The best way to evaluate your Internet speed

The best way to evaluate your Internet speed by Eric Geier.  Available from <http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/technology/the-best-way-evaluate-your-internet-speed/lLnzlDaUy9wcEnqNtO33gP/> [12:00 a.m. Sunday, January 29, 2017]

The Internet is a necessity for many these days, and when it’s slow, it can be frustrating.

Complaining to your Internet service provider (ISP for short) often leads them to upselling you to a faster plan when it might not be needed. So here I share some tips on dealing with slow Internet issues:

Discover what speeds you’re paying for: ISPs sell their Internet access with varying speeds, typically represented in megabits per second (Mbps), often spoken as “megs,” for the download speeds. Since quoted upload speeds are usually much less than the download speeds, they can be less than 1 Mbps, which they would then be represented in kilobytes per second (Kbps). About 1,000 Kbps equals 1 Mbps.

First, find out exactly what speeds you should be getting for the plan you’re currently paying for. Sometimes your monthly bill or online account from your ISP will tell you, but other times you might have to call them.

Test your current Internet speed: Next, test your actual Internet speeds to ensure you’re getting what you’re currently paying for. There are many ways to do this, but my favorite testing website is www.speedtest.net. Go there and hit Begin Test, and within a minute or two it will show you the results.

Keep in mind, the computer you use to test the speeds and the way in which that computer is connected to the Internet can negatively affect the speeds. You should try to test using a computer that’s hardwired to the Internet modem/router gateway. If you must use a computer that’s wirelessly connected via Wi-Fi, you should ensure it’s relatively close to the Internet gateway.

Reboot your modem/router and computer: If you ever see test results much lower than what’s promised by your ISP or you’re having any other Internet issue, first try rebooting everything. Unplug the ISP modem/router gateway for a couple seconds, keeping in mind you might temporarily loose TV and/or phone service in addition to the Internet. Then reboot your computer and see if that helps.

Call your ISP to test your connection: If you’re still seeing problems after rebooting the equipment, give the ISP a call. Though they might try to just sell you a faster plan, insist on them testing your connection, which they can usually do remotely while you’re on the phone. They might detect a low signal or connection quality due to a problem in your home or with the lines outside, which then they will likely send a tech out to investigate further.

Call a computer pro to check it out: If you need help in testing your Internet speeds or are still having issues after talking to the ISP, consider calling a computer professional. A slow or corrupt computer can cause slowness. A poor Wi-Fi connection can also cause slowness for wirelessly connected devices.

In addition, don’t forget: Having lots of devices on the Internet at once and/or video streaming can certainly slow things down, and you might consider upgrading to a faster plan. On the other hand, if you have one of the faster connections, you might actually be able to downgrade your plan to save money if all that speed isn’t necessary.

If you do only simple web browsing and emailing, one of the slower plans with download speeds in the 1 to 5 Mbps range might be fine. If you do video streaming (like with YouTube or Netflix), I’d suggest the 10 to 20 Mbps range, or more if you have multiple people in the house regularly video streaming.

The best way to evaluate your Internet speed by Eric Geier.  Available from <http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/technology/the-best-way-evaluate-your-internet-speed/lLnzlDaUy9wcEnqNtO33gP/> [12:00 a.m. Sunday, January 29, 2017]

14 Ways You Can Use Google Analytics To Improve Your Website

14 Ways You Can Use Google Analytics To Improve Your Website by Forbes Agency Council.  Available from <http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/01/30/14-ways-you-can-use-google-analytics-to-improve-your-website/#4b643dc51ac9> [Jan 30, 2017 @ 09:00 AM]

Tracking the strength of website design has come a long way from the era of “under construction” animated gifs and text files on URL references. With the advent of tools such as Google Analytics, it is now possible to track how a visitor came across your site, including from offline or internet of things sources, as well as how long visitors stayed, and what kind of content or keywords kept them there.

