Tag: online marketing agency

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Featured Online Marketing

Page-Specific Remarketing

Page-Specific Remarketing - CAYK Marketing - Digital Marketing Agency - Featured Image

What is remarketing?

Remarketing is a technique that involves displaying ads to consumers who have previously interacted with your website or used your mobile app. A remarketing strategy allows you to stay connected to your target audience while building brand awareness. You can remarket through the use of YouTube, Gmail, Apps, display networks and/or search listings. This technique is cost-effective, increases conversions and boosts return on investment.

 

What is page-specific remarketing?

Sometimes users visit a specific page on your website without taking the desired action. Page-specific remarketing allows you to update and/or expand the copy, to improve product and service information, then remarket to those users with ads that include the improvements.

 

Advantages of page-specific remarketing:

  • Targeted ad copy: Page-specific remarketing allows you to hyper-focus your ads, to speak to a previous user/visitor in a different way than you would a first-time user. You can create highly targeted and personalized ad campaigns depending on which sections of your site were visited or which actions were taken. You can also offer discounts to users who have completed certain interactions on your website or app.
  • Custom graphics and brand awareness: Page-specific remarketing allows you to develop ads with customized text and graphics that will appeal to the user. You can include your logo to help build brand awareness.
  • Increased conversion rates: Not all users take action (submit a form, download a document, make a purchase) on the first visit to your website/app but a user who is familiar with your product/service is more likely to take the next step. Page-specific remarketing keeps users engaged with your brand and in the marketing funnel. It increases your chances of converting the lead. Page-specific remarketing ads remind users about your product/service, take them directly to the page they bounced from and set them up for conversion.
  • Lower cost per click: Page-specific remarketing campaigns have a higher click-through rate than regular display ads as recipients are already familiar with your product/service. The increased click-through rate improves your chance of conversions making retargeting ads one of your most cost-effective options.
  • Specific site selection: Page-specific remarketing allows you to choose where your ads are being served, letting you show your ads on only those websites proven relevant to your business. If a location is sending users who aren’t converting, you can prevent your ads from being served there.
  • Keep you top of mind: There is a reason that a user initially visited your website/app. Page-specific remarketing lets you remind people about their past interest and invites them to visit again.

 

Keep your brand top-of-mind and entice visitors to come back for more by using page-specific remarketing. Meet interested users where they’re at and turn their interest into a conversion. Create a happy customer and a brand evangelist.

Interested in page-specific remarketing? Need help with your marketing strategies? Call CAYK at (587) 600-8270 or email [email protected].  Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact CAYK today.

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Featured

Dynamic Search Ads

Dynamic Search Ads - CAYK Marketing - Digital Marketing Agency - Featured Image

Dynamic Search Ads are an ad format that enables you to catch relevant searches based on the titles, frequently used phrases and product listings on your website rather than keywords. The Google search engine crawls your site and matches to search terms closely related to the content it finds. When a user makes a query, Google Ads will use this information to pick a relevant landing page and create a clear, appropriate headline that targets the potential customer. The generated headlines are based on the matched product and relevant to the search at hand. Dynamic ads target the right user at the right time, leading them where you want them to be (a landing page, a catalogue, a product listing, etc.).

 

Benefits of Dynamic Search Ads:

  • Are easy to set up and maintain
  • Save time by alleviating the tedious task of keyword research and mapping
  • Reduce time spent building bids and ad text for each product on your site
  • Alleviate the need to research the appropriate landing page for your target
  • Supplement your broad match strategy; filling the gaps from other search campaigns
  • Allow you to show ads based on your entire website, or on specific product areas/pages
  • Provide the ability to drive traffic to a large number of landing pages
  • Drive quality traffic to the most relevant landing pages
  • Allow you to catch unique searches leading to expansion opportunities
  • Create potential for high volume and profit
  • Are precise and applicable to the consumer
  • Reach the most relevant groups of consumers
  • Supply longer headlines increasing ad visibility
  • Permit you to customize the URL that appears
  • Prevent ads from showing for products that are temporarily out-of-stock
  • Make automatic updates to your ads
  • Automatically create ads in the required Google format

 

Disadvantages of Dynamic Search Ads:

  • Headlines and the ad copy don’t always match up
  • Won’t work for those who want total control over their brand’s messaging
  • You’re placing a lot of trust in an automated system
  • The campaign will need close monitoring, especially at the beginning
  • Low performing search queries can quickly eat up a marketing budget

Who should use Dynamic Search Ads?

