. Facebook, for example,
launched AR filters before Instagram, but they got popular later. Facebook is
also experimenting with other AR and VR functionalities and will come up with
more applications of these technologies in the future.The
applications of AR on social media are not limited to just photo filters to
post fun posts and stories. Brands can also leverage augmented reality to
provide better shopping experiences to their customers.Sephora,
for example, is a beauty brand that has long used AR to allow their customers
to try on makeup before buying. While this capability has been on their mobile
app for a long time, they have recently also launched it for Facebook.Increase in the Use of Social Media
for Customer ServiceSocial
media has traditionally been a place for people to connect with their social
networks and share photos and videos. However, those days are long gone, and
social media is now so much more than just that.It has
become a retail platform, a product discovery platform, and now, even a
customer service channel. A lot of brands have started recognising social media
networks as platforms for delivering customer service. It goes without saying
that brands started responding to such messages and directing those customers
to the right channels.It’s not
just some one-off cases where customers post their questions or complaints on
social media and brands respond. Now, it has become a significant enough
customer service channel for brands to recognise it as one.Personalisation Will be ParamountPersonalisation
is a global consumer trend that has been there for several years now. However,
it is still a recent one when it comes to its adoption for social media. Some
might argue that brands can’t exactly personalise their social media content
for different consumer segments. True. they can still customise their social
media ads for as many target segments as they like.The key
aspect where businesses and marketers are leveraging the personalisation trend
is in their delivery of social media ads. Social media platforms have started
providing advanced targeting and customisation options for marketers. These let
you show the right ads to the right people at the right times.Personalisation
has reached a level that these social media platforms now also understand the
type of products you like. And, they show you ads for similar products from
different brands.Local Targeting Will Become More
PrevalentJust
like local SEO is for local brands who want to get more organic traffic, local
targeting is the counterpart for social media. A lot of brands use
location-based targeting to reach out to and attract people from a specific
geographic location. Social platforms like Instagram provide the option to
search for posts from nearby places or specific locations. If you add locations
to your content, it will show up in these search results, helping local people
find your brand and content.Geo-targeting
works especially well for promoted posts or tweets as these platforms help you
target the right audiences. For example, if you use the “boost post” option on
Facebook, you can also select the locations that you want to target. Facebook
will show your posts to users in those locations. Brands can also use
geo-targeting to get more people to attend their local conferences and brand
events. Or, they can use location filters in their social media ads, to
advertise only to a relevant, local audience.The Rise
of Social Media CommunitiesWhile
this is not something new, it is something that is becoming more popular now
than ever before.Social
media communities are basically social groups that are created by brands to provide
a networking platform for their customers. These are usually private groups
that like-minded people can join to talk about their shared interests.Facebook
Groups are a brilliant example of such social communities. Many brands utilise
such groups to bring all their existing and prospective customers together and
engage with them in a meaningful way. Group members can discuss various topics,
share their experiences, and seek solutions to their challenges. Brands can
also utilise their social media communities to launch new products, seek
customer feedback, and gain valuable customer insights. […]Read more…
Latest posts
October 24, 2023Contents:Navigating Marketing Challenges Together: Our Data Box CollaborationWhat are benchmarks?How often do you need to benchmark your company?What are the criteria you need to consider when benchmarking? In the Spotlight: A Retail Small Business Google Ads Benchmark ExampleJoin Our Survey: Why Participate?Small businesses are the backbone of the global economy, representing a significant portion of all enterprises. However, they often face unique challenges, particularly when it comes to digital marketing. In this blog post, we’ll explore the intricacies and possibilities of digital marketing efficiency for businesses with under 50 employees.Running a small business is no small feat. Limited budgets and time constraints can make it difficult to achieve optimal marketing outcomes. These constraints can manifest in several key metrics, including % New Sessions, Conversions, Total Ad Revenue, Total Revenue, Cost / Conversion, Conversion Value, and Cost.Small business owners understand the value of every pound and minute spent on marketing. These challenges, stemming from budget limitations, a lack of access to expert knowledge, and time constraints, have a direct impact on crucial performance metrics. In this post, we’ll delve deeper into these hurdles and share insights into how small businesses can navigate them effectively.Navigating Marketing Challenges Together: Our Data Box CollaborationHere’s the exciting part: you don’t have to face these challenges alone. We invite you to be part of our mission to uncover the solutions that can drive marketing success for small businesses. To achieve