Did SEM pass $20 billion this year?...

Search Engine Marketing industry grew to $16.6 billion in 2010, compared with $14.6 billion in 2009.

Did it pass $20 billion this year?

Why do shoppers abandon shopping carts?

A Forrester Research report shows:

• 44% thought shipping and handling costs were too high
• 41% weren't ready to purchase
• 27% wanted to compare prices
• 24% wanted to think about the purchase and return later to buy

In email marketing, the relationship is king...

If you’re trusted by your subscribers and provide valuable information, they will look forward to receiving your emails and are more likely to not only open your email, but also click through, share, and convert.

Thank-you should be a part of your marketing message stream...

Did someone purchase from you online? If so, email the customer a thank-you message with an offer to revisit or purchase again; ideally, you'd provide a coupon or free gift to entice action soon.

 

Did someone buy in your store or office? Send a thank-you follow-up letter via postal mail.

 

Did customers do business with you at a conference, fair, or tradeshow? Email and mail them an invitation to engage with you at your physical place of business, your online storefront, or both.

 

And keep the follow-ups going.

 

Search Engine Marketing... Five Rs ..... #5

Reach

When developing your content, write about topics that have wider interest. If your focus becomes too narrow, people simply won't search for the information you have to offer.

Search Engine Marketing... Five Rs..... #4

Readability

Make your content easy for customers to digest by breaking chunks of information into headlines, bullet points, graphics and infographics. Your website will appeal to search engines with proper content, tags and keywords.



Search Engine Marketing... Five Rs..... #3

Remarkable

A good way to go unnoticed by search engines is with competent but unremarkable products, services and content. People don't comment about stuff that's ordinary. You have to be remarkable. Remarkably good or remarkably bad: that's when they comment.

Search Engine Marketing... Five Rs..... #2

Reputation

Good reviews never hurt... but they can be much more helpful if they come from respected sources. Who's saying you have good content? Who's linking to you, saying you have good content? This makes all the difference.

Search Engine Marketing... Five Rs..... #1

Relevance

Question? "How do you make sure you have the right content that's speaking to what people are interested in?"

Answer "The search engine's goal is to match the user with what is going to be the most relevant content related to what their query is."

Make it hot!...

Make all graphics "hot" (clickable): If you've ever been in a usability lab, you will notice that people click on anything and everything. So, it makes sense to have all graphics link to your landing page. You've already gone to the time and expense of an email campaign, why not optimize your efforts.