Johnie manages a few social media sites and an amazon store for several clients
We’ve talked about the best practice of matching your offer and blog post topic as tightly as possible many times on the HubSpot Marketing Blog. But just in case you haven’t heard of this best practice before, I’ll give an example. Let’s say you have a post explaining different types of commercial cooling systems that gets a steady amount of organic traffic each month. The best fit offer for this post would be a quiz to determine the right cooling system for your business, or a cooling systems pricing comparison sheet. Because the offer closely aligns with what brought the visitor to your blog post in the first place — an interest in learning about commercial cooling systems — it’s natural for visitors to want to consume this additional content and convert on a lead form. On the other hand, an ebook on ventilation best practices probably wouldn’t convert traffic as well, since it’s not as well-aligned with the topic of the blog post. A few years back, we did an audit of our highest organic traffic posts on the HubSpot Blog to see if our offers were as optimized for conversion as they could be. We found several areas to more tightly align blog post topic with offer topic, and saw CVRs climb. For example, conversions from this post increased considerably when we swapped a generic marketing offer for a press release template. The bottom of the post CTA Fast forward to today. It had been a while since we took a look at those posts. After all, all of the optimization work that could be done had been done, right? But then I started digging into the conversion rates of the offer landing pages themselves … and discovered a whole new gold mine of opportunity. Here’s the quick and dirty of how I doubled leads from 50 of our top-performing blog posts in one week by analyzing landing page CVRs. Gathering the DataFirst, I created a massive spreadsheet that included data on:
Here’s what that looked like (this snapshot features some of our worst-converting blog posts — clearly, there’s some work to be done): Blog data: URL, views, leads attributed, and CVR Separate tab with offer LP submission rate data Then, I sorted by highest number of blog post views and highest number of leads generated, and started comparing to offer landing page CVR. This helped me prioritize my optimization efforts so I could see where the potential to move the needle was the greatest — i.e. an offer with a 70% submission rate but 800 monthly views wouldn’t be as good an opportunity to increase raw leads as one with a 45% submission rate and 15,000 monthly views. The sweet spot was high blog post views + low number of leads generated + low landing page submission rate. Auditing the OffersThen, for the top 150 viewed blog posts, I manually audited and noted the URL of which offer LPs were being used. I found that some offers were tightly aligned to the topic of the blog posts while others were not. I also found that some of the offers we were directing visitors to were out of date — not the best experience. Next up? Some VLOOKUP magic to match offer landing page submission rate to the blog posts that offer was being linked from. It quickly became clear that some of our best-performing blog posts were pointing to some of our worst-performing offers. I also spotted a few trends in subject matter among our lowest performers, such as social media, career development, and content creation. Finally, I went through our offers library and identified the content offers with the highest submission rates, and sorted them by topic category. These would be the replacements for the laggards. The ResultsAfter all this number crunching, I was able to identify 50 blog posts that represented our lowest-hanging fruit. I went through and swapped out these posts’ CTAs (or created new ones from scratch) for the most tightly-aligned offers with the highest submission rates. The results were even better than I expected. After one week, these posts generated 100% more leads than average — even while post traffic was down 10%. This seemingly small tweak made a big impact on our leads. We’ll be keeping an eye on how this pans out long-term. But in the meantime, here are a few takeaways and lessons learned I hope will be as valuable for your team as they were for ours:
Have you ever done a similar optimization project? Comment below with your best experiments and hacks to increase conversion rate below (and hey, we might even feature your experiment on our blog). via Tumblr The Simple Test That Doubled Leads in One Week
