Digital Marketer Should Do The Basics Right Before Doing Digital Advertising

Digital Advertising

Digital Advertising means all kind of advertising efforts performed in the internet such as Search Engine Advertising, Display advertising, Social Media advertising etc. Marketers do digital advertising with the purpose of getting the attention of their target audience and drive them to click and visit their site where all the information about the product/deal or online purchase/reservation facilities are available. Actually digital advertisements are the tools used to attract digital audience but content or online purchase facilities  really convert those attractions to a sale. Therefore it is important to provide the basic essential information or facilities on the host website together with designing attractive  advertisements.

If proper basic requirements are not available in the advertisers website.

• Your excellent efforts on attracting the customers, will be useless
• People will not encourage to click on your links or advertisements due to previous bad experience.
• There will be bad feedbacks and reviews  on social media.
• Negative word of mouth.

There for before doing big things digital marketers should make sure to do the basic small things right.

Website Usability of SriLankan Airlines Website

Today I am going to apply Website Usability Analysis for SriLankan Air lines Website.

My Analysis generally talks about Accessibility,Identity,Navigation and Content.of the Website.

Accessibility of the Website

• Site load time - Site Load time is quick enough. You can easily get access to the website.
• Adequate text to background contrast - Text to Background contrast is good. All the text items are easy to read.
• Font Size/Spacing - Font size and spacing has no issues. It is very clear and easy to read.
• Appropriate Alt tags for Images - Alt tag are not visible.
• Flash and add-ons - There are fnash-ones
  

• Error 404 - Site does't have this issue

Identity of the Website

• Company Logo - Company Logo is prominently placed on the top of the site.
  
  
  

• Tagline - Tagline makes the company purpose clear.
• Home page is digestible - Home page is digestible in few seconds.Any one can easily understand where to make bookings, where to go for information.
• Clear path to company Information - There is a clear path to company information appearing on the top of the site and bottom of the site. 
• Clear Path to contact information - Path for contact information is not very clear

Navigation

• Main navigation is easily identifiable - Sites main navigation is easily identifiable.
  

• Navigation labels are clear and concise - All navigation labels are clear and concise.
  

• Number of buttons links are reasonable - Buttons and links are reasonable. 
• Company logo is link to home page - Company logo at the top of the page is linked to the home page.
• Links are consistent and easy to identify - Anyone can easily identify the links.
• Site search is easy to access - Site don't have a search option.

Content

• Major headings are clear and descriptive - All major headlines are clear and descriptive as follows.
  
• Critical content is above the fold - Critical content can be easily find on the site.
• 

• Styles and colors are consistent - Styles and colours are consistent in each web page.
• Emphasis is used sparingly - The site has  emphasis valuable details.

According to the areas that i have analyzed i can conclude that the site is user friendly. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media

Social media

Social media can be defining as websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Moreover they are internet sites where people interact freely, sharing and discussing information about each other and their lives, using a multimedia mix of personal words, pictures, video & audio.

Furthermore, social media depend on mobile and web-based technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content.

Classification of Social Media

1. Collaborative projects                        -   Wikipedia
2. Blogs & micro blogs                           -   Twitter
3. Social news networking sites            -   Digg & Liker net
4. Content communities                          -  YouTube & Dailymotion
5. Social Networking sites                     -   Facebook
6. Virtual game worlds                           -   World of warcraft
7. Virtual social world                             -  Second Life

Quality, reach, frequency, accessibility, immediacy, usability & permanence are special features that differentiate social media from industrial media.

Advantages of Social Media

1.  Easy for communication
2. Quick & cost effective
3. Build associations
4. Knowledge sharing -Social media contains wide range of knowledge related to different fields and it is free to share any kind of knowledge through social media. It is a way to enhance the knowledge of people.
5. Opportunity for shy, socially awkward people to communicate

Advantages of Social Media for Business Organizations

 Broad reach

Global connections can be made by social media. Consequently businesses can reach to a huge market where number of consumers & opportunities available.


Reduces overall marketing cost

Since social media is free business organizations can use it as a marketing tool. As the above mention business can reach to a large number for customers with no or less cost. Likewise make aware about product & services can be done effectively than other methods.

