View
1
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 1
WEBSITES AND
EMAIL Study Notes
SEO (SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION)
Study Notes
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 2
Websites and Email
LESSON 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF ONLINE PRESENCE ................................................................ 4
MODULE INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
SEARCH BEHAVIOR ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5
WEB SEARCH: FINDING SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS ............................................................................................. 5
SEARCH ENGINE RESULTS .................................................................................................................................................... 5
ONLINE SEARCHES AND MOBILE ....................................................................................................................................... 5
WHY BUSINESSES NEED A WEBSITE .................................................................................................................................... 6
ADVANTAGES OF WEBSITES FOR BUSINESSES ....................................................................................................... 6
IMPORTANT PAGES ON A WEBSITE ................................................................................................................................ 6
WEBSITES TYPES AND BUSINESS STRATEGY ........................................................................................................... 7
LESSON 2: WEBSITE DESIGN AND USER EXPERIENCE ............................................................. 10
WEBSITE DESIGN AND USER EXPERIENCE (UX) ............................................................................................................. 11
WHY IS WEBSITE DESIGN IMPORTANT? ....................................................................................................................... 11
MATCHING A WEBSITE TO CUSTOMER NEED ................................................................................................................ 11
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO) .......................................................................................................................... 11
SEO AND KEYWORDS .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
SEARCH RANK AND BACKLINKS ........................................................................................................................................ 11
OPTIMIZING WEBSITES FOR SEO .................................................................................................................................... 12
DESIGN FOR USER EXPERIENCE ............................................................................................................................................ 12
USER EXPERIENCE (UX) ......................................................................................................................................................... 12
BENEFITS OF POSITIVE UX .................................................................................................................................................. 12
IMPROVING UX ........................................................................................................................................................................... 12
WHY WEBSITE USERS LEAVE ............................................................................................................................................ 13
SEO AND UX DESIGN .............................................................................................................................................................. 13
LESSON 3: WEBSITE CONVERSION JOURNEYS ........................................................................... 14
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 3
THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY ....................................................................................................................................................... 15
CUSTOMER JOURNEY AND CONVERSIONS .................................................................................................................... 15
CONVERSION .............................................................................................................................................................................. 15
MAIN TYPES OF WEB CONVERSION .............................................................................................................................. 15
CUSTOMER JOURNEY AND WEBSITE DESIGN ......................................................................................................... 15
LANDING PAGES ....................................................................................................................................................................... 15
CALLS-TO-ACTION ................................................................................................................................................................. 15
LESSON 4: INTRODUCING EMAIL MARKETING ............................................................................. 17
THE ROLE OF EMAIL MARKETING ......................................................................................................................................... 18
KEY CONCEPTS OF EMAIL MARKETING ........................................................................................................................... 18
PURPOSE OF EMAIL MARKETING .................................................................................................................................... 18
ESSENTIALS OF EMAIL MARKETING .............................................................................................................................. 18
PERMISSION / CONSENT ...................................................................................................................................................... 18
CLEAR PURPOSE ....................................................................................................................................................................... 19
NEWSLETTERS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 19
EMAIL AND SPAM ..................................................................................................................................................................... 19
ADVANTAGES OF EMAIL MARKETING ............................................................................................................................... 19
EMAIL MARKETING SUCCESS ........................................................................................................................................... 19
RE-ENGAGING YOUR AUDIENCE ..................................................................................................................................... 19
CUSTOMER RETENTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 19
EMAIL AUTOMATION .............................................................................................................................................................. 19
EMAIL VERSUS OTHER CHANNELS ................................................................................................................................ 20
EMAIL AUTOMATION ............................................................................................................................................................. 20
EMAIL LISTS ................................................................................................................................................................................ 20
ALIGNING WITH THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY ............................................................................................................ 20
MEASURING SUCCESS ......................................................................................................................................................... 20
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 4
LESSON 1:
THE IMPORTANCE
OF ONLINE
PRESENCE
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 5
MODULE INTRODUCTION
Having an online presence is increasingly important for any business operating in today’s digital
environment. Why? According to recent research, more than 90% of business-to-business
customers carry out online research before making a purchase decision. When customers have a
need or a problem to solve, their first port of call is to search for an answer online.
