Taz Solutions™ Inc. » Online Strategy

The Importance of Google Analytics for Your Web Site

Dana — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:47:12 +0000

Google Analytics is one of the top, most powerful tools out there for monitoring and analyzing traffic on your website. It gives you an enormous amount of information about who is visiting your site, what they are looking for, and how they are getting to your site. Any business that wants to expand and grow their business on the internet should definitely be using Google Analytics.
Here is a list of the Important Data that Google Analytics will give you:

Where your visitors are coming from – very important if you’re targeting a specific audience.
How your visitors found your website – this is very important for determining which of your efforts are paying off. It shows if visitors found your site directly, through a referral from another website (ex: Twitter, Facebook), or from search engines.
Web browsers used by your visitors – knowing which web browsers your visitors use allows you to know which browsers you should be focusing on.
Operating systems used by your visitors – the technology used in developing your site/blog may only work in a certain operating system, therefore it’s important to take note of the different operating systems your visitors are using.
What keywords were used by visitors in the search engines to get to your website – this is very crucial for SEO. Knowing which keywords people are searching for to get to your site determines if you are on the right track.

Dropbox is a Great Organizational Tool

Michael Tasner — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:43:49 +0000

I’m going to share another great tool that can make your life easier and help you run a virtual company. Dropbox is an amazing tool to keep that keeps you can your company organized. The basic 2 GB is free, but you can get up to 100 GB of storage for a very reasonable price, considering the great features.

When you download Dropbox, it creates a folder in your computer that is synced with all of your other computers, laptops, or mobile phones. That way, you don’t have to email things to yourself or use a usb, anything you put in the folder is everywhere else you need it. It is also available on the web, so that even if you are away from your personal computer/laptop/phone, you can still access important files through your account. They are always backed up. You can also use it for file sharing. You can share entire folders with people, and see changes they made to files instantly. Everything is also highly secure.

We just started using Dropbox and I’m very impressed! I thought I would share this time, money and stress saving tool with you. Check out their site to learn more : https://www.dropbox.com

Basecamp For Project Management

Michael Tasner — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:58:13 +0000

Basecamp is a great, easy to use solution for project management issues! It’s especially helpful for running a virtual company (like mine!). Basecamp allows you to collaborate with your team and/or clients, and keep track of assignments, deadlines, and basically oversee all projects and activities!

Basecamp has some really great features. You can create “To-Do Lists”, and assign them to people with instructions and due-dates so it’s easy for everyone to stay on track! It also allows users to log their time, so it can be used as a way of tracking employee hours as well, AND you can see where the hours have been spent. Another great feature is the file sharing. You can upload files, categorize, sort, track revisions, and share deliverables. It’s all really easy to use, too. Everyone on my team is a pro now.

There are so many other features that truly make project management simple. My company uses it everyday, and I have employees all over the world collaborating and getting projects done with Basecamp. Check out their site for more information: http://basecamphq.com/

3 Secrets To Top Ten Search Rankings

Michael Tasner — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:57:19 +0000

Being at the top of the search engines is every company’s dream. Pay Per Click can get you there, for a price. And it is only temporary. To get to the top of the organic results in Google takes work, but is more than worth it! Your traffic will increase tremendously and you will be recognized as a leader in your industry. Here are 3 tips for reaching the top of the search rankings.

Choose keywords that are not too highly competitive. It’s tempting to pick the popular keywords because they are the most searched, but unfortunately, everyone is picking those words as well. You will be a small fish in a big pond. You want the opposite!
Optimize your page content and html for your keywords. Start with your homepage. Your site should have 3 important tags in the head; they include title meta description, and meta keywords. Don’t clutter your head tags because that will not improve your search ranking.
Seek out external, one-way, incoming links with the keywords as the anchor text. First off, make sure you submit your site to dmoz.org. Each time you submit a form or email for a link, keep a record. A good place to start is with directories because they will give you a free link without the need to reciprocate. Other great places to get links is from discussion forums and press releases.

360 Degree Review – For Your Web Marketing Efforts

Michael Tasner — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:40:22 +0000

I’m a huge fan of 360-degree reviews. You may have heard of these. They are typically used in the Human Resource department of a company for employee reviews. The objective of the review is to get a view from all different angles (thus the name 360 degrees) of the particular employee.

