So here you are, a small business owner/operator with a great-looking site on the World Wide Web. You’ve received some decent comments and feedback from people (who are not your family), so you think it must be working for you. But how do you know for sure?

What if I told you that there is a way to know for sure, and it’s absolutely free? I’m talking about a Web analytics program brought to you by the people who make it easy for you to access all the information the Internet has to offer, with just a few keystrokes: Google Analytics.

What is Google Analytics? Let’s imagine your site is a physical store with customers strolling in and out all day. Now imagine that you’ve set up a camera that tracks their every movement inside your store to make it easy for you to determine which entrance they typically come through, how long their visits last, which items they’re looking at, how long they spend looking at each item, and so on. How great would it be to have that kind of information at your fingertips? Well, that’s what Google Analytics can do for you, when it comes to getting the most from your website. And, as I mentioned earlier, it’s free. So if you’re not already using it, now is a good time to start!

With Google Analytics, you’ll be able to pinpoint those areas where minor changes could yield major results. Let’s take a look at some of the tools available:

• Search Engine Keywords: Which keywords will drive the most traffic to your site, and from which search engine(s).

• Best Pages: Identify your top-performing pages in terms of sales, views, registrations or other criteria you have established for your site, and then boost traffic to those areas. Remember to consider factors such as time spent on those pages and bounce rate (individuals viewing the pages and then leaving without any further activity) to get an even clearer picture.

• Exit Pages: Discover which areas on your site cause potential customers to lose interest and leave.

• Referring Sites: Determine which websites are sending people to your site so you can reach out to them to fine-tune the referring links/content.

• Navigation Summary: Get a visual representation of how your visitors are navigating through your designated hierarchy. Identify where they are straying from your intended path and then refine that path accordingly.

• On-site Search: If your site is enabled with search functionality, find out what your patrons are looking for and then figure out how to help them find it faster.

Google Analytics offers many additional features and functions that you can leverage to gain significant insights into your intended audience’s interactions with your site, but the above-mentioned suggestions should get you well on your way. The main thing to remember is, no matter what type of website you have, you need to understand what draws people to it in the first place, what makes them stick around long enough to engage in your definition of a “successful transaction,” and what will bring them back again in the future, hopefully, with a few friends along for the ride.

BONNIE SOKOLOFF currently works as an Internal Communications Specialist for Staples Canada. She has over 15 years of experience with copywriting, editing and print production.

You already know how your BlackBerry smartphone makes it easier for you to run your business.  Now, Research in Motion has decided to sweeten the pot with the introduction of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.  The PlayBook is positioned as the “world’s first professional-grade tablet” and there are a few features that substantiate the claim:

• Robust and stable QNX (pronounced “que-nix”) operating system.
• Powerful hardware, including a dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM.
• True multitasking capability and HDMI connectivity for presentations.
• Encrypted Bluetooth® tethering with existing BlackBerry smartphones (running OS 5.0 or later).

The last feature listed is probably most relevant for businesses.  When pairing a BlackBerry smartphone to the BlackBerry PlayBook, users will gain expanded functionality of their PlayBook tablet – think of this feature as a larger window into the BlackBerry smartphone.

The secure connection (256-bit AES), known as BlackBerry Bridge, allows users to operate the BlackBerry smartphone email client and calendar on the PlayBook tablet (among other applications).  The advantage to users is a better graphical user interface and larger screen.  In addition, the secure BlackBerry Bridge connection also provides PlayBook owners a secure connection to the Internet using the BIS/BES BlackBerry smartphone connection.  Once the tethered connection is disconnected, all data is removed from the PlayBook tablet, ensuring maximum corporate security.  If you’re on the go and need to transfer sensitive data, the BlackBerry PlayBook / smartphone combination is your best option.  Very cool indeed.

To learn more about the BlackBerry PlayBook and to see videos of the tablet in action, follow the link below.

>>learn more about the BlackBerry PlayBook

So what do you think?  Could you see yourself integrating the PlayBook into your day to day business activities?

We’d love to hear from you!

