Tag Archive for: Digital Marketing

,

3 Things Your Business Needs BEFORE Spending A Single Cent On Ads

The biggest challenge most of my clients face is knowing what to focus on in their marketing. It can be incredibly overwhelming with all the different options and tools out there – social media platforms, advertising platforms (print and digital), search engines, autoresponders, tech tools, productivity tools – the list goes on and on. How do we know what’s right for us, and at the stage, we’re currently in?

The big mistake many business owners make is that they focus on lead generation BEFORE getting their conversions right, only to realise that they’re spending way too much money and time on marketing without getting the results they’re after.

In my 90-Day Marketing Transformation, we follow a clear marketing roadmap to help you focus on your marketing activities in the right order, so you can maximise results while minimising cost and effort. It’s divided into three pillars.

  • ATTRACTION
  • CONVERSION
  • AMPLIFICATION

 The order in which you focus on your marketing activities is crucial. As you will agree, it doesn’t make sense to launch an ad campaign (amplification pillar) before knowing that you can actually convert these people. It would be like increasing the amount of fuel you pour into a car that only has 2 wheels. More fuel won’t make it go any faster unless you have a working vehicle.

The Marketing Roadmap – 3 Ways To Grow Your Business in 2024

First things first. Most business owners would like to jump straight in and throw money at ads (either print or online) before having laid a solid marketing foundation. You wouldn’t start building a house before having a solid plan and foundation to build on. In the same way, you need to address your marketing activities in the right order. Here are 3 things you need to focus on BEFORE spending a single cent on advertising or other costly marketing activities.

1. Create a Lead Magnet

A lead magnet is a tool to help you build a list of potential customers. It’s something of value to your target audience that you can send them for free but in return for their name and email address. This is a crucial part of any marketing strategy and should be the very first thing to decide on, as it gives people a way to connect with your business even before they’re ready to buy. Here are some examples of lead magnets you could use in your business.

  • Free guide or ebook
  • Free video or tutorial
  • Discount code or value voucher
  • Free checklist or time-saving template
  • Free report with information that’s highly relevant to your customers

I – for example – offer a free 17-point website checklist, as that is something most of my clients struggle with. You may also find these free downloads helpful as examples for strategic lead magnets.

2. CRM & Email Automation

Once you decided on your lead magnet, the second step is to choose a CRM (Customer Relationship Management Software) and an email marketing provider that you will use to build your list. Some CRM’s already have email automation built-in. There are loads of options out there, some very basic and some with more advanced marketing automation features that you probably won’t need at the start. The important thing is to just get started.

When starting out, a free service like Mailchimp may suffice (they offer a free plan until you reach a certain number of subscribers). Here are two options that I personally recommend for small businesses and which I have used myself.

Other popular CRM systems include:

3. Map Out Your Customer Journey

Once a potential customer opted in for your free lead magnet, what are the next steps you want them to take? What information will they be looking for before they are ready to become your customer? It’s important not to treat every person as if they are ready to buy from you right now. Instead, focus on building a relationship with them first, so that when they are ready to buy your product or service, your business becomes their natural first choice.

Here’s what that customer journey looks like in one of my other businesses (a yoga studio).

  • Step 1: Claim a FREE Yoga Pass
  • Step 2: Send Introductory Offer
  • Step 3: Upgrade to 10-Class Pass or Membership
  • Step 5: Offer Workshops & Retreats

For most people, it’s too much of a stretch to go from never having tried yoga before to committing to a membership or a yoga retreat. But a free yoga pass will help them get started and move towards that goal.

This is a natural progression that eases people into their journey of becoming long-term customers, slowly moving them from free to higher-priced products. Timing is a crucial element in marketing. Make sure that the messages you send people are relevant to the stage they’re currently in. This can be automated using email automation software (see the previous point) or using a messaging bot.

The key is – always focus on educating and connecting with your customers more than you focus on selling.

