How to Strategically use Data for Your Business

How to Use Data Strategically for Your Business

Data makes the world go round these days. Successful e-commerce businesses know how to use their business data strategically to improve their products and services. So how can you harness your data power and use this in a meaningful and profitable way too?

In a previous data blog, we explained why you need to be collecting the right data for your business. This time, we look at how you can us this to propel your business forward.

Socail Media@2x

“we look at how you can us this to propel your business forward"

Good data = better business decisions

When you’re collecting the right data, you can use this to inform your decisions and refine your online marketing campaigns, so you can improve the way you operate. When you channel your business data into the right systems, you could also discover opportunities for new revenue streams. But how do you do this and what do you use?

Say hello to our partner, Klaviyo

One of the best ways to use your data is to enhance your customer experience.

 

Klaviyo is a system that integrates your customer data, so you can build measurable experiences across your online channels. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, this system routes data from various sources to build automated campaigns, coding targeted emails and creating relevant social media advertising.

Building customer relationships – this is the most important reason, which is why it’s at the top!

Data insights using artificial intelligence

Here are some reasons why we love using Klaviyo for our clients:

  1. Build customer relationships – this is the most important reason, which is why it’s at the top! But imagine if a system could learn as it went along? Ta dah! Yep, Klaviyo harnesses data science to learn all about your customers, so you don’t have to spend months trying to figure this out.
  2. Segment your customers – your data should always be split into segments and lists, so you can engage with specific customer groups. Klaviyo segments your data, so you can send personal product recommendations to certain customer segments.
  3. Create customer experiences – how do you make people remember your products? You need to remind them by creating relevant online experiences that resonate with them. Think about your touchpoints. Klaviyo connects these all together to create consistent online campaigns, so you don’t have to spend hours building content.
  4. Target customer groups – STOP sending out BIG batches of generic emails! Who’s got time to read them? Save these for one-off announcements. Instead, send on-brand, email marketing to customers based on their data patterns – for example, buying or browsing behaviours. Did we mention Klaviyo does this?
  5. Predict customer purchases – your aim should be to retain customers for the long term. Klaviyo predicts when your customers are most likely to buy from you again, so you can reach them at the right time with relevant online marketing. Pretty good, eh?

So, we’re big fans of Klaviyo. But please take the points above on board because systems like this can help you save time and money by growing your business faster. Your data collection strategy is important, but the way you use your data is crucial. Once you’ve tapped into your data goldmine, you can use customer insights to power your business success.

 

Sources: https://www.klaviyo.com/ https://bernardmarr.com/how-to-use-data-strategically-in-business-3-essential-ways/

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Influence Social Media Success with Great UX

How UX Influences Social Media Success

Make it useful

Why are people coming to your social media pages? Think about your followers and fans, and what brought them to your pages in the first place. Give them really simple ways to achieve their goals once they’re on your page. Keep your content relevant with tailored messages and great visuals that sing to your customers’ wishes and desires.

“It’s been widely reported that 85% of Facebook users watch videos with the sound off”

Make it accessible

It’s been widely reported that 85% of Facebook users watch videos with the sound off and 80% react negatively to loud feed-based videos. So, if you’re not using caption technology and strong visual branding on your videos, you could be wasting your time. Check your video thumbnails to make sure you have either a call to action or a clear message.

Make it usable

What do you want your audience to do once they’ve read your posts? If you want them to leave a comment or click on a link, then say so. Steer your customers to perform an action. Stick to one or two call to actions max. to keep it simple. Experiment with different formats, especially when you’re using paid ads. Try using creative apps to enhance your posts.

 

Make it findable

In our saturated online world, and the lack of organic reach for business pages in platforms like Facebook, there’s no point creating great content if nobody is going to see it. Check that all your social media handles are aligned and match. Use apps like Linktree to list all your channels in one place. And above all, make sure every channel is featured on your website.

Convey your value as a business by building customer trust with some social proof in the form of testimonials and reviews and UGC

Pic-Intro-Service-social-media-1.png

“Good UX design for social media intuitively  taps into your user’s needs, wants and desires. ”

Make it valuable

Give people a solid reason to follow your brand and like your social media pages. Convey your value as a business by building their trust with some social proof in the form of customer testimonials and reviews. Tell interesting stories that showcase the merits of your products or services. Offer enticing discounts or sign ups that will provide a direct benefit.

