I love our call tracking service. It is so accurate in measuring and recording certain aspects of our clients’ marketing. For instance, I just had a call where call measuring helped a client determine that there are conversion issues from call to consultation. In the same call, we used the volume of calls from specific date to a specific date to determine if a media buy was more effective now that it had been designed differently.
There are so many good reasons to use tracking numbers for the client. For me, though, it really gives me some “Big Picture” analysis. For instance, looking at the September call numbers (a month with only a day and half left at this point), here are some trends I see.
Phones are ringing
With literally no increase in new numbers, the aggregate call volume on our clients’ numbers hit an annual high, currently standing at 1308 calls in September. That is up from the 1076 calls in August which was our first lull of the year. It resumes the upward trend we left off in July when the total call volume was 1173.
Monday is the new Tuesday
This month, Monday was the leading day the phone might ring with new business. An average of 70 calls were tracked across our client base on Mondays in September. Normally, Tuesday always wins but this month, Tuesday finished second with 68 calls each day on average.
3, 11 and 9
Why are these numbers important? The 3PM hour got the most calls this month. 11AM finished second and 9AM finished third. Make sure your phones are covered at these times! Of course, those are spikes. Monday calls are almost evenly distributed across the 8-5 working day range. The story here: keep on your toes on Monday.
Of course everyone’s results are different. But, they are results you can work with to modify your approach to customers and your decisions on what media to buy. Tracking numbers are simply the most affordable marketing tool out there with the greatest bang for your buck. Each number costs $480 once each year, making it $40/month. If you are interested in adding a tracking number to your web site or ads, please contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
A word about SEO
One of the things I like about our Keyword SEO is how we help you keep your eye on the ball. We insist on measurables, which takes a lot of the Internet techno-babble out of the discussion.
Measurement is the reason we formed our service only on keywords. Keyword progess can be measured objectively. The degree to which the site is optimized for those keywords can be measured specifically. All other elements of SEO are service-based or not-specifically defined in terms of effectiveness. We prefer to go with what we can measure.
We also recommend a tracking telephone number for your web site when we do your SEO. Why? Because we want to know EXACTLY what volume of calls is coming in from the site. Afterall, isn’t that what you want as an ultimate result? The same goes for web statistics. We watch all SEO clients with Google Analytics which gives us all the site data we need to know what is happening on the site.
(Incidentally, Google Analytics helps us evaluate our program-wide progress, too. Today’s snapshot tells us that in the last 30 days, site visits to our SEO clients are up 27%, time on site duration on our SEO clients is up 5.25% and bounce rate on our SEO clients is down 7%. More traffic through keyword search equals longer visits and fewer bounces... program wide, this tells us the increased traffic we are driving is better and more interested.)
We also recommend companion Paid Search campaigns in most cases. For serious cases (those who invest more than $1000/month in paid search), we recommend ReachLocal. Our SEO clients who use ReachLocal and our preferred rep have their accounts placed on our dashboard so we can more easily monitor results. Again, tracking and measurability is the key to this recommendation. ReachLocal tracks both your traffic and incoming calls that are generated from their campaigns. It is a good fit for our traceable SEO program.
Now, your mileage may vary when it comes to SEO. Market conditions are a big factor and nothing can be promised in terms of results. No one has the search algorithms the engines use and there are plenty of effective ways to proceed. We tell clients to pick a strategy and commit to it. And, our theory is, if you are going to stick with something, make sure it is measurable so you can understand what is happening and how it works.
Nobody likes to look at SEO reports, call tracking reports, Google Analytics reports, etc. But, these are the lifeblood of your commitment to SEO success. Sometimes, though, a 30,000 foot view is all that is needed to know you are headed in the right direction. So, today, I am feeling pretty good about program-wide traffic being up 27%. For more on our Keyword SEO program, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Measurement is the reason we formed our service only on keywords. Keyword progess can be measured objectively. The degree to which the site is optimized for those keywords can be measured specifically. All other elements of SEO are service-based or not-specifically defined in terms of effectiveness. We prefer to go with what we can measure.
We also recommend a tracking telephone number for your web site when we do your SEO. Why? Because we want to know EXACTLY what volume of calls is coming in from the site. Afterall, isn’t that what you want as an ultimate result? The same goes for web statistics. We watch all SEO clients with Google Analytics which gives us all the site data we need to know what is happening on the site.
