Search Engine Optimization

Looking at the traffic source information for my blog it came as no surprise that nearly all of my traffic has come from referring URLs; most of which are from the links posted in the class forum. A few are from web crawlers but the main point is that none came from keyword searches. So the first and most obvious search engine optimization step would be to include keywords in the blog, likely through the use of meta-tags as well as tagging each blog post with relevant labels. Both of these steps will increase the chance of the blog showing up in search engine results.   

Including more links to and from the blog is another way to increase search results. This is especially true when linking with social networking sites like Facebook and twitter. Other sites like youtube are also popular when it comes to search engine optimization. Pretty much any links to and from a site can be effective in increasing that site’s appearance. 

Ultimately I would recommend what I discussed in this page. Using tags to increase keyword searches and linking to/from other sites to increase traffic and search engine results.

Landing Page Improvements

The first thing I notice on this page is that several of the boots, including the first, do not display a purple boot. So the first improvement I would make is for them to make sure they show the purple version of the boot. The next issue I see is that there is a shoe in the page which does not belong there when the search was ‘woman purple boots’.  The color picker on the left could also place purple as one of the first options instead of one of the last ones. There also seems to be lacking an option for ‘boot type’ filtering along the left panel. Finally I would list a bestselling section first. These options help marketing better target users seeking trending fashion and make it easier for them to find selections of items they are more likely to purchase.

Custom Report

Below is a screenshot of several custom metrics I created for my blog. Many of these are standard measurements one would expect to see. For instance I have measurements for the amount of visitors and visits and the average duration for the visits along the left. Along the middle I have a few tables that show the number of visits, where they are from, and the average duration spent on the site. There is also a table for the amount of visitors and unique visitors for a week, arranged from most to least. Below that are page views and if there were any hits from a mobile device. The mobile thing isn't particularly of interest for this blog but if an organization or individual were trying to market their site towards mobile users then that would be an important metric. The right has a view pie charts which split the visits down into things like referrals vs direct visits, browser visits, visits by city. These can all be useful again depending on if a site is geared towards a particular user base. For instance if it was a blog for Detroit then we would expect to see most the visits from that city and the surrounding area.

Root Cause Diagnosis

It didn’t take long for me to spot one thing I would deem a mistake on this page. And that thing was the location and size of the ‘Request a Local Quote’ button. Even with it circled it took me longer than it should have to find the button. The reasoning for this is relatively simple. Through my years of using the Internet I have almost always scanned the top and left side of a page first. On Ford’s page the quote button is along the right side, one of the later places I will check. The button also suffers due to its size. It’s not very large and compared to rest of the page (which is appearing to be more exciting) it is quite dull. In addition to that the price is already listed right above it which would make me not consider scanning the page further to find a quote request. 

There are a number of things Ford could attempt in order to make more people request a quote. First of all they could move the button and make it stand out more. There have been extensive studies that track user viewing habits so using those they can place the button somewhere that’ll be seen more quickly. Ford can make extensive use of social media to link people to the quote page. In Twitter it’d just take a catchy phrase or offer followed by a link straight to a quote to draw people in. They can do something similar in Facebook to draw in traffic to where they want them. 

Southwest Airlines Case Study

Why are press releases important to Southwest's business strategy?

 Press releases are important to anyone's business strategy. They are a key communication between an organization and its customers. Even if the press release is directed more to the media, it is ultimately viewed or seen by the customer. These pieces of information can influence the decision of whether or not to choose Southwest for future travel.

How does Southwest track sales directly attributable to their press releases?

 Through the use of both free and inexpensive tools Southwest has identified popular search terms relevant to the news regarding the company. This information is used in press releases which increases the chance that the press releases will rank high in search results. URLs are also embedded in the press releases to link consumers to the point-of-sale which allows for tracking sales directly attributable to the press releases. Wire services are used to distribute the release. Southwest has used this strategy to conclude that they have created $2.5 million in ticket sales attributed to press releases.

Why are search keywords important to press release campaigns?

Research is conducted to discover which terms customers are using while searching. As mentioned above, this information allows Southwest to include those words in press releases so that they are more likely to be seen after an Internet search. An example of this is how a search for 'Southwest Airlines' returned three times more relevant results than 'Southwest'. It was concluded that using 'Southwest Airlines' in a press release made it more relevant for searchers.

How did Southwest optimize their press releases for search engines?

 One way was through adding key search terms into the press release which generated more hits from a search engine. Another way was from the inclusion of special hyperlinks. Thirdly the press released was distributed among news organizations online which generates more traffic and views. These are all common search engine optimization techniques.

How did Southwest measure the success of their PR campaigns?