8 Comments/by
,

3 Great Examples of Small Business Websites Designed For BIG Impact

Website Design for Turtle Town Scuba - David Lee-Schneider Marketing

No matter the size of your business, I believe we can all agree that not having a website in this day and age is no longer an option. However, not all websites are created equal. A well-designed website will not only look great but should help you capture leads, increase sales and help leverage your time and other resources.

Many small business owners treat their website somewhat like an online brochure with a contact form attached. But it’s the ability to capture leads and predictably turn them into customers that sets a great website apart. And in order to achieve this, we require three things:

Great Content

The content on your website is a crucial element. Providing your visitors with engaging content that captivates, educates and encourages them to take action is a vital part of any good business website. Make the content about your readers, not your business and ensure the jargon and tone of voice you use are consistent and in line with your brand. The goal is not to brag about your business but to truly connect with potential buyers and understand their needs and wants.

Great Design

The “look and feel” of your website says a lot about your business and leaves a lasting impression. It’s also often the first contact your customers have with your business. A lack of consistency and poor layout will result in visitors leaving your website before you even had a chance to tell them what your business is all about. Great design means, your customers can easily navigate your website and find what they’re looking for without getting lost (or frustrated). Again, make sure the colours and fonts you use are in line with your branding. A well-designed website will help you build trust with potential customers and convert better as a result.

A Great Offer

This might be the most important part of any website that most business owners (and even web designers) often overlook. I’m not speaking about your actual product or service offering. What I mean is an offer targeted at your IDEAL CUSTOMERS with the aim to collect their contact details and/or other relevant data. In marketing, we refer to this as “Lead Magnet“. Not everyone who comes across your website for the first time is ready to buy from you. By giving them an opportunity to opt-in for a free download or trial of some sort you can reach out to them multiple times (using email marketing or retargeting ads, for instance) which will significantly increase your chances of making a sale further down the line.

The main goal of every good website should be to build your list.

3 Websites of Local Small Businesses Designed for Growth

Here are three small business websites I designed for local businesses where we have incorporated all three aspects mentioned above. They also make some great examples for when you are ready to give your business’ website a facelift or need help designing one from scratch.

1. Turtle Town Scuba

Turtle Town Scuba is a local scuba diving school in Bundaberg that has built its following using a great online strategy. The website is aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. The home page is laid out in a way that allows visitors to easily find what they’re looking for, see the range of diving courses, learn about the instructors and learn more about diving in the Bundaberg Region through featured blog posts. Without being intrusive, the $25 gift card offer makes it easy for new visitors to leave their details and stay connected to the business before leaving the website.

Visit Live Site

 

2. Bundaberg Health Foods

Website Design for Bundaberg Health Foods - David Lee-Schneider Marketing

The website of Bundaberg Health Foods conveys a clear message, both in terms of content and branding. Users can easily navigate through the different sections of the website, finding what they are looking for quickly and without getting lost or overwhelmed. The website is designed to be completely mobile friendly and displays beautifully across all devices and browsers. A  popup captures visitors’ attention and offers them a $10 health food voucher in return for their email address – a fast way to build a loyal following. As an e-commerce business with over 4000 products, we needed to find a way to make product management easy. We integrated with the in-store POS Vend, so that product descriptions and stock levels are always in sync.

Visit Live Site

 

3. Holistic Therapies

Website Design for Holistic Therapies Bundaberg - David Lee-Schneider Marketing

One of the biggest mistakes most business owners make is that they ask for the sale too early. The website of Holistic Therapies is designed to educate visitors and offer locals a massage voucher as an incentive to trial the service. I have found that this strategy combined with a good follow-up email sequence can consistently deliver fantastic conversion rates and drive sales. The various articles on the blog assist in answering questions customers have and educate them about the many benefits of massage therapy.

Visit Live Site

 

If you would like help with the development and implementation of a sound marketing strategy for your business, let’s have a chat! Book a free strategy call to discuss your business and marketing goals.

7 Comments/by
, ,

Four Tragic Mistakes You’re Making with Digital Marketing

You might or might not be aware of the mistakes you’re making with digital marketing. It takes a lot of effort and time to make digital marketing produce the desired results. It is not limited to marketing automation software or apps. Digital marketing comes with a unique set of technologies and, most importantly, a great strategy. When you are lacking the right strategy, however, it has several pitfalls and it’s easy to make fatal mistakes that can cost you your business.