Dynamic Search Ads are not for everyone. They work best for companies that have content-rich websites, an assortment of different products/services and seasonal product lines.

Dynamic Search Ads allow you to leverage page content effectively and are a great way to supplement your existing text ad search. They can increase brand awareness and boost profits. Dynamic Search Ads let you cast a wider net along with Google’s search network while placing dynamic content in front of interested parties. They deliver the information that consumers need in a way they want to consume it. Without a good headline, no one will ever notice the description you’ve painstakingly written! Dynamic Search Ads create great headlines for you.

Interested in exploring and/or implementing Dynamic Search Ads? Need help with your marketing campaign(s)? Call CAYK at (587) 600-8270 or email [email protected].  Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact CAYK today.

 

 

Resources:

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Featured Online Marketing

Weather-Based Ads

Weather-Based Ads - CAYK Marketing - Digital Marketing Agency - Featured Image

The weather has a large influence on human behaviour, including buying behaviour. Temperature, humidity, snowfall, and, especially sunlight, can affect retail sales. In fact, only the state of the economy has a bigger influence on purchasing! The weather influences the food & drinks industry, automotives, clothing & fashion, travel, hospitality, leisure & entertainment, health & beauty, pharmaceuticals, home & garden, energy, insurance and electronics. A simple example; we buy ice-cream when it’s hot and oatmeal when it’s cold.

 

What Are Weather-Based Ads?

Weather-based advertising is the practice of targeting consumers by local weather (past, current, or future). Automated weather targeting platforms enable users to trigger ads and automate bid adjustments based on real-time weather information. Your company can personalize marketing messages based on your audience’s local weather. Automated weather-based ads:

  • control when and where your ads are shown depending on the weather
  • enable you to set variables such as temperature, weather type (rain, snow, sun, wind, UV index), weather alerts and location
  • allow you to set up automated weather rules for your various advertising accounts
  • tailor promotions/content across email campaigns, digital display ads, mobile push notifications, and other means of digital communication

 

What are the benefits of Weather-Based Ads?

With weather-based ads, you can narrow your target audience so that your ads will be more relevant. You can maintain all options previously set, simply adding weather as another condition. This can:

  • improve advertising relevance based on real-time weather information
  • reduce your costs, increase conversions and boost revenue
  • allow you to craft ads that cater to your consumers’ needs, increasing satisfaction and loyalty
  • enhance a customer’s ad experience
  • make use of data-matching and location-targeting capabilities of smartphones
  • improve the effectiveness of pay-per-click campaigns
  • allow you to advertise through social media, demand-side platforms, and email service providers
  • help predict future marketing opportunities

 

Weather-based advertising enables marketers to plan ahead and respond to current information. Using a weather targeting platform, companies can predict future marketing opportunities, react to real-time weather information and improve business results. Make weather ads a mainstream component of your marketing strategy.

Interested in weather-based ads? Need help inserting a weather-based marketing campaign into your existing marketing efforts? Call CAYK at (587) 600-8270 or email [email protected].  Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact CAYK today.

 

 

Resources: 

https://www.adwordsrobot.com/en/weather-based-advertising 

http://www.weatherads.io/weather-marketing 

http://www.weatherads.io/blog/2014/august/how-effective-is-weather-based-marketing-4-case-studies-with-roi-stats 

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2020/06/30/weather-based-facebook-targeting 

https://connextdigital.com/9-things-you-should-know-about-weather-based-mobile-advertising/ 

https://www.dynamicyield.com/lesson/weather-based-targeting/

https://www.groundtruth.com/glossary_term/what-is-weather-targeting/  

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222825354_The_Effect_of_weather_on_consumer_spending 

http://www.weatherads.io/blog/2014/june/how-weather-affects-consumer-behaviour-and-purchase-decisions

Categories
Featured Online Marketing

Why Brand Ad Campaigns are Important

Creating a great product or service is not enough to attract customers. Traditional advertising of your goods/services is often not enough either. Your company needs to build trust to create lasting relationships with consumers which requires a multitude of advertising campaigns. Brand awareness campaigns need to be at the top of that list! Why? Because brand ad campaigns have a multitude of benefits.