When reviewing these kinds of details, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the breadth of information available, especially if you’re not quite sure which part, or a combination of parts, are important to you and your site. Forbes Agency Council members were asked to identify one valuable piece of data they look for on behalf of their clients and why it matters. Here’s what they shared:

1. Study Bounce Rate

One of the most important pieces of data is bounce rate. If there is a large percentage of visitors navigating away after viewing only one page, then we know there is a problem. This tells us that we need to go back and optimize that page with better call-to-actions or more engaging content, like video that will intrigue the visitor to dive deeper into our clients’ offerings.   – David Shiffman, Brandamos, LLC

2. Analyze Potential New Markets

By looking at the geographic breakdown of what traffic does when it gets to the client’s site, you can analyze new potential markets. We have a client who was looking at expanding their footprint in Australia and Europe, and by looking at their traffic and conversion rates, we were able to identify three other countries in the Middle East and South America they hadn’t identified.   – Dave Pavlu, AdsUpNow

3. Seek Resonating Content

By identifying what pages already have traffic, conversions or results – you can glean insights into what content is resonating. When you know what’s resonating — create more of that.   – Sara Davis, Foxtail Marketing

4. Attribution Is Important

The attribution data point within the “model comparison tool” section is one piece of data that is quite important. This data point allows you to gather better insight into which channels are assisting in the conversion. The default attribution is “last interaction,” but I find that using the “first interaction” allows you to understand how each channel assisted in the conversion.   – Matt Bowman, Thrive Internet Marketing

5. Study Behavior Flow

Beyond basic traffic and click-rate KPIs, valuable visitor intent insights can be extrapolated with the “behavior flow” tool in Google Analytics. Behavior flow moves beyond raw statistics to provide visual diagrams that can help decipher your web visitors’ intent by analyzing things such as what pages they interacted with and the page where they disengaged and dropped off your site.   – Mike Skeehan, Salted Stone, Inc.

6. Examine Trends

Every element of data in Google Analytics is dependent on additional dimensions to explain it. An infographic going viral will skyrocket bounce rates. Attaining ranking on a highly competitive term can drop pages per session. Neither is necessarily a bad thing. Focus on trending data; day over day, week over week, month over month and year over year!   – Douglas Karr, DK New Media

7. Discover Sources Of Traffic

Knowing where traffic is coming from (paid versus organic) can be huge insight into the future online marketing for the client. It can show what ad buys are driving traffic to the website, what organic efforts (such as blogs) are working and can also show what, if any, money spent on social media is effective.   – Duree Ross, Durée & Company.com

8. Study Users Flow

My favorite feature is the behavior flow, labeled as “users flow” in Google Analytics. Understanding customers’ behavior and interaction with the website is essential to study carefully to understand their likes and dislikes before making any changes. You can’t improve what you can’t measure.   – Ahmad Kareh, Twistlab Marketing

9. Leverage Attention-Grabbing Pages

The length of time that consumers spend on a single page is an interesting piece of data that can tell clients how to leverage their most attention-grabbing pages and content pieces into sales conversions. Reviewing traffic levels and traffic sources with the length of time that a consumer is on a page can help brands maximize their website conversions.   – Joey Kercher, Air Fresh Marketing

10. Set Priorities: Desktop Vs. Mobile

Google Analytics provides important data on whether your web traffic is coming from desktop or mobile devices. With mobile web browsing beginning to take over desktop browsing, mobile optimization should be a major priority for your business going forward, if it isn’t already. If you’re receiving a high bounce rate on mobile, fix it! Be sure to optimize your website for speed and responsiveness.   – Brock Murray, seoplus+

11. Watch Cross-Channel Attribution

Looking at aggregated data gives us a much better read about which channels influence performance. While last click remains the most common model, Google Analytics, especially Analytics360, gives a clearer view of channels driving introducer clicks and not just focusing on closers. With this data, we can make much smarter about how to position our clients to capture and close sales.   – Dan Golden, Be Found Online

12. Identify Keywords Driving Visits

Employ Google Analytics to reveal the keywords people are using to reach your client websites. What terms are people searching for when they find a client? And importantly, does the client want to be found for those words? If not, time to review and change up the website content. Google Analytics will also show when clients are not being found for the words they would like to rank for.   – Bernadette Coleman, Advice Local

13. Enable Google Search Console

The holy grail of organic search traffic data originates from Google Search Console. However, too few website owners take the necessary step to enable Google Search Console data to flow into Google Analytics. Once enabled, a treasure trove of data is made available to you for analysis, including keyword performance and what users see in Google search results before they decide to click to your site.   – Kristopher Jones, LSEO.com