Here’s how it works: You’re an employee working at one of the large automakers (who will remain nameless). Assuming you still have a job, you work daily with other employees just like you, for a direct supervisor. And you have people reporting directly to you. In the process of conducting your review to decide whether you will get a two-cent-per-hour raise (I know, don’t get too excited), your performance will be reviewed by your boss, your peers, and your own direct reports. This ensures that you’re getting the most accurate representation of the quality of your work. It also serves as a great checks-and-balances system. If your boss didn’t like you, that is only one leg of the review. And one of these days you will be part of your boss’s 360-degree review.

Let’s take similar methodology and apply it to your current marketing tactics. This will allow us to see your greatest opportunities for expansion.

Step 1: Make a list of all the people who have a hand in or are touched by your marketing efforts.

For example: The CEO, your marketing director, marketing executives, salespeople, engineers, research and development folks, vendors, partners, and your customers. The key here is to make sure you are not leaving anyone out. If you miss one person, you are not fully getting a 360-degree review.

Step 2: Construct two to three surveys for those people to complete.

The first survey will go to all internal employees, the second to your vendors/partners, if applicable, and the last to your customers. It’s up to you if you want to send this to all your customers. It depends highly on how many customers you have. If you’re a smaller company, I recommend sending it to all your customers. If you’re a larger company with thousands of customers, send it to enough clients to get a good response back. Typical response rates range from 3% to 10%. I’ve seen lower, but I’ve also seen response rates as high as 90%. But those are just the averages.

A few important notes on these surveys:

I encourage you to send these 100% electronically. When sending surveys electronically, you have a much higher chance of getting a response. There are various survey tools out there, such as SurveyMonkey.com, Zoomerang.com, and keysurvey.com.
Keep them short to increase your response rate.
Give some type of incentive for your outside vendors, partners, or customers to fill these out, and watch your response rates skyrocket. (For example, give them 10% off their next order.)
Modify anything to fit your business.

I like allowing for comments after each question to solicit additional feedback. The reason I ask and solicit more open-ended feedback is to ensure that we don’t miss any of the trends.

Step 3: Compile the data.

This is going to take you quite a bit of time. Here are some tips for compiling the data:

Many of the survey software tools will do this for you.
Develop three different Microsoft Excel files and label them appropriately (internal, vendors/partners, customers).
Start with the quantifiable data and get that into Excel. Most likely this will be a simple export.
Move on to the open-ended questions. Take all the responses for each question and place them into Excel so you can see all the data in front of you.
Scroll down the column of open-ended questions and look for trends. I like to use the find feature in Excel to see whether similar words are being found. For example, you could search for craigslist to see all the places it was mentioned.
When you find similar answers in the open-ended questions, group those together.
When you have this task done, you should be able to easily see the results for the quantifiable section, and all the answers to the open-ended sections grouped together with similar thoughts.
Lastly, do the same thing with the comments as you did with the open-ended questions: Group similar comments together, using the find feature to aid in this task.

Step 4: Interpret the data.

You now have your data organized in a much more logical format so that you can start figuring out what it all means. Print out all the sheets and spread them out across a long desk so you can see everything. What you’re looking for here are trends across the various groups, as well as weaknesses in your marketing strategy. Keep in mind that in this exercise bad news is actually good[md]it’s what you’re looking for. It’s great to see the good stuff, but we’re more concerned with the areas in which you need to improve because these are your greatest opportunities for improvement and growth. What you are most likely going to find is two-fold: 20% of your marketing is producing the most results. The other 80% is a waste of time, money, and energy.

The Shift from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0

Michael Tasner — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:57:55 +0000

Web 2.0 began when Web users started to drastically change the way they were using the Web on a day-to-day basis. The main trends that shaped Web 2.0 include content sharing, creativity, segmentation, social components, and added functionality. The four key components of Web 2.0 are Social Networks, Social Media, User-Generated Content, and Social News and Bookmarketing. Although these components have been king of the mountain for a time, there are limitations and loopholes, which in turn, become fresh opportunities.

Enter Web 3.0. Web 3.0 describes the next wave that is already taking place and is the shift from Web 2.0. The key driving factors to Web 3.0 include browsing habits, browsing methods, more intelligent information, the experience we’re looking for, and the openness of the Web. BlackBerrys and iPhones, portals into Web 3.0, are ruling the day. Simplified: Web 3.0 marketing is the convergence of new technologies and rapidly changing consumer buying trends.