(Incidentally, Google Analytics helps us evaluate our program-wide progress, too. Today’s snapshot tells us that in the last 30 days, site visits to our SEO clients are up 27%, time on site duration on our SEO clients is up 5.25% and bounce rate on our SEO clients is down 7%. More traffic through keyword search equals longer visits and fewer bounces... program wide, this tells us the increased traffic we are driving is better and more interested.)
We also recommend companion Paid Search campaigns in most cases. For serious cases (those who invest more than $1000/month in paid search), we recommend ReachLocal. Our SEO clients who use ReachLocal and our preferred rep have their accounts placed on our dashboard so we can more easily monitor results. Again, tracking and measurability is the key to this recommendation. ReachLocal tracks both your traffic and incoming calls that are generated from their campaigns. It is a good fit for our traceable SEO program.
Now, your mileage may vary when it comes to SEO. Market conditions are a big factor and nothing can be promised in terms of results. No one has the search algorithms the engines use and there are plenty of effective ways to proceed. We tell clients to pick a strategy and commit to it. And, our theory is, if you are going to stick with something, make sure it is measurable so you can understand what is happening and how it works.
Nobody likes to look at SEO reports, call tracking reports, Google Analytics reports, etc. But, these are the lifeblood of your commitment to SEO success. Sometimes, though, a 30,000 foot view is all that is needed to know you are headed in the right direction. So, today, I am feeling pretty good about program-wide traffic being up 27%. For more on our Keyword SEO program, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Interest in Video is Back
September has brought back an interesting question from clients and prospects. “How can I use video to make my web site more competitive?” I’ve had variations on this question several times in the past two weeks. Clearly, there is a renewed interest in making web sites more competitive among cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic dentists.
Here is why I think video of the doctor is one of the most important upgrades you can make. Normally, the doctor is the bottleneck. In a traditional situation, the doctor is the last person a prospective patient will meet. Prospective patients find the practice, do their research (maybe), call in, make their appointment, deal with the front desk and at the end finally meet the doctor. This part is the most critical in determining if patient trusts the doctor and is willing to undergo the procedure with him or her. Video of the doctor talking on a web site reverses the equation. Instead of the doctor being the bottleneck at the end, with limited exposure, video takes the doctor out front. Now the doctor’s appearance, voice, mannerisms and presentation are the first things all prospect see. That feeling of trust and knowing can be established much earlier. My clients who have video of themselves speaking on their web sites routinely tell me that patients tell them on a first meeting that they feel like they already know the doctor.
That gives you an advantage in attracting prospective patients.
This alone is a good reason to add video of the doctor speaking to your web site. Don’t think this is something that is best done when you set up a video camera or web cam in your office and try it yourself. The sort of video we produce for our clients is scripted and shot under specific conditions to get the best presentation. If you are interested in hearing about how we do it, please contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. And, stay tuned this fall for some new Flash Video Web sites we will be debuting.
Here is why I think video of the doctor is one of the most important upgrades you can make. Normally, the doctor is the bottleneck. In a traditional situation, the doctor is the last person a prospective patient will meet. Prospective patients find the practice, do their research (maybe), call in, make their appointment, deal with the front desk and at the end finally meet the doctor. This part is the most critical in determining if patient trusts the doctor and is willing to undergo the procedure with him or her. Video of the doctor talking on a web site reverses the equation. Instead of the doctor being the bottleneck at the end, with limited exposure, video takes the doctor out front. Now the doctor’s appearance, voice, mannerisms and presentation are the first things all prospect see. That feeling of trust and knowing can be established much earlier. My clients who have video of themselves speaking on their web sites routinely tell me that patients tell them on a first meeting that they feel like they already know the doctor.
That gives you an advantage in attracting prospective patients.
This alone is a good reason to add video of the doctor speaking to your web site. Don’t think this is something that is best done when you set up a video camera or web cam in your office and try it yourself. The sort of video we produce for our clients is scripted and shot under specific conditions to get the best presentation. If you are interested in hearing about how we do it, please contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. And, stay tuned this fall for some new Flash Video Web sites we will be debuting.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Great New Web Site from Dog Star Media
We are pleased to start off September by showing off a new web site... one with a twist. Here is a custom designed Spanish language site for Carlos Pou, MD in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This is a Flash Video web site created in Joomla which is a format that allows the client to make their own content changes.
