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    Why having a professional digital strategy will help you to boost sales throughout the pandemic

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    Before the pandemic, established brick-and-mortar businesses were still finding success through regular foot traffic, however, as non-essential shops were closed to slow the spread of the virus, e-commerce has heightened in popularity (even more so than before) to accommodate the influx in online shopping, live-streamed events, and social connections by way of digital platforms. This means that many companies that only had a physical presence moved to e-commerce, while those who had an online store needed to revamp their strategies to attract more customers and increase sales. Since the global crisis is far from over, the solution to continuing business as usual rests with a proper strategy from a reputable digital marketing agency in Vancouver. Let the suggestions begin.

    Allows you to turn online platforms into an opportunity

    Online marketplaces, such as Amazon and eBay, are commonly used platforms where vendors sell their products at wholesale prices to be fulfilled by the company. For example, Amazon places orders in bulk and holds inventory in their fulfillment centres (except vendors who can fulfill their orders and ship directly to the consumer). That being said, with help from a professional digital marketing agency in Vancouver, your e-commerce storefront could start gaining traction as a top shopping destination. Whether you choose to use PPC advertising to launch ads that drive results or rely on social channels like Facebook and Instagram to promote your products and services, there are opportunities everywhere!  

    Make strategic changes to your website

    Regardless of whether you’re building an e-commerce website from scratch with a web development company or you’re reevaluating what can be done internally to drive traffic, it’s important to make strategic decisions when deciding how to use your budget to invest in your business. An abundance of people have flocked to the web as a replacement for their in-person purchase, and with everything from search engine optimization services to blog and content marketing available at your fingertips, you need to find a good digital marketing agency that promotes a seamless pivot to digital. 

    Utilize the current capabilities of digital innovations

    We’re living in a technological era and this digital world is only expanding more each day. This is why it’s so important for the modern retailer to invest in digital technologies that possess the power to provide users with a compelling online experience. 

    Here are some things that your digital marketing provider might suggest:

    • Predictive analytics to help you offer what your audience wants/needs.
    • AI-powered search to help your audience find the best products. 
    • Real-time inventory management to optimize your budget and reduce your overall business costs.
    • Interactive functionalities.
    • More multimedia content.

    The pandemic has changed the way retailers are conducting their businesses. What plans do you have on the horizon for your e-commerce company? 

    What’s BERT and how is the technology advancing digital marketing?

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    Google’s BERT, otherwise known as Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, is a Transformer-based machine learning technique that’s used for natural language processing (NLP). This update is helping Google to better understand natural language for search results, which means that it’s also an incredibly beneficial digital marketing advancement. More and more consumers are speaking questions directly into their smart devices, which has made it challenging for search engines to interpret spontaneous spoken query. BERT specializes in natural language as a whole and voice search queries, in particular, making it a modern technology that is changing the field of search engine optimization and digital marketing as a whole. Continue reading to learn more about the science behind BERT and how it could revolutionize content marketing. 

    Some background information

    The interdisciplinary scientific field of computer vision deals with how computers work to gain a high-level understanding of digital images or videos. As an advancement that works alongside digital marketing, it seeks to better understand and automate tasks that humans do. That being said, researchers have shown time and time again that there’s value transferred learning — “pre-training a neural network model on a known task… and then performing fine-tuning” — using a trained neural network as the basis of a purpose-specific model. This technique has shown to be useful in many natural language tasks in recent years! 

    How does BERT work? 

    BERT is not only a digital marketing advancement, it also benefits a variety of tech-related fields. However, to properly understand how BERT works, you must first know the breakdown of the following terms:

    • Transformer: an attention mechanism that learns contextual relations between words in the text.
    • Mechanisms: encoders that read the text input and decoder to produce a prediction for the task. 

    BERT uses a Transformer in its original form by separating two mechanisms. Since the goal of BERT is to generate a language model, the encoder mechanism is enough to provide detailed workings of the Transformer. 

    While directional models, which read the text input sequentially (left-to-right or right-to-left), the Transformer encoder reads the entire collection of words all in one go. Therefore, it’s considered to be bidirectional, allowing the model to learn the context of each word based on where it’s placed among its surrounding words. 

