We would like to congratulate Dr. Jack Peterson and his team on the launch of their new web site at DrJackPeterson.com. This amazing upgrade is both highly aesthetic and SEO-friendly. In developing this design and format, we kept the focus on a look and feel geared specifically for the Midwest but with a level of sophistication that would play well in a larger market such as Kansas City.
Dog Star Media only designs custom web sites. So, we approach each client’s design with their vision in mind. In this case, Dr. Peterson had a specific aesthetic he wanted to hit but took our advice on developing that concept into a bigger and more broadly appealing concept. The result is a well-targeted, highly accessible web site with a great range of appeal. As an SEO client, we were able to build in their keyword strategy into the site development as well. This means, upon the launch of the site, new content related to old keywords was added and an bounce in relevance on those terms is expected.
Right now, there is a run on web sites. This is the busiest January on our records for web site orders. If you are one of the many who are ready to update your look and feel, make your site more SEO friendly and/or want to be generally more competitive on the web, please contact me to day at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
New Mobile Web Sites
Last quarter, we saw a large boost in mobile users in the web site stats we follow in our SEO programs. That trends is continuing and more and more clients are coming to us for mobile versions of their web sites.
Using your smart phone, check out these new mobile web sites:
CameoSurgery.com
AvenueDentalGroup.com
TampaBaySurgicalArts.com
DrMayliDavis.com
The mobile wave is continuing to crest. Most of our clients that we monitor for web stats are inching up to or have passed the 10% mark in mobile traffic. For many, that means between dozens and hundreds of visitors getting their first impression on mobile devices. If you are not watching your web traffic or mobile traffic, you may well fall into this statistical category. In nearly all cases, the time has come to consider a mobile web site part of a complete web strategy rather than an extra.
We offer a quality, affordable program for launching your first mobile web site. For $1000, we produce a 7-page starter mobile site that puts the most critical information about the practice into an appropriate mobile format. Before/After photos fit three-to-a-page and contact information is emphasized due to the use patterns of mobile devices (most people expect to click to call faster and respond faster to what they see on a mobile device).
Why not start off 2011 with a small but important purchase to improve how your web site appears regardless of the device used to view it? Please contact us today at donald@dogstarmedia.com to add a mobile web site to your Internet strategy.
Using your smart phone, check out these new mobile web sites:
CameoSurgery.com
AvenueDentalGroup.com
TampaBaySurgicalArts.com
DrMayliDavis.com
The mobile wave is continuing to crest. Most of our clients that we monitor for web stats are inching up to or have passed the 10% mark in mobile traffic. For many, that means between dozens and hundreds of visitors getting their first impression on mobile devices. If you are not watching your web traffic or mobile traffic, you may well fall into this statistical category. In nearly all cases, the time has come to consider a mobile web site part of a complete web strategy rather than an extra.
We offer a quality, affordable program for launching your first mobile web site. For $1000, we produce a 7-page starter mobile site that puts the most critical information about the practice into an appropriate mobile format. Before/After photos fit three-to-a-page and contact information is emphasized due to the use patterns of mobile devices (most people expect to click to call faster and respond faster to what they see on a mobile device).
Why not start off 2011 with a small but important purchase to improve how your web site appears regardless of the device used to view it? Please contact us today at donald@dogstarmedia.com to add a mobile web site to your Internet strategy.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Meat and Potatoes
I am frequently asked high level marketing questions regarding best practices and the latest tips and tricks. Everyone seems so interested in whatever is trending and trying to stay ahead of the competition. And, why not, it‘s fun and exciting. It certainly is not the meat and potatoes of marketing, which unfortunately, most people take for granted.
