Posted by: Docnet
in Blogs on Jan 29, 2010
Retailers are upping their online efforts in a bid to improve customer satisfaction, with quantifiable successes being reported.
Both customers in the UK and the US state they are more satisfied with retail sites last year than in 2008; approval has risen by 6.5% in the UK to 71 points, while in the US it has improved to 79 points (based on ForeSee reports). However, this 8 point margin shows that UK retailers should be doing more to improve their sites’ usability and accessibility.
There is also a marked difference in the performance of pure play online retailers vs. store based competitors. On average, those who only sold products & services online scored an extra 4 satisfaction points. The likeliest reason for this is that with resources divided across fewer channels, they have been able to invest more time and money into perfecting their online strategies. Although many store-based retailers offer customers the chance to return faulty products to local branches, the option to reserve and collect products in store is not so widely available.
However, according to eMarketer, this is to change: 50% of multi-channel retailers state this as one of their principle aims for 2010 in order to increase efficiency and improve sales, and expect to have it in place by the end of the year. Smaller independent retailers with multiple stores who wish to introduce greater online / offline and inter-store integration for the benefit of their customers should read about Docnet’s electronic point of sale (EPOS) system. We’ve just posted a new page outlining the benefits & features of EPOS, so if you count yourself amongst the forward thinking 50% of retailers this year, and want to increase sales and reduce costs, visit it today and contact us with any questions you may have.
Posted by: Docnet
in Blogs on Jan 20, 2010
The question is, ‘Is it really worth the effort?’
Perhaps you're an avid Twitter, Facebook and blog-user in your private time, or maybe you have only the faintest notion what those phrases mean. Whichever camp you're in, you're probably wondering how (or even if) social media can be usefully applied to a B2B company. We're here to show you how it can.
Some B2Bs can be remarkably hard on themselves, claiming they're not interesting enough to command a social media following. Others dismiss it as a drain of productivity; a waste of time, sceptical of social media's ability to generate actual finances.
So why bother?
For an initial expenditure of next to nothing, you get access to an entirely new audience to communicate with; social media is also remarkably easy to use.
* Start Making Friends - Start by inviting and searching for existing contacts and develop it from there: invite the prospects you meet at networking events and business opportunities you acquire through marketing. Publicise your social media accounts on your web site; your email and marketing collateral, and provide an incentive to join to get a healthy following. Then use your accounts to develop promising business opportunities and increase your PR & networking potential.
* Keep It Efficient - Because it's free, social media only costs you the time you put into it. Thankfully, it doesn't have to cost much: most of the main social media sites now integrate with each other, meaning you can update one account and have the rest update automatically. Broadcasting your news across social media suddenly shrinks from a fifty minute chore to five minute job.
* Know Where To Go - You only need to use the main social media sites to achieve a satisfyingly broad coverage (Facebook, Twitter, Del.Ic.Ious, Technorati and LinkedIn are the big five). Keep it simple though: build social media around your business, not the other way round. Docnet doesn't have a Facebook page because we don’t find it relevant, but our staff use Twitter, Del.Ic.Ious and LinkedIn to spread news, attract interest and develop business opportunities. Pick and choose the channels you prefer, and add more later on if the need arises.
* Get Known - Finally, in the world of B2B sales where competition is fierce and differentiation hard to come by, having a social media presence automatically singles you out as a different breed of business from the rest. It will also help you to publicise how ethical, environmentally-friendly, innovative, efficient and approachable you are by using it parallel to traditional PR and advertising efforts. This will ensure maximum coverage for minimum cost.
And if you still need persuading that social media can help your business? Speak to Docnet for a thorough, truthful diagnosis of your online marketing needs.
Posted by: Docnet
in Blogs on Jan 13, 2010
The lines between social media and search engine optimisation are blurred with one often directly influencing the other. This leaves some business leaders worrying whether they’re losing a clear perspective on their activities in these areas.
