Friday, July 31, 2015

Following the Inbound Marketing Funnel Model

Though there are many different methods used to attract and retain a customer base, many companies choose to utilize one that is commonly referred to as a marketing funnel. This method is useful because it follows a logical progression of narrowing down the number of people from many to those that become customers without compromising any beliefs or using practices that contradict with company beliefs. To best understand this method, it is important to understand that goals for marketing funnels include things like utilizing worthwhile marketing methods, attracting customers and retaining them.

The top of the funnel
At this stage, things can be somewhat vague. Advertising, marketing, connection - these are all activities that occur at this stage of the game, where the inbound marketing funnel is at its widest. Branded promotions are meant to attract new site visitors, as well as appeal to existing customers, so this is quite useful for companies at all stages of their game. The idea is to take this large amount of site traffic and appeal to many (but not all) visitors. This step is the beginning of the next portion of the funnel.

Center of the funnel
At this stage, it is about converting visitors to customers, as well as extending the interaction and appeal of the brand to interested parties. The appeal of brands is dependent on what they show to visitors - the people need to feel involved and included, and they need to be guided toward making decisions which will be considered favorable for the organization or brand. This portion of the funnel is much more centralized than the very top - the pool of participants is smaller and more focused, and the marketing strategies used are more geared toward specific people or needs.

The funnel's bottom
Including both the finality of sales and the retention of customers, the funnel's bottom is arguably the most important aspect of the online marketing funnel model. People will often try something out, but they need to be convinced to stay around for the long run. A sales and marketing funnel is only as successful as the satisfaction rate allows it to be, so the model is dependent on marketing campaigns and objectives, not simply on following the flow of people. Satisfied customers will often promote the product or service to those who are unfamiliar, which helps to begin the process over again - and adds to the "pool" of potential clients at the top of the funnel.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Do I Need a SEO Agency?

The ultimate goal of any business is to be highly visible to the public, and in today's world, this is done by beefing up the Internet presence. This can be done in many ways, including having a top notch website, great promotions and materials, and even by running interactive and popular social media pages. The biggest issue stems from the need to draw people in initially, which is where search engine optimization services come into play.



What are search engine optimization services?

Most people are familiar with page rankings when using a search engine. The rankings determine where things like webpages and mentions end up within the list of results - the higher placed these are, the more likely people are to see them and in turn, click on them. This type of service is used by many different businesses in order to improve their rankings by a few specific measures. The first is by cleaning up language used on websites, in blog and posting titles, and throughout articles. This "cleanup" is done by focusing on keywords and similar words and phrases - the more specific, the better the chances are that search engine optimization strategies will be effective.

Who uses SEO services?

A good search engine optimization agency will closely work with the company that hires them, moving toward meeting goals and gaining attention from strangers and potential clients. The more people that are exposed to initial information, the better - as it can lead to increased amounts of site traffic and brand awareness. Companies both large and small are known for utilizing the help of an SEO agency, as this practice can help to increase visibility and teach those involved with marketing campaigns what is useful, what works, and what does not. The first step toward success is increasing the audience you're trying to reach... everything else will come naturally.

Search engine optimization services are one of the best ways to increase the positive images of your company and your brands, and luckily for  those who are not well-versed in the practice, there are multiple companies that provide exceptional service to those in need; all that is necessary is a simple online search.