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Dabrian Marketing Group

See “Green” with Google Analytics

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Google Analytics (GA) is a service offered by Google that generates detailed statistics about a website’s traffic and traffic sources and measures conversions and sales. GA can track visitors from all sources, including search engines, social networks, direct visits, and referring sites. GA offers an incredible amount of insight into your website’s visitor activity. In fact, many people who use GA don’t fully utilize all the functionality within it. Here are a few ways you can use GA to grow sales and increase return on investment (ROI).

Utilize Customer Segments

One way you can use GA to be more effective is to utilize customer segments. This will help you gain better insights on the different segments for better marketing while helping you save more money and increase your overall ROI. For example, maybe you want to see the percentage at which mobile vs. non-mobile visitors convert between the hours of 9am and 5pm. Or, maybe you want to see how organic search visitors compare to paid search visitors. It is easier to compare and contrast different groups when you can see them side-by-side.

Pay Attention to Your Mobile Users

iPhones and iPads and Droids….Oh my! As technology has continued to advance, the days of visitors strictly coming to a website via their desktop are long gone. More and more visitors today are coming from some sort of mobile device. Do you have a significant portion of visitors coming from a mobile device? If so, are they using smartphones or tablets? Do they convert as well as non-mobile users? These are just some of the questions you will be able to answer by utilizing GA. Something as simple as just adding a mobile theme can be helpful, but proactively and regularly addressing problem areas can incrementally improve conversion rates over time.

Set-Up Event Tracking

Event tracking allows you to see all kinds of interesting moments that do not end up at a thank you or confirmation page with its own URL.  For example, if you know that people who download a white paper are three times more likely to convert, you can adjust your promotions and more prominently feature your white papers on your site. Understanding what information prospects are seeking & clicking will significantly help you when it comes to optimizing the user experience.

Create and Use Custom Reports

By taking advantage of custom reporting you have the ability to create, save, and edit to get a specific view of your data. Jumping back and forth between several reports to see data that you might think would be visible within a single report can be frustrating and stressful. GA’s custom reporting can help you to alleviate some of that stress. Creating custom reports is quick and easy, and it will help you save time and money while making it easier to share with decision makers.

Determine the Source of Traffic

Determining from where and why people are coming to your site in the first place is invaluable information. Referrals may be one of the ways people are getting to your site. You could be surprised at the amount of traffic you are getting from a few websites. Search could be another way you are receiving traffic. If Search drives a significant portion of your data, keyword reports are an invaluable source of data. Campaigns are yet another way people could be arriving at your site. If you’ve been properly tagging your outbound emails, paid search efforts, etc., they will show up here. This will give you a quick place to compare all campaigns against each other. It is extremely important to identify the sources & mediums that are sending the most relevant traffic. In other words, know which prospects are converting the most.

Conclusion

GA can be an extremely useful tool when it comes to tracking your visitor activity and using the data gathered to help increase conversions. The ideas mentioned above are only a few of the ways you can benefit from utilizing GA to its full potential. There are many other ways that GA can help you to increase conversions and improve ROI.
To learn more about how GA can help you increase conversions and improve ROI, please comment below or call us at 610-743-5602.

DaBrian Marketing Group, LLC Chosen by Regional Self-Storage Provider for Website Redesign

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Reading, PA, April 20, 2013 -(PR.com)- Storage World, a leading provider of self-storage units and storage supplies, has selected Reading-based digital marketing agency DaBrian Marketing Group, LLC to design its new website.

Operating out of 9 locations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Storage World has made a name for itself by providing a variety of storage options to suit any need. Their advanced facilities include climate-controlled units as well as state-of-the-art 24/7 rental & payment kiosks. These kiosks allow customers to perform specific account actions such as renting a storage unit, reserving a space, paying their bill, purchasing a lock and more.

“We wanted to provide Storage World with an innovative solution, both to their website’s brand consistency and overall functionality,” said Daniel Laws, Principal of DaBrian Marketing Group, LLC. “It was also critical that we improved each storage facility’s local search engine optimization to reduce overall costs per acquisition while improving relevant traffic surrounding their local storage facilities. I’m confident that we’ve delivered that for Storage World.”

DaBrian Marketing Group, LLC designed and developed Storage World’s website using the open-source WordPress Content Management System, greatly improving the site’s usability, better reinforcing Storage World’s brand, and affording opportunities for custom content and more effective digital marketing campaigns.