this, we’ve launched a comprehensive survey tailored specifically to small businesses with under 50 employees, in collaboration with Data Box, a trusted authority in data analytics and benchmarking. By participating in this survey, you’re not only contributing to a better understanding of the marketing landscape for businesses like yours but also gaining access to invaluable insights and strategies.Before delving into the specifics, let’s start by laying down the fundamentals of benchmarking.1. What is benchmarking?Benchmarking is a strategic process that involves evaluating and comparing your business’s performance, processes, or practices against those of competitors or industry leaders within the same market. By engaging in benchmarking, you gain valuable insights into how your business stacks up in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and overall competitiveness. It’s a proactive approach that enables you to identify areas for improvement, set realistic goals, and drive continuous growth and innovation. Benchmarking acts as a compass, guiding your business towards its full potential by learning from the successes and best practices of others in your industry.2. How often do you need to benchmark your company?Benchmarking is a dynamic process that adapts to your specific objectives and industry standards. The frequency of benchmarking can vary, spanning weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual intervals, depending on your goals and industry dynamics.To ensure your strategies stay on course, consistent metric tracking is essential. When you consistently meet the predefined benchmarks you’ve set, it serves as a clear signal that your plan is succeeding and should be sustained.For effective benchmarking, we recommend conducting benchmark assessments at least once every three months across your industry as a whole. Additionally, we suggest monthly benchmarking intervals to keep your strategies aligned with the evolving landscape and trends in your sector. This approach ensures that your business remains agile and adaptable to changing conditions, driving continued success.3. What are the criteria you need to consider when benchmarking?Relevance: The benchmark data should be relevant to your industry, sector, or specific goals. Ensure that you are comparing against organisations or practices that are directly comparable to your own.Data Accuracy: The data used for benchmarking should be accurate, up-to-date, and obtained from reliable sources. Inaccurate data can lead to misleading conclusions.Scope and Objectives: Clearly define the scope of your benchmarking project and the objectives you aim to achieve. Are you focusing on specific processes, departments, or the overall organisation? Having clear goals is essential.Data Consistency: Ensure that the data you’re comparing is consistent in terms of units of measurement, time periods, and other relevant factors. Inconsistencies can distort the analysis.Comparability: The organisations or practices you benchmark against should be comparable in terms of size, market, and complexity. An apples-to-apples comparison is more meaningful.Confidentiality: Respect confidentiality agreements and legal constraints when obtaining benchmarking data. Protect sensitive information and adhere to ethical practices.Benchmarking Methodology: Choose the right benchmarking methodology, whether it’s internal, competitive, or functional benchmarking, depending on your goals.Continuous Improvement: Benchmarking should not be a one-time effort. Consider it as part of an ongoing process of continuous improvement, where you revisit benchmarks regularly.Feedback and Adaptation: Be open to feedback from the benchmarking process and adapt your strategies accordingly. Flexibility and a willingness to change are crucial.Actionable Insights: The benchmarking process should provide actionable insights and recommendations for improvement. Ensure that the information you gather can be used to make meaningful changes.4. In the Spotlight: A Small Retail Business Google Ads Benchmark ExampleTo showcase this in numbers, the survey can present some valuable insights like this: Here is one of our retail clients’ performance when compared to small businesses under 1K employees. One of our clients stands out as a prime example of marketing efficiency. Their outstanding performance in conversion value is truly remarkable, achieving monthly conversion value higher than 60% of the rest of the group. This showcases the tangible benefits of implementing effective paid advertising strategies and underscores the potential for substantial growth within the small business sector. This also means that a small business budget is not an obstacle but an opportunity. Moreover, when it comes to cost/conversion, our client’s performance is nothing short of impressive, outperforming a remarkable 79% of the companies in the group. This highlights their efficient utilisation of PPC (Pay Per Click) Skills, setting a benchmark for others to follow.By benchmarking your business against others, you can gain a deeper understanding of what constitutes excellence within your industry. For instance, you might have initially considered a 2x Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) as sufficient. However, through benchmarking, you can uncover the untapped potential of your industry, redefining your standards and aspirations5. Join Our Survey: Test Your Benchmark Participating in our survey can offer you a wealth of benefits:Benchmarking: By participating, you’ll be able to benchmark your marketing performance against other businesses in a similar category. This benchmarking can provide you with valuable insights, helping you identify areas for improvement and set realistic goals.Access to Insights: When the survey results are in, you’ll gain access to a rich trove of insights and strategies. These insights are