    To overcome the challenge of prediction of the next word in a sequence (for example, “The dog chased his ___”), BERT uses the following two strategies: 

    1. Masked LM (MLM)
    2. Next Sentence Prediction (NSP)

    MLM is a model that attempts to predict the original value of the masked words, based on the context provided by the other non-masked words in the sequence. 

    There are three ways in which it does this:

    1. Adds the classification layer to the top of the encoder output.
    2. Multiplies the output vectors by the embedding matrix and transforms them into vocabulary.
    3. Calculates the probability of each word with SoftMax. 

    NSP is another model that receives pairs of sentences as the input, learning to predict if the second sentence is a subsequent sentence in the original document. 

    To help this model distinguish between two sentences, the input is processed in the following way: 

    1. A [CLS] token is inserted at the beginning of the first sentence, followed by a [SEP] token at the end of the second sentence. 
    2. The sentence embedding is an indication that both sentences are added to each token.
    3. A positional embedding is then added to indicate the position within the sequence. This portion is presented in the Transformer paper. 

    For the model to accurately predict if the two sentences are connected, it also performs the following steps:

    1. The input sequence goes through the Transformer model.
    2. The output of the [CLS] token is transformed into a 2×1 shaped vector using the following classification scheme: learned matrices of weights and biases. 
    3. The probability is then calculated through the IsNextSequence with SoftMax. 

    What does this mean for digital marketing advancements? 

    There are a few things you can take into consideration if you work in digital marketing:

    • Model size matters.
    • There is higher accuracy.
    • BERT’s bidirectional approach (MLM) outperforms after a small number of pre-training steps. 
    • Offers research tools and methods for consumer-centric content marketing. 
    • In-depth demographic analysis showing users’ locations, devices, and applications. 
    • Supports social media listening. 

    Do you want more helpful, actional content? Drop some comments below to give us some blogging topics to research.

    How to attract online visitors using PPC

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    You may think that you can build the best website by making it informative, packing it with great content, and investing in an intuitive design, but if shoppers aren’t able to find your website, all that work and money will go to waste. We’re here to help by breaking down the basics of why PPC Advertising could be the strategy your business needs to attract more online users. So, here’s why you should want to use it! 

    What is PPC Advertising?

    Pay-per-click advertising, also shortened to PPC advertising, is a method of online marketing that allows businesses to place ads in strategic places where a fee is only charged after the ad is clicked on by a visitor. It’s a great way to buy visits to your website rather than taking the time to attract them organically. 

    Here’s how it works: 

    • When a user clicks on your ad, you pay a specified fee, which is referred to as the cost-per-click (CPC). 
    • The CPC can vary dramatically (average is between $1 to $2 with some as cheap as a couple of cents, while others go as high as $50 or more). 
    • Another way to orchestrate a PPC Advertising campaign is by using cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM), which applies to display and video ads. 

    Now that you have a better understanding of how PPC Advertising works to attract online visitors, we are going to provide you with some reasons as to why you should consider adding it to your digital marketing strategy. 

    It’s very targeted

    Entrepreneurs and digital marketers alike love PPC Advertising because it allows them to choose precisely who will be seeing the ad based on their location, choice of keywords, interests, age, gender, language, and even the type of device that the consumer is using. This ensures that you’re catering to an audience that’s more likely to enjoy your goods and services, which has a huge influence on click-through rates and conversions.

    You can even re-target previous visitors! 

    Most consumers will only click on advertisements that appeal to their interests, however, just because they choose to follow through to your website, doesn’t guarantee that they will become a customer. The great part about PPC Advertising is that you’re targeting those who share the same enthusiasm about your products and services, and the best part is that if they don’t follow through on purchasing the first time around, you can retarget the ones that left your website and remind them to come back again! 

    It’s cost-effective for all types of e-commerce businesses

    While many elements of your digital marketing strategy charge a flat-rate, monthly fee, you only pay for PPC Advertising when your ad is clicked by a potential customer. This means that the odds are always in your favour, allowing you to cater your ads to those whose values align with your business. Also, since PPC ads appear at the top of search engine results pages, you don’t need to spend the time and money building your content because your ad will already appear above organic search results. 

    It’s easily tracked

    Aside from the above conversion-based benefits, PPC Advertising is also easily tracked, meaning that you as a business owner can monitor how well your ads are performing and make adjustments to them if they aren’t receiving a good number of clicks. This is a great way to learn what attracts consumers to your products and services and what can be improved upon to drive sales and help your business grow. 