What is brand advertising?

Brand advertising is a strategy that develops brand recognition, increases company credibility, encourages customer loyalty and builds long term relationships with consumers. A brand advertising campaign is aimed at capturing attention in order to establish a positive brand identity and bolster customer allegiance. Branding usually includes company name, logo, packaging, pricing, specific traits of your product/service and (most importantly) the values of your company.

Benefits of Brand Awareness Campaigns:

  • Developing a positive brand image: Brand awareness advertising creates a positive perception of your brand making you the best choice for products/services. Focus on your business values, your product quality, your fair pricing, your exemplary customer service and customer satisfaction.
  • Highlighting what makes you unique: A brand advertising campaign showcases what makes your product/service different from and better than the competition. A well-developed campaign makes your brand increasingly visible in the competitive marketplace.
  • Increasing brand credibility: To create positive news, boost recognition of your brand and increase credibility, have industry/company experts offer knowledge and advice. Sponsor community events. Host charities relevant to your product/service.
  • Building strong connections: To build relationships with consumers/potential consumers, a brand campaign needs to offer solutions, make emotional sense and encourage meaningful engagement.
  • Reaching new audiences: Open doors for your business by using strategies such as influencer marketing and guest posting. Use sponsored social posts that promote your products/services. Message your target audience.
  • Increasing sales: Brand ad campaigns make people more aware of your product/service and target relevant audiences increasing your chances of generating conversions.
  • Enable retargeting: Collecting brand awareness data via a brand campaign is crucial for retargeting. It informs you of audience interests and behaviours allowing efficient strategies and good budget usage.

When used efficiently, brand awareness campaigns increase awareness of, boost interest in, and develop a desire for your product/service. A well-executed brand strategy drives future sales. It helps your company scale up and develops lasting relationships with consumers. Build a unique and consistent brand image with branded advertising campaigns.

Want to build your brand image? Need help with a brand advertising campaign? Call CAYK at (587) 600-8270 or email [email protected].  Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact CAYK today.

 

 

 

 

References:

https://medium.com/the-mission/branded-content-the-what-why-when-and-how-fb9426dc3e14

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Featured

What Online Security do I Need for my Business?

What Online Security do I Need for my Business? - CAYK Marketing - Digital Marketing Agency - Featured Image

Online businesses are susceptible to hacking and other cybersecurity threats. In fact, digital information theft is now a bigger threat than physical theft. This risk is not limited to sites that sell products and handle credit card information and it’s not just large companies that are targeted. 43% of cyber attacks target small firms. Protecting your company and its information needs to be a top priority. There are a number of safety measures you can take to ensure that your systems, data and site are as secure as possible.

 