So, every once in a while, I like to stop down and remind everyone of the basics. Today, that is top of mind as we are going through an annual rite of renewing the most basic and integral marketing tools: Tracking Telephone Numbers. There is a daily conversation about tracking telephone numbers at Dog Star Media and I wish the focus remained this intense all year long. You see, the fact is, there is one common thread that runs through all our successful clients’ marketing programs: a diligent eye on metrics. And, nothing provides a more specific measurement of results than tracking telephone numbers. Basically, if you are not using them, then you are flying blind.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with how this tool works, a tracking number is a unique telephone number that routes to your main number. The unique number is placed in one location such as a web site and a print ad. When that number is called, a switch is flipped electronically and all the information about the call is recorded. The call can even be recorded for training and review purposes. At $40/month, this is the least expensive marketing tool out there and by far the most valuable because it shows EXACTLY what is happening.
Our most successful clients use tracking numbers for the following:
1) Make sure response/call benchmarks are being met.
2) Evaluating the effectiveness of advertising buys.
3) Evaluating how well calls are being received by their front desk staff.
4) Negotiating prices with ad sales reps.
5) Making operational changes to make sure calls do not go unanswered.
6) Evaluating quality of incoming calls from a given ad placement.
7) Understanding how multiple marketing investments work together to create responses.
There are other specific ways that tracking numbers are used but the bottom line is that they give you REAL numbers and REAL results. I tell clients all the time that tracking numbers are by far the most important tool out there. I have several clients that use multiple numbers and they know exactly what is happening. Nearly all of our clients use the call recording features and most have instituted some sort of change after hearing the first group of calls. We have had multiple clients make changes in their phone answering procedures after seeing how many incoming calls from their marketing go unanswered. And, nothing sharpens the sword of selling than knowing that phone calls are being recorded for review.
Tracking numbers are all about accountability. This is the meat and potatoes of marketing. Choosing to measure and then following up to use the information yielded allow you to make the best business and marketing decisions. Here is my challenge to all business owners: Try tracking numbers for a year and pay attention to the results. It is $480 that can change the course of how you do business.
If you are interested in tracking numbers, try one by adding on to your web site. It will be the source of at least 75% of your calls and will give you great first experience with this technology. If you want to order a tracking number, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com and we will get you set up with this tracking technology with monthly reporting and online, real-time access to your calls.
So, every once in a while, I like to stop down and remind everyone of the basics. Today, that is top of mind as we are going through an annual rite of renewing the most basic and integral marketing tools: Tracking Telephone Numbers. There is a daily conversation about tracking telephone numbers at Dog Star Media and I wish the focus remained this intense all year long. You see, the fact is, there is one common thread that runs through all our successful clients’ marketing programs: a diligent eye on metrics. And, nothing provides a more specific measurement of results than tracking telephone numbers. Basically, if you are not using them, then you are flying blind.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with how this tool works, a tracking number is a unique telephone number that routes to your main number. The unique number is placed in one location such as a web site and a print ad. When that number is called, a switch is flipped electronically and all the information about the call is recorded. The call can even be recorded for training and review purposes. At $40/month, this is the least expensive marketing tool out there and by far the most valuable because it shows EXACTLY what is happening.
Our most successful clients use tracking numbers for the following:
1) Make sure response/call benchmarks are being met.
2) Evaluating the effectiveness of advertising buys.
3) Evaluating how well calls are being received by their front desk staff.
4) Negotiating prices with ad sales reps.
5) Making operational changes to make sure calls do not go unanswered.
6) Evaluating quality of incoming calls from a given ad placement.
7) Understanding how multiple marketing investments work together to create responses.
There are other specific ways that tracking numbers are used but the bottom line is that they give you REAL numbers and REAL results. I tell clients all the time that tracking numbers are by far the most important tool out there. I have several clients that use multiple numbers and they know exactly what is happening. Nearly all of our clients use the call recording features and most have instituted some sort of change after hearing the first group of calls. We have had multiple clients make changes in their phone answering procedures after seeing how many incoming calls from their marketing go unanswered. And, nothing sharpens the sword of selling than knowing that phone calls are being recorded for review.