Three tests were conducted to measure the success of PR campaigns. The first was through the organization's offering of a new major city. The second test was to measure the success of increasing the sale to Spanish speaking individuals by offering a Spanish language sales system online. The final test was releasing four press releases at once and seeing the results. Each of these events generated an increase in ticket sales, though by very different amounts. The first attributed to $80,000 in ticket sales, the second in $38,000, and the third a whopping over $1 million.

How can PR campaigns influence or be influenced by other events involving the company?  Give an example outside of the Southwest case.

Public relations campaigns are a lot of the time in response to something related to the company. Probably one of the greatest examples of this was how British Petroleum needed to increase customer confidence and respect after the rupture of one of their ocean facilities. I believe BP continues to deal with backlash out of that event but it did herald a massive PR campaign to try and restore the public image for the company.

Choosing a Vendor

Q1: “What is the difference between your tool/solution and free tools from Yahoo! and Google?”

For an organization of this size I think that the bottom line is cost. I'm sure the tool/solutions you pay for will have many neat features, but whether they are worth the cost would have to be measured.

Q2: “Are you 100 percent ASP, or do you offer a software version? Are you planning a software version?” 

I imagine there are tools specially made and in-house for an organization like this one. However at the same time I bet there are free tools that do much of the same things. In any case I'm again thinking that for an organization this size that it's not too huge of a worry. 

Q3: “What data capture mechanisms do you use?” 

Cookies will most likely be used for data capturing a any web-based tools. Anything else could use a combination of that and user inputs to store on a company computer.

Q4: “Can you calculate the total cost of ownership for your tool?” 

For the free tools, well, they're free. For the other tools then I can't really calculate until really researching and contacting vendors.

Q5: “What kind of support do you offer? What do you include for free, and what costs more? Is it free 24/7?” 

Most vendors offer support in some way. If they don't, then it's probably not worth the time to consider them. Even free tools offer support, both official and unofficial. Forums exist all over for software which lets users post and help one another.

Q6: “What features in your tool allow me to segment the data?” 

Tagging data is becoming a popular feature in a lot of software. This is especially true in web based applications, and even more so those developed by Google. I'm sure this can be used to segment data.

Q7: “What options do I have for exporting data from your system into our company’s system?” 

Nearly all professional software I've used allows for data exporting and importing. This is almost a necessity considering the need for backups. I'd seriously be weary of any application that did not allow for data exporting because of this.

Q8: “What features do you provide for me to integrate data from other sources into your tool?” 

This is another feature I've seen in most professional software. Integration is continuing to grow between software/hardware, software/software, and hardware/hardware. I know most of Google's stuff integrates with other Google applications as well as other software.

Q9: “Can you name two new features/tools/acquisitions your company is cooking up to stay ahead of your competition for the next three years?” 

This question can usually be answered pretty easily on your own for a company like Google. For others, you  may have to ask them directly and then there is no guarantee that they'll answer. I would be less likely to go with a vendor who couldn't share with me some of their plans for the future.

Q10: “Why did the last two clients you lost cancel their contracts? Who are they using now? May we call one of these former clients?”

This is another question that can be answered through the Internet for tools offered by  a company like Google. People like to complain when they aren't happy so it shouldn't be too hard to find anyone who has stopped using software and where they went afterwards. This is probably true for both free and pay software. 

Guidelines for Measuring Relationships in PR

How does the organization maintain good relationships with its audience?

Communication is the best way to maintain a good relationship with an audience. Redline Auto has open forums for customers to post their concerns to which the organization replies to. They also give the option to call, e-mail, or come in person to discuss their concerns. Usually things are worked out and an understanding is made. 

How might it measure those efforts to maintain its relationships?

Surveys can be given to ask if the customer feels they were helped and if their attitude changed after speaking more about the issue. More importantly though seeing if the customer continues to bring their automobile is the greatest measurement. 

Why is it important to measure those relationships?

To learn whether an organization is doing things well. If they are, then they can identify what they are doing right and continue it while looking for other ways to do better. If they are not doing too well then they need to learn why and correct it. 

What is the value of those good relationships to the organization?

That's hard to measure so I will say it's invaluable. An organization with bad relationships will not usually last long. Especially in a small and local operation offering a service such as this. You could try putting a monetary value on it but it'd be difficult. It's have to include returning customers as well as polling new ones to find out why they choose this particular establishment to conduct business with.

What might be the organizations appropriate goals? Explain why they would be appropriate goals.

In PR, to generate a positive image for the company. Also to bring back current customers and bring in new ones. These are appropriate goals because they generate profit for the organization. 

What might be the outcomes of these successful relationships and how might they be measured?

Ultimately the outcome is the increase of profits and customer satisfaction. Like many things they can be measured through surveys, polls, and more. 

Content Analysis

How is your company currently perceived by its publics?

 For customers the company is perceived mostly in a good light. Of course there are going to be some with negative opinions but it's virtually impossible to please everyone. Despite that fact the organization currently has a customer satisfaction level of 94.66%.

