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Ad-Blocking

Posted on August 12, 2015 by - Uncategorised

ad-blocking

Online Advertising in an Ad-Blocking World

There’s a change happening in the digital marketing world and it’s sure to have a huge impact. It’s not a secret, a lot of people don’t like seeing ads online. For years people have had the ability to block online ads from showing up on their screens, but it took a little bit of work and usually required the use of third-party applications. It’s about to become a lot easier for people to block digital ads.

Ad-blocking is going mainstream, Apple recently announced that ad blocking will be an easy to access option in their upcoming iOS 9. It’s fair to assume that other operating systems will follow suit. It’s estimated that five percent of today’s Internet users are using some form of ad blocking on their systems, but the amount of people blocking ads has grown sharply by 69 percent over the last 12 months. The numbers are increasing across all platforms and are not limited to any specific region in the world.

Some digital advertisers are trying to adapt quickly. They’ve placed more of their budgets into things such as banners, auto-play videos, pop-ups, page wraps and other on page advertising methods. It’s possible that negative feedback may be felt by online publishers that present too many advertisements to their audiences.

It’s likely that we’ll see publishers take a more organic approach to solving this potential revenue challenge. Publishers such as Wired and Mixcloud have begun a marketing campaign that explains how a lack of advertising revenue can negatively the content on their platforms. They are hoping that by educating their readers they will see less of their ads being blocked.

Publishers will likely consider having more paywalls (a system that blocks content unless the user has a paid subscription) to their sites. This will allow them to generate revenue directly from their content instead of from advertisements.

We’re seeing some websites take a much harder approach to this problem. Some publishers are blocking people with ad blocking enabled from accessing their content completely. Hulu has recently begun doing this for their video streaming service. Eventually, this strategy may cost Hulu a lot of visitors and therefore hurt their bottom line.

Software solutions that flag people with ad-blocking enabled are beginning to appear on the market. Some of these software products will produce unique ads that will sneak through a person’s block settings.

The Internet’s biggest players are also taking note of this growing trend. Google and Microsoft are now paying to have their ads forced through the blockers. This approach presents a lot of ethical questions. Allowing big Internet companies the ability to buy their way past regulations would violate network neutrality.

Maybe having less advertisements will make the Internet a better place. Advertisers may need to focus more on quality as opposed to quantity. This could create less wasted digital space and more engaging advertisements for people to view. It’s likely that the cost per advertisement will substantially increase. Websites with strong content and user friendly layouts may be the winner in this new digital competition for ad space. A better performing website will produce more qualified people viewing ads.

It may be hard for many advertisers to see the impact of more ad blockers today, but it’s a change that’s coming. The tipping point may come when Apple officially brings iOS 9 to the market this upcoming autumn.

At the end of the day this may be a great change for the digital marketing world. We’re going to be forced to be more creative and engaging with our advertisements. A lot more time will be spent reviewing analytics information to ensure we have a winning advertising message. Being able to adapt and change are keys to being successful online and this upcoming change is no different.

Google’s New Location Aware Search

Posted on June 11, 2015 by - Uncategorised

Google’s New Location Aware Search Bridges Real-Life Experience With Digital Search

Google is taking mobile search to a new level with location aware search. Now you can walk through your neighbourhood and ask Google to give you more information about the landmarks, businesses and buildings you encounter in real life. You don’t even need to know the names of the places your trying to learn about.

What is the length of the bridge your walking on? What time does the store your passing open? What’s the name to building you’re looking at? That’s where Google’s new location aware search comes in. Google’s location aware function can answer these questions just by reviewing your GPS location.

This new functionality was added to many Android devices weeks ago, but Google waited until now to announce it.

Imagine standing in front of a building. Not knowing anything about it you ask your phone the name of the building. Google will use your location information and will pinpoint the building you’re facing and will give you instant information. Standing in front of the same building and asking ‘when does this building open’ will provide you the information you’re looking for.

What Does This Mean for Businesses

Local search marketing was already an important marketing component, this new Google tool makes it even more important. Google uses the data in it’s search engine in combination with your physical location to present relevant information. Take some time and ensure that your Google Business Profile is 100% accurate and contains any information you want people to see about your business.

How Can I Start Using This on My Phone

Again, this feature has been live on Android devices for a few weeks, people just weren’t told about it. Try speaking into your voice search in Chrome and it should work for you. Apple users also have access to this tool. Simply visit the App Store and download Google Search App.

This new function from Google may not always work in the beginning. Remember, it’s accuracy relies on the information already entered into Google’s search. Regardless, it’s an amazing step into merging online data with the physical places we encounter every day.

Increase Your Website’s ROI Overnight With Great Call to Actions

Posted on June 11, 2015 by - Uncategorised

The goal of a website is to educate people and prompt them to take an action. When people visit your site, what do you want them to do?

Everyone has unique goals for their sites and the content on it. Determining the perfect Call to Action (CTA) is one of the hardest tasks companies have on their plate. Do you want people to purchase a product, sign up for an email newsletter, request more information, or share content on social media. There are many paths we want people to take on our website and a strong Call to Action is a key part of making it happen.

First of all, it’s important to write great online content and have a design that encourages interaction. Having compelling and powerful Call to Actions will move people through your site to desired goals.

So, how do you create that perfect Call to Action that will be irresistible to click?

  1. Get to the Point – You know what you want people to do, so ask them to do it! People want to be told what their next logical step should be, so your Call to Action should be direct. Keep it simple. The best Call to Actions tend to be short and to the point. There should be no room for guessing what your Call to Action will do. Get rid of any jargon. Use direct language such as download, purchase, sign up and other similar terms.
  2. Be Interesting – People read a lot of content online. A good Call to Action will stand out from the rest of your content and encourage people to take an action. The people visiting your website are probably checking out your competitors online. You need to have Call to Actions that tells people that your action is interesting and special.
  3. Use Action Words – There’s no being passive when coming up with Call to Actions. You want to have Call to Actions that include a direct and instant action. Using action words will tell your visitors what you want them to do.
  4. Create a Sense of Urgency – Time can be your best friend online. You want people on your website to feel like they are missing a great opportunity if they don’t immediately click on your Call to Actions. Amazon does an amazing job at this. It’s not uncommon to see Call to Actions such as ‘Buy now and receive free shipping’ on Amazon and other successful websites. Simply adding time-related words such as ‘now’ and ‘today’ can dramatically increase the amount of people clicking on your Call to Actions.
  5. Don’t Make People Think – People want to be directed through your site. They don’t want to spend time trying to figure out how to navigate. A good website has seamless Call Actions built into the content. If you want people to sign up for your newsletter, tell people in your Call to Action.

Having strong Call to Actions is the quickest way to increase the ROI on your website. The best Call to Actions are easily understood at a glance, exciting, inviting and simple. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Review your web analytics on a regular basis and try different Call to Actions and see what your visitors prefer.