Archive for October, 2008
An eBrand Interactive project which dramatically increased a clients site conversion rate!
By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive
In an earlier article I discussed the importance of website optimization. When I first got into online marketing back in 2000, it was a gold rush for everybody. We’d get calls from advertisers requesting more “eye balls”. Remember those days anybody? Tracking was rudimentary. As the years passed web and site analytics have become more sophisticated and, as a result, more capable of delivering data about the IAO (interests, attitudes and opinions) of end user. However, even through 2007, many never questioned why 95 to 99% of their traffic wasn’t converting; even with all of that gathered intelligence. Instead most were focused on optimization of ad copy or other aspects of the media campaigns they had running across the internet universe.
Neiman-Marcus was the first company I met, years ago, that was using their data to improve the company’s e-commerce site and, subsequently, the shopping experience the site delivered.
In these tough economic times we’re steadfast in our belief that in these tough times optimizing your website for the purpose of increasing conversion rates is the best (and least expensive) investment a company can make. One of our clients, a nationwide brand, wanted to invest in display advertising on MSN as a means to drive revenue increases. Instead we pointed out that the site is already getting a tremendous volume of targeted, motivated traffic from the right audience but 98% of it wasn’t converting.
We suggested that it would be prudent to hire the eBrand Media Group to research and analyze the site. We delivered an extensive, deeply probing analysis of the site along with dozens of site improvement suggestions. We received this e-mail after only several of the suggestions were implemented:
Posted by Tom Polanski in Success Stories, Website Optimization, eBrand Interactive on October 4th, 2008
Online Advertising Shows Significant Impact on Brand Awareness
By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive
Though focused on the Pharmaceutical industry, the study may have broader reaching appeal to e-marketers in other industries.
According to a recent comScore study, in conjunction with pharmaceutical marketing consultancy Evolution Road, getting a patient to visit a branded Web site is the most effective form of online pharmaceutical marketing, with an incremental patient adherence rate nearly 20 percentage points higher than among those who did not visit the Web site, and an incremental new start rate for prospects nearly 5 percentage points higher than the control.
In evaluating the impact of banner ads, search marketing, and visits to a brand Web site on a brand’s awareness, favorability and sales results among both patients and prospects, the study found that exposure to, and interaction with, online ads also improved adherence rates among existing patients. Patient’s exposed to an ad showed a 4.0-point lift in adherence and patients who interacted with an ad exhibited a 9.5-point lift.
The benchmarks study summarizes the performance of 32 individual studies involving more than 10 prescription brands, using the comScore one million person U.S. panel to passively observe behavior.
Posted by Tom Polanski in Advertising on October 2nd, 2008