How to Turn Marketing Goals Into Achievable Business Goals

by -

goals1Setting goals for your business is an important aspect of your business plan, but did you know that many business owners don’t realize that marketing goals should also be aligned with business goals?

Many small businesses acknowledge that they need help with Google rankings, so they can attract more website visitors, which leads to increased sales. You may be trying to generate more leads through your website email sign up list, in order to increase your sales figures. These are all great goals, but they need some more work, to help you take your business to the next level.

You need to ask yourself more detailed questions about setting values for the number of people you wish to sign up for your email list, your exact sales figure goal totals, and whether you want to be Number One in the Google Rankings, or just on the First Page.

Start by defining actual sales figures desired over a twelve month period. For example, set goals of how many actual website visitors you’re aiming for. Of those visitors, set a realistic percentage that’ll convert into leads, and from those leads, how many actual paying customers will you have. Of those customers, how much income will they bring to your business?

Consider how many sales leads your email list needs to generate. Do you want to focus on providing content for the remaining potential customers on your email list, so they can be a source of sales in the future?

Exactly how high do you need to rank in Google Rankings, and if you can make it to the number one spot, what is your best estimate on how many customers do you think it will bring to your website over the course of a year? Of that figure, estimate what percentage of those visitors will actual purchase products or services through your website.

Exactly how much revenue do you need to generate over the course of one year? Your marketing efforts should be focused on meeting your financial business expectations. Keeping in mind that you need to cover your business expenses, you may need to adjust your expected sales figures.

How much traffic do you need to lead to your website, in order to cover your financial goals? Is your website performing well in that area, or is it dead in the water? It may be time to do an overhaul, in order to attract more traffic. You only have about ten seconds to make a positive impression. A mobile website can also increase your conversion rate, by impressing potential customers through attractive graphics, inviting them to give your business a call.

Set quarterly benchmarks for your business plan. At the end of each quarter you can sit down and see if you hit all targets. If not, where does your marketing plan need to be tweaked? What sort of impact did your marketing budget have on your goals? You many need to refocus your marketing plan.

Now you can see how you’re just taken your business plan to the next level, by aligning marketing goals with your business goals. If you have a separate business management team, then be sure they keep the marketing group in the loop as well. Please contact Direct West Media Group Inc., for help in taking your business to the next level by aligning marketing goals with business goals.

You’re On Your Way with Mobile Marketing

by -

Mobile marketing is a way for you to reach your customers on their mobile phones. Every day more companies are marketing their services by mobile phone. Almost everyone has a smart phone nowadays, even teenagers and seniors. Whether your customers are using an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Android, Blackberry, or iPad, they’re all waiting for your business to go mobile.

If you’re marketing your business towards a certain market segment, then it makes sense to cover all your bases. Mobile marketing can be an affordable and highly efficient method of helping your business to grow. Here are five tips to get you on your way with mobile marketing.

Set up a Facebook page for your business. Be sure to add content every day, including comments and photographs. People also enjoying watching videos. Ask questions on Facebook, such as where does everyone live, or do they have a pet? Show your customers that you care about them. Offer a giveaway. Facebook users love contests.

Create a smart phone app. People love apps that have short quizzes or games in them. If you own a shoe store you could have an app where your model can try on different shoe styles. If you’re a contractor, you could have an app where you can try out different paint colors on a wall, and move around objects to design your own room. If you’re a lawyer, you could have a quiz where people have to answer multiple choice questions. A pizza restaurant could have an app where you can build a pizza on your screen and then post it to Facebook. When you embed that option within your app, it’s free advertising, as every time a customer shares your photos, your business name will appear on the photo as well.

Offer a discount coupon and post it to your Facebook or other social media accounts. That way, when the corresponding code is used, you know exactly where your customers are coming from. People love coupons, even if it’s 5% off. Every little bit helps nowadays. Be sure to mention that if they visit your business in person that they can just show the coupon to the cashier on their smartphone. Many people don’t even have easy access to a printer nowadays, so make it easy for them to cash in.

Have an area where people can enter their email address to sign up for a newsletter, which could offer discounts, promo codes, and specials for your business. People love hearing about deals and this gives you a chance to collect email addresses so you can also send them future announcements about your business. Just don’t overdo it, or they’ll unsubscribe later.

There’s no point in spending money on mobile marketing, if you’re not spending the time to track the results. Most hosting vendors should be providing you with month by month statistics. Do you want to see how many people viewed your message, or opened your website page? Do you want to know how long they spent on your mobile website? Do you want to see how many email inquiries you received, or how many positive reviews? Decide what is the best method for you and be sure that your hosting company sets up the metrics for you.

Consult with an expert, such as Direct West Media Group Inc. on how you can utilize mobile marketing services to send your business on the way to success.

Mobile Marketing Strategies

by -

Over 163 million smart phone and tablet users in the US are ready to view your mobile website. Is your business smart phone ready? Don’t leave your customers out in the cold. Many businesses haven’t optimized their website for mobile phone usage. Either they haven’t had the time, or they don’t know how. Have you considered mobile marketing for your own business yet?

Viewing a regular website on a mobile phone can be a long frustrating process. Not all the photos may load, and it can be hard to find pertinent information. By optimizing your website for mobile phone and tablet use, you’re providing an easier way for someone to obtain the information they need instantly. Your bounce rate will improve, as those customers won’t get frustrated and find a competitor that’s already jumped on the mobile marketing bandwagon. Your business will be more accessible and visible, and all for a reasonable cost.

Just what do you need to do to optimize your website for mobile devices? This involves some heavy editing on your part, while allowing all pertinent information to remain. Photos need to be shrunk down to fit on a mobile screen, or cut completely. Text needs to be legible. Contact forms need to work on your mobile device. An easier drop down tool bar needs to be created, rather than the fancy ones on your site. Check out your site on your mobile device and see what you need to do.

Another great 21st century mobile marketing tool is to have a special mobile app created for your business. Customers love downloading and using apps. If it’s a free app showcasing features of your business, even better. Perhaps it’s a catalog of your products, a restaurant menu, or flight prices. You can make something fun such as a game involving your business. Whatever your business is, an app can be made. While there’s some simple app creating tools on the market now, hiring a professional app designer can help you create a professional and well-designed app that customers will open again and again. There’s a lot of competition in the app market and if you spend the money, you want to ensure that your app is going to stand out from the others.

Just how will you know what you need to do with mobile marketing? Taking a course may help you with your mobile marketing strategies. Hiring a company that specializes in mobile marketing may also be a viable option. Advertising and marketing firms make it their business to understand the mobile market. They’ll assist you with your marketing strategy, design your mobile website, as well as create your mobile applications. With their expertise, they’ll increase your brand awareness, and enhance your overall customer experience.

By considering your client’s needs on mobile devices, you’ll be providing them with valuable information at their fingertips. They’ll visit your mobile website and applications again and again. You’ll gain a valuable step up from the competition by staying ahead in the mobile market.

If you have any questions about how mobile marketing pertains to your own business needs then please contact Direct West Media Group Inc. We’ll be happy to answer your mobile marketing questions, as well as providing a wide range of mobile marketing services.