Sitewire

The Art/Battle of Content vs. Conversion
- Katie McNally

In optimizing a Web site for optimal organic (relevance related, not paid) search engine rankings, one will inevitably encounter the age old dilemma of content vs. conversion. Okay fine, the battle may not be age old, but it has certainly been around as long as Web sites have been optimized for search engine rankings.

The first side of the battle arises from the fact that the number one determinant in organic search engine rankings is individual page content. What this means is that each individual page of a Web site being crawled by the search engine spiders is determined a relevant source of information on a given search based on its content. This seems like a natural way to determine relevance of site content. A slight dilemma arises with the fact that the search engines are not nearly as advanced as we would like to think. They determine relevance based on the number of times a search term matches the content of a given page. Therefore, any individual Web site page that includes an excess of relevant content will then, in turn, have a higher likelihood of being ranked for that keyword phrase. This point being made the search engine marketer in us all would like to load up every page of a Web site with content galore and lean back and let the rankings roll in.

It is at this point though that the savvy internet marketer in us all holds up a red flag. Content galore may not always be the best way to convert a user to a desired action. This action can be anywhere from requesting more information, filling out a form, to making an online purchase. Too much content may scare a user away or provide them with all the information they need so that they no longer need to request more information. Bottom line is that from a user perspective, conversion rates go down if too much content is provided.

This is the point where I unveil the magic potion that combines the two factors of content and conversion into one well oiled bottom line boosting machine. The truth of the matter is that there is no magic potion to best convert users to an action while still attaining optimal organic search engine rankings. This is where the art of internet marketing comes into play. An experienced internet marketer can apply their knowledge and expertise to what the right combination will be in combining targeted content in order to best achieve optimal search engine rankings and high conversion rates. Just as there are recipes that chefs utilize when creating delicious meals, there are formulas that search engine marketers and conversion specialists apply in assessing Web site effectiveness. In reality, the best meals generally don't come from recipes; they come from experience, knowledge, a special interest in what is being prepared, and of course a touch of art. The same goes for achieving the optimal combination of content and conversion potential. It takes a little art, a lot of experience and a special interest in the goals you are attempting to achieve.

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MSN Adds Pay per Click Search Advertising
- Mike Marti

When it comes to paid advertising in search engines, the top providers are Google and Yahoo! which provide paid advertisements to Google, AOL, Netscape, AskJeeves, Overture, MSN, Yahoo!, AltaVista, Earthlink, CompuServe, Shopping.com, AT&T Worldnet, Excite, Go2Net, InfoSpace, Sympatico.ca, Juno, Netzero, Dog pile, Metacrawler, Web Crawler, AlltheWeb, CNN and Microsoft Internet Explorer just to name a few. Bottom line is that Google and Yahoo! combined have dominated the paid advertising world...until now.

MSN recently announced that they will be pioneering their own version of paid advertising that is similar to both Google and Yahoo! in which advertisers bid on keyword phrases that people use when searching in search engines. MSN is currently under contract with Yahoo! in which Yahoo!'s paid advertisements are displayed in MSN's search network. However, the contract ends in June 2006 and MSN will most likely be able to get out of this contract earlier than that to fully launch their paid advertising. What's cool abut MSN's paid advertising is that it will provide a lot more information than the regular old reporting on impressions and clicks and cost per click like Yahoo! and Google. MSN will provide reporting on consumers clicking on links, such as geographic location, gender, age group, lifestyle segment and the time of day the clicks occurred. Within the next six months MSN will be testing their paid advertising technology in Singapore and France.

So will this hurt Yahoo! and Google's paid advertising business? If anything, I predict that the new MSN search advertising will hurt advertisers' marketing budgets. Those who advertise through Yahoo! and Google's paid advertising will have to enroll in MSN's paid advertising when it is launched. Advertising budgets will have to be increased to include advertising on MSN since MSN is a top 3 search engine and can generate significant levels of site traffic.

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Is your site being found among the 8+ billion Web sites?
- Jay Feitlinger

Have you hired an amazing Web design firm, spent a considerable percentage of your marketing budget, and recently launched a gorgeous, interactive website? BUT, after a few months still have not seen the return on your investment? Your site is not performing if prospective customers are not able to find your site, right? Has Sitewire provided you with your unique search engine ranking results? If not, please contact our marketing manager, Elif Affan for a complimentary attraction brief. This attraction brief will tell you, per keyword and per top search engine, if you are ranked within the top 50 list.

In addition, here are a few quick tips to think about from an attraction perspective:

1. Market your site, everywhere... Put your Web site address on everything! Anything that is in front of your customers, such as the signature line in your email messages, on your letterhead, even in agendas and presentation handouts.
2. Search Engine Optimization... Optimize your Web site for search engines and consider link popularity. Link popularity is one of the many elements we can advise you on; this can be quite helpful from a credibility perspective for both your visitors and from the eyes of the search engines. Most of the popular search engines, including Google, base their rankings on keyword and phrase relatedness to the search and the popularity of your site as measured by the number and popularity of the sites that link to it. You'll usually need to be in the top 20-30 results for the most important related search terms to really benefit.
3. Referrals... Include tools on your site for visitors to tell others about your Web site, and services! If applicable, consider offering a free email newsletter containing links back to your site.

There are many techniques for attracting visitors to your Web site. Make sure you cover the technical basics like search engine optimization, but don't focus or hire a search engine firm that relies on technical tricks or spam methods--you may be removed from search engines and turn away prospective new customers. Offer quality content, find complimentary online partners to share links, and have a marketing plan in place for your online marketing strategies. If you do not have an online marketing plan in place, please contact us today!

Stay tuned - next month, assuming you have improved traffic to your Web site, we will be providing some tips to increase the number of site visitors that convert to customers.

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Crown Properties' Loyalty Program Success
- Elif Affan & Lacey French

The one-year-old CrownClub Membership and Rewards program is proof positive that marketing and sales efforts directed to current customers are every bit, if not more, important as efforts to find new customers.

Crown Properties' had a marketing plan for a loyalty program. Sitewire brought the technical expertise to strategically execute that idea electronically. With a membership of 21,000 Florida golfers in just one year, Crown Properties' loyalty program is among the largest in the golf industry. Golfers in the Orlando and Tampa areas may become a member free of charge and immediately begin earning points when they play golf at a Crown-managed course. With multiple courses in Orlando and Tampa, Crown Properties has seen dramatic results in the frequency of play among loyalty program members.

Behind the scenes of this successful marketing effort is technology that tracks rounds played, restaurant and pro shop transactions, and provides an online accounting for all members to see. When enough points are accumulated, the program automatically rewards golfers with free founds of golf and other incentives.

Sitewire developed Pinpoint, a system that collects and stores all customer information from the golf course tee sheets, Web sites and point-of-sale transactions. Pinpoint allows Crown to send targeted e-mail and direct mail marketing messages based on data collected, incorporating both course and corporate branding and messaging. Sitewire also enabled Crown to build Web site traffic by increasing visitor attraction through search engine optimization. To complete the online marketing services package, Sitewire provides Crown with a guide to basic online marketing strategy, which offers effective ideas on when to e-mail customers, how to collect relevant data from customers, and how to build upon the data collected.

February marked the one-year anniversary of the inception of the CrownClub Membership Rewards program. The program has proven to be an effective partnership of Crown's marketing plan and Sitewire's technical strategy.

For more information about how Sitewire technology can facilitate your loyalty program success, please contact marketing manager, Elif Affan.

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