This module explores:
How customers search for solutions to their needs
How to design an optimized online profile to match customer searches
How to engage customers and build relationships with your online presence
How to increase conversion by connecting search and website content
The role and design of email marketing
The fundamentals of search
The advantages of websites
The most important pages on a website
The different kinds of website
The link between overall business strategy and online presence
SEARCH BEHAVIOR
WEB SEARCH: FINDING SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS
When people are faced with a problem to solve, what do they do? In most cases, they’ll turn to
Google to understand the problem and find possible solutions. It works the same way when a
potential customer has a need to fulfill. They’ll carry out a web search and look for a solution.
In many cases, that solution is a product or service. It is your job to research and understand what
customers are looking for, and why they are looking for it. When you know what customers are
searching for, and why, you know what content to create on your website. You can tailor your online
presence to match what people are actively seeking. Your ultimate goal is to ensure that when
customers search for a solution, they find you.
SEARCH ENGINE RESULTS
Search engines find and return the best matches for the user. This set of links is presented in order
of relevance, and it’s important that users can trust a search engine’s results. Search engines have
many ways of validating whether websites actually have the content that users are searching for –
and aren’t simply ‘tricking’ users into visiting a website.
ONLINE SEARCHES AND MOBILE
According to Webmaster, more than 60% of all online searches are on mobile devices. Consumers
are searching for solutions on-the-go. They find mobile search easier, and mobile is their main
device. These consumers often call a business directly using the number on a website or a Google
Maps listing. They can move from finding your business online to calling you directly in one swift
action, and on the same device.
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 6
This has major implications for websites. They need to be optimized for mobile to ensure users can
easily navigate the site on mobile devices. If not, customers will quickly leave and find a better
alternative.
WHY BUSINESSES NEED A WEBSITE
ADVANTAGES OF WEBSITES FOR BUSINESSES
There are several key advantages to having a business website.
Websites increase visibility to customers: Sites that link to your website will refer more
customers. Having a website also allows you to be found through web search.
Websites are convenient for customers: It is generally easier for new, existing, or potential
customers to conduct business on your website than it is for them to travel to your brick-
and-mortar store.
Websites increase accessibility: Your online store can be visited and generate revenue
24/7.
Website performance can be analyzed: You can track online interactions including number
of visits, lead generation, and device preferences.
Websites are less expensive: An online presence can be achieved at a lower cost than
traditional advertising channels.
Websites build trust: A website allows you to build trust and credibility with your customers.
Websites are customizable: While you can use social channels like Instagram to connect
with customers, you can’t change the layout of these platforms. Having control over the full
web experience is essential to making it more useful and relevant to potential and existing
customers.
IMPORTANT PAGES ON A WEBSITE
There are several important pages on a website to consider.
Home page
When someone first arrives on your website, they will often arrive at the home page. This is one of
the most important pages on a website and is often the most viewed. In a world where your
customers are busy and attention spans are short, this page really needs to grab attention and spark
curiosity. The home page also acts as a point from which you can signpost and navigate your
customers to the key elements of your website.
Websites will almost always have a simple way to navigate back to the home page to make sure
customers don’t get lost.
About page
This is your opportunity to tell customers a little more about the people behind the business. Today’s
consumers are increasingly looking to understand more about the people and values of a business.
Potential customers may also be keen to learn a little more about the business, including: how and
why it started; what the journey has been to date; and even what the future plans are.
Contact page
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 7
This is an important page to keep maintained. You need to give customers the opportunity to reach
out to the business in a variety of ways. Typical contact details to feature here include email, social
media, online chat, phone numbers, physical address, and a comments box through which
customers can communicate directly on the website itself.