In this case, Joomla makes the most sense since Dr. Pou has a local Spanish writer who assists him with the developing new content. However, Dr. Pou has a lot of video which he made with Dog Star Media for his previous web site. This site incorporates those videos in Flash elements throughout the site, making it a Flash/Video/Joomla site. On top of that, the new look and feel is excellent for a cosmetic surgery practice.
This site was also built with the SEO strategy in mind. The design incorporates plenty of space for a large block of keyword-laden copy which can be expanded. Considering the Flash, the video, the flexibility for SEO and expansion, this site really does have it all.
If you are interested in upgrading your Internet strategy, updating an old site or starting a new site, this week is a good week to do it with Dog Star Media. We are in Tulsa this week, making a marketing presentation at Tulsa Surgical Arts. As usual, we are offering $1500 off a Flash/HTML web site, which is our most commonly purchased web site. The offer expires on Sunday at noon following my presentation.
If you want to take advantage of this offer, start the conversation now by emailing me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
In this case, Joomla makes the most sense since Dr. Pou has a local Spanish writer who assists him with the developing new content. However, Dr. Pou has a lot of video which he made with Dog Star Media for his previous web site. This site incorporates those videos in Flash elements throughout the site, making it a Flash/Video/Joomla site. On top of that, the new look and feel is excellent for a cosmetic surgery practice.
This site was also built with the SEO strategy in mind. The design incorporates plenty of space for a large block of keyword-laden copy which can be expanded. Considering the Flash, the video, the flexibility for SEO and expansion, this site really does have it all.
If you are interested in upgrading your Internet strategy, updating an old site or starting a new site, this week is a good week to do it with Dog Star Media. We are in Tulsa this week, making a marketing presentation at Tulsa Surgical Arts. As usual, we are offering $1500 off a Flash/HTML web site, which is our most commonly purchased web site. The offer expires on Sunday at noon following my presentation.
If you want to take advantage of this offer, start the conversation now by emailing me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Facebook FREE Friday
It is September and Dog Star Media is introducing a new Facebook promotion. And, for all of you playing along at home, this will be an example of how to use social networking for your business.
You will notice this week, we have launched the Dog Star Media Facebook page. All of you clients who have friended my personal page, I will be inviting you personally to join the Dog Star Media Facebook page. Anyone else who wants to follow Dog Star Media on Facebook can simply friend us and will be accepted.
At 10am central time on Friday September 4, I will post a special offer on the Dog Star Media Facebook page in our status. This will notify all our Facebook friends in your News Feed. The special offer will be a significant offer featuring one of our most important services. Up to 50 clients or prospects can participate. The offer and the notification will be made on Facebook, giving our Facebook friends the first advantage on claiming the offer. Once the 50 offers are gone, the promotion ends.
So, if you want to participate in the promotion friend DSM on Facebook, remember to check your News Feed or the Status on the Dog Star Media page on Friday at 10am CT to get the first crack at our Facebook FREE Friday offer.
And, don’t be surprised if I leak a little teaser on Facebook about the promotion before Friday. The sooner you friend our Facebook page, the more you may know about the promotion. You will want to get there first. Remember what they say about advertising: There is first and there is everyone else. Give it a try... be one of the first to claim the promotion on Friday.
For more on using social networking for your business, please contact me today at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
You will notice this week, we have launched the Dog Star Media Facebook page. All of you clients who have friended my personal page, I will be inviting you personally to join the Dog Star Media Facebook page. Anyone else who wants to follow Dog Star Media on Facebook can simply friend us and will be accepted.
At 10am central time on Friday September 4, I will post a special offer on the Dog Star Media Facebook page in our status. This will notify all our Facebook friends in your News Feed. The special offer will be a significant offer featuring one of our most important services. Up to 50 clients or prospects can participate. The offer and the notification will be made on Facebook, giving our Facebook friends the first advantage on claiming the offer. Once the 50 offers are gone, the promotion ends.
So, if you want to participate in the promotion friend DSM on Facebook, remember to check your News Feed or the Status on the Dog Star Media page on Friday at 10am CT to get the first crack at our Facebook FREE Friday offer.
And, don’t be surprised if I leak a little teaser on Facebook about the promotion before Friday. The sooner you friend our Facebook page, the more you may know about the promotion. You will want to get there first. Remember what they say about advertising: There is first and there is everyone else. Give it a try... be one of the first to claim the promotion on Friday.
For more on using social networking for your business, please contact me today at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
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