SiteLogic http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:11:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Caveman Analytics http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/12-caveman-analytics http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/12-caveman-analytics#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:02:12 +0000 Matt Bailey http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/?p=1579 I couldn’t believe it when i saw it, but here it was. A national retailer sent me the analytics reports that their SEO company was giving them. In exchange for paying this SEO company thousands of dollars per month for SEO and analytics, this retailer was getting nothing more than screenshots of Google Analytics; screenshots that showed Unique Visitors, Page Views, Time on Site and Top Content. In 2011, I never thought I would still be seeing this, but I can’t believe how prevalent it is, and how much customers accept this artificial substitute for real business-based analysis. On top of that, to simply deliver screen captures and deliver…

]]> I couldn’t believe it when i saw it, but here it was.

A national retailer sent me the analytics reports that their SEO company was giving them.

In exchange for paying this SEO company thousands of dollars per month for SEO and analytics, this retailer was getting nothing more than screenshots of Google Analytics; screenshots that showed Unique Visitors, Page Views, Time on Site and Top Content.

In 2011, I never thought I would still be seeing this, but I can’t believe how prevalent it is, and how much customers accept this artificial substitute for real business-based analysis. On top of that, to simply deliver screen captures and deliver no analysis of what the numbers mean is simply unacceptable.

Business owners want accountability and ROI for the money they spend. Search Marketing companies that do no more than generate “cut-and-paste” analytics reports do themselves and the industry a disservice by calling this “analytics.”

Where is the business case?
Where is the ROI?

When did these standards stop being the measurement of success?

Any business can improve the quality of their reports in a matter of minutes.
If the report they receive from their agency or their analysts does not contain clear action-based analysis that shows how to make more money – then stop accepting it.

A clear report should show (at a mimimum):

  • Where did the revenue come from?
  • What channels create the most revenue?
  • What search terms create the most revenue?
  • What actions should be taken as a result?

Beyond just these simple business-based questions are more in-depth questions that could be asked that would clarify an online business strategy;

What is the most profitable product/content/campaign?
What creates the best lifetime value?

Do you notice what isn’t in these questions? Unique visitors. Time on site. Visitors from other countries, etc. Those are all numbers that mean nothing without context. Simplify your strategy and grow your business by getting analytics reports that focus on revenue and value – not visitors.

It’s time to evolve.

If you would like more information on adding context to those numbers and how to develop better analytics, explore these articles:
Your Ranking Reports Are Wrong
No Goals, no analytics!
Analytics: Fun and Easy! Part 1

]]> http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/12-caveman-analytics/feed 0 FaceBook Marketing for Businesses: Would your lawyer agree to this? http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/11-facebook-marketing http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/11-facebook-marketing#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:22:00 +0000 Matt Bailey http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/?p=1538 Who owns your social media marketing content?

I had a great question posed to me at a seminar a few weeks ago. The question concerned the ultimate ownership of content, especially when using social media. I knew that FaceBook takes ownership of your content, but I was not sure how the Terms of Service actually read. So I went there to see FaceBook's legal policy on ownership of Intellectual Property content. And Wow! Was I in for a surprise.

FaceBook's Terms of Service:

You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. In…

]]> Who owns your social media marketing content?

Who owns your content?
I had a great question posed to me at a seminar a few weeks ago. The question concerned the ultimate ownership of content, especially when using social media.

I knew that FaceBook takes ownership of your content, but I was not sure how the Terms of Service actually read. So I went there to see FaceBook’s legal policy on ownership of Intellectual Property content. And Wow! Was I in for a surprise.

FaceBook’s Terms of Service:

You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. In addition:
1. For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.
4. When you publish content or information using the Public setting, it means that you are allowing everyone, including people off of Facebook, to access and use that information, and to associate it with you (i.e., your name and profile picture).

I thought this was entirely out-of bounds and overreaching in terms of assuming ownership of anything anyone publishes. Then I went and checked Google’s policy, in case Google+ as an option for business marketing:

 

Google’s Terms of Service:

11. Content license from you

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

11.2 You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this license shall permit Google to take these actions.

So, how comfortable are you posting company content, Intellectual Property, logo’s, pictures and other information? Would your legal team or lawyer feel comfortable signing this agreement?

I’m not claiming to have the answers, but I do think it is the time to ask more questions.

