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    Category: Marketing Strategies

    Marketing tips for St. Patrick’s Day procrastinators

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    Has so much gone on in the past year that St. Patrick’s Day opportunities have slipped your mind? Yup, the holiday season is tomorrow and this reminder could be your four-leaf clover, and an incentive to get your gears moving. Don’t drown this missed business moment in a pint of green beer, but instead, skim the marketing ideas below which are intended to inspire the ultimate procrastinator. That’s right! We’re more than a Vancouver digital marketing agency; Trek Marketing is downright festive every lucky chance we get!

    Offer your customers the green light with an intriguing discount 

    The beauty of being an e-commerce business owner is that you can change your website’s prices at the click of a button, while also promoting immediate attention via your engaging social media channels. So, just because tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, doesn’t mean you can’t catch the attention of your target audience by putting together a last-minute sale. Also, be sure to let your customers know that they’re lucky to be a part of your thriving brand with a personable email about this fun holiday, including some highlighted products or services that are a part of your festive sale. 

    Play up the greenness 

    Whether you work alongside a Vancouver digital marketing agency or all of your efforts are completed in-house, one of the best ways you can showcase your spirit for St. Patrick’s Day is by playing up the greenness. While it would be ideal to have a web developer add a graphic or two to your business page, if you let time slip away and are wanting to do something last-minute, the best thing you can get on board with are some custom designs. The best part is that the same image can be used across your social media channels and if you’re set up with an email marketing framework, a simple announcement about your sale with some call-to-action buttons is all you need to bring in some shoppers. 

    Note: Just because the colour green is symbolic of St. Patrick’s Day, doesn’t mean you need to have a leprechaun and a pot of gold on your image. Instead, you could use the colour green to cast attention on the holiday, while also promoting your businesses’ eco-conscious (green) efforts. 

    It’s always good to do things a little differently

    Although the season is known for shamrocks and leprechauns, you can be different by leaving these elements out of your marketing material. In fact, consider doing a little research on the history of St. Patrick’s Day and use your digital marketing services to pass on your knowledge to your customers. It’s way less salesy, and even though it might not bring in a whole of conversions right away, this type of promotion is aimed at creating a connection with your audience, which you may find to be more “pot o’ gold” effective in the long-run than a traditional sale. 

    What other ways do you or your Vancouver digital marketing agency implement last-minute, seasonal promotions? Drop a comment below to share your expertise with our readers.

    6 digital ways to improve real estate in a booming market

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    In the last year, the global coronavirus pandemic has shattered world economies, yet the real estate market has prospered despite job loss due to stay-at-home orders. While low-interest rates seem to be one of the driving factors keeping the housing market afloat, the extremely tight supply of homes is also a reason for the high demand. Needless to say, in this seller’s market, there are a variety of ways that digital marketing is improving the real estate sector for buyers, sellers, and listing agents. 

    How can digital marketing for real estate benefit buyers, sellers, and realtors?

    While every industry should adopt technology to attract new customers, some can achieve considerable heights through the help of professional digital marketing, and real estate is one of them! With fresh and exciting innovations, realtors are finding new ways to market properties and both sellers and buyers are loving the engagement that comes with this type of branded content.

    Here are some added benefits:

    • Digital marketing saves time and resources: Sellers can display their properties online which allows them to gain a further reach, whereas, buyers can take part in interactive tours, have face-to-face meetings, and read details about prospective properties before even stepping foot in them. 
    • Digital marketing raises the online visibility of real estate companies and listings: Achieving more website visitors is crucial for real estate and often using digital marketing to build up online traffic and increase customer service through informative blogs and social media posts are the best ways to build confidence, trust, and brand identity. 
    • Digital marketing boosts professionalism: Visualization tools (i.e., 360° modeling) are growing in the real estate industry, and if you want customers to remember your company, we recommend investing in this form of material. 

    What can the real estate industry do to improve its digital experiences in a booming market?

    Whether you’re looking to buy or sell a home or you’re the agent listing and showing properties, the scope of real estate is increasingly becoming more reliant on the internet as an external resource. 

    Those in the industry who want to reach and connect with potential buyers and sellers should consider the following digital marketing tips: 

    #1 – Share properties before they hit the market: In a thriving market, there will always be a lack of inventory, which is why it’s important to select an experienced agent that can find prospecting properties and potential buyers before hitting the open market. 

    #2 – Streamline communication with your clients: Communication is key in many buying-selling ventures, and in today’s fast-paced environment, timing is everything. Whether you choose to text, email, or call your client, understanding their preferred method of communication is what will lead to the most proactive relationships. 

    #3 – Allow clients to leave reviews: One way to improve current consumer engagement is by obtaining quality customer reviews. This can easily be done online by asking happy clients to leave a Google review or simply emailing a response that can be posted live to the website. 