Your customers are talking about you. Are you listening? Whether they use social networks, online tools, or a myriad of other media, your customers are reviewing you, rating you, and ranting about you to friends, peers, and perfect strangers. Disappoint your customers with poor service and they won’t take it quietly. Give them a great experience and they will become powerful and loyal advocates, pointing others your way. Customer interaction today is a whole new ballgame; are you prepared to play and win? Pay Attention! enables you to successfully navigate today’s customer feedback landscape and turn that feedback into your competitive edge. By outlining the complete Pay Attention system, this up-to-the-minute guide gives you a practical, step-by-step toolbox you can use immediately to achieve topnotch customer interactions. The fundamental customer-business relationship is changing. Companies that understand and adapt to the new rules will beat the competition and gain market share. Pay Attention! offers a proven system you can use to revitalize the way you approach your customers and customer service, while gaining major business insights in the process. The next level of customer interaction, acquisition, and retention awaits you; all you need is to Pay Attention!

Brief Excerpt

The Power of Online Megaphones

Long gone are the days when customers made their voices heard only through 800 numbers, email messages, or face-to-face interactions, or by telling neighbors over the back fence how horrible–or surprisingly wonderful–was the service they received at the dry cleaner, local restaurant, bank, or website. Now they more commonly speak through the virtual megaphones known as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites, as well as by posting reviews of businesses they frequent on sites like Yelp or CitySearch. Many more make their voices heard through discussion boards and dedicated product review areas on company websites. Although accurate user numbers are hard to come by, it’s safe to say many millions of people are using these tools on a daily basis. “An entire generation is growing up that will never dial a 1-800 number to reach customer care,” says Amanda Mooney, a digital media strategist with Edelman Digital, a division of Edelman Public Relations. But it isn’t just teenagers or twenty-somethings using social media. According to a 2009 study from Pew Internet and the American Life Project, the median age of Facebook users is now 33, up from 26 in May 2008; the median age of Twitter users is 31 and LinkedIn users is 39. Businesses of all sizes also have become regular users of social networks to market products, keep tabs on consumer opinions and engage customers on the turf where they feel most comfortable.

When today’s customers are upset by customer service experiences, the first place many turn to vent their frustrations is the Web. A 2008 study by TARP Worldwide Inc., an Arlington, Virginia-based customer service research firm, found, for example, that twelve percent of dissatisfied online customers told their “buddy lists” about the experience–lists that average more than sixty persons. On average, four times more people on the Web hear about negative experiences than positive ones, according to TARP research.

 About the Authors

Ann Thomas is coauthor of 101 Activities for Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service, and the senior consultant and lead facilitator with Performance Research Associates (PRA) since 1999. Her work focuses on improving service quality, diversity awareness, generational differences, sales, performance management, and professional development. Ann brings nearly thirty years’ experience in consulting and training to each of her clients, including Marriott ExecuStay, Accenture, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and many others. Ann is also a member of the faculty for the American Management Association and is a regular presenter for Progressive Business Conferences. Jill Applegate is project manager and client coordinator with Performance Research Associates. She served as right hand to the late Ron Zemke for nearly fifteen years and takes seriously the responsibility of wowing customers. Jill works closely with PRA clients to ensure that their efforts hit the mark. She is also a coauthor of 101 Activities for Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service.

• 44% of employee handhelds connected to the Intel network are personal devices;
• Any Intel employee, regardless of role, who expresses an interest in social media can engage in online conversations or blogs;
• All Intel employee PCs are issued with administrator privileges enabled;
• 100% of Intel employees complete mandatory annual security training.

What’s the common thread here? I would suggest it’s Malcolm Harkins, Intel’s Chief Information Security Officer, and his maxim: “people are the new perimeter.” It’s a powerful statement because it acknowledges the human element in practices more often handled purely from a technology point of view.
 
What Malcolm and his team recognized was that no matter how hard you try to lock down the system to minimize risk, any individual with enough drive or persistence will find a way through. Worse than that, you may not even realize there is a breach or where it has occurred. So why not approach security from the behavioural side? Through the mandatory training, make it clear to everyone where risks exist, what they look like, the potential impact to the company, and how to avoid them. And in the case of social media, be transparent with expectations and guidelines.
 
The challenges facing businesses will only get more difficult as new tools and disruptive technologies (hello, tablet PCs!) continue to emerge. It would be foolhardy and shortsighted if the de facto response was to block and reject anything new. We’re doing business at a time when information sharing, collaboration and portability are critical factors that help to drive innovation and competitive advantage. Or in Malcolm’s words, “you may slow things or temporarily reduce risk by attempting to block the use, but you will miss the opportunity to shape the risk by engaging it.”
 