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Sometimes we can all feel resistant to technology. I think we all look at shiny new tech and think, “But the old way works just fine.” I feel your pain. However, your business will the feel pain if you don’t embrace technology that could help your business grow and attract a new customer base, like millennials. Building a mobile app for your business is one way to leverage technology and automate some of your marketing efforts. Using a Mobile App to Grow Your BusinessMobile App Usage Has ChangedWe are constantly connected to content via — laptops, phones, tablets, and wearable technology. The idea of a mobile app as an independent destination is becoming less of a thing. Think of a mobile app now, as a publishing tool. We as users respond by seeing relevant notifications that contain content and actions, not by opening the app itself. Where Do Your Customers Congregate?You probably use your smartphone multiple times a day. When you do, you search Google, use your business phone app, look for directions, check your email, review your bank accounts, and use apps to solve problems, and learn new information. I don’t know about you, but when I’m intrigued by a new business, one of the first things I do is check them out from my cellphone, and if they incentivize me the right way, I will download the app. Since millions of consumers download mobile apps every day, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to connect with them in that space. Not Everyone Opens EmailsOpen rates for emails have been dropping. This trend is due in part to security concerns but it’s also related to busy schedules. This could be a great time to start building a mobile marketing campaigns. I run a full-time business and I like to spend as much time as I can with my young son. I don’t always have time to open email or read a sales pitch. But if I download your app, I want to build a relationship with your brand or claim your incentive. A mobile app creates a form of permission marketing with your customers and prospects that email can’t touch. Once they have downloaded an app, it’s your job to give them a reason to check it frequently, that could include discounts, exclusive mobile offers or new content. Or they can allow notifications from the app which is the way most people are engaging with apps. The relationship is always on their terms. Creating relevant content through your mobile app could boost customer engagement and even generate profits. Retarget Existing CustomersIt’s more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain existing ones. Many people who download your app may have visited your business or retained your services in the past. You can keep them engaged with features, experiences, and content through push notifications and custom offers. Target each market segment based on their purchase history and shopping habits. You might see an immediate increase in sales and customer activity. How to Win the Mobile App GameWhile mobile apps can significantly boost your business growth, they only work if you market them effectively. If I’m searching for an app on Apple iTunes or Google Play, the apps that appear at the top of the list will probably capture my attention first, and I won’t continue to scroll too far. Use SEO best practices to make your app discoverable, then promote your app on your website, blog, social media platforms too. You could even include a mention on your business card. If you have a storefront, encourage your customers to download the app through signage. Try offering a special download bonus, such as a coupon, to encourage participation. Mobile apps should make life easier and keep your customers connected to your brand. If you want my business (and everyone else’s), you might want to consider building a mobile app of your own. Republished by permission. Original here. Mobile Phone Photo via Shutterstock This article, “Fascinating Mobile Apps Tactics That Can Help Your Business Grow” was first published on Small Business Trends via Tumblr Fascinating Mobile Apps Tactics That Can Help Your Business Grow Inadequate cash flow can cripple a small business. In fact, research shows that the insufficient management of cash flow can be pinned on as much as 82 percent of small business and start-up failure. If you run a small business and are experiencing problems with cash flow, take a look at the advice of Fred Parrish. Parrish is founder and chief executive officer of The Profit Experts and creator of The Profit Beacon, a new app that provides predictive analytics to help businesses make timely and smart decisions. Parrish is also author of “The Profit Mentality”. How to Avoid Cash Flow ProblemsParrish, aka “America’s Small Business CFO”, provided Small Business Trends the following tips on avoiding cash flow problems at your small business. Do Appropriate Planning, ConstantlyAccording to Parrish, the real key to avoiding a cash flow crisis is to do the appropriate planning on a constant basis. “To accomplish this, you as the business owner/manager must look at the profit and loss (P&L) and any other non-operational items (or circumstances) that specifically affect cash flow,” Parrish advises. Take the Appropriate Steps to Manage Profit and LossSmall business owners must take the appropriate steps to manage P&L. This includes, says Parrish, being “realistic about upcoming revenue opportunities and the timing of when they will be realized.” Part of a solid profit and loss