Make it desirable

Capture the hearts and minds of your audience with interesting content, so they keep coming back for more. Check your social insights to see which posts are winning over others and use these as a template for creating more content in a similar style. Think about ways you can make your content more personal to your audience and increase interaction.

 

Good UX design for social media intuitively taps into your user’s needs, wants and desires. Get it right and not only will you create a great user experience and expand your audience, but you will convert your fans and followers into paying customers.

Sources: https://isl.co/2017/06/7-ways-ux-can-actually-influence-success-on-social-media/ https://rewardbloggers.com/blog/19456/7-ways-uiux-can-actually-influence-success-on-social-media https://99firms.com/blog/facebook-video-statistics/#gref

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Trulu is the trading name of ACR Digital

When a Marketing Strategy Goes Wrong

When a Marketing Strategy Goes Wrong

Dan and Dina own an online homeware business, but they’re not making any money from their marketing. If they don’t start monetising their products soon, their business will be in trouble.

When a marketing strategy goes wrong, it can have devastating consequences. At best you’ll lose a lot of money and at worst you could lose your business. By getting it right first time, you will save you a lot of pain and worry in the long run. So, we thought we’d play out a typical scenario of a failed marketing strategy. Let’s start by setting the scene.

Data Analysis@2x

"We’ve wasted thousands on marketing, so what more can we do?!”


Dan – “We’ve tried everything! We’re on every social media channel, we’ve paid for Facebook ads, and we instantly used up our Google ads budget. We need to start making a profit because at the moment we’re only just breaking even.”

 

With a mournful gaze, Dan turns to Dina, who’s also looking despondent and desperately fiddling with her pen.

 

Dina – “Yeah, Dan’s right – enough’s enough. We’ve wasted thousands on marketing, so what more can we do?!”   

 

Marketing Guy – “Okay, so who’s your target audience? Describe them to me. We need to create a customer avatar, so you can market your products to the right audience.”

 

Dina turns to Dan and shrugs.

 

Dina – “Everyone. All sorts of people buy our products.”

 

Marketing Guy – “Okay, but if your marketing messages are too generic, they won’t appeal to anyone. So, let’s split your customers into different groups. Do you have any initial ideas about any purchasing patterns you’re seeing in terms of people’s demographics or behaviours? We can explore these together in a separate exercise.”

 

Dan and Dina look thoughtful. They both start scribbling on the pads in front of them.

 

Marketing Guy continues – “Have you done any competitor research and a SWOT analysis to help you identify any opportunities and threats?”

We need to show them your value; this will help us to build trust through engaging content marketing.

Dan and Dina look at other sheepishly.

 

Dan – “No. We haven’t. We checked out a few of our competitors and copied some of the wording from their websites and ads for our own marketing.”

 

Marketing Guy – “Ouch. Plagiarising other people’s content could cause Google to de-rank your website. Every business has its own personality, as well as each of your products. We need to convey all the benefits of your products to the right people using the right channels at the right time.”

 

Dan and Dina look worried. More pen twiddling and some anxious table tapping.

 

Marketing Guy – “Hey, it’s okay! Look, this is our job. You don’t have to be an expert in every area of your business, but you do need to know what makes you different to your competitors. This will help you market your products to the right audience and avoid costly mistakes. Your marketing strategy needs to have concrete goals and a plan in place to help you achieve these. We need to start building solid relationships with your customers.”

 

Dan and Dina start to relax. Hands are placed on the table and the pen twiddling stops.

 

Dan – “So, how do we do that? How can we build ongoing relationships with our customers? At the moment, we’re not sure who our repeat customers are.”

 

User Experience@2x

“We need to start building solid relationships  with your customers.”

Marketing Guy – “We need to show them your value; this will help us to build trust through engaging content marketing that we can then align to paid ads. There’s a wealth of untapped data sitting behind your online sales platforms, so let’s start there. We need to learn more about your customers and the channels you’re currently using, so we can focus on the ones that are going to give you the return on investment you need to grow your business.”

 

Dan and Dina turn to each other and nod, they both smile.

 

Dina – “Okay, the job’s yours. Please help us produce a winning marketing strategy!”

 

The above conversation is only a small snapshot of what should be included in a good marketing strategy. There are many other factors to consider and without a sound strategy in place, you’re unlikely to be able to grow your business. A little investment into your marketing can go a very long way.

Source: https://www.webfx.com/internet-marketing/why-marketing-strategies-fail.html

Don't have the time or skills to figure all this out?