  • Train employees: Establish basic cyber security practices and policies for your company and train all employees regarding these. Inform employees regarding all security issues. Have a clear email and Internet use policy. Provide regular updates on new protocols and conduct regular training sessions to review IT security best practices. Create a culture of cybersecurity awareness.
  • Secure your network, database and website: Install the latest anti-malware, antivirus, spam blockers, spyware detection and anti-ransomware software. Consider using a service like PayPal to process payments and protect customer information.
  • Establish safe passwords and authentication practices: Data breaches often happen due to lost, stolen, weak or easy to guess passwords. Consider a  Password Manager App, a software application designed to store and manage online credentials in an encrypted database. Multi-factor authentication that requires additional information to gain entry is another possibility. Change passwords every 3 months. Give employees access to only the specific data systems that they need for their jobs and require permission before installing any software. No one employee should have access to all data systems.
  • Implement penetration testing: Penetration testing involves hacking into your own system to expose vulnerabilities in your host network and network devices. It identifies problematic access points in your system and provides suggestions for hardware and software improvements to upgrade your security.
  • Provide firewall security: Install a firewall on all devices; a set of programs that prevent outsiders from accessing data on a private network. If employees work from home, ensure that their home systems are firewall protected. Firewalls give you the best chance of protecting your site before an attack is successful and they result in a faster and safer website. Many companies install internal firewalls to provide additional protection.
  • Do private browsing with a VPN (virtual private network): Business owners/employees often use temporary workplaces and remote locations (coffee shop, airport, home office) increasing the risk of outsiders gaining access to business data. A VPN creates an encrypted connection between your computer and the remote private network making it necessary to have the key to decode information. Your data can’t be monitored, tracked, collected and stored.
  • Create a mobile device action plan: Mobile devices (laptops, tablets, USB drives, smartphones) create a security risk for your company. Require employers to have password protection, encryption software, and a remote lock and wipe app.
  • Encrypt your emails: Email messages and attachments are not a safe way to send confidential/sensitive information. Email encryption software ensures that only the sender and recipient can read the email/attachment thus preventing data breaches. The email contains a hyperlink to a website controlled by the sender.
  • Subscribe to a Cloud service; an easy and affordable way to get data security from a company that specializes in handling security threats.
  • Backup business data and information: Automatically backup critical data (word processing documents, electronic spreadsheets, databases, financial files, human resources files, accounts receivable/payable files) and store the copies offsite or in the cloud. Check your backup regularly to ensure that it is functioning correctly.
  • Outsource your IT: A third-party IT provider hires and trains the best security people, gives you a set monthly fee, remotely manages your servers (24/7) and responds to emergencies.
  • Dispose of data safely: When disposing of outdated computers, completely destroy the data on the hard drive by using a wiping/degaussing system and then physically destroying it with a hard-drive shredder or crusher.
  • Secure your Wi-Fi network: Set up a wireless access point/router that is secure, encrypted and hidden. Password protect access to the router.

 

Today’s business is digitized and firms of every size face online security threats. Companies need to be increasingly vigilant about their online security. Take steps to protect your online privacy. Undertake proactive measures to protect your business computer, network, data, and website. Stay ahead of cyber attacks, cybercriminals and emerging trends in cybercrime. Create a cybersecurity strategy to protect your business, your customers and your data from growing cybersecurity threats. The Canadian Center for Cyber Security provides online training, checklists, and information specific to protect online businesses.

 

Want to learn more about cybersecurity? Need help with your digital marketing strategy? Call CAYK at (587) 600-8270 or email [email protected]. Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact CAYK today.

 

 

 

References:

https://www.fcc.gov/general/cybersecurity-small-business

https://gouchevlaw.com/type-security-need-online-business/

https://www.namecheap.com/resource-center/getting-started/data-security-online-privacy-guide/

https://walletgenius.com/financial-advice/10-security-tips-for-online-businesses/

https://www.coxblue.com/8-cyber-security-best-practices-for-your-small-to-medium-size-business-smb/

http://solidsystemsllc.com/small-business-network-security/

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Featured Online Marketing

Digital Advertising Trends; Making Sure You’re Relevant

Digital Advertising Trends; Making Sure You’re Relevant - CAYK Marketing - Digital Marketing Agency - Featured Image

Your social media presence is on point and you’re reaching your target market. Your website design is sound and regularly updated with quality content. Your web analytics prove you are converting visitors into customers. It’s time for aggressive advertising to scale up your company’s performance. So, what kind of campaign should you undertake? What are the latest trends in digital advertising?

 

Digital video is still one of the top marketing mediums. Computers and mobile devices provide numerous platforms and there are a multitude of options for the placement of video ads.

  • Outstream video is one of the latest and most popular forms. This type of video auto-plays on-page, full-width and usually without sound after a user has read/scrolled to a certain point. If a user scrolls away, the ad pauses. Outstream opens up video ads to the entire web, allowing you to place ads outside of actual video players and in all kinds of content.  This less intrusive style of advertising helps your company to cut through the clutter and engage your target market.
  • Short videos (15 seconds or less) containing compelling and relevant information that elicit an emotional response are a popular and effective advertising technique. Humour, shock and/or action are used to grab a viewer’s attention.
  • Shoppable video advertising allows customers the option to buy products from an image/video. Your company tags multiple products in a single, lifestyle image giving users the ability to hover for more information (items for sale, prices, brand names). This enhances viewers’ product discovery, provides inspiration, allows better content and influences a customer’s journey at an early stage.
  • 1:1 video is an efficient advertising tool used instead of emails or phone calls. Your company produces a personalized video message for your customers.
  • Live video is used for product demos, interviews and Q & A sessions. Remember to set up a notification that will inform your viewers when you will go live.
  • Video transcription is the process of translating your video’s audio into text and is proven to boost SEO, provide a better user experience (particularly if the transcript is interactive) and assist viewers who are in a sound-prohibitive environment.

