The Impact of Mobile on the Holidays

And why it matters to your business

Although consumers are embracing mobile at a rapid rate, most businesses are not jumping on the bandwagon as quickly. A recent report from eCommerce Know-How actually showed that 58 percent of companies are not utilizing mobile marketing or mobile commerce. Is this number surprising to you?

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As pointed out in the above video, the biggest reasons for companies not embracing mobile are because:

1.    The investment was too much (31%)
2.    Their customers weren’t mobile (31%)
3.    No one was available to manage it (31%)
4.    It was incompatible with their ecommerce system (31%)

The companies also said that executives weren’t behind their mobile efforts (23.8%), they didn’t know how to get mobile (11.9%), it was too much work (21.9%), and they were worried about security issues (9.5%).

On the other hand, the National Retail Federation also recently issued their 2010 eHoliday pre-holiday survey in partnership with BIGresearch. This survey found that more than one-fourth of retailers said that they invested “significantly” in mobile commerce applications in order to prepare for the holiday season.

It also found that over one-quarter of Americans that have smartphones said they would use them to research or make holiday purchases this year. In addition, the survey revealed that consumers depend on mobile devices for shopping events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Both of these surveys indicate that businesses are not keeping up with consumers, which is, unfortunately, a common problem. Social media is another area in which businesses have not kept up with consumers.

In short, mobile is impacting this year’s holiday season and the companies that do not have mobile efforts are missing out on valuable opportunities. eCommerce Know-How even found that more than 40 percent of the companies that are embracing mobile have seen a positive ROI from their efforts.

Is your business taking advantage of mobile marketing and mobile commerce this holiday season?

Google Aims To Help Small Businesses With Boost

Google launches Boost for small businesses

If you own a business and have claimed your free business listing in Google Places, which then appear on Google and Google Maps, then you will be glad to know the search and advertising company has introduced another way to help your business get noticed.

The company has introduced Google Boost, which allows business owners to create online search ads directly from within their Google Places account.

The Google Small Business Blog offers more details. “Boost ads are eligible to appear in the ‘Sponsored Links’ section of Google.com and Google Maps search result pages. For example, if you’re a restaurant owner in San Francisco who has signed up for Boost, your ad may show up when someone does a related search like the one below, indicating a cuisine and location that matches yours.”

“Beyond the basics like your company name, address, phone number and website, your ad may also include the number of reviews you’ve received, an average star rating and a link to your Place page to help potential customers find additional useful information about your business. When a map appears alongside the results, a blue pin will help folks quickly find your location on the map. Businesses using Google Tags will also see their yellow tag appear in the ad.”

Currently Boost in in beta in San Francisco, Houston and Chicago. Interested businesses can sign up to receive notification when Boost comes to their area.

Social Media Boosts Small Business Marketing Efforts

Social media increasing investments in websites

Only 37 percent of small businesses say they are highly successful at coming up with new ideas to grow their business compared to 47 percent last year, according to a new report from Network Solutions.

“Creative thinking and the determination to push the limits on innovation are the hallmark characteristics of entrepreneurs,” says Tim Kelly, CEO, Network Solutions, an advocate of small business success.

“Having a strong presence on the Web gives business owners a great launch pad to showcase their innovative spirit and build brand awareness for the products and services they offer.”

Small business owners who are highly successful at marketing and innovation differ from the majority:

*39% consider Internet technology to be important to their business

*26% use online advertising, more than other businesses (18%)

*72% expect to make a profit from using social media

“The ongoing recession has certainly pushed our limits on marketing and innovative thinking. It’s difficult to stay inspired and optimistic when the economy remains stagnant,” says Heidi Kallett, owner of The Dandelion Patch, a stationary and gift retail business.

“Technology is a huge ally for small businesses. I stay ahead of the curve by leveraging the Internet and social media to stay connected with my customer base and also maintain an online presence for Dandelion Patch. The internet has no doubt helped me to form personal relationships with my customers.”

More than two-thirds (67%) of small businesses have or are likely to have a website in two years. Instead of replacing website investments, social media is increasing them. Among small businesses that use social media, 30 percent are likely to increase their investment in their website because of social media, and another 60 percent do not plan to change their website investment in the next year.

While six months ago small businesses were focused on the goal of attracting leads with social media (71% vs. 73% in Dec 2009), they now look to social media simply to build awareness of their organizations (77% vs. 56% Dec 2009). They are also more likely to use social media to stay in touch with their current customers (62%) than six months ago (46%).

The number of companies conducting business globally has dropped from 19% to 14% since December 2009, but companies buying supplies from outside the country has seen an increase from 11% to 18% since December 2009. Also there is a positive correlation between small businesses using social media and the income they generate from multiple countries.

“Small business owners who hit roadblocks on marketing and innovation should turn to social media,” said Janet Wagner, director of the Center for Excellence in Service at the Smith School, at the University of Maryland.“

“Tools such as Twitter and Facebook have made it faster, cheaper, and easier for even the smallest business to communicate with its customers and get ideas for new products and services.  Technology-savvy small business owners who leverage the Internet will be in a strong position to compete going forward.”

Social Media Boosts Small Business Marketing Efforts

Social media increasing investments in websites

Only 37 percent of small businesses say they are highly successful at coming up with new ideas to grow their business compared to 47 percent last year, according to a new report from Network Solutions.