What messages are being conveyed?

Honesty is one of the key messages being conveyed. It's one of the key goals for the company so it's good to see when the customer agrees. It's especially nice in a service that is stereotypically the opposite. Another key message is that the quality of work is superb, mostly do to having an experienced and knowledgeable staff.

Are these in line with what is being sent from the company itself?

 Yes, the company wants to convey the messages that are being received by the customer and public. As mentioned above honesty is important in the auto repair industry, as is being able to trust the work.

Do you think the PR & marketing is effective? Why or why not?

One of the goals has been to maintain and increase customer satisfaction as well as creating a positive feeling for potential customers.  I believe currently the organization is succeeding though there is always more that can be done. I did look at competitor reviews online and found a much lesser presence so in that respect the company is far ahead. 

Sodexo Case Study

Visit Sodexo's Career blog, Twitter & Facebook pages (feel free to visit their other social media presences as well):

In a blog post, answer the following questions:

Why might potential employees find Sodexo's content engaging?

First, they have an active presence on these sites. This alone helps the content get seen and become more engaging with the public, and potential employees. Besides that the content is welcoming and gives off a positive aura for the organization. It also appeals to a significant range of people.

In what ways is Sodexo using social media to reach their target audiences?

Communication with their audience is one way that Sodexo is using social media to reach their target audiences. When organizations are active on sites like Facebook and Twitter the experience perpetual growth in having their content seen. This naturally means that more of their audience will be reached. 

How might Sodexo measure the effectiveness of their individual social networks.

 Web analytic can be used to the amounts of hits to a site and to what content they were most interested in. Polling and surveying can also be done to get an idea. In addition to this both the activity on Facebook and Twitter can be used to hear what people say and think.

Measurement Program

For this next patch of assignments I will again use 'Redline Auto Service' to answer each question.

Step 1: Define your goal and objectives: Why are you launching this plan or pursuing this strategy? What is the "R" in the ROI that you are seeking to measure?

The overall goal would be to increase profits. For this specific organization I would look to measure monthly profits and compare them to previous months. Customer satisfaction is also an important component to profit so it too should be measured and compared over time. Unlike profit though customer satisfaction should not be affected by things like seasons. Because of this there should always be a goal to remain at or above a particular point.

Step 2: Define your environment, your audiences, and your role in influencing them.

The environment for this organization is mostly the Lansing surrounding and mid-Michigan area. This includes primary competitors who offer similar services. The audience is anyone who owns an automobile within this area.

Step 3: Define your investment: What will it cost? What is the "I" in ROI?

For an organization of this size the cost is actually very minimal. Profits are already monitored and can be measured quite easily with proper record keeping. Customer satisfaction on the other hand would require a bit more but should still not cost much. A few man hours a day and some materials are all it'd require. For larger organizations, especially those who don't interact personally with customers, I imagine the costs become much greater.

Step 4: Determine your benchmarks.

The benchmark in this example would be first and foremost results results for the company. Of course, if possible, measuring it to competitors would be a good benchmark also but that would be difficult to impossible in this case.

Step 5: Define your key performance indicators: What are the metrics you will report with?

Measuring the money going in and out is necessary to measure profits. Everything should be included in this including paying for parts, employees, utilities, and more. Each of these can be measured separately to also determine if there are trends in certain costs. For customer satisfaction you are measuring just that, their satisfaction. This can be broken down further but it ultimately comes down to 'how many customers would return?'

Step 6: Select the right measurement tool and vendors and collect data.

Simple computer applications can be used to measure profits. Even something as simple as Microsoft Excel. The cost of these vary from free to several thousands, but for this organization anything should work. Customer satisfaction can be accomplished through surveys. Both online, in person, phone, or through the mail can be considered. Of course online would be the cheapest but none are really that costly or time consuming.

Step 7: Turn data into action: Analyze data, draw actionable conclusions, and make recommendations.

One everything is calculated, compare it to previous months. Find then if the measurements are rising or falling. Whichever the case is discover why and decide what to change and what to keep doing.

Social Media Trends

Why are the major trends important? 

Major trends in social media is important for business because it can be used to gain numerous competitive advantage. Firstly it allows an organization direct access to its customers thoughts and opinions; what they like, don't like, and what they want. By staying current on trending sites, services, and ideas, an organization can make better choices on what products or services better suit customer needs.

What do you think will be the trends for the next 6 months? 

I've seen sites like Twitter gaining major use recently. I think people like the quick and short way to receive updates. I imagine this trend will continue so companies should make their presence there if they haven't already.

For your chosen company, how are the trends important? Will they affect their current marketing?

For any organization the trends should be important. By keeping up on trends a company can gain the largest input while creating the largest output. If a company is still focused on using a site like MySpace then they are likely to be interacting with fewer customers than if they used Facebook. This affects marketing significantly as the number of individuals changes.