Blog
A blog is an ongoing communication channel for your business. It allows key individuals within the
business to provide their thoughts on relevant topics. Businesses will often let employees contribute,
and blog readers will typically have the opportunity to post comments or feedback that can be useful
to the organization.
Product pages
Product pages are individual pages that promote a particular product for sale. They will usually list
each product’s features and benefits.
Checkout page
For E-commerce websites, the checkout page is key to making it easy and secure to buy products
or services.
WEBSITES TYPES AND BUSINESS STRATEGY
The kind of website a business chooses, and the level of interactivity it offers, will depend on its
business strategy and how its products or services are sold.
Brochure website
Brochure websites provide information about products or services, but the business depends on
customers contacting it directly. Products and services are not normally paid for through the
brochure sites. This type of website gives existing and potential customers more information about
the business, but interactivity on the site is limited. The main call-to-action is for customers to get in
touch directly, usually via email or telephone.
E-commerce website
E-commerce websites provide customers with the opportunity to interact with the company and
make bookings that are often fulfilled offline – for example, booking a service that is paid for at a later
date. Some
E-commerce websites provide an end-to-end product or service, enabling customers to browse,
make purchase decisions, and order and pay for a product.
Dynamic website
Dynamic websites are interactive, allowing increased user engagement and personalization. This
requires a content management system such as WordPress or Drupal. For dynamic websites,
content is king and continuously changing – for example, an online magazine.
Web application
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 8
Web applications provide a deeper, more complex experience with bespoke functionality tailored to
specific functions – for example, an online banking website.
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 9
NOTES
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 10
LESSON 2:
WEBSITE DESIGN
AND USER
EXPERIENCE
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 11
WEBSITE DESIGN AND USER EXPERIENCE (UX)
WHY IS WEBSITE DESIGN IMPORTANT?
A good overall website design and user experience (UX) are essential elements of attracting visitors
to your website. Positive user experience not only provides benefits for customers – it also delivers
better results for the business.
MATCHING A WEBSITE TO CUSTOMER NEED
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)
It’s essential that your website appears in the search results of potential customers. This requires
Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
SEO involves optimizing the content and links of a website to make it more findable when people
search for topics on search engines like Google.
SEO AND KEYWORDS
Google’s search engine is essentially a ‘question and answer’ machine. Consumers use Google to
find answers that resolve their needs or solve their problems. It’s useful to think of keywords as
questions that people are asking, and think of search links as answers that you and your
competitors offer the consumer.
SEARCH RANK AND BACKLINKS
Many factors influence how and where your website appears in search results. These factors direct a
search engine to list your website higher or lower in search results, and ultimately drive more traffic
towards or away from your website. In particular, your prominence in search results depends on:
The content on your website
The quality of the content in relation to what people are looking for
It’s not just about quantity. High-quality content is essential. Search engines, for example, use
algorithms to detect if users are engaging in a website’s content or quickly leaving. If users are
engaging, search engines will make that website more prominent than others that don’t have the
same level of user engagement.
The key is to know what people are searching for. Establish the questions users are asking, in the
form of searches, and then create website content that answers those questions and aligns to user
needs.
BACKLINKS
Backlinks – or links from other websites to your website – indicate trust. This makes them a good
way to improve your search results position, because Google uses the number of ‘quality’ links to
your website as an indication of the value of your website’s content.
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 12
OPTIMIZING WEBSITES FOR SEO
So, how do you optimize a website for SEO and improve search results position?
Use keyword tools to research and anticipate the questions that customers are asking.
Create website content that positions your products or services as the solution to customer
needs.
Search engines aim to provide a trustworthy resource for the user. If websites have incomplete
information or try to trick the user or search engine into visiting it, they will be penalized.
DESIGN FOR USER EXPERIENCE
USER EXPERIENCE (UX)
To maximize the effectiveness of your website, it’s important to focus on UX. This is especially true
during website design.
UX is the overall experience of a person using a website. Can they find what they want? Is the
website fast or slow? How does it look on a mobile device?
There are a range of UX best practices to be aware of, including:
Responsive design
Easy navigation
Signposting answers to common questions
The key is to focus on how the site helps move customers through the user journey.