]]> http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/11-facebook-marketing/feed 0 Google Analytics Limits Marketers – Claims “Privacy” http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/10-googleanalytics-marketing-privacy http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/10-googleanalytics-marketing-privacy#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:28:58 +0000 Matt Bailey http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/?p=1525 An interesting move from Google has search marketers reacting in anger, amazement and disgust. Google, after years of providing search referral information, has decided that users that are “logged-in” to Google will no longer have their search terms show up in website analytics. This move has marketers fuming, as this is an important metric to measure in terms of developing a clear understanding of the search words that people use to find the site and those that lead to conversions. many marketers evaluate those terms in order to better understand the visitor and build content and better user experiences. However, to make this move even more odd, is that Google…

]]> An interesting move from Google has search marketers reacting in anger, amazement and disgust. Google, after years of providing search referral information, has decided that users that are “logged-in” to Google will no longer have their search terms show up in website analytics. This move has marketers fuming, as this is an important metric to measure in terms of developing a clear understanding of the search words that people use to find the site and those that lead to conversions. many marketers evaluate those terms in order to better understand the visitor and build content and better user experiences.

However, to make this move even more odd, is that Google will make those search terms available to advertisers in their Google AdWords campaigns. This is what has marketers seething with anger. It is a clear sign from Google that those paying for advertising will be able to gain information. However, the clear sign from Google about a pay-to-play for this information also sends mixed messages about Google’s intent.

You see, the primary reason Google is making this move is – privacy. In in interview with Google’s Matt Cutts, Danny Sullivan presses Cutts about the reasoning for hiding the search terms of logged Google searchers, and Cutts keeps coming back to the issue of privacy as the driving reasons.

So the message seems to be that Google is concerned about you keeping your searches private, but they will give the information to advertisers?!?

Truly a mixed message.

Of all reasons Google could give, privacy seems the most unlikely. Privacy is one of those issues that seems to be an inconvenience for Google, so to use this excuse now as a way to “protect” their users, seems hollow.

Here is a sampling of Google’s history of privacy concerns:

  • CEO Eric Schmidt, “Google policy is to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it.” (What happened to ‘Do No Evil’?)
  • Google’s Street Car program collected and cataloged public Wi-Fi locations.
  • Google also recorded the addresses and unique identifiers of computers and other devices using those wireless networks and then made the data publicly available through Google.com until just a short while ago.
  • Google has admitted that employees collected personal information and data for three years across the globe while its cars traveled through neighborhood snapping pictures for its Street View program.
  • The cars also collected “information” from Wi-Fi networks from people’s homes. Information is defined as: passwords from Wi-Fi networks in every home the cars drove past.
  • Google developed the ‘Facebook Friend Exporter,” a tool to snatch Facebook friends and their personal information into the new Google+. Names, addresses and even personal phone numbers are pulled into Google+.
  • Android phones regularly connect to Google.com and disgorge a miniature data dump that includes time down to the millisecond, current and recent GPS coordinates, nearby Wi-Fi network addresses, and two 16-letter strings representing a device ID that’s unique to each phone. (CNet)

In addition to this, a more formal list of privacy issues has been developed by Privacy International. Google has the highest ranking of “Hostility” towards privacy, detailing the following reasons:

  • Vague, incomplete, and possibly deceptive privacy policy that fails to explain details.
  • Poor track record of responding to customer complaints.
  • Ambivalent attitude to privacy challenges.
  • Privacy mandate not part of the culture throughout the company.
  • New technologies are frequently rolled out without adequate public discussion of privacy issues.
  • IP addresses are not considered personal information.
  • Does not allow search history to be removed.
  • Most services do not permit user access to specific or aggregated tracking data.
  • Opt-out possible for some, but not all services.
  • Some services do not work well without cookies.
  • May access most services without an account, but creating and using an account increases privacy risks.
  • Uses Doubleclick’s advanced profiling system.

    • Google is also more likely to provide information to information requests from the Obama Administration than any other government: The US government asks Google for user data more than twice as often as any other, and in its own Transparency Report, Google says it complied with US requests in 94 percent of cases.

    For advertising purposes, Google gathers IP addresses, dates, and time for a 9-month span for a single user in order to determine what ads to display according to location, content of e-mails, and YouTube video watching habits.

    So, Google….

    Can we get past this very thin excuse of “privacy” and whatever that means to the company and get to a real discussion of this move?

    - – - -

    From my own opinion, Google says that this “privacy” move to hide the search terms of logged in Google users will only be about 1-2% of users, which is not enough to change the data that we at SiteLogic use to determine better methods of design, persuasion and conversion.

    I can’t see that number being so low, however, and that is my issue. Most Google users are not aware that they are logged in as a Google User nearly all the time. Unless they log out, they will be logged in every time they use the search box, even with search bars integrated into toolbars and browsers, searches can be performed as a logged-in user from almost anywhere.

    In addition, is this simply a move to begin “locking down” the hold that Google Analytics has by preventing data from being shared to other analytics programs? This move has many industry analysts and marketers watching in curiosity – and some in anger.

    ]]> http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/10-googleanalytics-marketing-privacy/feed 0 Color, Contrast and Text Size http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/04-color-contrast-text-size http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/04-color-contrast-text-size#comments Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:24:15 +0000 Matt Bailey http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/?p=1424 3 of the most important elements in designing the content of a webpage are color, contrast and font size.