 

Interactive content:  There has been a shift from traditional text-based content toward dynamic, engaging and memorable content that offers users a two-way experience. Interactive content includes social games, quizzes, interactive landing pages, polls and embedded calculators making users feel connected to brands and more involved in the buying process. Interactivity in marketing maximizes the engagement of consumers.

 

Mobile-first marketing begins with an ad created for mobile phones then expands to accommodate tablets, laptops and desktops. It caters to the on-the-go lifestyle of consumers who use their phones to check email and/or browse whenever and wherever. Mobile-first ads are generally filmed in an upright position and display multiple images for users to swipe through. With global data traffic forecast to increase to 49 Exabyte per month by 2021 and the average daily amount of time spent by adults on mobile devices approximately 203 minutes, this advertising strategy is gaining traction.

 

Remarketing ads enable your company to show targeted ads (through the use of cookies) to users who have already visited your site. This allows you to send custom content/messages to your target audience, provide more personalized/timely ads and boost your revenue as remarketing ads have a high return on investment.

 

Chatbots are computer programs that simulate human conversation offering streamlined, individualized service through chat. Communication occurs via messages or voice commands and is independent of a human operator. This method of advertising/servicing consumers is accessible anytime, allows simultaneous communication with multiple users, is cost-effective, provides faster onboarding than training a human and allows completion of repetitive tasks without boredom. Chatbot ads are quick to determine what a user wants and return results specific to the viewer’s requests.

 

Influencer marketing is a word of mouth approach to advertising that uses key leaders to augment your company’s message. Influencers may be carefully selected celebrities and/or well known Instagram or YouTube personalities. They help promote your business through their social channels.

 

User-generated content (UGC) is content created and published by unpaid contributors (fans, frequent purchasers/users) who promote your brand through blog posts, website pages, images, social media posts, testimonials, videos and tweets. Considering that UGC is more likely to influence a conversion than professional content, can you afford to ignore this advertising stream?

 

Cinemagraphs are still photographs incorporating looping video elements. They’re visually alluring, more interesting than photos and less involved to produce than videos. Use cinemagraphs as part of your marketing campaign to set your company apart and delight your users.

 

Over the top advertising (OTT ads): It is increasingly popular to stream content from over the top services (Netflix, HBO Now, Apple TV+, Google Play Movies & TV, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, etc.) via integrated Smart TVs, personal computers, mobile devices and digital media players. OTT advertising is the placement of ads on OTT content. This advertising method allows your company to use advanced analytics and targeted ad insertion to get your ad to the right person at the right time. OTT advertising has the potential to generate massive revenue.

 

Visual/Voice search: Thanks to Siri, Google, Alexa, and a host of other ‘smart’ devices, verbal interaction with devices is developing at a rapid rate. A voice search strategy will help you stay relevant, create a unique and optimized customer experience, foster relationships and build brand loyalty. Visual search is also on the rise. Using an image to start a search is becoming the norm. We’re finally catching up to the way people want to search, shop and discover new things.

 

Advertising is constantly changing and it’s important to keep up with the trends. Ensure you’re relevant to your customers. Connect with them in ways that make their journey easier and more enjoyable. Don’t be afraid to embrace new technologies or experiment with different styles of promotion. Adopt online advertising trends into your advertising strategy.

 

Need help with your digital marketing strategy? Call CAYK at (587) 600-8270 or email [email protected].  Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact CAYK today.