Here are four of the most common mistakes business owners are making with digital marketing.

1. Failure to identify a target audience

My business cannot prosper if I fail to identify the customers I wish to target with my products and services. Marketing must always take place with the customer in mind. I must identify and define my customers. I must know who they are. The advice I give to my fellow business owners is to put all digital marketing campaigns on hold until we have a clear idea of the type of customer we want to serve.

Start by studying the audience before formulating a campaign based on their behavior.

2. Lack of marketing strategy

Nothing ever happens consistently and successfully without a strategy in place. Marketing, whether digital or traditional, needs good strategies in place to produce the results the business owner or marketer envisions. In my time, I have seen several tactics and techniques used instead of the solid and reliable strategies. A strategy should come before any tactic or technique. Strategy always shines the light on the path threatened by “darkness” and “uncertainties.”

3. Ignoring mobile

Any form of marketing carried out in the 21st Century that doesn’t consider mobile is set to be a massive flop. Marketing that does not take a mobile-first strategy cannot go far. Ignoring mobile means discriminating against possibly 50% of the customers who keep the business running. Mobile optimization is essential for marketing. Ignore mobile and forget about conversions. Neglect mobile and even great content will not help.

Use this guide to develop a mobile digital marketing campaign.

4. Saying No to SEO

One of the mistakes you’re making with digital marketing is saying no to SEO.It is here to stay. Search engines still believe in SEO and so should we. Digital marketing requires the use of tools such as websites. E-commerce would not happen without websites. A business needs a solid and competitive online presence to be successful. That presence is impossible to create while ignoring SEO and thinking that it is dead. SEO is essential for building and maintaining a healthy presence online.

Avoid ignoring conversion optimisation either.

Avoid implementing too many tactics. Instead, use 1-2 tactics at a time and ensure you can track your results.

Know what your target audience wants.

Know where you can find you target audience.

Adopt strategies for reaching your ideal customers by delivering value.

I hope these points will help you avoid some of the mistakes you’re making with your digital marketing. Have you learned any other valuable lessons in the process of running your business? Let me know in the comments below.

To your success,

 

Reference

by
, ,

6 Common Misconceptions about Digital Marketing

Digital marketing has helped entrepreneurs and business owners to take their business to the next level. It offers more advantages than other forms of marketing. Digital marketing doesn’t remain dormant for any length of time. It constantly changes and evolves. Along with that rapid change come a number of misconceptions about digital marketing that many believe to be true.

Not enough business owners have a broad enough understanding of what digital marketing can and cannot do and how to harness its true power.

Here are six of the most common misconceptions about digital marketing that I often here when talking to business owners in Australia.

6 Misconceptions about Digital Marketing

1. Digital marketing is for small businesses only

Digital marketing enables all businesses – whether small or large – to identify ways of communicating and engaging with their ideal customers or clients. It offers businesses several benefits, including faster turnaround time when testing campaigns, low cost and much more targeted advertising. It works for small and large businesses alike. No matter your budget or size of your company.

2. Digital marketing doesn’t contribute significantly to any company’s business strategy

This represents yet another misconception that mostly emanates from marketers who believe in traditional forms of marketing alone. Today’s customers are more likely to search for whatever they need on the Internet first thus making digital marketing essential to them.

Modern businesses and companies need websites.

3. It only succeeds with extremely large website traffic

The effectiveness of digital marketing is tied down to quality rather than quantity. For this reason, heavy or tiny traffic doesn’t matter! In our experience, quality will always attract and bring in the numbers that any business needs.

4. A website is all that a business needs for digital marketing

A website plays a crucial part in any successful digital marketing campaign. However, by no means is it the only requirement or ingredient! The website needs fresh content. The content has to be a mix of texts and videos.

Static content will not help the website.

Forbes offers a few ideas on what to do when content grows static and stale.

Static content harms digital marketing even if it’s posted on the most beautiful website.

