Archive for the ‘Online Marketing’ Category
Microsoft + Yahoo! = Opportunity for Everyone
By now, everyone has read the news about Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo!. This isn’t really a surprise, but could be insight into a lot of other possiblities. I won’t go into the millions of reasons that are all over the internet about why it will or won’t work, but I do want to discuss some possiblities. This could be a great opportunity for small/medium size business for a few reason. Besides the obvious advantages of having a competive market in online advertisng platforms, this will push the speed of innovation of web services faster. This is a major positive for small/medium busines s (SMB) advertisers and Microsoft. Online advertising allows Microsoft can have a direct relationship with small/medium businesses and offer products that are affordable for the customer (advertiser) and remain profitable for MS.
The one thing MS has perfected is the reseller model. Why not apply that model to online services and software? MS could extend their reach if they utilized a VAR system through ad agencies or software resellers. This allows a deeper relationship with small companies and more exposure to MS products. Email, storage, hosting and advertising could all be sold via VAR system through a MS reseller. With the reach that Yahoo! and Microsoft would have in online media, this would be a great tool for SMBs and a business model familar to Microsoft that they can rally around.
How to Creating an e-CRM Program
I was cleaning out my ftp server and found this article I wrote 5 years ago. I realize that marketing just doesnt change 
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“CRM’s original strategy was to help companies better manage and understand their relationship with their customers,” AMR Research analyst Kevin Scott (on CRMDaily.com). “Somewhere along the line, the acronym became really hot.” Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has become a larger player in strategic planning with the demands of higher return on investment in a tighter market. CRM starts with the information that you have already collected from your customers. Information such as: What did they purchase? What information drew the most interest? Where are they located? What time do they browse your website? Effective CRM programs consist of 5 basic parts: Profiling, Targeting, Timing, Delivery and Tracking. :::: Profiling :::: Profiles can be demographically or behaviorally based, and the difference is very important to your business. This allows you to create a customer profile around the goal of selling a product/service or increasing website traffic, but what is a customer profile? Here are 2 kinds of customer profiles:
The first profile is demographic, offering a set of characteristics. The second profile is behavior-based, involving what the customer is actually doing. Which seems more important to you? Importance is contingent on the goal of the CRM program. Is the goal to sell a product or service to the customer or to increase visits to the website? For a company selling a product or service, make an offer that is relevant to the consumer’s lifestyle. If the goal is to increase the website traffic, research the most popular pages and what changes increased or decrease repeat visitors. :::: Targeting and Timing :::: Segment your customers by interest or demographically. Offers must be as relevant to customer’s needs and/or wants as possible. This will increase the probability of action. Timing is equally as important as relevance. Knowing when to offer a deal or change your website content determines your ROI on your CRM campaign. When deciding your target and timing these questions should be addressed:
:::: Delivery and Tracking :::: Delivering the right message at the right time in the right form. This is the goal of every marketer when building media schedules and promotions. Plan to answer the following questions when viewing your analytics:
Balancing these issues will add a tremendous amount of value and dollars to your bottom line. |