“Storage World decided to go with DaBrian Marketing because we felt that we were under-performing against our competition from a digital standpoint,” said Annie Quinn, VP of Operations for Storage World. “Once we heard their ideas and saw how knowledgeable they were in providing solutions for our new website, SEO, and PPC campaigns, it was an easy decision. Now, we are saving money and coming out ahead of our competition in all markets. DaBrian Marketing delivered and continues to deliver quality service and innovative solutions.”

With this fresh, new website design, Storage World can begin to proactively build a substantial digital presence and further expand its marketing capabilities. Storage World’s redesigned website can be found at StorageWorldOnline.com.

About DaBrian Marketing Group, LLC

Since 2008, DaBrian Marketing Group, LLC (DMG) has been a digital agency focused on providing marketing solutions to businesses that want to obtain digital awareness, cultivate meaningful customer relationships, and develop innovative strategies. DMG’s services include email marketing, search engine optimization, website design, web analytics, social media marketing and more. Company headquarters are centrally located at 500 Penn Street Suite 201, Reading, Pennsylvania 19602. For more information about DMG, visit www.dabrianmarketing.com or call 610-743-5602.

Why Better Measurement Leads to New Memberships

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The financial services environment has always been competitive, but with today’s economic climate, prospects are more wary than ever. They are hesitant to spend and invest, and hunt for the best interest rates and terms for lines of credit. Traditional banks and credit unions are now engaging in marketing battles to win these prospects over. Credit unions in particular have seen a spike in visibility and interest as prospects grow more wary of big box, traditional banks.

Lack of Measurement = Missed Opportunities

Credit unions (big and small) are now candidates in the eyes of prospects. As such, they are pitted against the larger chain banks for accounts, investments, and lending. Since credit unions tend to lack the virtually-bottomless marketing budgets that the chains do, they have to ensure that they are getting the greatest return-on-investment for their offerings and tactics. Herein lies the problem: these institutions lack visibility into the effectiveness of dated and untested marketing methods. If any measurement is taking place, it is often in a vacuum with an extreme disconnect between traditional and digital methods. The disconnect between the two marketing realms leads to inaccurate attribution.

This is not to say that any of these traditional tactics are worthless – there were surely additional revenues brought in via those billboards and banner ads. Financial institutions have been running some of those traditional methods for years, so there’s often a level of efficiency that comes with that level of experience. However, as Peter Drucker (business guru and philosopher) would say, “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” Those banner ads and billboard campaigns might be as optimized as they could possibly be – but are they generating enough incremental business? Are they right for your institution?

Marketing to the Beat of the Analytics Drum

So we’ve established that there is a problem with using dated and untested methods to measure marketing (or a total lack thereof). How can we alleviate this? By developing a solid measurement strategy across the marketing board. This will enable your institution to market based on solid analytical insights, not just on what your competitor across the street is doing. How do you even know what they’re doing is right?

I will not lie: developing a good measurement strategy is not easy. It requires cooperation of everyone on your team; from marketing to IT. It will also cost time and resources, so buy-in from the decision-makers will need to be secured. It should be an easy sell, however. Ensure that they understand the impact of measurable results tied to ROI and how they can be used to increase memberships and improve marketing effectiveness.

Following the prospective member journey from start to finish (regardless of marketing channel!) leads to an unprecedented level of attribution and ROI analysis.

The insights gathered will not only allow for leaner, more efficient marketing tactics (i.e. less money spent with more targeted results), but they will also lead to improved member and customer relations. The user experience can be optimized through the entire process, from marketing and beyond.

Are you a credit union marketer with some marketing challenges? Leave a comment below or reach out to us on Twitter or Google+ and we’ll be happy to answer your questions!

Google Authorship and You: It’s Not About the Rank

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Google Authorship isn’t a new phenomenon; it was actually announced back in 2011 by Google’s web spam guru, Matt Cutts. Its purpose? To easily attribute and connect authors to the content they create across the web. Since its release, the authorship process has evolved and changed numerous times. If you Google around, you’ll find boatloads of posts sharing the ins and outs of setting up your own authorship, and before you know it, you’ll be able to confidently proclaim, “There is my content, hear it roar!”.

But that’s not what we’re going to talk about today. This week, we’ll discuss how authorship can change both the way you approach content creation as well as how it affects your overall strategy for digital marketing.