PR Measurement Guidelines

Once more I will be conducting this assignment using Redline Auto Service as the company.

 

What are their current PR activities?

Currently Redline Auto Service makes use of social media sites and tools to allow customers to voice publicly any opinions concerns they may have. A mechanic or representative of the company responds to these and customers are welcomed to discuss further how they feel.

What are the possible outputs, outtakes & outcomes?

To increase customer satisfaction for one. By speaking with an unhappy customer a company can potentially dispel their concerns to regain trust and future business. By doing this in a public manner it helps to build trust in other customers, or possible customers, as well. In addition their may be a trending concern which needs to be addressed. By solving this the company again gains trust from the public.

What might their PR objectives and business objectives be?

The PR objectives is once more to enhance trust. The business objective of this would be to keep current customers while drawing in new ones.

How might they measure each?

Customer satisfaction scores can be used to measure the overall performance of the company. By keeping track of this you can see when the score increases or decreases. When decreasing you can perform further analysis on why and fix it. You can perform similar analysis if it's increasing to find what customers are most satisfied with in order to continue that.

Do they seem to be accomplishing their objectives?

Yes, I believe that they do. I've witnessed a few less than stellar reviews that were changed once they were responded to. This increases the overall image of the organizations and shows it cares about its customers.  

Understanding Business Objectives & Audience

For this assignment I again used Redline Auto Service.

Question #1: What Are Your Objectives?

The company objective is to increase profits while maintaining credibility and customer loyalty.

Question #2: Who Are Your Program’s Target Audience(s)?

Currently the broader target audience is vehicle owners in and around Lansing. There are also more specific attempts in targeting owners of European make automobiles, as the company has the greatest experience with them.

Question #3: What Is Important to Your Audiences?

Above all else, honesty is important to this company’s audience. Too easy is it for people to be taken advantage in the auto repair market. Gaining and keeping trust is essential to maintaining business. This segues into another thing important to customers, the trust in the repair.

Question #4: What Motivates Them to Buy Your Products?

Technically this organization offers services instead of products. There isn’t so much motivation to them as the necessity. People need to rely on their automobile which requires routine maintenance and occasional repairs.

Question #5: What Are Your Key Messages?

The key message is that customers can trust skilled technicians to repair or maintain their vehicle at reasonable costs.

Question #6: Who Influences Your Audience(s)?

Those who offer similar services are one of the major influences on this company’s audience. Through advertising there is a competition for these customers. Television, radio, paper, etc. are more traditional advertisement sources. However these days the web has become a large consideration. With company websites, social networking sites, and review sites, a customer can get better ideas on multiple shops before bringing their automobile to one.

Question #7: How Do You Distribute Your Product?

Again, this is a service instead of a product. Obviously the only way to really conduct business is by the customer bringing in their automobile. However, customers can schedule appointments through phone, e-mail, website, and more.

Question #8: What Are You Going to Do with the Information You Get from Your Research?

Hopefully a better understanding of customer concerns will be acquired through research. In addition the effectiveness of certain campaigns can be measured to assist what work and what doesn’t.

Question #9: What Other Departments or Areas Will Be Affected?

This company is allied with a number of part suppliers who will be affected by the increase or decrease in customers.

Question #10: What Other Measurement Programs Are Currently Underway?

Currently customer satisfaction is being measured as well as reviews.

Make the Case

The company that I choose for this assignment was Redline Auto Service, a place built and operated by my family. Repair garages don't usually seem to be a business many would consider for online content, but I beg to differ. I have already built a site for the business and made the company present on social networking sites. Within just a year we were allowed to communicate better with customers and give them a place to voice concerns, something quite common in the auto repair industry. However, there has not been any official measurements conducted to see just how effective all of this has been. This has led to just an overall feeling without any concrete data. With a measurement strategy this can be fixed.

Redline Auto Service can make use of web measurements a number of ways. One can be to recognize trends and find what services people generate the greatest satisfaction from customers. If a particular service seems to be receiving poorer reports then further analysis may be able to discover why. It could be the price is too high and the company can look for ways to lower that. Once a solution is implemented customer satisfaction may then increase. Another way measurements can be helpful is by finding which places of the company's website people are spending most of their time at. Or maybe it's discovered that not many people are making it to a specific section of the site that we want them to see, such as the customer review page. By identifying this actions can be taken to better highlight that section to draw more attention to it.

There are many other ways Redline Auto Service, and any organization can make use of measurements. These were just a few examples that I thought could benefit a small company that I have personal investments in. Larger companies have much more data to content with which just means measuring it is that much more important. A company like IBM wouldn't want to be wasting millions on something that was generating no benefits, or maybe they find something that is generating tons of profit and want to invest more. There really is a tremendous amount of things that can be done with data in today's word, particularly that on the web.