    These three elements are amazingly useful when used properly, and mean the difference between action or ignorance. Understanding the important part that these three elements play in capturing the visitor’s attention is critical to today’s online marketing.

    Google Analytics finds the Interface

    Google is the most recent company to understand the critical role that something as basic as color, contrast and text size have to do with creating a successful user experience. By updating their analytics interface, they have now overcome one of the primary obstacles to gaining great data…

    ]]>     3 of the most important elements in designing the content of a webpage are color, contrast and font size.

    These three elements are amazingly useful when used properly, and mean the difference between action or ignorance. Understanding the important part that these three elements play in capturing the visitor’s attention is critical to today’s online marketing.

    Google Analytics finds the Interface

    Google is the most recent company to understand the critical role that something as basic as color, contrast and text size have to do with creating a successful user experience. By updating their analytics interface, they have now overcome one of the primary obstacles to gaining great data from analytics.

    You see, one of the most important tools available in analytics is segmentation. The old interface in Google Analytics suffered from major User Interface problems, as the primary tools were simply not seen by the users. I was constantly amazed in my seminars as most attendees simply had no idea how to access the segmentation features available in Google Analytics. The primary reason no one knew about it? The combination of color, contrast and text size resulted in a critical tool that was difficult to find and use.

    That Old User Interface

    You see, here is the old analytics UI (user interface). The link to access or create an advanced segment is in the upper right corner, in light grey text in a grey background. Most people were simply not aware the option was there or that it was clickable!

    Is the User Path Clear?

    Then, once the link was clicked the window opened up. Pre-set segments were available to the user, but there are no custom segments, these need to be set up. However, the tool/link to access the custom segments is now on the left side of the window, in another small font text link. It’s not underlined, and it is in a very low-impact position, blending into the background. Only after the user has figured out where to click and where to go are they able to then develop custom segments.

    However – the battle wasn’t won yet – the next screen took users to a screen that focuses on “Dimensions” and “Metrics,” which is another article for another day about using clear text labels for instructions.  But that has been updated.  It’s not great, but better.

    The new Google Analytics interface now focuses users on a clear path to creating segments. The link for creating advanced segments uses clearer colors, higher contrast and a larger text size.  IN addition, the primary linmk to creating new segments is now located on the left side of the page.  The old location was on the right side of the poage, where eyes rarely drift, especially where there are no contrasting elements to draw the users’s eyes.  By moving over to the left side of the page and presenting it in larger text and contrast, users will now be able to see this function as part of the interface, and not an afterthought.

    See how these elements work together to draw your attention to the important feature?

    How are you using color, contrast and text size?

    Are you directing the users’s attention, or do users have to find their own way on your pages?

    ]]>     http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/04-color-contrast-text-size/feed 0     Jessica Roslan, Big Dee’s Tack & Vet Supplies http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-jessica-roslan-big-dee%e2%80%99s-tack-vet-supplies-2 http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-jessica-roslan-big-dee%e2%80%99s-tack-vet-supplies-2#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:10:01 +0000 Matt Bailey http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/dev/?p=1230 "Learning with the SiteLogic team offered a level of comfort that I had not previously experienced."

    ]]>     “Learning with the SiteLogic team offered a level of comfort that I had not previously experienced.”

    ]]>     http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-jessica-roslan-big-dee%e2%80%99s-tack-vet-supplies-2/feed 0     Jessica Roslan, Big Dee’s Tack & Vet Supplies http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-jessica-roslan-big-dee%e2%80%99s-tack-vet-supplies http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-jessica-roslan-big-dee%e2%80%99s-tack-vet-supplies#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:03:08 +0000 Matt Bailey http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/dev/?p=1228 "I was energized with a plan of attack custom tailored to our specific site."

    ]]>     “I was energized with a plan of attack custom tailored to our specific site.”

    ]]>     http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-jessica-roslan-big-dee%e2%80%99s-tack-vet-supplies/feed 0     Charles Prescott, Editor Prescott Report; Executive Director, Global Address Data Association http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-charles-prescott-editor-prescott-report-executive-director-global-address-data-association http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-charles-prescott-editor-prescott-report-executive-director-global-address-data-association#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:57:53 +0000 Matt Bailey http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/dev/?p=1226 "Evenings, week-ends, holidays. Big problems and small. Great insights ... I’ll never leave SiteLogic."

    ]]>     “Evenings, week-ends, holidays. Big problems and small. Great insights … I’ll never leave SiteLogic.”

    ]]>     http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-charles-prescott-editor-prescott-report-executive-director-global-address-data-association/feed 0     Charles Prescott: Editor, Prescott Report; Director, Direct Marketing Association http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-charles-prescott http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-charles-prescott#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:54:51 +0000 Matt Bailey http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/dev/?p=1221 "Great insights about my goals and needs and the kind of cheerful and friendly service that is almost impossible to find anywhere today."