 

References:

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2019/03/12/video-advertising-trends

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2019/10/31/pre-roll-ads

https://smartyads.com/blog/what-is-ott-advertising/

https://instapage.com/blog/pre-roll-ads

https://instapage.com/blog/digital-advertising-trends

https://financesonline.com/advertising-trends/

https://financesonline.com/advertising-trends/

https://marutitech.com/benefits-chatbot/

https://blog.templatetoaster.com/google-alp/

https://www.business2community.com/digital-marketing/top-10-trends-in-digital-advertising-in-2020-02263555

https://www.singlegrain.com/digital-marketing/digital-marketing-trends-2020/

https://instapage.com/blog/what-is-outstream-video

https://www.curalate.com/blog/google-shoppable-ads/

https://www.3playmedia.com/2018/09/20/3-reasons-why-you-need-video-transcription/

https://www.tintup.com/blog/user-generated-content-definition/

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=what+is+a+remarketing+ad

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/over-top.asp

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Featured Online Marketing

Why Track Conversions?

Why Track Conversions? - CAYK Marketing - Digital Marketing Agency - Featured Image
Why Track Conversions? - CAYK Marketing - Digital Marketing Agency - Featured Image

In online business or eCommerce, a conversion occurs when the recipient of a marketing message performs a desired action such as:

  • Submitting information
  • Signing up for a newsletter
  • Completing a form
  • Downloading a resource
  • Recommending your site
  • Engaging with the site (spends time on site, visits certain pages, count of pages loaded)
  • Interacting with a chatbot
  • Calling a given number
  • Requesting a quote
  • Creating an account
  • Making a purchase (the ultimate goal)

 

Types of conversions:

  • Macro-conversions are primary goals such as sales, quote requests and account creation.
  • Micro-conversions facilitate the path to macro-conversions (adding products to the cart, calling a number, completing a form, etc.).

 

What is conversion tracking?

Conversion tracking occurs when a company monitors the actions of consumers/users on their website. It’s a way to determine the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. It helps a business understand if what they are doing is really working by giving an accurate picture of what’s taking place on their website and informing them of how many of their website visitors successfully perform the desired action(s).

 

What is a conversion rate?

The conversion rate is the number of conversions divided by the total number of visitors; the percentage of total visitors that convert.

 

Why should you care about conversion rates?

Monitoring your conversion rate enables you to improve your performance over time. It allows you to make data-driven decisions for your business. Conversion tracking lets you measure your successes and failures, improve upon them and grow your online business.

 

What conversion goals should you track?

There are a number of indicators and metrics related to conversions that can be tabulated to help determine the effectiveness of your conversion efforts.

 

  • Number of conversions
  • Overall conversion rate
  • New visitor conversion rate
  • Return visitor conversion rate
  • Cost per conversion/acquisition
  • Traffic sources (direct, search and referral visitors)
  • Bounce rate (percentage of visitors that leave a webpage without taking an action)
  • Interactions/pages per visit
  • Hits on destination page
  • Exit pages (pages causing people to leave)
  • Events (played videos, downloaded content)
  • Session duration
  • Value per visit

 

No matter what goals you have set for your website (selling more products, attracting more customers, drawing more visitors), optimizing your conversion rate is the key to success for your business. Once you start tracking conversions, the next step is to improve your conversion rate.

 

Need help tracking your conversions? Want to increase your conversion rate? Call CAYK at (587) 600-8270 or email [email protected].  Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact CAYK today.

 

 

References:

Categories
Featured Website Development

Is Content King?

Is Content King? - CAYK Marketing - Digital Marketing Agency - Featured Image

Designing an attractive, easily navigated, quick loading website is important for the impression you make on your audience. Most businesses realize this and spend time and money perfecting their web design. Content, however, is an often forgotten yet crucial aspect of a website. If you want users and search engines to return consistently, content must be interesting, informative, valuable, and regularly updated. Content is pivotal.

 

 Content makes the first impression

Your website is an advertisement for your company. It’s where your customers gain insight into your business and the products and/or services you provide. Make it a place where they come to receive the latest news and information.

 

Content is crucial for search engine optimization

Regularly updating your website with high-quality content keeps search engines coming back. Provide reliable, valuable, engaging information while optimizing the use of keywords.

 

Content is important for engaging users

Happy users convert, register, buy and/or recommend your site. Give them something good so they continue to return. Answer questions, provide downloadable resources, allow them to contact you for more information and regularly add articles.

 

Content generates links

Content provides opportunities for people to link to your website. Natural inbound links result in a higher search ranking, grow your audience, and make it easier to drive relevant referral traffic to your site. Interesting, useful, high-quality articles increase the likelihood that other site owners will link to your website. Content also provides an opportunity for internal links, text that is hyperlinked to another relevant page on your site providing users with additional information and attracting search engines.