Help to offer better customer service & engage with the customers

Businesses can create value for the customers through social media.Customer complaints handling & giving quick response to them can be done too. 

Ability to design own online personality

Business organizations can develop & maintain their own personality through social media.

Ability to monitor other businesses

Through social media organizations can monitor their competitors and see what they are doing and how the customers are reacting to them.

Provide competitive advantage

Achieve above advantages in an extraordinary manner leads organization to achieve competitive advantage than other organizations. 

Disadvantages of Social Media 

1. Time wasting
2. Privacy issues
3. Online bulling
4. Fake profiles
5. Boast & exaggerates
6. Less  face to face interaction with family & friends 

Keells Super Mobile App; First Ever Mobile App by a Supermarket in Sri Lanka

Keells Super Mobile App 

Keells Super; as a leading supermarket chain in Sri Lanka has taken a step ahead in digital marketing. It is a revolutionary change in Sri Lanka's digital marketing activities for super markets.   

Keells Super Mobile App; Advertisement on Facebook

This smartphone app is available in both iOS and ANDROID platforms that allows any smartphone user to use it easily. When looking at Keells Super's target consumers, most of them use smartphones and tabs. Therefore we I can say that this app will really work for them. Sometimes app may not increase their online sales immediately but it will keep them connected with their customers.

App is not only for online shopping, it has some other interesting features.

Interface of the app

Once you click the app it will direct you to this interface which presents all the options and information that is offered with the app. App grants,

• Online shopping options
• Ongoing promotion information
• directions to the nearest stores
• comments submission options
• Keells Supper company and contact information

for the users.

Online Shopping

User can quickly shop online through his or her smartphone with the app. They can easily access to the online shopping  by clicking the "shop online' tab.

Keells Supper online Shopping

The tab directs users to the Keels Super online purchasing web page.

Promotions

Users are allowed to take all the ongoing promotion information through the promotions tab. This helps users to plan their purchases before their visit to the store or make online purchases and claim the advantages quickly.

Keells Super Promotions

Keells Super Promotions

Directions

If someone wants to know the directions to the nearest Keells Super store they can get the directions by the app. Users just have to allow the app to use their current destination to get the directions.

Keells Super store Directions

Comments

 Users can submit their comments through the comments tab. 

Keells Super Customer Comments/Enquiry

Company and Contact Information

All the company information and contact information are available in the app for the convenience of the users.

Keells Super company Information

Keells Super Contact information

If you are interested you can easily download the app from Google Play and Apple iStore.

Post a comment and share your ideas with me about this post. 

Industry Issues - Mobitel Sri Lanka and SriLankan Airlines Need to Concentrate More on Their Digital Strategy

Yesterday when I was browsing internet with my phone I found a Lankadeepa news link on FB which directed me to Lankadeepa news page. When reading the news I saw an interesting advertisement in my sidebar regarding a free dongle and a sim by Mobitel and SriLankan Airlines  which arouse my curiosity to click.     

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

But when I click I found that the deal has expired, on SriLankan Airlines page which raised me a sudden question Why they are advertising an expired deal?????

Results by clicking the advertisement at the side bar

Then when I returned to Lankadeepa home page I saw the same advertisement appearing on the home page.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

 My curiosity on Digital Marketing led me to click it again where i got a funny result which said that the offer is still available

Results by clicking the advertisement at the top 

 I was very confused about the situation. their poor effort because it is a tragic situation for a digital marketer where you attract the potential customers by a good advertisement appearing, but unable to cater them due to carelessness. Even while writing this post I went there with my PC and checked it again and again where i got the same results.

My opinion 

My opinion on this case is,

1. Before doing big things marketers should fulfil the basic things which are essential. 
2. It is important to have continues investigations and keep in touch with your current marketing campaigns. 
3. Attracting the customers is not enough. digital marketer should be able to convert the attractions in to sales.

Open for your comments......

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Google AdWords

Google AdWords is Google's online advertising  tool that allows marketers to manage Pay-Per-Click Advertising campaigns for their brands within google search engine and google adsense websites. Adwords offers various types of advertising solutions, which are search advertising,display network advertising, Mobile Ads, YouTube Ads, and Double Click Digital marketing.Users have full freedom to design their own ad campaign as they wish.

Why Google?