    ]]>     “Great insights about my goals and needs and the kind of cheerful and friendly service that is almost impossible to find anywhere today.”

    ]]>     http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-charles-prescott/feed 0     Internet Marketing: An Hour a Day http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-internet-marketing-an-hour-a-day http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-internet-marketing-an-hour-a-day#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:28:25 +0000 Matt Bailey http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/?p=1120 Release date is set for March 29, 2011

    Internet Marketing: An Hour a Day

    is now on the way to the printers. The release date is March 29, 2011, but you can pre-order your copy today! This exciting project was the work of over 14 months of research and development for presenting a start-to-finish guide to internet marketing. The book covers the testing of your current site or the considerations to starting a new site, and the development of marketing campaigns to extend the visibility of a business.

    What Others are Saying...

    Already the book has received great reviews from other peers and experts in the industry: “Matt Bailey is one of my favorite speakers…

    ]]>     Release date is set for March 29, 2011

    Internet Marketing: An Hour a Day

    is now on the way to the printers. The release date is March 29, 2011, but you can pre-order your copy today!

    This exciting project was the work of over 14 months of research and development for presenting a start-to-finish guide to internet marketing. The book covers the testing of your current site or the considerations to starting a new site, and the development of marketing campaigns to extend the visibility of a business.
    Internet Marketing: An Hour a Day

    What Others are Saying…

    Already the book has received great reviews from other peers and experts in the industry:

    “Matt Bailey is one of my favorite speakers at industry events because he delivers insights with intelligence and wit. He brings that same approach to this book in what is quickly becoming the next must read for anyone interested in improving their business online.”
    Brett Crosby
    Director, Product Marketing; Google

    “This book should be required reading for all business owners. At a time where everyone claims to be an internet marketing expert, Matt is the real deal. He has provided a clear and concise guidebook containing all the tools and knowledge to help business owners quickly unleash the power of Internet marketing, In the sea of Internet marketing books, Matt’s book rises to the top for its clarity and focus on generating ROI for business owners.”
    Eric Greenberg
    Faculty Chair, Center for Management Development
    Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

    “Matt Bailey unpacks the mystery of SEO, site design, data and much else, in step-by-step directions, and plain English for the rest of us. No one else has approached the plain-English demystification of building an effective Web presence as cost-effectively and time-effectively as has Matt. This work is built on top of something like 15 years of experience in helping global majors and backyard amateurs be the best that they can be on the Internet. And maybe 5 years of teaching US Direct Marketing Association classes, and helping hundreds of students be the best they could be for themselves or for major companies in the US and abroad. If you have a struggling site and can’t figure out why it isn’t performing better, or if you just got your first PC and know your new business needs a Web presence, this book will more than repay you. It will build your business.”
    Charles Prescott
    Editor Prescott Report; Executive Director, Global Address Data Association;
    Director, Direct Marketing Association.
    Chair, Consultative Committee, Universal Postal Union

    What You’ll Find in Internet Marketing: An Hour A Day

    • A Holistic Approach
    • How Search Engines Work
    • Establishing Business and Website Goals
    • Website Evaluation Tools
    • Basic SEO Techniques
    • Keyword Research
    • Principles of Online Sales and Marketing
    • Developing Great Content
    • Connecting Content to Users and Search Engines
    • Online Persuasion Techniques
    • Improve Conversions
    • Develop Effective Architecture
    • Consider Accessibility
    • Troubleshoot Technical Roadblocks
    • The Little Details
    • Link Building
    • Market Effectively with Blogs
    • Understand Social Media
    • Develop a PPC Campaign
    • Measure the Right Things
    • Analyze for Action

    You can pre-order your copy of Internet Marketing: An Hour a Day at:

    Wiley/Sybex
    Amazon
    Barnes & Noble

    Thank you to all who helped to make this book possible, especially to the amazing staff at SiteLogic, who performed brilliantly throughout the months in delivering quality consulting to our clients while also developing amazing case studies and examples for use in this book!

    ]]>     http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/03-internet-marketing-an-hour-a-day/feed 4     Erik Holliday, Global Marketing Manager, Intertek http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/02-erik-holliday-global-marketing-manager-intertek http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/02-erik-holliday-global-marketing-manager-intertek#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:13:25 +0000 Matt Bailey http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/dev/?p=1128 "SiteLogic's expertise was worth every penny and they are an extremely valuable resource who can give that crucial independent perspective for best approach, best value.”

    ]]>     “SiteLogic’s expertise was worth every penny and they are an extremely valuable resource who can give that crucial independent perspective for best approach, best value.”

    ]]>     http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/02-erik-holliday-global-marketing-manager-intertek/feed 0