14. Don’t Look At Only One Thing

There are pitfalls only looking at a single component. When only looking at one thing, you could miss the bigger picture, or experience a bias if you don’t have the other data to put the component in context. Solely looking at users in analytics tells you nothing of sessions, which could tell you if you have a high level of repeating visitors, or pages per session and engagement activity.   – Jon Simpson, Criterion.B

14 Ways You Can Use Google Analytics To Improve Your Website by Forbes Agency Council.  Available from <http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/01/30/14-ways-you-can-use-google-analytics-to-improve-your-website/#4b643dc51ac9> [Jan 30, 2017 @ 09:00 AM]

Four Best Practices For Successfully Onboarding Mobile App Users

Four Best Practices For Successfully Onboarding Mobile App Users by Michael Essany.  Available from <https://mobilemarketingwatch.com/four-best-practices-for-successfully-onboarding-mobile-app-users-70498/> [January 23, 2017]

The following is a guest contributed post from Amy Abascal, Head of Marketing, Americas, FollowAnalytics.

In the old days of software design, onboarding campaigns were considered a crutch to compensate for bad UX.  In some cases, the on-boarding workflow even interfered with your ability to use the application.  Anyone remember that talking paperclip in MS Office that always seemed to get in the way?  But mobile apps are a different beast.  Well thought out onboarding flows can be an essential tool to ensure user retention.

It’s fairly well established that most apps are deleted after their first use – over 80% to be clear.  And comscore reports that users spend more than 75% of their time in their three favorite apps. So unless you want your app to be deleted or forgotten about, it’s critical to ensure that users find immediate value.  Coaching screens and in-app messages that introduce key features can make a huge difference

In addition, many mobile apps are useless or crippled without permission to use external features provided by the smartphone.  Think of Instagram without camera permissions or Waze without GPS.  Unfortunately, smartphones don’t allow apps to access these by default.  The user must agree and onboarding campaigns can get them to do so.

Here are five tips to creating successful onboarding that will ensure your users love your app and keep using it.

I. Take the Pain Out of Logging In

Typing passwords on a desktop computer can be tough, but typing them on a mobile device can be downright maddening.  If your user opens your device, is immediately prompted to create an account and cannot get through the login process, it’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll lose them.

Instead, don’t require users to create an account until it’s really necessary.  How much can they explore before a login is required?  Once they see the value of your app, they’re more likely to go to the trouble.

Next, provide as many options to login as possible.  Social media sign-ins through Facebook and LinkedIn are great, but if users store their passwords keychain tools and don’t remember them, you’ve added more complexity to the process than they may be willing to put up with.  Furthermore, ask your team if it’s really necessary to have strict password requirements?  Can you let them log in with a numeric pin?  My bank lets me login with my fingerprint.  I love them for it!

II.  Think About Context When Asking Permission

If you are going to request permission to send push notifications, use the camera or GPS, or access other external functions, then explain what the user is getting out of it.  When they sees the app is more useful by clicking “allow”, they’re much more likely to do so.

Likewise, the timing of your requests is just as important as explaining why you’re asking.  I’ve used apps that asked for everything from my social media profile to my location before I was even certain what the app did.  Let your user get addicted to your app first.  You might not need to ask for permission to use the camera until someone is ready to scan a barcode or take a picture.  If they understand that denying access will create an obstacle to whatever they are trying to do right at that moment, they are far more likely to agree.

III.  Segment and Personalize the Journey

Different users users are likely follow different paths through your app.  When you consider context as part of your on-boarding journey, you find out that there are now many journeys and not just one.

Not all users will respond to the same things the same way?  By leveraging a  best in class mobile analytics tool, you can understand your segments (down to segments of one!) and know quantitatively what messages and content appeals to each.  This allows you to tailor your onboarding campaigns, sending the right message to the right person at the right time.

Not only should you use your segments for demographics, but you can also use them to see where people are in the onboarding process.  If you have a group of users that have all opted out of push notifications at a certain point, then by experimenting with the process, you may be able to change their minds on down the road.  Or perhaps you learn that it’s appropriate to show coaching screens to certain subsets of users and not others – or at different points.