Google is the the search engine where most of the people uses in their PCs, tablets, mobile and other devices. This search engine stats taken from statcounter.com shows the different between Google and other competitors.

Top Five Search Engines 2013/14

As a search engine Google is well ahead from other search engines. There for Google can deliver maximum exposure for your ads than any other search engine.

How Adwords Can Help You?

It can Increase your reach and target your reach  which leads to growth your business

AdWords can offer you maximum exposure which will increase awareness among the target audience of your business. 

Main advantage that you gain is, you can target your advertisements to the people who are searching or who have interest on you. Therefore it is more effective advertising solution.

AdWords can increase your in store visits, phone calls, online sales and offer you online leads. 

Ads will increase the awareness of your physical store which leads increasing the customer visits. Business address and map in the advertisement will help them to find you easier. Your contact numbers in the advertisements will result in more phone calls. You can publish your advertisement to the people who are searching your product online, and link it to the online sales page in your website which will generate you more online sales. You can add third party reviews in your advertisements and give more reason to purchase. 

You can have a comfortable budget where you have to pay only for results

You can conduct an advertising campaign within a comfortable budget for you and you have to pay google only if anyone click your advertisement and visit your page. Therefore you have to pay only for the generated results. And other advantage is that there is no minimum spending commitment.

Free Keyword Research

Free keywords tool in AdWords allow you to get keyword ideas for your advertisements to be appear. Using most suitable keywords will improve the accuracy of your exposure.  

How to advertise?

To begin advertising with AdWords, you have to create AdWords account first. You can create an AdWords account by visiting adwords.google.com. Then you have to sign in with your email and password.

Then you have to create an ad campaign.How to create an Ad Campaign?

Your ad will start running after submitting your billing information.

Successful stories

There are many people who became successful by using AdWords effectively. 

AdWords Success Stories

Visit www.google.com/adwords/success-stories.html for more details

Search Engine Marketing - Optimize your site in search engines and entering in to paid search lists.

Search Engine Marketing?

World Wide Web consists of Millions of websites; and it is increasing day by day.

http://www.internetlivestats.com/watch/websites/#websites-total2

Therefore it is not an easy task for a website to being on the top of the search result lists for specific keyword that you are related to.

According to the people's search behaviors they prefer the sites that appears in the first page of a search result list. Most of them never trys next result pages. Therefore you have to be in the top to beat competitors who will appear for the same keyword.

Search engine marketing is all about being in the top in search lists.

How to be in the top in search result lists?

There are two answers for this question. 

• Pay the search engine and pin your page on the top, side of the search result page.

• Optimize your web page in the search engine.

you can publish your website as a paid advertisement in the top of the website. it is called as Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC) and you can optimize your website in the search engine. It is called as Search Engine Optimization.

Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC)

Pay Per Click Advertising is available in every search engine. It will give the website priority in the search engine result lists.

PPC Advertisements in google

PPC Advertisements in Yahoo

 In these pictures you can see the PPC advertisements in search result pages

These advertisements are very easy to publish by using search engine tools. And you have to pay only if some one click on your advertisement and visit your site. Therefore it is more accurate than other traditional advertising methods.

For more details on Google's advertising tool refer
digitalmarketingexposure.blogspot.com/2014/05/google-adwords

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

This is the basic and easiest thing that you can do by your own to make appear your website on the top of search result list for specific keyword. You don't need to make any payment for this.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

I am looking forward to write separate posts on these topics. They will be published here soonly. Keep in touch to find more knowledge.

   

Comfortability of a Website

Why It is Important?

I want to ask you a question........

Why people use internet?

Is it because of Convenience??? busy life style??? low cost??? it is quick???? gives rich information??? 

Surely you will say "YES" for all of these reasons.

So if they are correct you have to always keep in mind that the people who visits webpage always seek these things in your site.

They always needs your site to be convenient, quick, updated, rich with content. they will feel comfortable in your site,if you have above said qualities in your site. You must make them comfortable in your site because it is very crucial fact on making real sales for you.

5 Tips to Make Your Website Comfortable 

• Have a reasonable load time for your site

If your site takes lot of time to load surely no one will wait and have a look at it. People always need it to appear instantly at the time they click. so you have to be appear within reasonable time.