BENEFITS OF POSITIVE UX
Great UX doesn’t just increase customer engagement. It also delivers better commercial results. For
example, if you’re trying to buy a particular item from a website, but you find it difficult to complete
the purchase, you’ll become frustrated. This may result in you leaving the site and not returning. You
had a need, you found what you were looking for, but the website made it so complex that you
chose not to buy from them. A better UX, in this case, would probably have delivered a conversion
for the business.
IMPROVING UX
There are many ways to improve UX, including:
Using Customer Reviews and Trust Seals
Always using compelling images
Making action buttons like ‘Add to Cart’ easy to find
Adding video content to product pages
Analyzing user behavior to see where you can improve overall UX
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 13
WHY WEBSITE USERS LEAVE
Many users leave a website, or bounce, after a few seconds or having visited a single page. They
may even abandon their shopping cart without completing a purchase. There are a number of
reasons why website users leave, including:
They didn’t find what they were looking for.
They didn’t like the value, price, or options of the product or service.
The experience was too tedious or confusing.
The website was too slow.
The website wasn’t mobile-friendly.
SEO AND UX DESIGN
SEO and UX work together by combining relevant content, keywords, UX design, and backlinks to
drive results.
NOTES
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 14
LESSON 3:
WEBSITE
CONVERSION
JOURNEYS
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 15
THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
One of the fundamental aspects of a successful web presence is understanding the customer
journey and the process that leads to conversion.
CUSTOMER JOURNEY AND CONVERSIONS
CONVERSION
For a website, conversion means getting visitors to do what you want them to do. That could be:
Buying a product or service
Signing up for a newsletter
Filling out a contact form
Downloading a whitepaper
MAIN TYPES OF WEB CONVERSION
There are two main types of web conversions.
Macro conversions: These conversions have a direct, high-impact value to your business.
Macro conversions involve leads and sales.
Micro conversions: These conversions include video views, reading key content pages, and
adding a product to a Wishlist.
CUSTOMER JOURNEY AND WEBSITE DESIGN
A well-designed website helps take the customer through each stage of the customer journey.
Remember that potential customers will go through each stage at their own pace. It’s your job to
identify the best content to present at each point of their journey, and to present it in a timely and
efficient manner. Showing customers the right content at the right time will help them move through
the conversion process as quickly as possible.
LANDING PAGES
A key part of the customer journey through a website is the landing page, or the web page users
land on when they follow a link.
Customers generally arrive at a landing page via search results or a marketing campaign.
Landing pages are usually designed to promote a product, service, or sale.
CALLS-TO-ACTION
A call-to-action is a button or prompt on a web page that tells the user to perform an action, or take
the next step towards a conversion. They’re usually written as a command like ‘Sign Up’ or ‘Buy Now’,
with action words and verbs helping to push people through the steps to a completed conversion.
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 16
NOTES
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 17
LESSON 4:
INTRODUCING
MARKETING
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 18
THE ROLE OF EMAIL MARKETING
Email marketing plays an essential role both in forming strong relationships with customers, and in
supporting sales and referrals. When compared to other marketing channels, it has several
advantages in terms of increased conversion rate, increased customer retention, and automation.
However, it is important to align email marketing with other marketing channels, and to optimize it
with a view to maximizing its impact and reach for the business.
KEY CONCEPTS OF EMAIL MARKETING
Email is a simple way to communicate a message to recipients who have actively decided that they
want to hear from you. In terms of tone, it’s usually less chatty than social media.
When discussing email marketing, there are several key terms to note.
Bounce: When an email comes back with an error message, it has bounced. Emails often
bounce because the email address is incorrect.
Permission: Getting consent from subscribers before sending them commercial email
marketing is extremely important. Permission must be explicit, and is usually gathered on a
sign-up form.
Spam: This is junk email, which is normally sent out in bulk. Spam is often filtered out by mail
servers.