Live, streaming video is outpacing static video, and companies like Twitter, Plurk, and Jaiku are growing much more rapidly than Blogger, WordPress, or TypePad. The Web 3.0 marketing world is where customized, intelligent information is available at our fingertips, on any device, from anywhere in the world!

The Five Key Components of Web 3.0:

Microblogging is the ability to share your thoughts with a set number of characters. People are busy with limited time, so why not get right to the point of the story in 140 characters or fewer? Examples include Twitter, Plurk, and Jaiku.
Virtual reality worlds are places users visit to interact with others from around the world in a 3-D setting. Meetings are being conducted in these spaces, and trade shows are being replaced with virtual reality shows. Examples include Second Life and Funsites.
Customization/personalization allows visitors to create a more personalized experience. They are starting to expect their name to appear at the top of Web sites, personal e-mails, and even advanced checkout options that suit their buying habits. As the Web becomes more and more intelligent, personalization will be the norm. Examples include SendOutCards, Google, and Amazon.
Mobile plays on the fact that there are billions of cellphone users throughout the world. This number is much larger than those that use PCs. Consumers are surfing the Web and purchasing products right from their mobile phones. They are also using their phones and becoming instant journalists by shooting raw footage of random acts. Examples include iPhone and BlackBerry.
On-demand collaboration allows users to interact in real time by looking over documents, collaborating, and making changes in real time. Software as a service also fits into on-demand collaboration as it allows users to leverage only Web-based solutions. Examples include Google Docs, Salesforce.com, Slideshare.net, and Box.net.

Afraid to be an Identity Theft Victim?

Michael Tasner — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:02:27 +0000

The openness of the Web is causing some major issues with personal security. Identity theft is massively on the rise. In 2008, there were almost ten million victims, a 22% rise from 2007, along with incidences of viruses and spyware. Consumers and businesses are starting to get more skeptical about putting information on the Web as they become more aware of the possible repercussions.

Whatever you put out on the Web can be found, digested, and used by anyone. In fact, there have been recent cases of hackers using the Web to rummage around in your hard drive and even to turn your own monitor against you, remotely activating your webcam and watching what’s going on in your office (without your being the wiser). In addition to the technical protections people are installing—not to mention the strict rules of online conduct they’re imposing on their workplaces and families—there is a trend of microcommunity sites and tribes, as Seth Godin calls them in Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us. Facebook will not become a thing of the past, but smaller, more centralized and specialized groups and social sites will become more prevalent. As a marketer, you will need to establish a presence on these sites so that people can get to know, like, and trust you.

Virtual Reality Worlds for Marketing

Michael Tasner — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:22:55 +0000

Marketing using virtual reality worlds and methods is one of the more advanced Web 3.0 tactics that you can use to generate leads, close business, or even communicate with your team. It also takes the biggest time commitment, requiring the most work and the largest initial expense to get the platform designed. The upside: When put into place, these 3-D worlds can prove to be your most effective lead generator, sale closer, and cost saver.
In general, virtual reality has a variety of uses. The whole intent of virtual reality is to convince you and your mind that you’re actually there, alive in this make-believe world. It brings the experience and interaction to life, even though you are behind a computer or another device and not there in person.
People, businesses, and agencies are continuing to move to using virtual reality worlds because they are tired of traveling, have less money to spend on travel, and are realizing the power associated in these worlds. My motto is, “Essentially everything that can be done in person can be done over the Web using various technologies.” This is the concept that people are finally starting to understand. Everything continues to move to the Web. So instead of simply resisting, both consumers and businesses are starting to jump on the bandwagon. An additional factor that has helped the rise of virtual reality worlds is their ease of use. Two to three years ago, you needed to have a very fast computer and connection just to view one of these worlds. Today things open up much more quickly and are much more intuitive.
Here are some great virtual reality worlds to check out:

www.SecondLife.com
www.ActiveWorlds.com
Entropia Universe
www.There.com
www.Kaneva.com
www.Worlds.com
Moove
www.IMVU.com

Web 3.0 Will Affect Your Business, Your Company and Your Life

Michael Tasner — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:55:12 +0000