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Trulu is the trading name of ACR Digital

Are You Winning at UX Design?

Trulu Digital | UX best practice

Are You Winning at UX Design?

User experience - or UX - is the latest buzzword in marketing. Good UX design fulfils your user’s needs and desires.

Get it right and you’ll be winning new customers. But if you’re getting it wrong, then it’s time to look at your UX design. So, how do you check your user experience? We put on our UX specs to understand the mechanics of user-focused design.  

Trulu Digital | UX best practice

“A major eCommerce company increased sales by $300 million after changing their button text from “register” to “continue”
(UIE)

Let’s start with your website. If your customers cannot easily use your website to find the information, services or products they want, they will become frustrated and click away. And then you’ve lost them. Every detail needs to be checked, including the page loading speed and whether your site is mobile-friendly. If you have an app, how intuitive is the format? Social media channels also have a big part to play in your customer’s online journey.  

“Intentional and strategic user experience has the potential to raise conversion rates by as much as 400%.” (Forbes)

Do you have confusing call to actions on your webpages? These are the short phrases that ask your customer to do something. For example, one simple button on a page saying ‘ORDER NOW’ is better than a vague suggestion or giving your customers too many options. Called ‘microcopy’, studies show that just changing a word and positioning a button in the right place can lead to better page interactions. And less frustrated customers.

“Only 55% of companies are currently conducting any user experience testing.”
(Skyhook)

Why not aim to be one of the 45%? Your competitors could be in either group, so stay one step ahead by getting to grips with your user experience. Carry out a useability test using small sets of users. Once you understand how easy it is to use your website, you can then make any necessary improvements to enhance the UX design. Sometimes it’s all down to something small that needs tweaking. A few developments could lead to a big rise in sales.

“Airbnb attributes UX for taking them from being a near-failure to being valued at $10 million.”
(First Round Review)

In Airbnb’s case, their bad user experience was down to poor quality photographs. Once they’d upgraded their images, their profits started to double on a weekly basis. So, look at the visuals you have online that represents your business. Are they current and on brand? Check the copy you’re using too, as both words and pictures are key components of a successful UX strategy.

 

Successful UX relies on intuitive design. By using a blend of creativity, science and technology, you can produce a user experience that exceeds expectations and wins over your customers. As the old saying goes, the customer always comes first. When you design your website with the end-user in mind, you will start to build meaningful relationships with your users. As a result, you will enjoy loyal, satisfied customers and greater sales.

Don’t have the in-house expertise to improve your UX design?

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What Are Your Web Traffic Stats Really Saying

Trulu Digital | Web Stats
Trulu Digital | Web Stats

What Are Your Web Traffic Stats Really Saying?

Too busy running a business to spend time decoding your Google Analytics? We get it. Read our simple story of what you should be checking.

You’re sat in front of your website analytics looking at endless stats when your mind drifts to what you’re having for dinner that night. Or you’re obsessed by the volume of web traffic, but you’re not really sure why or how they’re getting to your website. Sound familiar? You’re running a successful business, so why do you need to spend time trying to decode the info behind your website? We get it.

 

We’ve pulled together a high-level view of the things worth checking to improve your website performance.

Blog image 1

“I’m sorry, lady. I don’t understand frog.”


The Mandalorian

Google Analytics

Okay, so this platform may as well be written in a different language. But this is a great tool for helping you to understand how your website is performing. Knowing your stats all boils down to looking in the right place for those golden nuggets of information. And you might be surprised to find out where all your web traffic is really coming from…

If you want to improve your website performance, start by checking these three things:

1. Who’s coming to your website?

Click on Audience – this will give you data on who’s coming to your website including their language, country and city.

 

2. Where’s your traffic coming from? 

Click on Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels. This is split into the following:

 

Organic: They’ve found you listed in the unpaid search engine listing

Direct: They’ve typed your URL or clicked a Link on an email or document

Social: Your social media channels

Referral: They’ve clicked on links on other websites or tagged campaign links

 

3. How long are they spending on a page?

Click on Behaviour > Overview. >Time on Page and >Bounce Rate will show you how people are interacting with your page. If someone leaves after a short time without taking an action like buying an item or filling out a form, then this webpage is likely to need a review.

The optimal bounce rate for a site is 26%-40%.
Most websites see a bounce rate of 41%-55%.

