Q2 Marketing Blog» Q2 Marketing Blog – Technology Marketing, Public Relations, Brand Consulting

How Important is a Web Site Audit

Becky Sheetz-Runkle — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:32:46 +0000

Regular web site audits can be extremely valuable to a successful, ongoing internet marketing strategy. So what exactly is a site audit and how do you know if you need one?

Find out here: http://seo-software-review.toptenreviews.com/how-important-is-a-site-audit-.html.

Content is Key to Effective Online Marketing

Becky Sheetz-Runkle — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:17:27 +0000

There are many challenges businesses of all sizes face when it comes to developing and executing a powerful, ROI-driven internet marketing strategy. One of the biggest hurdles is in developing high-quality, meaningful content. Many businesses simply don’t think they have much to say or a reliable effective way to say it.

Read the rest at TopTenREVIEWS.com Online Marketing Services site.

Study: Impact of Positive & Negative Product Reviews

Becky Sheetz-Runkle — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:20:37 +0000

A study from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas reveals some very interesting findings on the importance of product reviews on buyer habits. The findings draw from 165 participants who tested video games. They had no previous knowledge of the game, Plants vs. Zombies. I know, I know, but stay with me… The point here isn’t really about video games.

The study, called, ”The Influence of Professional Critic Reviews,” divided users into three groups. One was exposed to positive reviews of Plants vs. Zombies, one was exposed to negative reviews, and the third was shown none. Participants then played the game for 20 minutes. Next, they filled out an exit survey, gave the game a review score and chose to either receive a free copy of Plants vs. Zombies or $10.

Positive reviews made a big difference.

Those who read positive reviews were twice as likely to choose the copy of Plants vs. Zombies instead of the cash. And they were 85% more likely to take the game than those not exposed to any reviews.

Are you making use of buyer reviews? They clearly influence purchasing decisions, even if you’re not in the business of the undead.

The Top 10 SEO Software Products in the World!

Becky Sheetz-Runkle — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:09:30 +0000

Search engine optimization. Can you really market effectively without it? Probably not. But SEO is about much more than keyword optimization and whose linking back to who. It’s about strategy, content, credibility and great attention to detail.

That’s why a lot of pros don’t go it alone. They pick an SEO software product to help automate the many tedious and time consuming aspects of SEO. The rules and techniques are constantly changing.

To help, I’ve impartially evaluted and compared the top 10 SEO software products in the world. And I do mean world. Only one is based in the U.S.

The top three were:

Web CEO
Advanced Web Ranking
iBusiness Promoter

Find out why they finished at the top and learn about the other seven, price points and more at my TopTenREVIEWS SEO product comparison site.

Enjoy!

Still not sure of the ROI of email marketing?

Becky Sheetz-Runkle — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:56:49 +0000

What’s the return on investment of email marketing? It’s easy to get a bit jaded when it comes to email marketing, as we’re cleaning out our inboxes. It seems like on a good day the proportion of solicited messages to unsolicited messages is 1:10. On a good day. . .

But, marketers, don’t allow your assumptions to cloud your judgments. Email marketing has a very real ROI.

According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing returned $43.62 for every dollar spent on it in 2009. Yes, the nice people at the DMA might have a dog in the fight. (I really hope people aren’t googling dog fighting and ending up on the TechnologyMarketingBlog.) But who else are you going to trust to measure it?

And while down a bit, they estimate email marketing is expected to return $42.08 for every dollar spent on it this year.

So, if you’re not consistently using email marketing, maybe you should be. And if you’re not getting a healthy ROI, it’s time to evaluate your methods.

Social Media Use Doubles for Small Businesses

Becky Sheetz-Runkle — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:04:44 +0000

Small business use of social media is steeply on the rise in the U.S. The third wave of the Small Business Success Index™ (SBSI), sponsored by Network Solutions® and the Center for Excellence in Service at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, reports that social media is being used by twice as many small businesses since last year.

How does your business measure up?

Read more and see the breakdown at http://growsmartbusiness.com/small-business-success-index-highlights/.

Are You Using PR to Sell?

Becky Sheetz-Runkle — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:30:33 +0000

Too many organizations forget that public relations can and should have a meaningful impact on the sales process. Are you using PR effectively to sell?

One important output of a PR campaign is to use press clippings in the sales process. PR should not be passive. You should use clippings from interviews and favorable mentions in the sales kits and other leave behind.

You should also be using recent clippings like trend pieces and case studies and sending them along to leads that have cooled.

When viewed this way, PR can be used strategically to sell. How are you using it?

Should You Network?

Becky Sheetz-Runkle — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:59:06 +0000

To network or not to network? You may expect me to tell you, unequivocally, if you’re serious about your business, get out and network! Kind of in the same way that dentist you don’t go to anymore used to tell you how important it was for you to floss.

But honesty is a better policy. Not everyone should be out there networking. Some should be doing more. And some who are networking today may be doing it all wrong.

Where do you fall? To find out, take the quiz:

http://designerscouch.org/show_article/182/should-you-network.html

SEO, PPC, Social Media & More–Find the Top Online Marketing Firms

Becky Sheetz-Runkle — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:36:35 +0000

Here is a TopTenREVIEWS review of the top internet marketing companies. Various service areas are evaluated, including search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click (PPC), link building, social media optimization and more.

Read the online marketing services firms review.

Web marketing: Customer Acquisition Vs Cheap Sales Tactics

Becky Sheetz-Runkle — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:29:56 +0000

We all know how important customer acquisition is these days—for our clients and for ourselves. But some companies are getting carried away and making a big online marketing mistake.

Many are getting caught up in optimizing their websites for lead generation and sales conversion. And they’re forgetting there’s much more to a website strategy. Effective websites must also serve existing customers and create a brand perception of trust and credibility.