    Are you ready to test the waters of PPC advertising? Please fill out our contact form and anticipate a prompt email from our Client Success Manager to discuss your business goals!

    Do you have any further questions about PPC Advertising and how it works? Drop a comment below to share with our other readers. 

    Valentine’s Day tips for last-minute implementers

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    Do you have a good relationship with your target audience? Would you say you go together like search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising? While most professional digital marketing services take time to generate ongoing growth and conversions there are some things that you can do last-minute to entice your customers to shop. Valentine’s Day is one of the most overlooked occasions when compared to other days like Black Friday or Christmas, and even if your product(s) and service(s) don’t scream romantic, you can ramp up some sales by following the tips we recommend below.

    Host a flash sale for your shoppers

    Since Valentines’ Day is the celebration of love, it’s a good idea to show your customers some love and appreciation during this time by offering them a great deal on your products and services. One of the best ways that you can do this as a business owner is by surprising them with a generous flash sale… because of course, everyone loves to save money! Since the following idea can be executed rather quickly by sending out a short, punchy email and otherwise promoting it through your existing social media channels, you can consider hosting a sale last-minute. The best part is that if you possess an overwhelming amount of inventory for a few particular items, a last-minute sale can also double down as an opportunity to unload products that aren’t selling as well on regular calendar days. Whether you just have a buy 2, get 1 free sale, a store-wide discount, or a featured sale on a product category, giving your customers a deal is a perfect incentive to inspire them to make a purchase and possibly even tune into other sales or promotions that are offered in the future. 

    Email your customers some personalized Valentine’s Day cards

    While we did mention above that emailing is a great way to connect with your audience last-minute, if you aren’t up to hosting a sale, but you still want to take advantage of this tactic, we recommend coordinating a cute email campaign allowing you to send out virtual Valentine’s Day cards. Your card should coordinate with your brand and include a punny poem or a letter of appreciation to your customers, and if you’re feeling edgy, you can include a shop now button in there as well. This takes a lot of hassle out of putting a lot of work into your website and it shows your customers that you’re fun and not just sales-focused. 

    Create a quick landing page dedicated to themes of the holiday

    Landing pages, also known as lead capture pages or destination pages, are a great way to promote Valentine’s Day specials, and since the holiday is geared towards buying gifts for your loved ones, they can be extra beneficial when created specifically to target your audience and draw in shoppers. Now, if you don’t possess the knowledge of how to coordinate a strategy that targets a certain search engine optimization search result, don’t worry. As a professional digital marketing company, we have the skills and experience to market your promotion using industry-relevant key terms and phrases. 

    Last-minute doesn’t mean you have to tap out! How are you planning to orchestrate something for your company this Valentine’s Day?

    How data protection is changing the realm of digital marketing

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    Since Data Privacy Day is just around the corner (January 28), we thought it would only be appropriate to discuss the importance of data protection and to use this submission as an opportunity to raise awareness, promote privacy and data protection, and highlight the best practices that are currently observed by almost 50 countries worldwide. 

    Data regulation in Canada 

    Canada is one of the forefathers of data protection, providing guidance for online businesses with its Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), which was enacted in early 2000. Based upon ensuring that e-commerce companies maintain accountability, PIPEDA applies to the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information in the course of commercial activity. This means that all federally-regulated businesses such as banks, airlines, and telecommunications companies also fall under its scope. 

    Essentially this means that all not-for-profit organizations, political parties, and associations as well as educational institutions and hospitals (with no engagement in commercial activities), are outside of the jurisdiction of the Canadian data protection and privacy law. 

    Data regulation in the US

    While some data protection laws are only relevant within certain states or respective industries, most seek to protect the personal information of all types of consumers. For those wondering how it works, we will use the state of California as an example. 

    The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives consumers more control of the personal information that businesses collect about them, including the right to say no to the processing of their data and the right to know what will be done with it and who it will be shared with if they agree to allow a business to use their data. Failure to comply with the CCPA can lead a business to pay up to $7500 in fines for intentional violations.

    In the state, roughly 50% of revenue comes from selling customer data, which is a huge margin of profits for online retails who are looking to increase their brand awareness and conversions to better target their future online campaigns. 