Webmail: Also known as web-based email, this allows users to check their email using any
web browser and without the need to install a dedicated email client.
PURPOSE OF EMAIL MARKETING
The goal of email marketing is:
To get noticed and opened in the recipient’s inbox
To avoid being marked as spam
ESSENTIALS OF EMAIL MARKETING
There are many different kinds of emails that businesses use, including:
Newsletters
Promotional emails
Re-engagement emails
On-boarding emails
Contact submission received emails
Order confirmation emails
PERMISSION / CONSENT
You must get permission from subscribers before sending commercial email messages. To get users
to give you their email address, you need to give them a clear and compelling reason. This can be in
the form of an informative newsletter, a discount code, and so on. Best practice is to follow up with
that user soon after the initial subscription or consent is secured.
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 19
CLEAR PURPOSE
It’s important to give a clear purpose to users when asking for their email address. For example, if
they will be contacted by a sales rep after filling in a form, tell them that someone from your team will
be in touch. Let them know what to expect. If they will receive a newsletter or other email, let them
know what’s in store and always follow up as soon as possible.
NEWSLETTERS
With newsletters, you need to consider frequency. It might be appropriate, depending on factors like
audience and content, to send newsletters monthly, quarterly, or even weekly. Content could include
a roundup of industry events, blogs, or promotions, but shouldn’t be too focused on sales. Always
provide value in a newsletter, or customers will quickly lose interest.
EMAIL AND SPAM
It’s extremely important that your emails are not marked as spam, and there are a number of things
you can do to avoid this.
Don’t send too many emails.
Make sure you have a valid sender email.
Add an ‘unsubscribe’ link to each email.
ADVANTAGES OF EMAIL MARKETING
EMAIL MARKETING SUCCESS
The role of email as a digital channel can’t be underestimated. It still delivers one of the most
effective Return on Investment performances of any marketing channel.
RE-ENGAGING YOUR AUDIENCE
Email marketing is a great way to bring people back to your website. You can do this by giving them
an email taster of the content and information they can expect on the site.
CUSTOMER RETENTION
Email is also a great way to retain customers. Effective email marketing keeps your brand in
customers’ minds, making sure they return to your website.
EMAIL AUTOMATION
Email can be completely automated. You can set it up to automatically send messages at designated
times or when customers take specific actions. This saves time, reduces the sales cycle, and can
increase order value, conversions, or repeat purchases for B2B and B2C customers.
EMAIL CAMPAIGNS AND THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 20
EMAIL VERSUS OTHER CHANNELS
It’s important to think about when to use email versus other marketing channels. For example, email
is a good first step in promoting sales, before deploying other channels to close the sale.
EMAIL AUTOMATION
When you automate your emails, there is a funnel or automated chain of email marketing messages.
These will guide customers towards a desired action, such as requesting a demo, booking a meeting
with a sales rep, or buying a product
These funnels are important, as they allow you to:
Measure the progress of customers through each stage of the sales process
See the impact of the content you send at each stage to the purchase journey
Identify gaps in content that could move consumers towards conversion
Analyze the sales cycle when email automation is included in the process
EMAIL LISTS
Email lists are often split into more targeted groups – for example, customers, leads, prospects,
suspects, defectors, and so on. This is called segmentation.
Best practice is to send different content and messaging to your segments. For example, you
wouldn’t send a ‘request sales call’ email to a brand new lead, as they might not be ready for that
level of commitment. A more appropriate action would be to send them a ‘request product brochure’
email.
ALIGNING WITH THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
When email marketing and the customer journey are aligned:
Businesses can grow their sales and revenues faster
Customers can resolve their needs more efficiently
MEASURING SUCCESS
It’s important to measure success with email marketing. The most important metrics are:
New subscribers
Number of emails delivered
Number of Emails opened
% Open rate journey
Number of links within the email that were clicked
% Click Through Rate (CTR)
Website visitors from email
Conversions from email
Unsubscribes
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 21
NOTES
Websites and Email Copyright © 2020 digitalmarketinginstitute.com 22
Recommended