based on real-world experiences and successes of businesses like yours, facing similar challenges.Networking: Connect with a community of small business owners and managers who are dedicated to enhancing their marketing efforts. Share experiences, learn from others, and collaborate on solutions to common problems.Empowering Change: Your participation can contribute to a broader understanding of the unique challenges small businesses face in marketing. This data can be a catalyst for change, potentially leading to better support and resources for businesses like yours.How to ParticipateParticipation is straightforward and will only take a few minutes of your time. To ensure the survey results accurately represent the experiences of small businesses, please provide detailed and accurate information. Click here to join the survey and see how you rank against companies in your size. […]Read more…
September 19, 2023ContentsMastering Website Optimisation1. Optimise Website Speed for Better Performance2. Mobile-Friendliness Matters3. Improve Site Structure4. Page Speed InsightsConducting an SEO Audit: Finding and Resolving ProblemsThe impact of SEO on Digital Marketing Strategies1. Increased Organic Traffic2. Building Credibility and Trust3. Better User Experience4. Alignment with Content Marketing5. Data-Driven Insights6. Integration with social media7. Cost effectiveness8. Local SEO visibilityFor businesses to succeed in the rapidly changing digital world, having a strong online presence is essential. Making sure your website appears highly on search engine results pages (SERPs) is a crucial component of this presence. Quality of the content is certainly vital, but the technical aspects of SEO play an important role in deciding how search engines see and rank your website. In this post, we’ll examine the essential technical aspects of SEO that might improve your website’s potential for search results.Mastering Website Optimization1. Optimise Website Speed for Better Performance:User experience and ranking factors both heavily depend on website performance. Low search rankings and high bounce rates are two consequences of slow-loading websites. In order to speed up your website:Use efficient picture formats and image compression Reduce the number of plugins and scripts to reduce HTTP requests.Leverage browser caching to store frequently used elements.Reduce file sizes by turning on server compression.To distribute content among several servers, use a content delivery network (CDN).2. Mobile-Friendliness Matters:Because of the rise in mobile device usage, Google gives websites that are optimised for mobile devices a higher rating. To guarantee mobile friendliness, take the following actions:Use responsive design to make your website adaptable to various screen sizes.Optimise fonts and graphics for mobile viewing.Using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool, check whether your website is mobile-friendly.Ensure touch elements are appropriately spaced for easy navigation.3. Improve Site Structure:A well-structured website improves user experience while helping search engines comprehend the hierarchy of your content. Take into account these suggestions:One of the first things consumers and search engines see when viewing your website are the URLs. A URL that is clear and simple gives quick access to the page’s content.To show the user’s location on your site, utilise breadcrumb navigation. Breadcrumbs are typically displayed as a horizontal trail at the top of the page, such as: Home > Category > Subcategory > PageIn assisting in crawling, create an XML sitemap and submit it to search engines. An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website, helping search engines crawl and index your content more efficiently. Organise your content into a logical hierarchy with categories, subcategories, and relevant internal links. This approach also helps users find what they are looking for.4. Page Speed Insights: Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool is an essential tool for evaluating the speed of your website. It offers useful information and recommendations for enhancement, such as reducing render-blocking resources and code optimisation. Some benefits of ensuring your site speed is up to date are: Improved user experienceSearch engines consider Page speed as a ranking factor therefore it leads to improved SEO Conducting an SEO Audit: Finding and Resolving ProblemTo identify areas for improvement, an SEO audit is needed. Here’s how to do an audit effectively:Crawl Your Website: To find problems like broken links, duplicate content, and missing meta tags, use tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console.Keyword Analysis: Analyse the performance of your target keywords to find opportunities for optimization. On-page analysis: Review your content’s structure, headings, and keyword usage. Make sure meta descriptions and titles are optimised.Technical Analysis: Check for proper indexing, XML sitemap functionality, and structured data implementation.Site speed analysis: To find issues with the speed of your site and make the required adjustments, use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.Mobile-Friendliness Assessment: Test your website on various mobile devices and ensure seamless functionality.Backlink audit: Check the quality and relevancy of your backlink profile. Delete harmful links if required.The impact of SEO on Digital Marketing Strategies1. Increased Organic Traffic:Organic search visibility is mostly driven by SEO. You may improve your website’s chances of appearing higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) by optimising its content, structure, and technological elements. As a result, your website becomes more accessible to visitors who are actively looking for relevant topics, goods, or services, which substantially increases organic traffic.2. Building