 

Content increases shares

When visitors share your content on their social media networks, you increase your reach and introduce audiences to your site. Make your social sharing buttons prominent. Entice people to peruse your website by posting links across social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+) increasing the opportunity for likes, shares, and comments. The more people that view your content, the greater the number of possible customers and conversions.

 

Content builds authority

Increase your credibility by writing content about industry news and current trends; building trust in your brand, growing your audience and establishing you as an expert in your field. Once viewed as an authority in your industry, other websites will share and link to your blog posts, increasing your search engine ranking and driving users to your site.

 

Content establishes brand personality

Use content to show what distinguishes you from your competitors. Develop a unique voice and reveal to potential buyers that your company has awesome products and/or services provided by real people.

 

Content increases conversions

Fifty percent of sales go to the first salesperson to contact a prospect. Content plays an important part in attracting visitors to your website allowing you to be their first contact and creating potential conversions.

Update content on your website regularly using it to engage users, boost SEO, generate links, increase shares, build authority, encourage conversions and establish your brand’s personality. Don’t underestimate the value of quality content!

Need help with your website content? Want to increase the effectiveness of your marketing campaign? Call CAYK at (587) 600-8270 or email [email protected].  Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact CAYK today.

 

 

References:

Categories
Featured Website Development

Trends in Digital Design

Trends in Digital Design - CAYK Marketing - Digital Marketing Agency - Featured Image

To remain effective in the marketplace, it’s important to ensure that your website and online profiles are designed and developed to resonate with your audience. Effective digital design will enable the users to easily navigate your website and find the information they need and want. Digital design trends are constantly changing. So what are the latest trends in digital design? What appeals to today’s audience?

 

Flat Design

Flat design uses minimalistic features in a two-dimensional manner. It’s focused on creating beautiful web designs that encourage maximum conversion rates by creating a pleasing experience for users. This method balances functionality and aesthetics. Basic features include simplicity of shapes, bold & readable typography, clear visual hierarchy, attention to detail and bright colours with contrast. Textures, gradients and complex forms are replaced with grids, geometrics and visual balance. Flat design is easy to optimize across devices (desktop, laptop, tablet, mobile phone) making it quick and simple to launch. The bold colours and clear text enhance the visibility of key call-to-actions. Simple graphics result in fast loading, a better user experience, efficient mobile usage and high SEO rankings.

 

Long Scrolling Design

Long scrolling is a design trend in which a website consists of a single long page or the homepage is large with only a few links to internal pages. This style is based on the belief that users will continue to scroll as long as the content is relevant to their needs. Long scrolling sites allow for lots of content and storytelling about your brand and/or product, engaging visitors and enticing them to spend time. By concentrating your story on one page, the message becomes clearer and more powerful. Users can view a large quantity of information without page loading slowing them down or breaking their concentration. Scrolling is an easy and natural interaction and makes this style mobile friendly. Long scrolling reduces the need for multiple internal pages, utilizing the navigation bar to guide the user to portions of the site’s main-page story.  If carefully executed, long scrolling web design drops bounce rates and increases conversions.

 

A Mobile Mindset

Mobile-friendliness has become crucial to how potential customers interact with websites. For your website to succeed you must ensure that everyone, from desktop users to people on their cell phones, has a comfortable and easy experience using the site. With this in mind, a mobile responsive website should cater to the on-the-go lifestyle of consumers who use their phones to check email and/or browse whenever and wherever. With global data traffic forecast to increase to 49 Exabytes per month by 2021 and the average daily amount of time spent by adults on mobile devices approximately 203 minutes, this strategy is gaining traction. A design style that keeps mobile use in consideration compresses and simplifies information into manageable chunks, creates ease of navigation, provides clear concise content and creates neat and practical layouts that improve the user’s experience. The consistency of design across devices provides users with a predictable encounter no matter how they view your site. This design mindset will optimize your mobile relevance, enhance opportunities for engaging consumers, extend the reach of your product and/or service and help increase revenue. This web design provides a one-size-fits-all model.