How does your corporate IT policy deal with personal devices or social media? Please share your thoughts with us!

Elaine Mah joined Intel Canada in 2005 as Canadian Business Marketing Manager. She is responsible for Intel’s brand management, product positioning, product launch management and marketing research, as well as sales and integrated marketing communications, advertising and promotional campaigns designed to reach Canadian business customers. Prior to assuming this position, Elaine was Vice President at Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG, where she was responsible for planning and strategy on accounts including Direct Energy, Volvo, and Yahoo!, along with new business development. A marketing professional for over 20 years, Elaine received her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta.

“Like many other creative types in the web industry, our copywriters were not clear on image copyright laws, and we were taught an expensive lesson,” said Rick Sloboda, Senior Web Copywriter at webcopyplus, which provides designers and businesses optimized web content. “We’re sharing our story, so others can learn from our experience and avoid the same mistake.”

In May, 2010, with the assumption web images without copyright notices were “public domain” and free to use, a webcopyplus copywriter used Google images to find an unmarked 400 x 300 pixel scenic photo to complement an article for a tourism client’s blog.

In December, 2010, the client received a formal cease and desist demand and copyright infringement claim letter, demanding the following actions:

1. Immediately cease and desist all unlicensed uses of the image, and delete all copies from computers and digital storage devices.

2. Remit almost $4,000 to the lawyer’s trust account.

The image was removed within minutes, and a letter of apology was sent. However, following several emails, which included requests for proof of copyright registration and ownership, a counter offer, and the threat of additional legal fees and court action, webcopyplus ultimately opted to settle for $4,000.

“While we accepted responsibility and were willing to settle from the start, we felt the amount was excessive,” said Sloboda. “However, our client was caught in the middle of this matter, and he’d be the one who’d get subpoenaed, so we needed to resolve this issue promptly.”

While copyright laws are complex, Sloboda encourages other creative types and marketers to follow this simple guide: if an image or work is on the Internet and others wrote or created it, do not use it without their permission.

“Ironically, since our start in 2006, this was the only image we ever acquired for a client’s project,” said Sloboda. “Had we purchased a photo from a stock image website, it would have spared us a lot of time and money.”

There are several elements surrounding copyright laws that designers and marketers should explore, including ‘Fair Use,’ where copyrighted work is used for teaching or news, and ‘Creative Commons’, where photographers let people share and use photographs with certain conditions, both which webcopyplus touches on in an article titled Legal Lesson Learned: Copywriter Pays $4,000 for a $10 Photo.

“As copywriters, we work with and rely on a range of creative types and specialists, including photographers,” said Sloboda. “We didn’t mean any disregard for this profession and now have a greater awareness and appreciation for the fact that freely using photos from the web diminishes a photographer’s income and livelihood. We apologize for and regret our action, and we’ve created internal policies to ensure it won’t happen again.”

For specific information or clarification on copyright laws, one should seek the professional advice of a copyright lawyer.

Link: http://blog.webcopyplus.com/2011/02/14/legal-lesson-learned-copywriter-pays-4000-for-10-photo/

Is your web copy right?
Find out at www.webcopyplus.com

Rick Sloboda is a Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus http://www.webcopyplus.com/, which helps designers and businesses boost online traffic, leads and sales with optimized web content. Clients range from independent retailers to some of the world’s largest service providers, including AT&T (formerly Cingular), Quest Diagnostics and Scotia Bank. Rick advocates clear, concise and objective website content that promotes readability and usability, and conducts web content studies with organizations in Europe and the U.S., including Yale University. He speaks frequently at web-related forums and seminars, including Small Business BC, Content Convergence & Integration, SUCCESS and HRMA. Rick also serves as a consultant to various organizations, such as the Web Development Advisory Committee at Vancouver, B.C.’s Langara College.

4. The best brand-building vehicle

Rather than looking to sell products through your Facebook page, recognize that most Fans are seeking an educational experience. The more value-added information you can provide, the more your brand will become a trusted resource. As you begin your Facebook strategy, think about how you can help your Fan base. Provide good advice by educating them about topics based on your area of expertise. A good example is to feature a post about “the top ten things to look for when buying a (your company’s offering). Fans love to be informed. Taking a leadership position on specific topics can secure trust and brand loyalty. A good way to learn more is to follow Facebook marketing to discover how Facebook drives results with other organizations.