There are four key areas in which you’re going to notice changes, as described next.
Increasing Mobility and Reliance on Mobile Devices
Mobile is the largest and fastest-growing Web 3.0 trend in online marketing!
BlackBerrys and iPhones are becoming the norm. Text messaging used to be the gold standard. Now, if you don’t have e-mail and Web access, your phone is considered ancient. This trend will affect your personal life as well as your business life.
Resistance to Sharing Information with Everyone
The openness of the Web is causing some major issues with personal security. Identity theft is massively on the rise. In 2008, there were almost ten million victims, a 22% rise from 2007, along with incidences of viruses and spyware. Consumers and businesses are starting to get more skeptical about putting information on the Web as they become more aware of the possible repercussions.
Whatever you put out on the Web can be found, digested, and used by anyone. In fact, there have been recent cases of hackers using the Web to rummage around in your hard drive and even to turn your own monitor against you, remotely activating your webcam and watching what’s going on in your office (without your being the wiser).
In addition to the technical protections people are installing, not to mention the strict rules of online conduct they’re imposing on their workplaces and families, there is a trend of microcommunity sites and tribes, as Seth Godin calls them in Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us. Facebook will not become a thing of the past, but smaller, more centralized and specialized groups and social sites will become more prevalent. As a marketer, you will need to establish a presence on these sites so that people can get to know, like, and trust you.
A Reduction in the Need to Be “Belly-to-Belly”
There are many reasons people are continuing to flock to the Web for virtual communication instead of jumping on a plane for a face-to-face meeting, with the largest reason being cost. It is very expensive to fly across the country, stay in a hotel, dine out, take taxis, and on top of it all miss both work and, more important, family time. Virtual trade shows are gaining in popularity. SecondLife.com continues to get larger, and services like GoToMeeting and WebEx.com are attracting new customers like crazy. Citrix (which owns GoToMeeting) continues to attract more than 15,000 new users each month. WebEx touts more than 7 million worldwide users leveraging its tool each month.
Once you go virtual, you may never want to fly again, at least for a business meeting. Once you go cam-to-cam, face-to-face will never be the same!
Everything Is Continuing to Go to the Web
Anything and everything continues to go to the Web. Twelve-year-olds are running million-dollar social networks, pizza companies are taking orders through the Web, your family diner accepts reservations on the Net, your grandma is tweeting, your long-lost cousin runs a popular tribe on Second Life, international spies are using it. And the list goes on, and on and on. This trend will not change.

Creating an Online Experience – What we can Learn from The Office

Michael Tasner — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:31:46 +0000

Warning — properly implementing this tactic can result in business you have only dreamed about!

The key to a successful membership site, blog, forum, community and even a plain jane web site is to create an online experience that others will be talking about. This online experience will then be tweeted about, talked about, and blogged about (hey, that is what I’m about to do below). Having a normal web site is fine for some businesses, but why not jazz it up? Even the “darker” of businesses can create an online experience. Let me give you two examples

Check out Peternity.com a site that sells products for pets that have passed like Pet Grave Markers. This is not a glamazon type of business, you’re dealing with people that have lost their pets. However, when you go to her site, you feel welcome. She makes the buying and customizing experience easy. Want to see your beloved pet online? You can add your pet to the Pet Memorial online.
Dementiaconnection.com is the leading source for dementia information run by a health care provider. Susan the owner has this site stacked with tools, resources, articles, a blog, videos, audios and more. Most people consider this a very tough illness, but Susan’s site helps make the experience a little less painful.

One of my favorite web sites that creates an amazing online experience is NBC’s hit show The Office. I personally think it’s the funnest current show on TV! 30 minutes of watching this show will make my week! What their marketing people have done is simple – they have thrown the playbook out the window. Rather then being like everyone else, they have re-invented the way people browse content online.

The Office provides:

Full length episodes (for free)
Previews of episodes to come (this is normally un-heard of)
Web only videos – check out Subtle Sexuality
A gift store with a lot of fun products (I’m rocking the Office Calender)
A community with 15+ different things you can do to get involved — and these are not small things. They have additional full blown web sites set up: Dunder Mifflin Infinity is just one of the many

I could go on with a list of another 100 different things they do, it’s simply amazing. Yes they have major manpower, lots of videos and a TV show, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take their core concept — to create an online experience that will get people talking about the show even more. If you’re on their web site playing a game chances are you’re going to talk about it and get someone else hooked into the show, brilliant marketing NBC.

If you want to attract long standing, loyal and happy customers you need to create an experience whether online or offline, as consumers we grave that experience we can brag about.