Digital design has become increasingly important. Stay current on the latest design trends. Use these trends to develop, enhance and create an innovative digital presence for your company.  Optimizing your digital design ensures you are presenting and communicating with your audience in the most effective way.

Need help with your digital design? Call CAYK at (587) 600-8270 or email [email protected]  Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact CAYK today.

 

 

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What you Need to Know About Generational Target Audiences

What you Need to Know About Generational Target Audiences - CAYK Marketing - Digital Marketing Agency - Featured Image

Your target audience is the people you want to reach with your marketing message; your potential customers. Instead of trying to reach an entire market, companies choose a particular audience, putting time and energy into connecting with that defined group. Once you’ve established your target market, it’s important to get to know them. This makes it easier to decide how to reach them and what message will resonate. Sometimes your target market is generational.

 

If Gen Z  is Your Target Audience:

Generation Z is composed of individuals born after 1995. This population group is on the way to being the largest generation in human history, as well as the most educated and diverse. Gen Z members tend toward a liberal set of attitudes, are open to emerging social trends and are expected to represent 40% of consumers by the end of 2020. Members of this generation are fluent in online communications, care about climate change, frugality and equality. They hold views that differ significantly from their parents and are quick to spot hypocritical messaging. Gen Z members own smartphones (94%), tablets (56%), listen to the radio (82%) and subscribe to traditional TV (53%). They get their news primarily from Twitter, post their aspirational selves on Instagram and save less filtered content for Snapchat. Generation Z watches more YouTube content (34% of daily video intake) than Netflix (27%), averages 68 videos a day, and documents their lives on social media. Gen Zers are opinionated and prefer brands that support their views.

 

If Millennials are Your Target Market:

Millennials were born between 1981 and 1995 and comprise 30% of the population. Members of this generation own laptops (84%), tablets (53%), and smartphones (93%). They enjoy reading blogs, with 300 words being their sweet spot for article length. If you’re looking to contact them, the best time to do so is between 8 p.m. and midnight. Millennials check their phones an average of 10 times per hour and spend 5 to 10 hours per week checking out digital content. They favour the use of laptops and mobile phones, use social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube and like to view entertainment, technology, comedy and sports. Members of this generation look to experts and consumer reviews to help with buying decisions rather than TV, magazines and books. Loyalty and rewards programs are important to Millennials and they value free shipping as a benefit.

 

If Gen X is Your Target Market:

Gen X is composed of individuals born between 1965 and 1980 and makes up 26% of the population. They have the largest disposable income with nearly 1/5 of this generation making between $150,000 and $200,000 per annum. They outspend all other generations when it comes to housing, clothing, eating out and entertainment. Gen Xers own smartphones (90%), tablets (66%), laptops (80%), and Fitbits (21%). They subscribe to traditional TV (71%), listen to the radio (90%) and still read newspapers (62%). This generation spends an average of 5 to 10 hours per week online, usually between 8 p.m. and midnight, and they enjoy watching entertainment, healthy-living content and news. The laptop is their favoured device to view content and blogs are their favoured form of online reading.

 

If Baby Boomers Are Your Target Market:

Born between 1946 and 1964, Baby Boomers make up 27% of the population. They are healthier, fitter, more active and have a longer life expectancy than their predecessors. This generation has more wealth than any generation before them (spending $2.9 trillion per year) and are some of the biggest online shoppers. Baby Boomers spend 20+ hours per week consuming online content, are best reached in the morning (9 a.m. to noon) and like to view entertainment, news and politics. Boomers own tablets (54%), subscribe to traditional TV (86%), and listen to the radio (89%). An unprecedented number of Baby Boomers work past 65 (65%) and many of these are self-employed (40%). Many members of this generation (up to 59%) are supporting adult children (18 to 39 years of age). Boomers research purchases online using consumer websites for information. They favour Facebook and YouTube.

 

Make sure your marketing strategy addresses the needs and wants of your generational target audience. Keep in mind their priorities and their preferred methods of communication. Reach out to customers in ways they can relate to and you’ll increase the effectiveness of your marketing campaign.

 

Need help reaching your target market? Want to increase the effectiveness of your marketing campaign? Call CAYK at (587) 600-8270 or email [email protected]  Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact CAYK today.

 

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