    Data regulation in The European Union 

    Similar to Canada, the European Union implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which standardizes data protection rules across all EU countries. The following act applies to all businesses, both physical and online, that offer the sale of products or services within the EU. This allows businesses to use data after the consumer confirms permissions to do so, which includes asking each customer to confirm their approval via email. 

    How do the laws around data protection affect digital marketing? 

    Data plays an essential role in the success of an e-commerce business’s ability to possess high-performing digital campaigns. With a team of professionals analyzing consumer data, you can better understand what the behaviours are of your target audience within your niche market, allowing you to tweak campaign strategies to cater to the unique preferences of each individual customer. 

    Although each country may differ in some ways, their data protection laws operate under the same principles and aim to ensure that the personal information of customers is secure, therefore giving consumers more control over their data. 

    How to ensure that your online business isn’t breaking any laws: 

    1. Ensure that you have the right permission: Data protection regulations are constantly changing, which means that you should put the appropriate measures in place to ensure that you’re only using the data that you’ve gained permission to use. We recommend that you automate this process wherever possible by creating a security page that discusses how customer’s data will be used and ensuring that each purchaser is given the chance to share their data with your company by complying with terms and conditions. 
    1. Maintain data focus: Since businesses possess the ability to collect vast amounts of data every day, it’s important to know which sets of data are imperative to your business growth and which can be discarded. A digital marketing specialist is experienced in dealing with data and will be able to take such measures to ensure that you aren’t holding on to anything that will pose a liability for your business in the future. 

    Do you live somewhere outside of the countries that we discussed in this article? Please share your data protection laws in the comments section below. 

    Digital marketing strategies that could remain post-COVID

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    The digital age has immensely changed the way we live our lives, similarly to how the pandemic has paved way for a new set of guidelines. Businesses, big and small, have continued to operate under modified restrictions, but with such a huge growth in the online sector, there is an upward trajectory for many practices to continue long-term, even when the post-COVID era hits. If you are wondering which trends may find their way into our continued new normal, dive into the article below to explore the digital marketing strategies that we think are likely to stick around. 

    Businesses will continue to utilize the lower costs of paid advertising

    The last year has widened the horizons of digital marketing, with a huge increase globally to online traffic bringing online storefronts a much wider audience. With these changes brings the slots for paid advertising have increased, and the costs to the business owner have decreased, making 2021 the golden opportunity for small brands and startups to opt for the option of paid advertising. While this trend could see an increase in cost as the months go on, our professional digital marketing agency believes now is a great time to utilize the low-cost of paid advertising. 

    Email marketing, social media marketing, and blogging will still hold their value 

    Not only do all of the above professional digital marketing services allow you to spread brand awareness and connect with your customers but if they perform well, it will allow you to attract a larger audience to your products and services. Be sure to include personalization to allow your business to thrive. For example, when the pandemic first time, many businesses ensured their customers that business operations would continue with safer working conditions, and even went as far as to explain how they would consider COVID safety in the workplace. Now, you still have online posts and emails showing subjects wearing masks and gloves to show how well marketing has adapted to the current state of the world. So, even when some sense of our past normalcy returns, we recommend that you remain involved with global affairs and continue to adapt your strategies to offer the best digital marketing in an age where we prefer to connect online. 

    Brands will maintain a variety of payment options

    With more shoppers rushing online in 2020, business owners quickly realized that the more payment options that were offered, the more likely they were to appeal to a wider audience. Convenience is the epitome of e-commerce shopping and when it is easy to make a purchase from your website, the higher the chances are for more purchases and returning shoppers. Aside from offering typical options such as VISA, Mastercard, and American Express, consider others like Square, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay to broaden your availability. Also, if you are able to set up a payment plan system, we recommend offering this option to your customers, giving them the freedom to buy now with a small sum and pay later or in smaller installments. 

    What has been your experience dealing with the changes in your industry? Drop a comment below to compare with other business owners. 

    How to build SEO resources for your e-commerce business

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    Whether you’re looking to build the perfect set of SEO resources for your e-commerce business or you’re wanting to research the methodologies used by many search engine optimization services before committing to the help, we’re here to share with you the framework that’s needed to establish your ideal SEO strategy. Continue reading to learn more about the process and some awesome terms that could help you as you move forward. 

    How can you steer towards success using search engine optimization (SEO)?

