September 2nd, 2010
Ecommerce grows as retailers prepare for the upcoming shopping season
With the economy recovering, shoppers are spending more money on consumer items. According to a recent eMarketer report, many customers are doing their purchasing through ecommerce websites.
Citing research from the U.S. Census Bureau and MasterCard Advisors, eMarketer observed that ecommerce expenditures are trending upward. In July, ecommerce increased 10.9 percent year over year, while it grew 13.7 percent during the second quarter of 2010.
“Retail ecommerce experts are optimistic about the prospects for online holiday sales this year,” said Jeffrey Grau, eMarketer senior analyst.
Meanwhile, a recent report from BIGresearch indicates that 22 percent of consumers are doing more product research online, while 21.6 percent are shopping online, emphasizing how vital it is for retailers to have a presence on the web, relays eMarketer.
Retailers looking to capitalize on the power of social media may want to consider implementing the Facebook “like” button into their website. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that some brands saw 50 percent boosts in sales and greater customer engagement after adopting the feature.
September 2nd, 2010
Website building advice for chiropractors
Websites can be effective marketing tools for chiropractors, but they need to be built with the goal of generating new patients in mind. A recent article from ChiroEco, an online chiropractic community, offers some advice for driving new patients to clinics through the web.
Many healthcare practitioners are data-focused people, and as a result, their websites may often have a lot of information about relevant health conditions. According to the source, this is the No. 1 mistake that many chiropractors make with their marketing websites. An abundance of information can make pages hard to read, turning potential patients away.
Other considerations to bear in mind include phone number and contact information placement, calls to action, using language familiar to patients and accurately conveying the personality of a clinic. Additionally, ChircoEco suggests constantly refreshing websites, as “what converts today may not be good enough tomorrow.”
Chiropractors creating a website for their first time may want to consult a web design company. Design firms can help focus websites, helping practitioners to gain more patients.
September 1st, 2010
One-quarter of dentists don’t own websites
While many dentists own and operate successful websites, a recent report from TheWealthyDentist.com suggests that a significant number of practitioners have no web presence at all.
The source found that three out of four dentists own websites and 87 percent of them are satisfied with the marketing benefits it has provided them. Still, 25 percent don’t operate web pages, while 13 percent lack any sort of web-based marketing efforts.
Dental websites have numerous advantages. According to respondents, web pages can help dentists acquire between five and 10 new patients per month.
“Any dental practice today must have a website. It is one of our primary sources for new patients. In addition, it is helpful to be associated with social media as a further tool for networking and driving patients to your website,” a Florida-based dentist told the source.
As TheWealthyDentist.com notes, practicioners are increasingly finding websites to be vital to their marketing campaigns. Dentists creating their home pages for the first time may want to consider consulting a web design company to maximize the impact it has on potential patients.
September 1st, 2010
Entrepreneurs use social media for branding more than customer service
While many businesses of understand social networks are valuable for connecting with consumers and marketing products, a recent report from Alterian suggests that most firms underestimate the platform with respect to its customer service potential.
According to the survey, which polled senior-level marketing executives, only 1.2 percent of companies use social media for customer service. The majority of social media marketing efforts concentrate on driving brand awareness and acquiring and retaining customers.
“It’s surprising that brands are reporting that they don’t highly value deploying customer service in the social media channel,” said David Eldridge, CEO of Alterian.”Many are under utilizing this approach, as all brands need to be prepared to handle their customers’ complaints and act on them.”
While companies don’t often use social media for customer service, 61 percent said engaging consumers with their brands through multiple channels is crucial.
With the number of consumers registered to social networks growing, it may be wise to consider adopting a strategy for brand management on social media. A recent study from Invoke showed that consumers use social platforms to voice their opinions – both positive and negative – through social media.
August 31st, 2010
Actively pursuing leads is key for construction companies
Small construction companies are able to generate leads more consistently if they actively pursue perspective prospective clients, asserts contractor resource ConstructionBusinessOwner.com.
As the site notes, accruing more sales is a numbers game – the more potential customers construction companies approach, the greater the chance they’ll make a successful sale. However, many firms rely on undercutting their competitors, which the source suggests could result in firms losing money in the long run.
“[Successful construction companies] are always in the selling mode and ready when we have an opportunity for them,” claims the site. “The majority of subcontractors wait until we call them, but the successful contractors are already there waiting for an opportunity to attack.”
In an environment where many consumers aren’t actively looking to build or remodel, being proactive is critical to successfully generating new business.
To maximize sales potential, construction companies should consider using multiple marketing platforms. Website optimization could help a firm catch clicks among researching shoppers, while contractors could use email marketing to actively approach consumers. Additionally, construction firms should take other strategies into account, such as cold calls or event marketing.
Polls
Loading ...