5. Only worthwhile if my competition use it

Businesses need all the advantages they can get to stay ahead. In my line of work, I’ve realized that I don’t have to embrace digital marketing only because my competition uses it. If I take that path, I will always be behind and that would probably kill my business.

6. It’s not the answer for my industry

One of the misconceptions of digital marketing is that it doesn’t work well in all industries. The truth is it basically works well for all types of industries. It is not limited to a few industries. Any business that applies the principles of digital marketing will reap its fruits the industry notwithstanding. Digital marketing works for all industries whose clients search for products and services online.

Lastly, remember that SEO isn’t dead.

Embrace digital marketing as its results benefit all businesses in all industries.

 

References

by
, ,

5 Little Tweaks That’ll Transform Your Digital Marketing

Why would you want to transform your digital marketing? Digital marketing is a super dynamic field. It changes at a meteoric pace. Many businesses struggle to keep up with and adapt to these fast changes. It is important, especially for marketers, to always be on the lookout for the next wave of changes and not settle for old ways of doing business.

Your current strategy may require a few tweaks from time to time to improve the results it offers. A few tweaks rather than a massive overhaul is often all it takes to take your campaign to whole new level. Here is a list of five tweaks worth implementing to transform your digital marketing.

1. Integrating Data Into All Your Marketing Decisions

Stop all digital marketing (and any other form of marketing) that is not data-driven. Business owners who continue marketing while ignoring data stand a high chance of heading into a storm of failure. Any content that you develop devoid of data will not produce the desired results either. Make sure you know exactly how much of your budget you are putting into a campaign and what you get out. Track everything!

2. SEO Should Remain a Priority

You will hear all manner of things regarding SEO. For example, some will tell you it’s dying, if not dead already. Well, you have a choice to make here. Either you believe them or you don’t. We would rather you continue prioritizing SEO though. Learn to prioritize SEO.

SEO isn’t a new concept. It’s critical to developing a highly effective digital marketing strategy. Good SEO helps ensures all your content is getting the attention it deserves. More quality traffic will result in more business.

3. Personalising Your Customer Experience

In many industries today, customers are demonstrating a bias towards companies that offer them personalised experiences. It’s not surprising that our lifestyle and interests often determine the choices we make. A highly intuitive group of marketers is necessary to map out and develop this kind of customer experience. Use tools like email automation, Messenger Marketing and other platforms that allow for action-based communication to create a personalised buying journey for each of your customers.

4. Making The Most of Your Website

Your website, if done well, can be one of the biggest assets in your business. Make sure the content on your website is of high quality, engaging and current, so visitors spend more time engaging with it. Make it easy for people to share your ideas using social sharing tools.

Ensure your website is capable of capturing leads by providing additional value to people who opt-in. Opt-in popups are a great way to capture engaged visitors.

Make your website responsive! In 2018, more than 80% of people visit a website on a mobile device. Failing to have a responsive website will not only result in lost visitors, but in lost business opportunities, too.

5. Improve Your Email Campaigns

A well-designed digital marketing strategy always incorporates email campaigns. Emails are not new tools in marketing. Since we already established that the world has moved on, we also have to change how we carry out our email campaigns.

How To Improve Your Email Campaigns:

  1. provide your customers with more value and content they will actually love
  2. being concise by passing the right message at the right time
  3. making the Calls to Action clear while creating a sense of urgency
  4. be consistent with your sending frequency, tone of voice, design and core message

Embrace segmentation and personalisation when developing your email marketing campaigns.

In fact, marketing automation often results in a drastic improvement of the email campaigns I run for my clients.

What are some tweaks that you have used in the past to improve the results and transform your digital marketing campaigns? Let me know in the comments below!

 

References

1 Comment/by
, ,

3 Tips On How To Make Email Automation A More Human Experience

3 Tips On How To Make Email Automation A More Human ExperienceDone Digital

The words ‘personal’ and ‘automation’, like day and night, couldn’t be any more contrary. So, when suggesting to clients that we should use email automation to communicate with their customers, they often get a little confused. Every day our inboxes are flooded with promotional offers and impersonal emails from big corporations. Part of my job is to make customer experiences more personal and human, and email automation software, like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and Ontraport are the perfect tools to do just that.