    Search engine optimization services aim to improve the quality and quantity of website traffic to an e-commerce web page directly from search engines. Since this realm of digital marketing targets unpaid traffic rather than direct or paid traffic, it requires an orchestrated effort from within a team of skill sets to get your business noticed. Since the greatest challenge of SEO is not knowing how to properly optimize your website, our digital marketing agency offers an in-depth search engine optimization service that has solutions for both on-page and off-site issues. 

    After all, the success of your SEO strategy is dependent on how well your team can execute a higher search ranking based on the improvement of the following efforts: 

    On-page SEO efforts:

    • Page layout optimizations
    • SEO Audits
    • Page speed optimizations
    • Fixing broken links*
    • Schema markup*
    • Optimizations for voice search
    • The creation of engaging content*

    Off-site SEO efforts:

    • Local Directories and Listings
    • Claiming Missed Opportunities
    • Public Relations
    • Guest Posting

    Let’s dive into the scope of some of the above areas to see why they are so critical for your business’s SEO strategy. 

    Why is link development essential? 

    The reason that link development is such a big part of the success of your SEO strategy is that its authority metrics are the backbone of search engine algorithms. The biggest part of link development involves finding and fixing broken links, but link acquisition is also important and looks very different from brand to brand. When looking at this area, your SEO strategist will take the time to improve your backlinking, which will increase your site’s authority by getting other websites to link back to you. 

    How can you boost your SEO by using schema markup? 

    Schema markup is code that you place on your website to help search engines return more informative results for users. When a prospecting shopper searches a key term on a search engine, the scheme markup will tell the search engine results page (SERP) to display added microdata in the form of a small snippet that may help the user to determine if they want to click based on the provided information. For example, if you’re looking to rent a room at a nearby hotel and search the phrase, “hotels available near me”, a collection of options will appear and the schema markups may include prices for certain upcoming dates. Not only is this extremely helpful in driving traffic, but schema markup ensures the quality of users coming to your site. 

    What’s SEO content and how does it help improve your ranking?

    The creation of any type of unique, engaging website content, with the strict purpose of attracting more search engine traffic, is what you can expect when your SEO strategist starts working away at building up your content. 

    Below is a list of some of what will be done to SEO your web content: 

    • Keyword research: Before any writing can commence, your SEO strategist will need to spend some time researching your niche market to see which keywords currently exist and what their search volume is.
    • Keyword optimization: This is the process of writing content with maximum searchability using those keywords.
    • Content Organization: Content within your website will need to be organized in a logical way to help visitors navigate your site and stay there longer. 
    • Content Promotion: This process will increase the visibility of any new content shared via social networks and/or link building on external websites. 

    Are you ready to have a chat with one of our SEO strategists? Drop any further questions in the comments section below, along with your email address if you wish to be contacted right away. 

    Make 2021 the year you crush your digital marketing goals

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    If 2020 has taught us anything as digital marketing professionals, it’s that consumers heavily relied on available online conveniences to keep themselves safe during these crazy times. Whether it was virtual doctor’s appointments, online grocery shopping, or simply transitioning to ordering more of their necessities through e-commerce sources, it’s clear that the digital age is evolving and growing to suit this new normal. So, if your business missed out on some of the digital opportunities that were available, why not start 2021 off right by crushing your digital marketing goals? 

    Invest in professional search engine optimization services

    For business owners who don’t already know, search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of traffic to a website or web page via search engines. Since SEO targets unpaid traffic rather than direct or paid traffic, it can take a bit of time to improve your business ranking, especially if you aren’t using professional search engine optimization services. SEO is broken down into two categories, requiring work to be completed both on-site and off-site. 

    Some examples of on-site work that your SEO specialist would do as part of your search engine optimization service would include: 

    • Page layout optimizations
    • SEO audits
    • Page speed optimizations
    • Finding and fixing broken links
    • The creation of engaging content

    Some examples of off-site that your SEO specialist would do as part of your search engine optimization service would include:

    • Public relations
    • Guest posting
    • The creation of engaging content for back linking 

    Consider the benefits of pay-per-click advertising

    Pay-per-click advertising, better known in the digital marketing industry as PPC, is a method of online marketing where business owners can place ads in strategic places online and pay a fee only when that ad is clicked on by a visitor. It’s a quick way to buy quality visits to your site rather than attracting them organically, which can take time as we’ve discussed above. 