    #4 – Educate your clients: While buyers can easily find properties at the click of a button, they still rely on you for advice and guidance. Use digital marketing to educate your current and prospective clients by creating FAQs sections on your website, as well as writing a fulfilling blog that can address common questions and concerns. 

    #5 – Always work on building your online presence: While you’re likely busy with the insane market, eventually housing will see a dip, and that’s when you can improve your authority through digital means. This means that you can continue to engage with clients via social media, organize ongoing marketing campaigns, and actively seek out new and improved ways to connect with your audience. 

    #6 – Invest in marketing automation: If you’re looking for an innovation that saves you time and improves your ability to add value to the consumer, you should consider marketing automation. Marketing automation allows you to create lead magnets that attract your client by setting up automated campaigns followed by initial interactions. This strategy allows you to program the type of property, area, and even price that your client is looking for and pool together properties as they become available. An email can then be sent out with some pre-scripted text to allow them to contact you if it’s a suitable fit. 

    Are there any ways that digital marketing and real estate tie together that we didn’t discuss? Please drop your opinions below.

    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? 

    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?

    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. 

    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. 

    What type of e-commerce businesses have prospered amid the pandemic?

    Posted on by Alex Wilks

    While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on economies worldwide, small businesses were the ones that were hit particularly hard. Many businesses weren’t able to reopen their doors after forced closures and some of the companies that have managed to survive are now scraping by amid the second wave. While this is the tragic reality that many industries are now facing, there are some businesses with e-commerce shops that have thrived throughout 2020 and will likely continue to do well with the help of professional digital marketing.  

    Supermarkets

    While the grocery store industry has always been backed by popular demand due to necessity, the pandemic lifted their business, as restaurant closures meant that those who normally spend money eating out would instead have to make more of their own dinners. Even with stay-at-home restrictions in place, supermarkets remained open and were considered essential businesses. While you would think that cooking isn’t something new, many people decided to test out some different recipes and began flooding their social media accounts with delicious home-cooked meals. If that wasn’t enough, amateur bakers also sprang up everywhere and many typical ingredients and kitchen items became very high in demand. Oftentimes when supermarkets experience a quick depletion of items from their inventories, this can cause the prices to rise, and since people began to fear product shortages, the demand for the above items (alongside cleaning supplies and toilet paper) also went up. 

    Historically speaking, grocery store chains have always needed to compete with one another and heavily rely on coupons to get customers through their doors, but the fear of running out of food and other basic comforts have kept many flocking to the supermarket since the start of the pandemic. Plus, it’s a good excuse to get out of the house! 

    Hand-sanitizing products 

    The concept of on-the-go hand sanitization is nothing new, however, as health authorities began to suggest using this measure to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, brands popped up everywhere to fulfill the global demand, with businesses such as distilleries and breweries going as far as to halt their operations and pivot to producing hand sanitizer. Even 10-months-later in today’s current environment, people are still using it everywhere they go! 

    Liquor stores

    We all remember that home alcohol consumption rose during the first few months of the pandemic due to the stress of people’s employment status and the added responsibility of home-schooling children while attempting to work-from-home. While sales likely returned to their usual levels throughout the months that had an ease on restrictions, the second wave is here, and since people are starving for socialization during the holiday season, one can expect that those sales will increase yet again. After all, aren’t you planning on having a virtual, Christmas cocktail party via zoom? 

    At-home entertainment

    Streaming sources such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ saw a huge growth in subscribers during the first quarter of 2020, as people looked for more at-home entertainment options in place of their usual activities. This is once again the case, as non-essential businesses like theatres and nightclubs remain closed to slow the spread, giving people more money in their pockets that can easily be extended onto these services. 

    Online shopping

    Everyone loves the care-free convenience of shopping online and having your items delivered right to your doorstep, and while this phenomenon is something most people have utilized for years, many have recently adopted this tradition. With everything from groceries, prescriptions, and skin care products available at the click of a button, there’s no reason to ever leave the house if you don’t have too. The best part is that while younger generations have already found comfort in the simplicity of online shopping, the gap is narrowing as older people are starting to utilize their computers and smartphones to take advantage of the digital experience.

    What does all this mean?

    What professional digital marketing and web development experts have learned in 2020 is that the entire realm of online shopping is now considered to be an essential service. Since people require a safer way to access items that can be purchased in-store (online grocery ordering) and services that have always been in-person (doctor’s appointments), an e-commerce website has the ability to satisfy this new-found demand, alongside professional digital marketing services that will allow shoppers to find the resources that they need. 

    While it’s a strange world that we have been living in these past 10 months, if you’re a part of the evolving technology sector, give yourself a pat on the back. We’re one of the groups of workers who have been shadowed by those working on the frontlines. However, your remote, work-from-home adaptability has allowed many of the essential operations to expand digitally to meet the needs of the general population and keep more people safe at home. Good work, everyone!

    Are you an e-commerce business owner who needs help with your professional digital marketing strategy moving into 2021? Drop a comment below to speak with one of our industry experts.