Hello our stunningly beautiful readers! This is yet another one of those sleepy Fridays here where you just want a cup of coffee to feel warm against your hand and give you the energy that you so desperately need. As we wait for the caffeine to kick on, let’s have a round of all that goes on in the menagerie that is the internet. Before we proceed with the gossip from around the web, we should warn you to brace yourself. There is news here that may come as a shock. So hang on to your seats or grab a shock blanket.
NEWS
AdWords Not Provided
Looks like it’s time for all of us to pack our bags and look for fulfillment elsewhere because Google just revealed that they would no longer be providing keyword data even to its Analytics Advertisers. This move follows the previous controversial action in which Google had done the same for organic search. This means that there will be no more referrer data on AdWords ads and paid search clicks will display ‘not provided’. Read more of this shocking news at Search Engine Land.
Google Adds Contact Information Support
We don’t understand you Google. You’re like the abusive husband that we keep running back to even though we know that it is simply not a healthy relationship. Google cuts us some slack this time and is going to improve rich snippets ad schema markup for location pages. This means your information including billing number, technical support, and bill payment numbers will be immediately visible along with the hours of operation. With Google being so hot and cold, we might as well pick up a dandelion and start plucking the petals away. Google loves me, Google loves me not. Read more at Search Engine Land.
Disqus Makes a Move
In what is perhaps the most uproarious area of the internet, the one that has enabled such vocals has always been rather silent. Disqus has finally come out of its shell and announced some excellent news that just may change the game – sponsored comments. These comments will always remain at the top of the section on each post. While this is a great opportunity for marketers and Disqus, many bloggers are naturally concerned about how this move will affect the quality of conversation. Read more at Tech Crunch.
TIPS & TRICKS
Twitter Collage Done Right!
This is what we love about the internet. For every internet catastrophe, there is an absolutely genius person doing it right. Luckily, we can always be there to learn from them. This time, we bring you examples of some of the best users of the Twitter Collage feature. The best among them were surprisingly Dove Men, Chanel and Ben & Jerry’s (ok, so not so surprising). Creating a delightful mix of fun and chic, other brands stand to learn from these big wigs. Read more at Social Fresh.
Cross Device Measurement
The cross device conundrum has plagued many webmasters and designers. Luckily, we have Daniel Waisberg showing us the ropes. Starting off from measurement to analytics, he tells us how to plan our content for cross device display. One thing he stresses on is the Sign-in which will be able to tell you which of your users are accessing content through multiple devices. Read more at Online Behavior.
Online Merchandising Tactics
Many online shopping sites tend to forget the real reason behind the customer visits and tend to focus on design just a little too much. While design itself is important, there are some major factors that affect the customer’s purchase decision which simply cannot be overlooked. Dale Traxler tells us what features we should focus on first. This includes the need for unique content and descriptions for products, the display of related items and the ability to zoom and rotate on product images. Read more of the list at Practical Ecommerce.
Re-launching Your Identity
In what is a highly interesting experiment, Dr. Peter Meyers reveals the steps of creating another blog from scratch and throwing all previous best practices out the window. In order to see what works today, he found that the first thing you need to figure out are your domain names and branding right after you’ve figured out what you’re going to write about. Find a platform to display your content on and start adding those social plug-ins. Finally, you need to start observing the numbers on your Analytics and Webmaster tools. Read more at Moz.
Facebook Tools for Online Success
If you’re managing a page on Facebook, there are certain tools you need to have in your utility belt if you want to succeed. Hyperalerts is one of the best tools on the social network to monitor user behavior on your page. Shortstack is another tool which can help you integrate all your social accounts for a 360 degree marketing approach. Read more at Social Media Examiner.
Keeping your Enemies Closer
The tips and tricks around the internet have been getting more devious by the minute. In a page right out of Dick Dastardly’s books, Uri-Bar Joseph shows us how to spy on the competition to find out their social strategy. The first thing you will need to do is run a basic search on Google followed by a data collection run on various social networks. The statistics found in the data collection phase can then be used to derive customer engagement. Here’s the tricky part – finding out the audience data without authentication. Geo location, engagement time, and device usage; however, are some details that you can glean from the pages. Finally you analyze the numbers and voilà! You are a modern day villain. Read more at Search Engine Watch.
Switching to Universal Analytics
Google Universal Analytics is finally out of the Beta stage and many are considering whether it is time to switch to it. The very first reason for this switch according to Google would be the User ID which would deliver more accurate visit counts, the ability to provide a more custom user experience and obtain cross device reports. The measurement protocol is also a major reason behind the need to switch. Read more at Analytics Ninja.
Thinking Sideways
Not all businesses are dynamic and exciting. Unfortunately, marketing becomes a little more difficult for the more boring businesses such as car parks, machinery, and others. The trick is to brainstorm ideas and go beyond what is expected. Your idea should be able to surprise the client. To reach such an idea, you will need a complete understanding of the business and insight into the potential possibilities of the content being created. Read more at Moz.
Targeting Site Visitors on Facebook
Facebook is a great marketing tool to increase user engagement, but your ultimate goal is to drive them towards your website and make a purchase. One good way of making sure that customers return to your site is by targeting ads at real people according to their preferences or previous visits. Mailing Lists also focus on a similar idea. Since the entire point of gaining a community of followers is to convert them into buyers which will not be possible if you simply purchase likes. Read more at Find My Blog Way.
Taking Notes from Pier 1
Pier 1 recently managed to integrate customized experiences in store and online. This was accomplished through the use of social media such as Pinterest, which is playing a huge role in creating informed decision makers and making customers more aware of their purchases. According to them the way to do it was by looking at the situation through the customers view and to constantly measure the progress and adapt to changing trends. Read more at Econsultancy.
INFOGRAPHICS
Choosing the Right Social Network for Your Business
Social Marketing used to be simple back in the day. All you had to do was target the three giants and you had your bases covered. The influx of multitudes of social networks in the last two years and the variation of platforms completely changed the game. Today, marketers need to find out which platform would be best suited for them. Research shows that visual networks such as Instagram and Pinterest are highly popular while Google + was a must for SEO purposes. The updates in Facebook algorithms also changed the way in which posts were displayed. Read more at Social Media Examiner.
The Future of Search
Will Reynolds shares his views and experiences when it comes to search. How it has modified over the years and where it is going to reach in the future. He focuses on the addition of social media to the game and how to manage your online marketing budgets. The focus of marketing efforts is now deviating from simply ranking high on Google search towards connecting with the community. The trick is to find a working balance between the multiple mediums on the internet. The decision would depend on what the customer is looking for. The biggest factor that may change the future of search is the customization of search. Search may have the potential to provide reviews according to peer preferences such as finding restaurants based on what places the user’s friends are visiting. Listen to his thoughts on YouTube.
Salary Survey 2014
Computer World brings an in-depth interactive infographics which displays IT salaries in the USA according to region. As salaries are on the rise across the nation, they share how people can make creative efforts for recruitment. The current regions focus on the salaries of Software Engineers, IT Directors, IT Managers, System Administrators, and Help Desk Support. Read more at Computer World.
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