• Make your site attractive

The first impression is the key. Always you need to attract a person quickly to keep him within the site and make him scroll down. you can use colours, quality images, good headlines, colour combinations, easy arrangements etc to retain them.

• Make it easier to read

Your site should be easier to read. If it seems difficult to read no one will take an attempt to read it. Therefore to deliver your massage you should make it easy to read. Adequate text to color contrast should be used. Though using more colour combinations makes your site stylish, convenient to read is the essential requirement. Fonts, font sises, spacing should be cleverly done.

• Always give reasonable content

You must never let the reader to think that your site is a cheap effort. Therefore make sure to include reasonable, updated, accurate content to your site. As most users skims through the main points always give the main points as headlines.

• Make the navigation clear

There should be a navigation bar essentially.Navigation bars will help users to find, read and use. It makes them easy to find the clear paths to the content that they are looking for. Navigation labels should be short and easy to understand. 

keep in touch with me for more tips on digital marketing.

Google Glass; Future of Digital Marketing

Google Glass….. Wearable Computer?????

Developer	Google
Manufacturer	Foxconn
Operating System	Android
Power	Lithium Polymer Battery
Memory	1 GB RAM
Camera	5 MP
Controller Input	Touchpad, My Glass IOS app
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro USB
Weight	50 grams
Price	1500 $

Google glass is a latest product developed by Google which is manufactured by Foxconn. It has introduce as a wearable computer, by which you can do anything in the internet together with your other day to day activities. It is very easy to use with the controllable touchpad, voice control and My Glass IOS app.Google glass is also known as project glass. Android is the operating system of this product. It has an outlook which is similar to spectacle frame. It is introduced to the world as next stage of mobile computing.

It is a tiny hardware powered by a lithium polymer battery with 50 g weight. 5mp camera with LED display adds more value to the product. It consists with a touch pad located on the side of Google glass. One of the remarkable features of this product is, it works with voice command “Ok glass”. It is available in five different colours which are shale, tangerine, charcoal, cotton & sky.  Customers are allow to have different frames & lens shapes as they wish. Google's agreement with Italian Eyewear Company for frame designs allows them to offer the varieties. Google Glass is now available for 1500 $ in the market.

Existing Google applications such as Google now, Google maps, Google plus, Gmail can be easily accessed by a Google Glass.

Product offers number of amazing actions to do. It can show text messages as well as emails received and allows replying to them via voice command. Users can take pictures record videos & share them in social networks such as facebook, Twitter. They can stay connected to their social networks. All social network notifications, reminders of meetings events and birthdays, requests can be easily reached with the device. Glass can be connected to the internet through Wi-Fi which is more convenient.

One of the most important tasks is, it provides live information. It provide travel alerts, public transportation links, what are the roads with traffic , what are the alternative ways can be used. And also it provides the information about current weather. Maps and Google compass is available on the product.

A further amazing feature is it blends in with locals. It translates the language to the users’ language which will more supportive when people are in foreign countries. News apps and facial recognition are other interesting features available in this product.

It is awarded as the “Best Inventions of the year 2012" by the time magazine.

Google Glass and Future of Digital Marketing

Hi friends,

As my second blog post I thought to talk about Google Glass as I have a feeling that it may be a great platform for the digital marketers. Many says that this is the next step of mobile computing. Surely It may be a next step for the digital marketers also.

It will increase the internet usage

It is very easy to use. As it is a wearable item it is very easy for users do their activities while being in touch with internet. 

Google Glass, while cooking

Walking with Google Glass

Google Glass at Office

Cycling with the Google Glass

Gardening and Browsing with the Google Glass

Glass have the power of  keeping users always online more than any other device as it is more easier than smart phones and tabs which are more used in present.

Social Media

Google Glass enables users to be connected to the social media which leads people to live in social media. It will be a great opportunity for social media marketing. More than that easy accessible camera allows users taking pictures recording a videos & sharing in social networks.

New applications will come soon

As the product is still new only few applications are available with the device. But with the increase of usage more applications are expected to develop for the Google Glass, similar to current smart phone and tab applications. So people will use Glass to find deals, make online bookings, watch online news, play online Games etc.

Therefor I am expecting a new digital marketing era with the Google Eye.

What do you think?????

Share your ideas with me. Keep in touch for more interesting stories.....