First Things First

It’s not all about AuthorRank. There, we said it. It’s neither what this post is about nor authorship itself. Many resources out there have discussed this elusive metric as both the key to a higher search engine ranking and as Google’s sick and twisted way of making the SEO world even more complicated. The real marketing value, both of Google Authorship and your individual AuthorRank, boils down to one thing—valuable content.

You may be wondering what this means, but think about it. Grabbing hold of the notions that a) implementing authorship throughout your business’s marketing will boost your overall search ranking and b) AuthorRank is the only thing about Authorship that matters, sounds like a pretty narrow (and risky) approach to content marketing and SEO.

With these two marketing powerhouses, it’s vitally important to keep in mind that each takes a certain level of devotion and that each is a process. These campaigns evolve and change as your business’s goals do. They reflect the marketing efforts of top competitors, and most of all, they must be able to account for changes and updates from Google.

So, What's the Reward?

So what’s the honest-to-goodness value of Authorship? Let’s break it down:

  • Authorship allows content you’ve authored to be attributed directly to you and sites you’re affiliated with. Generally, this leads to more site traffic, CTR’s, and conversions, not to mention a major boost in your credibility

  • Authorship affords additional link building opportunities and more visibility due to the direct tie it shares with social media
  • Authorship will create major opportunities for more specific measurement tactics and better analytics tools in the future

  • Above all, Authorship can play a huge role in crafting a more effective content marketing strategy and reinforces the connection between all digital marketing campaigns

And, of course, there’s always that SERP ranking and increased organic traffic. But now we know it’s so much more than that, right?

How has your experience with Authorship shaped your marketing strategy? Give us a shout in the comments below!

VIDEO: Discover Marketing ROI using Google Analytics

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Marketing can be one of the most fun and exciting fields to work in, but sometimes there’s those times when a campaign doesn’t seem to yield any incremental business. A real buzz kill, to say the least. This might be an indication that the campaign was a wash, however there’s still a chance that it may have had more of a positive impact on your bottom line than you may have thought.

Our lead Web Analyst Brandon Wensing’s latest video demonstrates how you can improve the measurement of those marketing tactics to allow for better insights on ROI. Focusing on the multiple touch points that your customers have with your website can shine more light on campaigns and mediums that you may have written off before simply because they weren’t leading directly to purchases or conversions in the same session.

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more updates and tips like this for improving your marketing effectiveness!

How Email Marketing Can Generate Sales

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Email marketing plays a major role in any digital marketing strategy. According to a Forrester report, repeat customers tend to be more heavily influenced by email. Email allows you to reach out to customers, gain increased visibility with prospects, or share your latest news and promotions. When done correctly, email marketing platforms bring together a host of tools that drive more leads, sales, & revenue.

Build Awareness

Email marketing is more than just sending out a generic email and hoping that prospects read it and respond. In order to build awareness through email marketing, it is crucial that you send out email communications with your customized brand, look, and feel. Including your colors, logo, contact information, and social networks will help entice prospects to not only read but also click within your email communications. The integration of social media within your email communications will help you build awareness as well. Integrating social media will allow you to publish emails straight to your social networks after you send. It will also give your readers the option to share with their friends and followers which will expand your reach and visibility.

Increase Engagement

One of the best ways to increase engagement through email marketing is to segment your lists to target prospects with tailored content. Segmenting your lists will allow you to create the perfect message for your group of customers. Email testing, optimization, and response tracking will also help to increase the engagement of your email campaigns. There are several different components that you can test within your emails. These include: subject line, day of the week, time of day, layout of the email, etc. Testing, optimizing, and tracking will help you to identify and analyze what works best so that you can make improvements which will help increase engagement.

Automate Email Campaigns

Auto-responders are a great way to automate your email campaigns. Automation helps businesses drive revenue by converting more leads into customers. It will allow you to follow up and reach out automatically based on your readers’ actions or important dates, and gives you the ability to send more personalized messages with less time and hassle.

Summary

Email marketing can be a great way to reach out to customers and gain increased visibility with prospects. Following best practices and using everything at your disposal are crucial to a successful email marketing campaign. Using the tools explained above to build awareness, increase engagement, and automate your email campaigns will help you generate leads and gain more sales opportunities.

If you would like to learn more about how Email Marketing can help your business drive sales, please comment below or call us at 610-743-5602.