Credibility and Trust:High search engine rankings are often associated with credibility and trustworthiness.Users frequently consider the websites that show up on the first page of search results as reliable sources of information and therefore prefer to trust them. Effective SEO tactics not only increase your website’s exposure, but they also help your brand become more well-known.3. Better User Experience:SEO goes beyond only optimising keywords to provide a smooth user experience. Google and other search engines employ user engagement, mobile friendliness, and website speed as ranking factors. Indirectly improving user experience through these factors, SEO lowers bounce rates and boosts user retention.4. Alignment with Content Marketing:The foundation of digital marketing is content, and SEO is essential for content discovery. Users looking for information are more likely to find material that has been properly optimised. Keyword research, on-page optimisation, and link-building activities are all part of SEO-driven content marketing tactics that increase exposure and engagement.5. Data-Driven Insights:Analysing data is an essential part of SEO efforts. You can learn a lot about the tastes and trends of their target audience by looking at measures like organic traffic, keyword rankings, and user behaviour. These discoveries influence the development of content, audience targeting, and overall marketing strategies.6. Integration with Social Media:SEO and social media work hand in hand. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn may spread the reach of your information and increase website traffic. Similar to this, interesting and shareable material on social media may draw beneficial backlinks, which are essential for SEO success.7. Cost effectiveness:SEO offers a cost-effective strategy with a high return on investment (ROI) when compared to many other digital marketing strategies. Since there are no direct expenses associated with clicking on organic search results, SEO is a long-term investment that continues to attract benefits over time. 8. Local SEO visibility:For companies with a physical presence, this factor is crucial. By making your business visible in location-based searches, you may lead potential clients to your storefront by optimising for local search. This is especially important for brick-and-mortar businesses hoping to draw in local customers.In conclusion, SEO has a significant and transformational impact on digital marketing tactics. SEO is a crucial tool that influences a company’s performance online, from generating organic traffic and building credibility to aligning with content marketing and offering data-driven insights. Adopting good SEO techniques is crucial for reaching marketing objectives and remaining competitive as the digital world changes. […]Read more…
September 12, 2023Advantages of Advertising on Bing1. Lower CPC (Cost-Per-Click)2. Less competition3. Unique User Demographic4. Better fit for certain business nichesTips To Optimise Bing Ads Campaigns1. Utilise Ad Extensions2. Use negative keywords3. A/B testing4. Geo-Targeting5. Import from Google Ads6. Use Remarketing7. Improved device targetingPay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising has become a vital approach for businesses to increase their online visibility and generate conversions in the constantly changing world of digital marketing. Although Google Ads may rule the industry, Bing Ads is a hidden treasure that many marketers miss. In this post, we’ll examine the benefits of Bing advertising, consider why it’s important, and offer helpful tips for optimising your Bing Ads campaigns.Advantages of Advertising on Bing:1. Lower CPC (Cost-Per-Click)One of Bing Ads’ most notable advantages is that it often has a lower CPC than Google Ads. For small and medium-sized businesses with limited advertising budgets, this means you can receive a greater number of clicks and engagements for your money. A reduced CPC makes it easier to increase your ROI and reach more people without spending a fortune.2. Less competitionThough many marketers prefer Google Ads, Bing Ads competes against fewer rivals. Because there is less competition, ads may be placed better, they may be more visible, and click-through rates may be greater. By using Bing Ads, you can stand out and engage a market that may already be swamped with advertisements on other platforms.3. Unique User DemographicCompared to other search engines, Bing targets a somewhat distinct user population. Statistics reveal that Bing frequently tends to draw an older, affluent audience. Advertising on Bing might be a smart decision to reach a more focused and possibly lucrative audience if your company fits in well with this group.4. Better fit for certain business nicheBusiness niches in some sectors and markets are better suited to Bing Ads than others. For instance, Bing’s older user base and their search preferences make it popular with companies in the financial, medical, and technological sectors. You may assess whether Bing’s user base better fits your industry by defining your target market and their online behaviourTips To Optimise Bing Ads Campaigns: 1. Utilise Ad ExtensionsTake advantage of Bing’s ad extensions to provide more information and promote clicks. Sitelink, Callout, and Location extensions help enhance engagement by increasing your ad’s exposure and relevance.2. Use negative keywordsJust as with Google Ads, negative keywords are essential for improving the targeting of your ads. In order to prevent your advertising from being displayed in response to irrelevant queries, evaluate, filter, and update your negative keyword list often.3. A/B testingTest several ad copy variations, headlines, and call-to-action wording to see which appeals to your audience the most. You can improve your messaging and increase the effectiveness of your ads by using