5. The use of promotional coupons

I am often asked about the use of coupons with Facebook. Used wisely, coupons on Facebook can become a leading sales channel. However, this tool is frequently misused; for example, the company that offers coupons on Facebook just to sell items so they can clear inventory, or using coupons to drive sales that coerce consumers into purchasing additional items. These tactics rarely get results and will turn off Fans. The best use of promotional coupons is when Fans select the “deal.” Try posting three different coupons and ask your Fans to participate by selecting which they feel would be the best offer. The most Fan votes to a particular coupon will be the one you should move forward with. By doing this, your Fans enjoy the gamesmanship of voting. Moreover, Fans appreciate the fun, and by posting voting results throughout the contest, you can even get Fans to solicit other non-Fans to become members so they can boost the voting for the non-leading coupon.

Conclusion

Every small business can increase their brand strength through a Facebook presence. By using the tips in this article, you can quickly get started promoting your company and building a Fan base. Use your website to post a Facebook invite, along with including your Facebook page URL on signatures, letterhead, labels, etc. Learning how to advertise on Facebook is a great way to promote your business. Facebook even offers a number of guidelines and recommendations to get you started. The main thing is to get started right away and enjoy all the valuable relationships you can create.

Darrell is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Conversys. His focus is to steward the North American growth for Digital Promotions Marketing. His career spans a wide range of technology and Internet companies throughout North America and the UK. From small start-ups to Fortune 500 firms, Darrell excels at bridging offline business processes with effective online channels. He is currently a Board of Director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Club of Canada (RAC), and former Board of Director of the Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada.

Ok, you own a small business and you’re trying to figure out the best approach for using Facebook to help grow your brand, increase your sales and drive new customers. This can be challenging, as there is little enough time in your day to read a Facebook profile, let alone write and maintain one. Furthermore, your experience in social media is limited. You’ve read a number of articles and looked at a few Facebook pages, but overall, you are in uncharted waters. After reviewing a number of social media case studies for small business owners, I have put together five conditions for cultivating a successful Facebook strategy.

1. In for a penny, in for a pound

Facebook fans expect a lot for their participation. Their attention spans are exceedingly short, especially if your Facebook content is only changed sporadically or you wait too long to update information. For the best results while hosting and managing a Facebook page, get into a weekly (or daily) habit of updating content, changing images, adding incentives and providing good educational and informative content. Fans will see your commitment and give you their “attention monopoly” if you follow this rule.

2. Slow and steady wins the race

Savvy marketers know that promotion depends on multiple reoccurrences for impact. Therefore, when building your Facebook strategy, count on a slow drip of Fan increases rather than a home run promotion that doubles and triples your fan base. With the fragmentation of information out there, Fans are choosy about which Facebook pages they get sticky with. The good news: the difference between Facebook vs. more traditional marketing/promotional channels means that the small business owner needs only invest as little as two hours per week. Over time, your Fans will begin to provide feedback and start communicating directly with you. Although entrepreneurs start off enthusiastically, it’s important to remember that you are building a relationship with your Fans and not building a selling channel. It takes time to build trust.

3. Interact with each fan

Since the Fan base for small business owners is typically smaller than that of large organizations, who can have upwards of tens of thousands of Fans, small business owners can use this opportunity to reach out to their Fans more intimately by building a direct connection to hearing their voices. It’s a good idea to interact with each new fan on an individual basis. The viral effect of this intimacy can become greatly appreciated across unknown groups. The most hidden sub-culture within Facebook is comprised of the local “Mom” groups looking for family-friendly activities, sharing parenting ideas and yes, learning about good products and services from other group members. You never know if you have a Fan that may be part of a larger group that can springboard additional Fan participation and loyalty.

Stay tuned for PART TWO of Five conditions for cultivating a successful Facebook strategy on Monday.

Darrell is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Conversys. His focus is to steward the North American growth for Digital Promotions Marketing. His career spans a wide range of technology and Internet companies throughout North America and the UK. From small start-ups to Fortune 500 firms, Darrell excels at bridging offline business processes with effective online channels. He is currently a Board of Director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Club of Canada (RAC), and former Board of Director of the Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada.

