Stay Updated: RSS | E-mail | Twitter

top-image

LATEST ARTICLES

Would it surprise you that a lot of strategic discussions about SEO and web marketing include little or no reference to web stats? Talking theory is fine … but those pesky facts frequently get in the way of theories and for that reason should not be disregarded. Sometimes I wonder if marketers avoid scrutinizing their stats because they don’t want to put their strategies to the test. Among other things, your web stats tell you -

  • Where your site traffic comes from
  • What keywords visitors use to find you
  • How long visitors stay on your site
  • How popular each web page is
  • Whether your traffic and other key metrics are moving up, down, or sideways

This is not bad information to know if you are investing thousands of dollars in SEO, paid search, content development, or social media.

The Best Laid Plans …

Keyword phrases that look good “on paper” don’t always generate the traffic they’re supposed to. Sometimes, blockbuster keyword phrases you would never think of crop up in actual search results – phrases that you would see in a quick glance at your analytics. Brilliantly constructed landing pages can produce embarrassingly high bounce rates. Pages whipped together as an afterthought can turn out to be sticky as hell. Monitoring site performance allows you to spot the good and the bad. More important, it allows you to make adjustments quickly and with a high degree of confidence. There’s really no reason to stumble around in the dark when formulating or evaluating a web strategy, but organizations often do just that. Why does this happen?

Insufficient knowledge base. The staff is unsure of what analytical information is important and what the numbers mean.
Stovepiped internal structures. I’ve seen organizations where the IT departments knows exactly how sites are performing, and yet the sales and marketing departments are not clear on that at all. In other situations, the web development team doesn’t really understand the objectives of the sites they’re building, so it doesn’t know exactly what to monitor.
Lack of time. When organizations are running lean, devoting significant time to analytics can seem like a luxury. It isn’t, but so often happens, when staffing is thin, the urgent displaces the important.

Focus on Your Customer

What Information Are People Looking for on Twitter?

[/caption]A lot of B2B online content is internally focused, have you noticed? Here’s why we are so great, here’s what we’ve accomplished, here’s our latest news.

By and large, people don’t care. They’re hard at work making their organizations great, pursuing their goals, and making their news.

One reason B2B firms are quick to dismiss Twitter is their inward… Continue reading

Dennis Salazar

Interview with Sustainable Packaging Specialist Dennis Salazar

Dennis Salazar is the founder and president of Salazar Packaging, Inc. He recently invented and introduced a new industrial product, the Globe Guard® Reusable Box. If you’ve ever tried, you know how difficult rolling out a new product is. Still, innovation is a phenomenal way for a small firm to differentiate itself and penetrate new markets. Here, Dennis shares some… Continue reading

You Can Walk Right By a Colorful Character

This is my contribution to Robert Hruzek’s group project, What I Learned from Colorful Characters, on Middle Zone Musings.
[/caption]
All people are colorful, but many relationships are black and white.

I knew a salesman, a rather hefty fellow, whose breakfasts consisted of pancakes smothered in butter, syrup, and grape jelly. He worked ten-hour days into his eighties.

Yogi Berra, a long retired catcher for the… Continue reading

Twitter for B2B Can Look Like This

This is the first in a mini series on Twitter for B2B.

A B2B Twitter Presence Should Balance Experimentation with Discipline

A Twitter presence can be a valuable asset for a b2b firm – or a monumental waste of time. Too often, firms go into Twitter with the attitude, Let’s give it a try and see what happens. I’m all for experimentation, but for Twitter and other social… Continue reading

Brad Clemmons

Interview with Brad Clemmons, Apex Pumping Equipment

Brad Clemmons is my friend, and owner of Apex Pumping Equipment. Brad’s firm sells industrial pumps, fire pumps, water purification systems, and related services. While some might say this is a rather ordinary business, Brad makes it extraordinary by virtue of his enthusiasm, imagination, and vision. He was nice enough to answer a few questions for me about how he leads… Continue reading

Kay Plantes

Kay Plantes is a brilliant strategic thinker and writer, published author, consultant, speaker, entrepreneur, and on top of that, a genuinely nice human being. I’ve gotten to know Kay over the last couple years helping her launch her blog. Thank you, Kay, for sharing your ideas with us today. Note: This is the first in a series on Innovation in Small Business.

Like you, I run a small business… Continue reading

Look before You Leap into B2B SEO

[/caption]SEO is important, no question about it. But there are several things that SEO is not.

  • SEO is not a be-all-end-all.
  • It is not a miracle cure for a sick web presence.
  • It is not a starting point for marketing.
  • It is not a stand alone marketing activity that can be divorced from other marketing and sales functions.

B2B companies sometimes make the… Continue reading

Page 1 of 98:1 2 3 4 »Last »
bottom-img