management strategy should include performing an analysis of all costs (direct and indirect) and how they are driven by revenue or other activity in the business. According to Parrish, the “appropriate staffing level for the different stages of the company should also be determined” to help small businesses manage profit and loss adequately and help prevent running into cash flow problems. A monthly forecast for at least one year should also be developed says Parrish, “starting with the line items in accounting reports.” Create a Forecast for Future Cash StreamsParrish also advises small business owners to create a forecast of future cash stream, “preferably weekly.” “Developing an understanding about when revenues can be collected” is part of a comprehensive and effective cash flow, he says. Think About the Timing of All Operational Cash PaymentsAre you always aware of the timing cash disbursements will be made? It is wise for small business owners to, as Parrish says, “determine the timing of all operational cash disbursements. Other disbursements should also be identified, such as owner distributions, principal payments on debt and capital expenditures. Parrish advises small business owners to subtract the disbursements from the receipts to determine cash balances for each future period. “Update the information as conditions change in the business or the market that will influence the outcomes to maintain a realistic view of the future,” he told Small Business Trends. Carry out a Comparative AnalysisAccording to Parrish, small businesses must do a comparative analysis (compare the actual results to the forecast) to determine where the company is not performing as expected, in order to gain a better understanding about what actions should be taken to ensure an optimal outcome. Parrish warns that: “No forecast is perfect and you can always come back to adjust any items that look to be incorrect. This will not be as painful as it sounds. Start with what information you have and refine the process over time.” Focus on Proactive PlanningThe veteran CFO and author also told Small Business Trends that proactive planning is the key to avoiding a cash flow crisis and the symptoms or warning signs. According to Parrish, small businesses can avert running into a cash flow crisis by proactive planning and avoiding the following: Cash Discounts Being Missed The returns on cash discounts far exceed most returns on any other use of cash. Vendors Being Stretched Beyond Normal Payment Terms Parrish warns small business owners: “If this situation is allowed to persist for too long it will irreparably damage these relationships and could impede the business from acquiring the necessary items to operate.” Late Fees Being Incurred on Lease Payments or Trade Accounts “In a similar way as cash discounts, the effect of these penalties can far exceed the normal costs of traditional financing arrangements,” says Parrish. Age of Your Accounts Receivables Increasing or Increased Difficulty in Collecting Accounts Unfortunately, most managers do not attempt to manage A/R with more than a passing thought until there is a problem with cash or a question arises regarding the validity of the recorded balances, Parrish says. “You must have a sustained effort to manage A/R in place at all times. Uncover any issues that impair the ability to collect all amounts billed and develop a plan for working through each to a successful conclusion,” says Parrish. He says this plan should include:
Parrish advises all small business owners ask themselves: “Who would you pay first — a vendor who is sending invoices on a consistent schedule with full supporting documentation who is very diligent in contacting you to determine the status of a timely payment, or a company that sends invoices from time to time with little explanation and no follow up?” Increase Scrutiny of Operating ExpensesThere are numerous reasons why a business owner will incur debt. Most are perfectly valid. However, there are times when business owners will take on debt in the hope that it will buy enough time to repair a damaged business or to prop up an inability to gain revenue traction in a particular market. To avoid this, Parrish advises: “Increase scrutiny of operating expenses, liquidation of under-performing assets or outdated inventory, and carry out an unbiased evaluation of staffing requirements”. Avoid Filing Delays in Deposits of Payroll or Other TaxesParrish says filing delays in deposits of payroll and other taxes should be avoided at all costs. “The penalties can be severe,” he sats. “Once this path is taken, it’s a dangerous slippery slope.” Are you a small business owner who has successfully overcome cash flow problems? Is so, share your experiences of running into, avoiding and overcoming issues related to small business cash flow. Cash Flow Photo via Shutterstock This article, “8 Steps to Avoid Cash Flow Problems at Your Small Business” was first published on Small Business Trends via Tumblr 8 Steps to Avoid Cash Flow Problems at Your Small Business |