A/B testing.4. Geo-TargetingBing has extensive geo-targeting capabilities that let you modify your advertising to target particular areas. This is especially advantageous for neighbourhood companies trying to draw in local clients.5. Import from Google AdsImport your current Google Ads campaigns into Bing Ads to save time. Although modifications may be required because of platform variations, this functionality might serve as a good starting point for your Bing Ads campaigns.6. Use RemarketingSet up remarketing campaigns using Bing’s Universal Event Tracking (UET). Focusing and targeting people who have already interacted with your website, may lead to an increase in conversion rates.7. Improved device targetingBing Ads outperforms Google Ads in terms of device targeting. Bing gives marketers the ability to target particular populations according to their OS and device type. If you simply want to target mobile users, you may choose not to display campaign advertising on laptops.Bing Ads stands out as a potent yet underutilised tool in the PPC marketing field due to its special features that are sometimes buried by its more well-known rivals. With its reduced CPC, lessened competition, different user demography, and potential alignment with specific business categories, Bing Ads offers smart advertisers a fantastic chance to diversify their advertising strategy.Are you interested in finding out whether Bing Ads can help your business? Hit the green button and book an intro call with us today! […]Read more…
August 26, 2023Hip hop celebrates 50 years this month…and there’s a lot about business you can learn from some of the lyrics we’ve been blessed with during that time.In this post we’re taking a bit of a break from the usual to celebrate some of our favourite and most inspirational hip hop lyrics, and consider what we can learn from them about business.These lyrics span West Coast to East Coast, and cover most (not quite all) of the fifty years hop hop has been with us.Let’s get in to it…Cash rules everything around me
C.R.E.A.M – Wu Tang ClanLets start with a fundamental truth. As any business owner is likely well aware of, cash flow is key particularly when you’re planning to grow. It’s usually readily available when you don’t need it and in tight supply when you do so plan accordingly–Well, from my understanding people get betterWhen they start to understand that they are valuable
Fear Not of Man – Mos DefMos is a legend in the delivery of conscious hip hop, exemplified by these lines. People are more important even than the cash if you want to succeed, and so make sure they know how important they are to you.–Stay far from timidOnly make moves when your heart’s in itAnd live the phrase “sky’s the limit”
Sky’s the limit – BiggieCan’t talk about hip hop without mentioning the Notorious B.I.G. Business is for the bold – remember why you started in the first place, and go B.I.G.–I got a million ways to get it, choose oneBring it back, now double your money and make it stackI’m on to the next one
On to the next one – Jay ZSticking in NY, mister board room rap himself Jay-Z reminds us that there literally are a million ways to succeed in business. Success is about forward momentum, “cause it’s all about progression, Loiterers should be arrested“–Keep integrity at every cost
Bridging the gap – NasI like this one so much its one of our company’s foundational values. Plus there’s no way Nas wasn’t going to make it on to this list.This line speaks for itself–I learned workin’ with the negatives could make for better pictures
HYFR – Drake ft Lil’ WayneLet’s face it, business isn’t a one way street of success – but it’s the failures that can actually move you on more than the successes if you pay them the right attention and use them as a tool to learn from–If it don’t make dollars it don’t make sense
Ayo – TygaPerhaps in the world of social enterprise not so relevant, but for most business owners out there, continuation & profitability of the business is paramount and so you NEED to double down on the activities that are making you money and drop those that don’tAdvice that Tyga’s ex and richest young person in the world Kiley Jenner has obviously taken to heart…–Thinking of a masterplan …Cause ain’t nothing’ but sweat inside my hand
Paid in Full – Eric B & RakimOld school wisdom & one of the first hip hop tracks I owned. Love how this is about strategy, hard work and the hard times that often come while you’re waiting to make it, conveyed so perfectly in just 12 words–Life without knowledge is death in disguise
K.O.S – Black StarWe’ve already featured some Mos Def advice, now time for this gem from his Black Star bandmate Talib KweliThe most successful and most interesting people I know are the knowledge-hungry ones – and I don’t mean people who just read the business success books. Read & consume knowledge widely, about everything, because you never know where inspiration will come from (Like hip hop lyrics for example…)–Man I’m working so hardWhen the check hit the bank, s**t, I ain’t even notice
Back to business – Dr DreThere’s a real lack of West Coast representation here so far so time for some words from Beats founder & business mogul Mr Andre Young.This line from unreleased vault track Back to Business typifies Dre’s attitude to hard work and is a blueprint to live by–I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man
Diamonds from Sierra Leone – Kanye West ft Jay-ZI’ll sign off with a reminder that (and I suspect this still rings true if you’re CEO of a multi-national corporation) you ARE your business & your business will be defined by who you are and what you do–Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the post, been challenged, found a tune or two you haven’t heard of before…Here’s to the next 50 years!Click here to listen to the playlist […]Read more…
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