If you count yourself among this crowd, don’t be hard on yourself: the very fact that search engine optimisation and social media are in some ways interchangeable is more of a benefit than a hindrance to you. By investing time and money into one, you’ll actually achieve results in both.
If you’re still doubtful whether social media is worthwhile, think about it this way:
* The higher your profile in social media (with Facebook fans and Twitter followers) the more likely your stories will be picked up and ‘catch fire’, so to speak. They can then spread far and wide in just a few hours. Widespread interest means more links and more links means better search rankings for you.
* You can help this process along by using your personal social media accounts to publicise the news. So can your team. Provide an incentive for them to spread the message and get your stories mentioned on as many other people’s Twitter accounts and blogs as possible. This will also aid your search engine optimisation efforts.
Make sure you and your team is briefed on the search phrases you want to be ranked most highly for, and direct your social media activities around this knowledge.
Lines don’t always have to be sharply defined – allow the effects of social media and SEO to cross-over and your online presence will develop much faster.
Posted by: Docnet
in Blogs on Dec 22, 2009
With reports indicating another year of growth for online retail in the US and UK (comScore have calculated a 3% year-on-year growth in US online retail over the 41 prime retail days from November – December 2009), businesses should consider what plans they have in place for making sales on Christmas Day - December 25th.
Posted by: Docnet
in Blogs on Dec 18, 2009
In a recent Econsultancy blog post, tech reporter Patricio Robles asks whether Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is being kept such a level playing field by Google and what that means for online retailers.
Posted by: Docnet
in Blogs on Nov 24, 2009
"If you’re about to launch a paid search ad on Google, double-check you’ve considered the following first, or risk wasting those precious bids..."
Having paid search campaigns in the bigger search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing can be great for driving sales and attracting attention in a short space of time. While the return on investment might be lower than say, email marketing or search engine optimisation, at least you aren’t limited by the depth of your existing email address book or having to wait for optimisation changes to take effect. A whole new audience is opened up to you.
This quick turnaround time is just what retailers, both on and offline need this time of year. Shoppers are turning to the web to find great deals and discounts, principally through the search engines. However, in their rush to attract browsers’ attention, retailers can forget to cross all the t’s and dot the i’s on their paid search campaigns,. This has been confirmed by a recent report that states only 34% of Christmas-themed ads direct browsers to retail pages!
If you’re about to launch a paid search ad on Google, double-check you’ve considered the following first, or risk wasting those precious bids:
* Does the ad text match the landing page content? – It may sound like a ‘no-brainer’, but when you consider the limited characters paid ads allow you to use, you have to target the phrase you are bidding on exactly to stand a chance of capturing attention and relevant traffic. Likewise, when browsers click your paid ad, they’ll be expecting bold references to what you’ve advertised. This continuity should extend to any Christmas related branding you’ve chosen.
* Are you sending browsers to the right landing page? – Some may argue that getting traffic to your site, regardless of what page they arrive on, is better than nothing. That may be so if you’ve got deep, deep pockets, but you’ll be paying for every click regardless, and if browsers can’t spot what they’re looking for straightaway, they’ll click the back button without a second’s thought. Instead of sending users to your home page, link to an up to date product page, or create a new one entirely that capitalises on the targeted interest.
Posted by: Docnet
in Blogs on Nov 19, 2009
Tagged in: Untagged
"The email doesn’t always have to sell; it can inform, educate and entertain by equal measures... think of other ways you can engage the audience."
Posted by: Docnet
in Blogs on Nov 16, 2009
How quickly does your web site take to load on average?
Posted by: Docnet
in Blogs on Nov 11, 2009
You can’t outbid a competitor with deeper pockets in paid search, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make more sales than them. Here are three tips gained from our experience to increase your click-through and conversion rates on paid search ads - none of which involve increasing your paid search budget.
Posted by: Docnet
in Blogs on Nov 10, 2009
Brand awareness is a valuable asset – but what is your brand being associated with online? Are your social media efforts simply about having a presence in the community, so that you don’t appear behind the times?
