B2B Marketers Say Email Delivers the Highest ROI Leads
Sales Renewal’s insight:
Study after study confirm that email marketing continues to be a top lead generation channel.
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The 7 Elements of Graphic Design, and How to Apply Them
Learn the basics of graphic design, and see some creative examples of how to apply them.
Sales Renewal’s insight:
Sure, you can “design” a Facebook cover or social media image using one of the many tools available (Canva, PicMonkey, inDesign, Adobe…). And they all make “good design” seem easy.
But don’t be deceived. Be sure you consider “professional” design services where it really counts. Website, branding materials, and other places where you need to make a long-lasting impression.
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Online Reviews: 20 Ways to Handle Bad Reviews, Boost Your Reputation & Win New Customers
Small business owners can’t afford to ignore online reviews. With this expert advice, you can turn customer reviews into a powerful marketing tool.
Of all the components of digital marketing, online reviews cause the most confusion and frustration among small business owners. How are you supposed to know where customers are leaving reviews? Should you respond to them? How important are reviews to your business’ reputation?
Sales Renewal’s insight:
Online reviews – love ’em, and hate ’em.
According to BrightLocal’s 2016 Local Consumer Review Survey, most people (91%) regularly or occasionally read online reviews. What’s even more striking is that 84% of people said they trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Online reviews have become the new word-of-mouth marketing.
An established Reviews program is critical for any business. From requesting reviews to addressing negative comments, having a clear strategy will help you get the most out of this powerful marketing tool. Read this article for some good advice, then contact Sales Renewal to help.
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What Google Analytics Can’t Tell You (And How to Get the Info You Need)
Google Analytics has plenty of info, but not all the info. Bridge the gap between what Google Analytics can and cannot tell you with these tips.
Sales Renewal’s insight:
We’re firm believers in using Google Analytics, but years ago we identified the problem with relying only on Google Analytics to inform our marketing decisions. (Read about our Call Tracking case study here.)
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The typography fix that could have stopped the Oscars Best Picture blunder
I’m a typography expert. The Oscars flub came down to bad design.
Sales Renewal’s insight:
If you ever need an easy-to-understand example of why good design matters, this is it!
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The Benefits of Installing SSL on Your Website
Google want all websites to switch from HTTP to HTTPS. The ultimate goal is to make the internet & websites safer and using SSL is a way of doing so.
Sales Renewal’s insight:
For several years now Google search results have shown more preference to websites that use HTTPS. (HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP, the protocol over which data is sent between your browser and the website that you are connected to.) While Google claims that this is currently a “mild” ranking signal, there are indications that this is becoming increasingly important.
What is HTTPS?
HTTPS helps prevent intruders from tampering with the communications between your websites and your users’ browsers. Intruders include intentionally malicious attackers, and legitimate but intrusive companies, such as ISPs or hotels that inject ads into pages.
HTTPS prevents intruders from being able to passively listen to communications between your websites and your users. And not only on sites that handle sensitive communications. Every unprotected HTTP request can potentially reveal information about the behaviors and identities of your users.
According to Google:
“You should always protect all of your websites with HTTPS, even if they don’t handle sensitive communications. Aside from providing critical security and data integrity for both your websites and your users’ personal information, HTTPS is a requirement for many new browser features, particularly those required for progressive web apps.”
Sales Renewal is in the process of rolling this out to all our clients by purchasing and installing an SSL certificate on their websites and forcing HTTPS. This means that your sites URL will change from http://www.yoursite.com to https://www.yoursite.com. Questions? Please contact us here.
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Google: SEOs Need 4 Months to a Year for SEO Changes & Ranking Improvement
Google released a How to Hire an SEO video this week, and one of the things mentioned is how long it takes for a site to see improvements due to SEO changes.
Sales Renewal’s insight:
We’ve said it time and again, but it’s worth repeating. SEO is a long-term strategy. Anyone who promises something different is not the right SEO firm for your business. In fact, in the recently released “How to Hire an SEO” video, Google explicitly mentions how long it takes for a site to see improvements due to SEO changes. Read more and watch the video here.
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Google AdWords Benchmarks for YOUR Industry?
Whether you’re doing PPC for the first time or you’ve just signed a new client, it can be daunting to know whether or not you’re doing a good job. Sure, we all want to create ads that have highest CTRs and the best conversion rates, but what’s a good metric for one industry isn’t necessarily good for another. So what numbers should you be looking to beat in your industry?
Sales Renewal’s insight:
This post was updated on 3 Jan 2017 and is chock full of useful online advertising benchmarks:
- Average Click-Through Rate (CTR) by industry
- Average Cost per Click (CPC) by industry
- Average Conversion Rate (CVR) by industry
- Average Cost per Action (CPA) by industry
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Psychological Pricing Is Your Golden Ticket to Selling More
You want to make money. That’s why you run a business. Whether you’re selling a product or a service-you’ll have to put a price on what you’re selling.
Sales Renewal’s insight:
Subtle changes to your pricing strategy can yield big changes to your bottom line.
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8 SEO Trends You Need to Pay Attention to in 2017
Knowing which techniques are most effective for driving traffic to your site is a learning curve that never flattens.
Sales Renewal’s insight:
SEO is a constantly changing landscape. This article highlights eight trends to be aware of as we start 2017, including:
- HTTPS is no longer just an option. Security issues aside, Google has confirmed it’s a ranking signal.
- Social media will be an even larger referral traffic goldmine.
- Mobile-first strategies have become a necessity.
- Links will continue to be important, but they should be a by-product of excellent content.
Continue reading for details on these and 4 more SEO trends for 2017.
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