Tag Archives: survey
Marketers need web analytics, but which benchmarks should they read?
Analytics are the only way to tell if content marketing and social media marketing initiatives generate traffic increases and improve PageRank in SERPS. SEOmoz recently conducted a survey of 780 marketers and site readers, finding out what data marketers embrace as they strive to develop SEO strategies that can improve brand lift. According to the survey, marketers prefer web analytics data that helps them optimize, audit and report about user behavior. Continue reading
Most Americans research on the web before making purchases
Compete’s Summer 2012 Online Shopper Intelligence Survey relayed by eMarketer suggests that most industries can improve website traffic and conversions by building a better presence on the internet. The report focused on industries most frequently associated with the B2C sector and found that more than half of consumers access different forms of web content to research their purchases in the grocery, health and beauty, household essentials and pet supply industries. Using search to find different vendors ranks among the most frequently used methods, with at least 13 percent naming it as a channel used to research brands in these industries. Similarly accessing website content is increasingly common for consumers, with at least 24 percent saying they navigate to company sites to look into new products and services. Developing a content marketing strategy that reaches consumers on multiple fronts will help organizations appeal to the growing habit of online product and service research. Website articles, blog posts and more can focus on trends and other developments in the industry that prospects will likely use to decide which purchases they should pursue. Moreover, content builds trust with prospects that can help lead to conversions. Brafton recently cited data from an About.com study that found more than 80 percent of consumers won’t buy from companies they don’t trust. Many of these consumers said they hold more favorable views of companies that provide information demonstrating authority within their industries. Continue reading
44 percent of companies to spend more on web marketing in 2013, email marketing proving strong for lead generation
Even with five months remaining in 2012, marketers are looking ahead to 2013, and 44 percent of companies believe they’ll spend more on marketing next year, according to a study from Sagefrog Marketing Group. Many of these organizations plan to dedicate more time and resources to web marketing as part of their greater investments. Sagefrog’s 2012 B2B Marketing Mix Survey found that companies increasingly value web channels due to growing ROI and more exposure to prospects. About 66 percent of companies said they consider social media marketing an important part of their overall strategy, with Facebook and LinkedIn cited as the most frequently used platforms. Other channels seeing more attention from these companies include SEO and email marketing, as marketers have found they are ideal for cultivating inbound leads. In fact, behind direct referrals, web and email marketing were named as the two best channels for lead generation. Moreover, they were both considered the top choices for driving ROI. Earlier this year, Brafton conducted a poll of more than 100 marketers and found that they also believe web channels are driving leads most effectively. More than 75 percent of respondents said that using content marketing, specifically, has positively impacted their ability to generate leads. Continue reading
Companies shifting to create content marketing that appeals to consumers over search engines
A recent Digital Content Marketing Survey relayed by the CMI reveals that businesses are changing their focus to ensure that website content is written with the user in mind instead of prioritizing content’s appeal to search engines. According to the survey, 18 percent of respondents said is critical that content is developed purely for readers. Just 3 percent said their SEO content should be developed to prioritize search-friendliness above user experience. Thirty-seven percent landed somewhere in the middle, looking for content that is appealing to consumers and search crawlers alike. As content marketing has become a critical part of web campaigns for businesses, the espoused best practices have changed. More content on the web has driven the development of search quality algorithms (including Google ‘s Panda) to promote only high-quality websites and give SEO rewards to sites that focus on the user Continue reading
Companies outsourcing content marketing look for quality, customization and strategy
With 87 percent of companies looking to improve their online content marketing campaigns, many plan to turn to third-party custom content agencies. While there are countless factors to consider, the Content Marketing Institute’s 2012 Digital Content Marketing Survey found that businesses are most concerned about finding premium content writers. High-quality, professional writing is cited as the most frequently in demand service among companies outsourcing their content marketing. Nearly half of respondents said they want to work with a provider that generates content of the highest caliber. From a prospect’s perspective, grammatical, spelling or factual errors negatively impact a brand’s reputation. Continue reading