Make it easy for visitors to share what they find on your site.

Godin liked the “send this page to a friend” functionality offered by some websites. By providing a little bit of information, such as name and email address, visitors could email pages to friends.

Since the publication of Godin’s book, the ability to share online information with friends and colleagues has grown exponentially. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter make it easy for visitors to share with their networks. Today, sharing a favourite blog post or YouTube video is as easy as a single click.

This kind of sharing has become an important marketing tool. By starting an online conversation with your customers and their networks, you can develop a stronger web presence and drive more sales.

The Best of Today’s Websites Emphasize Marketing, Not Technology

Websites have grown up, and many have adopted Godin’s ideas and recommendations. Technology has become a means, not an end. Websites are segmented to target different audiences. Sharing has become a critical marketing tactic and tool. So don’t lose too much sleep over that little monkey. He’s often getting his bananas, and some chocolate sauce too.

What do you think? Are websites doing a better job of meeting the needs of visitors? Which websites are setting new standards of excellence and which are stuck back in 2002?

Rick Sloboda is a Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus, which helps designers and businesses boost online traffic, leads and sales with optimized web content. Clients range from independent retailers to some of the world’s largest service providers, including AT&T (formerly Cingular), Quest Diagnostics and Scotia Bank. Rick advocates clear, concise and objective website content that promotes readability and usability, and conducts web content studies with organizations in Europe and the U.S., including Yale University. He speaks frequently at web-related forums and seminars, including Small Business BC, Content Convergence & Integration, SUCCESS and HRMA. Rick also serves as a consultant to various organizations, such as the Web Development Advisory Committee at Vancouver, B.C.’s Langara College.

In his 2002 book, The Big Red Fez, marketing author, Seth Godin, critiqued selected websites, commenting on how they helped or hindered their visitors. He likened the website visitor to a monkey looking for a banana. If the banana is too hard to find, then the monkey will go elsewhere. Today, are websites making it easier to find the banana or is the furry guy starving?

Godin’s Principles of Website Design and Today’s Websites

From Godin’s critique, we can derive some guiding principles for website design. Here is a brief description and thoughts on how websites today measure up:

Use technology to convey information, not obstruct it.

In his book, Godin described a company home page that comprised a list of technological requirements for viewing. If visitors didn’t have the right browser version or software plug-in, they couldn’t view the site. They needed to either download the required software or, more likely, try somewhere else.

Thankfully, we see fewer home pages like that today, but it is still common for sites to require specific software plug-ins. Website elements built in Flash or saved as PDFs still require visitors to have the appropriate software to view them.

This continues to be a challenge for website developers. Website visitors use a vast array of different hardware and software. Building a website that works for all possible combinations is time consuming and costly. For most companies, deciding how inclusive to make a site comes down to an analysis of risk and return on investment.

Limit each web page to one objective.

Godin argued that if a web page offers too many objectives, you risk alienating visitors. Instead of building one page to meet the objectives of all visitors, he recommends building different pages that cater to different needs.

Today, it is still standard practice to build one home page to handle multiple objectives. This practice might be partially a result of search engine preference for flat site architecture. It is also easier to manage and brand one domain name than several. However, aside from home pages, there has been a definite movement to build web pages specific to different markets. For example, Toyota segments its site into pages for prospective car buyers and pages for Toyota car owners. Webcopyplus also segments web copy solutions for designers and businesses.

Website segmentation reflects the influence of marketing on website development. Eight years ago, technology and engineers dominated website development. Today, companies apply fundamental marketing principles and target audiences’ needs and feedback to website design.

Stay tuned for PART TWO of The Search for Bananas: Building Better Websites on Monday.

Rick Sloboda is a Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus, which helps designers and businesses boost online traffic, leads and sales with optimized web content. Clients range from independent retailers to some of the world’s largest service providers, including AT&T (formerly Cingular), Quest Diagnostics and Scotia Bank. Rick advocates clear, concise and objective website content that promotes readability and usability, and conducts web content studies with organizations in Europe and the U.S., including Yale University. He speaks frequently at web-related forums and seminars, including Small Business BC, Content Convergence & Integration, SUCCESS and HRMA. Rick also serves as a consultant to various organizations, such as the Web Development Advisory Committee at Vancouver, B.C.’s Langara College.