Smartphone Effect

As someone who has worked for almost two decades in telecom, I have tended to be a somewhat disinterested observer to handset news.  There is always some new handset coming out. Of course, the carriers want to make news with the announcements, especially when they have an exclusive arrange. Differentiation.  I get it. But normally, the only time I am interested in handset news is when my contract is set to renew.

I mean no disrespect to those that anticipate each Iphone release.  My primary interest has always been how the network operated, with an emphasis on the equipment used to support it. Devices fall into the consumer realm and I have always focused on business side of wireless.  However, as I came across a recent article on the penetration rates, I was reminded why my clients – who operate in the wireless ecosystem – are so interested with smartphones. The graphic below says it all: 40% of devices in the USA are now smartphones.

Blackberry may have created the category; as the second graphic shows their competitors have redefined it. Many of my friends use their devices oblivious to how they operate. Of course that’s what the smartphone vendors want. But I always think of the impact on the network. With 40% of handsets that impact is growing greater by the day. It means squeezing more out of less will continue to be the mantra at network operators around the world.

I will continue to use my smartphone – a Blackberry for the record – as I watch the world’s operators address this business challenge. And maybe I’ll even look at an Android phone when my contract is up for renewal.

That time of year again - Mobile World Congress starts next week!

The bags are packed (almost). The deadline work is completed (brochures look good) and the meetings scheduled. Mobile World Congress starts on Monday. I read earlier today a journalist describing this as Mobile World Congress season. It's an apt description. What I find surprising is that the season seems to start earlier each year.

Depending on your exhibition budget, planning can start in earnest in October. The start of the year is by far the busiest time of our year. While I have worked on the booth at many MWCs in the past, I am happy to sit that activity out now and have a more liberal schedule. 

Now that the deadlines have passed, the press releases issued, I can get my own plans together for Mobile World Congress. There is no shortage of clients, prospects and colleagues to meet. I'll see what I can learn on the floor as well -- and get glimpses of the new devices.

CRM Systems and Web Integration

The days of” brochureware” websites are coming to end.  For most industries, at any rate.  Most clients we advise are using customer relationship management (CRM) systems for contact and pipeline management. Some have fully integrated their marketing and are employing campaign management -- a great way to make marketing activities measureable. Others are using the systems for support applications. This is a fantastic way for growth-stage B2B companies to bat above their weight and appeal to international clients with a 24x7 help desk.

To enable these workflow improvements through a client’s website, the CRM system has to be integrated.  It has been my experience that the possibilities are truly endless for these integrations.  All of the CRM systems have published APIs, and once workflows and requirements are established, most client requests are achievable. That’s not to say that all the integrations are easy. This depends on what the CRM developer has exposed through its APIs. It’s often worth considering what functionality is offered through third-party applications. These applications can provide a cost-effective shortcut to the features required with a built-in roadmap of enhanced functionality.

We’ve been involved with a number of websites that have integrated CRM systems, and I see the trend expanding.  We’re big fans because the CRM systems, and related report capabilities, allow for easier marketing measurement, pipeline management and enable a host of other workflow improvements through the company’s website.  If you haven’t tied your website to your CRM system, what are you waiting for?

How Does Your Website Measure Up?

Given our agency’s focus on internet marketing, it is not surprising that we get lots of questions along the lines of “What do you think of my current site” and “What would you change”? One tool we like to use in the preliminary stages of our assessment comes from a company called Hubspot: Website Grader. As the name suggests this site “grades” your site on a series of criteria, including site content, technical aspects (length of domain registration, existence of alt tags on pictures, inbound links) and overall traffic rank. Some of the categories used to derive the rankings are less compelling for B2B customers, but on the whole the site does a good job. 

Let’s face it,  your internet marketing strategy -- as a subset of your marketing strategy -- is closely tied to your competitive position. A nice feature of Website Grader is that it lets you easily compare your site to your main competitors. It only takes a couple of minutes. Metrics for comparison include your site’s “grade”, as well as Google-indexed pages, traffic rank, inbound links and more. Website Grader provides a valuable first step in assessing your website against your competition. It's worth a look.

How do your conversion rates measure up?

I am often asked about benchmarks or expectations for response rates from web tactics I recommend. For most of our B2B clients, one of the primary goals of web design, content creation and related SEO is to convert a lead into an opportunity, contact or account.  I was happy to find that Marketing Sherpa published some data on the topic a little while back  from an online survey of professional marketers that make up their primary audience.  I republish it below.

Not surprisingly, it is easier to generate a lead than to close the business - for the most part. One exception noted below is when the buyer has organically found you (i.e., found you by typing key words that your site ranks for). This helps support the case for on- and off-page SEO and generating content that will resonate with your buyer personas. If nothing else, these numbers provide a useful yardstick. How do your conversion rates measure up?