    How does it work, you ask? Well, when a user clicks the ad, your business will pay the host a specified fee, which can range between $1 to $2 and as high as $50 depending on where your impression is posted. 

    Here are some of the best benefits achieved through PPC:

    • Ads are extremely targeted to your audience
    • Ads retarget previous visitors
    • Ads are cost-effective
    • Ads are trackable
    • Ads are fast 

    Email marketing is good for sales and brand loyalty 

    Email marketing is the act of sending online messages and newsletters to a group of subscriber emails. In its simplest form, each email strives to target new and recurring customers to come back to the website and make a purchase. While email marketing relies heavily on sending advertisements to solicit sales and traffic, it also works as an opportunity to offer industry-news, business updates, or up-to-date inventory revisions. 

    Here are some of the best benefits of email marketing:

    • It’s good for customer acquisition
    • It’s an economic and cost-effect digital marketing strategy
    • Each email can be personalized through customization
    • Newsletters are designed to be action-oriented
    • It’s easy to measure profit using the appropriate tracking tools

    If you aren’t marketing on social networks, you should be

    Social media marketing is the use of an assortment of social media platforms and websites to promote your businesses’ products and/or services. Although it’s challenging to create a following with a strictly sales-oriented agenda, many business owners utilize the power of each platform to create a relationship with their customers by sharing images/videos and posting other engaging content. 

    Here are some of the best benefits of social media marketing: 

    • Increases brand awareness
    • Improves search engine rankings
    • Increases conversion rates
    • Leads to better customer satisfaction
    • Offers more brand authority
    • Allows you to gain valuable insights

    Top it all off with some insightful blogging

    Business blogging, while not as easy to track conversions, is an essential element that should be part of every digital marketing strategy. Business blogs are a space where you can create custom content that may appease your customer’s interests or even answer questions they have pertaining to your products, services, or the general larger umbrella of your niche industry.

    Here are some of the best benefits of business blogging: 

    • Increase your business visibility online
    • Builds brand awareness
    • Builds up SEO authority 
    • Asserts your position as an expert within your industry
    • Offers free content to your subscribers
    • Supports the growth of your business
    • Engage with customers

    Do you have any further questions about any of the above digital marketing services? One of our Client Success Managers would be happy to answer your questions via email, by phone, or through a virtual chat.

    Which of the above digital marketing services would your business benefit most from? Drop a comment below to compare with other e-commerce business owners.

    How to evolve your digital marketing strategy during COVID-19

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    The world is facing some very unprecedented challenges with COVID-19 spreading at an exponential rate. While regulations have made operations difficult for many businesses, others are thriving off of stay-at-home orders. So, if your business hasn’t managed to do better amid lockdown measures, perhaps you need to evolve how you’re conducting your digital marketing strategies and double down by making some adjustments? Below are some ways we suggest that you can strengthen your commitment to your brand and the needs of your customers moving forward.  

    Keep up with your online presence 

    Since we’re all back to spending more time at home amid the second wave, the number of hours the average person is allocating online has drastically increased once again, and so has your opportunity to connect with your target audience!

    While consumers are partially glued to their phones and computers out of routine, they are also spending more time with their devices out of boredom, which means that there’s a higher chance of them connecting to your business through your online efforts. As much as most people don’t want to be reminded about the pandemic, you can use COVID-19 to leverage your content; for example, you can highlight products that help to make their home-bound stay a little better or promote services that can be enjoyed from the safety of their home. Also, while the goal of most digital marketing strategies is to brand, sell, and market your products, community support is crucial during these times. Thus, remember to use your social media platforms as a means to connect and bond with your customers in a meaningful way. 

    Adjust your content and digital marketing strategies to reflect growing trends

    Many aspects of our lives have shifted throughout the pandemic and it remains challenging for businesses to make amendments to their digital marketing strategies when customer’s needs are constantly changing. However, keeping up with societal trends doesn’t need to negatively impact consumer engagement or loyalty. For example, many businesses have revamped their advertising campaigns to spread awareness and understanding about the rules and regulations of our new reality, including illustrations and skits that emphasize handwashing, physical distancing, and masks. Even companies that have been sidelined by the virus (hotels, travel agencies, and airlines) are continuing to build brand awareness through their content! 