“Creative thinking and the determination to push the limits on innovation are the hallmark characteristics of entrepreneurs,” says Tim Kelly, CEO, Network Solutions, an advocate of small business success.

“Having a strong presence on the Web gives business owners a great launch pad to showcase their innovative spirit and build brand awareness for the products and services they offer.”

Small business owners who are highly successful at marketing and innovation differ from the majority:

*39% consider Internet technology to be important to their business

*26% use online advertising, more than other businesses (18%)

*72% expect to make a profit from using social media

“The ongoing recession has certainly pushed our limits on marketing and innovative thinking. It’s difficult to stay inspired and optimistic when the economy remains stagnant,” says Heidi Kallett, owner of The Dandelion Patch, a stationary and gift retail business.

“Technology is a huge ally for small businesses. I stay ahead of the curve by leveraging the Internet and social media to stay connected with my customer base and also maintain an online presence for Dandelion Patch. The internet has no doubt helped me to form personal relationships with my customers.”

More than two-thirds (67%) of small businesses have or are likely to have a website in two years. Instead of replacing website investments, social media is increasing them. Among small businesses that use social media, 30 percent are likely to increase their investment in their website because of social media, and another 60 percent do not plan to change their website investment in the next year.

While six months ago small businesses were focused on the goal of attracting leads with social media (71% vs. 73% in Dec 2009), they now look to social media simply to build awareness of their organizations (77% vs. 56% Dec 2009). They are also more likely to use social media to stay in touch with their current customers (62%) than six months ago (46%).

The number of companies conducting business globally has dropped from 19% to 14% since December 2009, but companies buying supplies from outside the country has seen an increase from 11% to 18% since December 2009. Also there is a positive correlation between small businesses using social media and the income they generate from multiple countries.

“Small business owners who hit roadblocks on marketing and innovation should turn to social media,” said Janet Wagner, director of the Center for Excellence in Service at the Smith School, at the University of Maryland.“

“Tools such as Twitter and Facebook have made it faster, cheaper, and easier for even the smallest business to communicate with its customers and get ideas for new products and services.  Technology-savvy small business owners who leverage the Internet will be in a strong position to compete going forward.” 

Miami Beach, FL (Vocus) October 19, 2010

Karma Snack, a Miami based social medial agency is now introducing the Karma Blueprint; a structural plan for online marketing campaigns. Karma Snack specializes in advanced internet marketing services and digital media campaigns. The agency provides clients with complete online marketing campaigns which integrate PPC management, search engine optimization, email/newsletter marketing, affiliate marketing management, local SEO setup, and social media marketing, all built with branding in mind.

Running a business of any size takes a lot of work. A successful business of any kind today requires a website in order to be successful. The best solution for many business owners has been to hire Karma Snack to take care of all their online marketing. The new Karma Blueprints includes in-depth keyword research, demographic research, psycho-graphic analysis, behavioral analytics and predictive analysis of a client’s industry.

As a web agency, Karma Snack is dedicated to generating results for a client’s online business in as little as 2 to 12 weeks for full scale marketing campaigns. Karma utilizes unique social media portals to drive in traffic. Simultaneously Karma Snack builds organic rankings to compliment the PPC lead and traffic generation. With the right sized marketing campaign, clients are able to see results much sooner than what traditional SEO companies are able to produce. The agency also has a dedicated web design and development team in house.

The Miami Beach based agency’s individual marketing services such as SEO has already generated a tremendous amount of traffic for online businesses by helping them rank better for target keywords and increased their online return on investment. As part of the general internet marketing process, websites are modified to look exactly the same on every computer (W3 Validated), accessible to handicapped individuals, and are cross browser compatible. Karma Snack’s unique website architectural structure allows website to rank faster in search engines and drive in more targeted traffic. Combining custom site structure with custom funneling design produces a much higher conversion rate of visitor to lead ratio when compared to the template driven practices many SEO companies use.

Karma Snack has also put together a unique spin on web marketing, which has catapulted their clients’ websites into more profitable online vehicles. The agency has designed websites of all kinds from e-commerce websites for shoes, Italian restaurants, online education portals, commercial loans, mixed martial arts and more. Most businesses recognize they need a professional online presence in order to compete locally as well as globally in the modern business world. The agency has recognized and responded to this new demand by designing a structural and profitable online marketing strategy that utilizes the new Karma Blueprints as the beginning step to a proper campaign.

Karma Snack has already changed Miami’s attitude towards marketing. They’ve helped companies go from non-traceable traditional mediums such as radio, television and print to more accountable marketing initiatives based on strict data, leads, sales, accountability, and measurability.

Karma Snack has a great track record of using social media to generate buzz and excitement for their clients. In the past, the agency has used several forms of marketing such as guerrilla marketing, word of mouth, and viral SEO marketing to achieve results for their customers. With the more recent advancements made with Web 2.0 and other social media platforms, clients can see results faster, and measure their ROI with clarity in contrast to traditional mediums such as television, radio, and print. An integrated online marketing strategy with advanced website SEO has now replaced more established forms of marketing according to the latest studies.

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/19/prwebprweb4669354.DTL