Tracking numbers are all about accountability. This is the meat and potatoes of marketing. Choosing to measure and then following up to use the information yielded allow you to make the best business and marketing decisions. Here is my challenge to all business owners: Try tracking numbers for a year and pay attention to the results. It is $480 that can change the course of how you do business.
If you are interested in tracking numbers, try one by adding on to your web site. It will be the source of at least 75% of your calls and will give you great first experience with this technology. If you want to order a tracking number, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com and we will get you set up with this tracking technology with monthly reporting and online, real-time access to your calls.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Lifetime Value
Most of our clients know that a treasure trove of business resides in their own database. Many aspiring cosmetic dentists are drawn to LVI because they hear that often more than $1M resides untapped in their patient bases. Our cosmetic surgeons know that birds of a feather flock together and a solid referral network can be the fast track to a successful and established practice. And our general business clients know that a good database is the gift that keeps on giving.
So, let’s start off 2011 talking about an important principle of 1:1 Marketing: Lifetime Value. There are many ways to evaluate a contact’s lifetime value: 1) in the dollars they spend, 2) in projecting the dollars they spend regularly with you for ongoing services and 3) in the new business they help you attract. There are other ways but these are three practical ways of evaluating Lifetime Value.
A smart businessperson does not see each client relationship as a single point in time. Just like a good car salesman or realtor, you should be after relationships with clients. A good salesman knows that if trust and value can be maintained that the same person will buy from them over and again as their needs change or renew. If you are not doing something to engender long-term relationships with your clients or patients, you are doing your business the hard way.
So, it is advisable to begin assigning Lifetime Value. The accounting part is easy but the networking part... that takes some work and smarts. Your best case scenario is to get as many of your satisfied patients/clients (I call them “Friendlies”) working on your behalf as foot soldiers. In other words, turning the passive activity of networking into an actively directed activity. Direction comes from you, the activity comes from your directed network of high Lifetime Value helpers.
1:1 Marketing has everything to do with metrics. We measure and adjust. You can measure what is on the surface and obvious to everyone or you can look for the telling statistics that guide you to great success on a relatively easy path. Lifetime Value is one of those metrics that is not on the surface. While most only focus for cash flow, it is important to take a little time out for analysis and develop some info on the Lifetime Value of your patients, clients and contacts. This sort of analysis will help you define what to do and who to do it with regarding building a sales effort based on a network. If you want guidance on developing a Directed Referral Network, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
So, let’s start off 2011 talking about an important principle of 1:1 Marketing: Lifetime Value. There are many ways to evaluate a contact’s lifetime value: 1) in the dollars they spend, 2) in projecting the dollars they spend regularly with you for ongoing services and 3) in the new business they help you attract. There are other ways but these are three practical ways of evaluating Lifetime Value.
A smart businessperson does not see each client relationship as a single point in time. Just like a good car salesman or realtor, you should be after relationships with clients. A good salesman knows that if trust and value can be maintained that the same person will buy from them over and again as their needs change or renew. If you are not doing something to engender long-term relationships with your clients or patients, you are doing your business the hard way.
So, it is advisable to begin assigning Lifetime Value. The accounting part is easy but the networking part... that takes some work and smarts. Your best case scenario is to get as many of your satisfied patients/clients (I call them “Friendlies”) working on your behalf as foot soldiers. In other words, turning the passive activity of networking into an actively directed activity. Direction comes from you, the activity comes from your directed network of high Lifetime Value helpers.
1:1 Marketing has everything to do with metrics. We measure and adjust. You can measure what is on the surface and obvious to everyone or you can look for the telling statistics that guide you to great success on a relatively easy path. Lifetime Value is one of those metrics that is not on the surface. While most only focus for cash flow, it is important to take a little time out for analysis and develop some info on the Lifetime Value of your patients, clients and contacts. This sort of analysis will help you define what to do and who to do it with regarding building a sales effort based on a network. If you want guidance on developing a Directed Referral Network, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
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