Here are 3 things you can do today to make emailing your customers more personal and gain valuable insights, all while freeing up more of your busy time.

1. Send a ‘personal’ follow-up email

Your customers might opt-in for your newsletter, download a lead magnet, or purchase a product or service. They then usually receive an automated confirmation e-mail to thank them for taking action. One powerful way to make email automation more personal and human is to send them a ‘personal’ follow-up email shortly after the initial confirmation email. The amount of people who reply to this email is phenomenal and many will even thank you for the warm and personal welcome. I usually send this about an hour after the confirmation email.

Real World Example:



“Hi, [Customer First Name],

 my name is David, digital marketing consultant here at Done Digital. 



I noticed that you just downloaded our free e-book and thought I quickly reach out to say hi and introduce myself. If you have any questions regarding the ebook, or in general, I’m always just an email away. :)



Would you be open to sharing some of the challenges you currently face in your business when it comes to marketing, [Customer First Name]? Have you got any specific goals that you looking to achieve in the coming months?



I look forward to hearing from you,



Kind regards,


David”



Tip: Keep the email in plain text (no branding or template) so it actually looks like you just sent it. Insert your email signature at the bottom of the email, just the way you normally would. You might want to restrict send times for this email to business hours, so customers don’t receive a personal email from you at 3am – unless that’s part of the image that you are trying to convey.

 




2. Collect customer data & actually use it

Many businesses collect customer data but never actually make good use of it. Over time, you might collect a number of details about your leads or customers, such as their name, gender, location, birthday, interests, and what products they purchased. This is all data you can use to make your customer experience more personal.

 As a service-based business, you might have a range of services that you offer. Send customers a different series of emails, depending on the service they signed up for. As a gym or yoga studio, you might have a 30-day introductory offer. Design an email sequence that helps people get the most out of their first month with you. Make them feel welcome, educate and inspire them. They are much more likely to stay if you nurture them and deliver a personal experience. Make sure to ask questions to find out where your customers might need some help or what they particularly like about your service. Asking for feedback will not only create rapport with your customers but help you improve your business significantly along the way.

Real World Example:



“Hi [Customer First Name],



it’s already been a week since you signed up for our 30-day intro offer. How are you going so far?

 Have you already had some minor (or major) successes that you are happy to share with me? Or is there anything that you might need help with? Maybe motivation, a nutrition plan, or advice with certain exercises? 

You can always contact me or have a chat with one of our personal trainers. We want to make sure  you get the most out of your 30 days.



Also, how is the time table working out for you? We are always trying to improve and increase the number of classes we offer. Are there certain times during the week that would suit you better?



Look forward to hearing from you, [Customer First Name].



Warm Regards,


[Gym Owner Name]”

 




3. Ask good questions in your email automation sequences

Asking good questions in your emails will give customers the opportunity to respond, thus deepening relationships and building rapport. Most businesses make the mistake to only talk about themselves and their product features. Asking good questions shows that you care about your customers and puts the focus on them. It’s only when we ask questions that we can learn about our customers and use this information to develop better products and services.

Here are some questions that you might want to start asking in your email automation sequences:

•    “What are some of the challenges you are currently facing and how could we be of help?”
    •    “Is there anything about our product/service you think we can improve?”
    •    “What do you like the most about our product/service?”
    •    “Who would you recommend our product/service to?”


Tip: Restrict each email to a maximum of one or two questions. Asking too many questions at once will put off customers, rather than encourage them to reply to your message.

After all, knowing what truly matters to our customers helps us to contribute in more meaningful ways and make the world a little better. One email at a time.

What’s your experience with email automation (good or bad)? Have you sent emails to your customers that performed really well? What are your thoughts about email automation? Let me know in the comments below. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.

If you are ready to transform your marketing and take your business to the next level, check out my 90-Day Marketing Transformation. I might be the guy who can help you.

 

5 Comments/by