    Consider paid advertising 

    As mentioned above, 2020 has seen quite an influx in e-commerce browsing and shopping, leading many businesses to shift their focus digitally with the opportunity to invest more in their pay-per-click advertising strategy.

    When consumers input a key term into their chosen search engine, paid ads appear at the top of the search list, attracting shoppers to click through based on their higher placement. While businesses have to pay for the ad spot, the efforts it takes to achieve an organic ranking will undoubtedly take more time. Also, the best part about PPC is that the business is only charged when and if a consumer clicks on the ad. However, the cost of which is entirely dependent on the search engine traffic that steams from that said word or phrase. On the other hand, PPC ads are also popular on social media channels and can often be seen in advertisement placement sections when you scroll through your accounts. These ad holes work as a remarketing tool, popping up based on what you’ve searched for in the past, such as things that interest you or some previous purchases you’ve made. 

    With more people working at home and staying digital, there will be many more opportunities to rework your future digital marketing strategies to better appeal to your growing online audience. 

    Are there other ways in which you’ve changed up your digital marketing strategy throughout the pandemic? Drop a comment below to compare with other readers. 

    Everything you need to know about Google Analytics Version 4

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    Many small to large-scale e-commerce businesses rely on Google Analytics to understand customer preferences and assist merchants in the creation of better consumer experiences. However, since every dollar spent on marketing is crucial to the success of an online business, insights from digital analytics tools have become more essential than ever, as we see a major shift in industries moving to web-based platforms. So, to help you to better understand how to digitally market to your target audience long term, a more intelligent version of Google Analytics has been released which will build on the foundations of the App + Web properties. 

    Introduction to Google Analytics  

    The Google Analytics platform is a web-based analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic, conversions, and behaviours. Google first launched the service in November 2005 after acquiring Urchin, an early day web statistics program that analyzed service log file content and displayed the traffic and user information in one reporting stream. As the internet has evolved, the demand for such metrics that track user activity has increased, which has led to the latest iteration of Google Analytics, Version 4, enabling the blend of online and offline activities. 

    Getting acquainted with Google Analytics 4? 

    Version 4 is the latest rendition of Google Analytics and while it will not immediately enhance the reporting capabilities of most online merchants, it will help e-commerce businesses that:

    • Have an app
    • Have a software-as-a-service business model
    • Are interested in advanced remarketing

    Even if your e-commerce business ticks none of the boxes offered by the current version, we recommend that all merchants create an account as part of their Google Analytics strategy to benefit from updated reports and future advanced features. 

    How to create a Version 4 property

    1. First, you will need to create a Google Analytics account and then log in, click the Admin icon, and then follow up by selecting create property. 
    2. Next, click the option entitled, “Apps and web” as the property type.
    3. Then you will need to name the property and complete the settings on the page. Once that is done, click “Create”. 
    4. The next page will require you to select your data stream. For most online merchants, it will be “Web”. 
    5. Next, provide the “Website URL”, name the stream, and choose which interactions to track automatically. Select all options, even if you presently do not use some of those activities (ex. videos or file downloads). Then, click “Create Stream”. 
    6. The next allows you to add a new tag or use an existing one. If you have already tagged your site, click “Use existing on-page tag”, otherwise, follow the instructions to add a new one. 

    All of the above steps will enable your general tracking, which is a great way to utilize Google Analytics within your digital marketing strategy. 

    There are smarter insights to improve your return on investment (ROI)

    Version 4 of Google Analytics can automatically alert you to significant trends in your data, such as products that may be rising in demand due to changing customers’ needs. This new feature will help you to anticipate the future actions of your target consumer, churning a more effective strategy to retain customers and keep within your marketing budget. The latest version has also added new predictive metrics, allowing you to create an audience to reach your higher-value customers and run analyses to better understand why some customers likely spend more than others, allowing you to take action to improve these results. 

    The strategy behind Google Analytics includes reaching your customers with more relevant, helpful experiences in the areas where they engage best with your business. This new version can also measure app and web interactions together, allowing you to see conversions from Google alongside non-Google paid channels, as well as organic channels like Google Search, social, and email to help you better understand the combined impact of all your marketing efforts. Professional digital marketing companies like us use this to assist in improvements from acquisition to conversion and retention, which is critical with the needs of consumers rapidly changing.

    What are your thoughts on the Google Analytics strategy of Version 4? Drop your comments below to start a conversation.