Blog image 2

“I don’t understand this power.  But I will”

(WandaVision)

Once you know who’s using your website, how they got there and how much time they’re spending on certain pages, you can use that data to refine your marketing campaigns. So, if you notice a lot of people using your site are from a certain place, you can make your social media and blog content more relevant. If you’re seeing a lot of traffic coming from Facebook, you could build a custom campaign to test which pieces of content are working for you.

 

If you can check your Google Analytics daily, that’s great. But don’t leave it longer than once a week because you might spot a rogue page that needs fixing. Getting to grips with the right stats behind your analytics will give you a superpower. Knowing how your online presence is converting your audience into paying customers is your golden ticket to growing future sales.

Source: https://www.semrush.com/blog/bounce-rate/ https://www.socialbakers.com/blog/social-media-analytics-the-complete-guide https://theeverygirl.com/website-metrics-101-how-to-analyze-and-improve-your-site-from-the-numbers/

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Trulu is the trading name of ACR Digital

Trulu Meet DotDigital President Think Taylor

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TRULU DIGITAL CONSULTING

Tink Taylor founded Dotmailer in 1999, with over 20 years of experience within digital communications.

Meet Tink Taylor President of dotdigital engagement cloud

Welcome to the first episode of our podcast, in this episode we tell you what you can expect from us in our new show and we get to chat with Dotmailer Founder and President Tink Taylor.

Tink Taylor founded Dotmailer in 1999, with over 20 years of experience within digital communications. Serving as a member of the UK Direct Marketing Association’s Email Marketing Council and the Internet Advertising Bureau, Tink has judged the email, mobile and agency categories at the UK DMA’s awards for over half a decade. In 2014, Taylor was elected as Advisory Committee Member of the Board of the US Direct Marketing Association’s Email Experience Council. Tink first launched Dotmailer in the US at the end of 2012 and later took Dotmailer to APAC in 2015. Tink has also recently announced that he will be a judge at this years BMW i UK.

Follow Tink Taylor on Instagram @Tink.Taylor  and find out more about Dotmailer here www.dotmailer.com

The Importance of Email Automations

Welcome Email Workflow
Klaviyo Email Work Flow

Engage Audiences with Automated Email Activity

What is Email Automation

In its simplest form: Email automation is the process of sending a triggered message to a customer at a specific point in their journey. 

 

 

Email automations can be as simple or as advanced as your ESP will allow but there are a number of ‘must have’s’ if you really want to see the benefits of these messages.  

 

 

The overall aim with automation is two-fold, 

 

 

1. You don’t want customers going an extended period of time without seeing them engage with an email and ultimately make a purchase 

 

 

2. You want your customer to know they are of value, whether that’s at the initial sign up ‘Thank you for signing up – This is what you can expect from us’ or when they haven’t purchased for a year – We know it been a while and we miss you, just wanted to say hey 

 

Welcome Email Workflow

“Always say Thank You, when a customer subscribes”


Examples of email automation

Customer Welcome series: This is when a customer first signs up to receive your marketing emails, which can be as part of a lead generation campaign, post-purchase or simply adding their email address into the signup box on your homepage.

 

Cart Recovery: This is a series of emails sent after a customer has added a product to their basket but has ( for any number of reasons) not completed the purchase. 

 

Lapsed Customer: This series is can split into three additional series (depending on the life cycle of your customer), for example, three months lapsed, six months lapsed and 12 months lapsed. ‘lapsed being defined as a customer who is signed up to receive your marketing emails but has not made a purchase in the given period of time’.

Open Rates

It’s been shown time and time again that although these emails are sent with predetermined parameters and rules sets, they have fantastic open rates. Why? 

Because they are based on actions made by the customers. They are relevant to purchase habits, life cycle or initial engagement with the brand. 

Welcome Email
Average Open Rate 91%
Abandon Basket
Average Open Rate 70%
Lapsed Customer
Average Open Rate 95%
General Marketing Emails
18%

Welcome Emails see the best open rate of any other automated email flow

Blog image 2

“I don’t understand this power.  But I will”

(WandaVision)

Ask More Questions

To make the most of your email marketing you need to understand your customer, to do this you simply ask more questions. 

 

How do you do this?

 

Though consistent conversation and the addition of a preference centre. 

 

Preference centres allow the customer to tell you to want they want and how often, are they a shopper who likes an offer or promotion, do they shop for themselves or the whole family, do they only want one email a month telling them what’s new? all of these things can be learnt through the addition of preference control. 

Don't have the time or skills to figure all this out?

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Trulu is the trading name of ACR Digital