IV.  Analyze, Test and Optimize

Onboarding paths are no different than any other engagement campaign.  Be sure you test and optimize your messages.  First, use funnels and event flow analytics to understand where certain segments are dropping off.  Then split test your mobile messaging to improve results.  Perhaps calls to action can be written differently to appeal to different segments.  What can you test and optimize to boost successful adoption of your app?

The Takeaway

Well designed onboarding flows can be powerful tools that improve retention and help users get value from your app.  Put yourself in the shoes of your user.  Think of times that a login process was so cumbersome that you gave up.  When considering when and how to ask permission for external resources, be sure your timing makes sense and that the user perceives value in allowing the request.  Understand that not all users will follow the same hard coded path and use segments and personalization to be sure each person gets the best experience for them.  And finally, test your messages and calls to action.  By observing these practices, you can improve retention and be sure users get the most out of your app.

Four Best Practices For Successfully Onboarding Mobile App Users by Michael Essany.  Available from <https://mobilemarketingwatch.com/four-best-practices-for-successfully-onboarding-mobile-app-users-70498/> [January 23, 2017]

How to Increase Your E-Commerce Conversions in 2017

How to Increase Your E-Commerce Conversions in 2017 Posted By .  Available from <http://www.business.com/sales/john-surdakowski-increase-e-commerce-conversions/> [January 23, 2017] Photo Credit: By Varun s (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Your company’s ability to thrive in today’s ultra competitive e-commerce industry hinges upon your ability to create an extraordinary experience for your customers. This experience begins with an inviting, captivating website that helps your customers achieve their goals quickly and easily. Below are five ways to increase your e-commerce conversions.

1. Revamp your website

Your path to e-commerce prosperity begins with a fantastic website. After all, new customers will never make it to the decision-making phase unless they are drawn to your website. While the extent to which you update your site will depend upon the current state of your website, you should consider a total overhaul of your website if any of the following conditions are met:

  • Your website contains content or design elements that are severely outdated
  • Your business goals have completely changed
  • Customers are unable to submit questions or inquiries through your site
  • Your website does not function properly on mobile devices
  • Your website is not secure or has outdated software
  • Customers cannot find your website
  • Your website is stuck in the 1990s
  • Customers complain that your website moves at a snail’s pace

Even if your website does not require a complete overhaul, you should still regularly review its functionality to ensure that your website is your company’s best asset. While the frequency with which you should review your website will depend upon the nature of your e-commerce business, experts suggest that a website can benefit from a complete facelift or redesign every two or three years. If your customers are technologically adept, you may wish to revamp your website more frequently. A key goal of the web redesign process should be to foster a positive user experience, as outlined below.

2. Lay the foundation for a stellar user experience

According to a Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA) report, 77 percent of agencies acknowledged that a subpar website user experience is a big weakness for businesses. Successfully updating your e-commerce website requires you to understand the needs of your target audience and update your website in a way that exceeds their expectations. The result is a captivated customer who is unable to resist the allure of your company and products. Below are tips to creating such a user experience:

  • Build an eye-catching landing page that holds the user’s attention.
  • Make sure that your website is speedy. Pages should take no longer than 2 to 3 seconds to load.
  • Customers should be able to easily navigate through your site or search for items.
  • Your website should be intuitive and easy to use.
  • Ensure that your website has a mobile-friendly design.
  • Avoid the inclusion of too many ads or pop-ups.
  • The content on your site should be helpful to your audience and easy to view.
  • Customers should have a means of submitting an inquiry or request through your site.
  • Your website should be well-organized and aesthetically pleasing.

You can speak with your user-experience specialist about a/b testing your e-commerce website or run some tests yourself. There are some amazing tools online to help get a better grasp on your website’s UX and conversion performance. Here are a few tools that you should check out:

3. Create an outstanding customer experience

An impeccable customer experience is astonishingly powerful. In addition to helping you increase conversions, a great customer experience can even help ease the sting of a poor user experience. Key elements to remember when fostering a positive customer experience are as follows:

  • Be transparent with your pricing. Make sure there are no hidden fees.
  • Make the online checkout process seamless and intuitive.
  • Provide customers with prompt notification of their tracking information.
  • Notify customers immediately if a product is on back order.
  • If an item is sold out, suggest a comparative alternative if one is available.
  • Make it easy for customers to return a product that is not satisfactory.
  • Offer customers a means of providing feedback about their customer experience.

This last point is particularly critical, as customer feedback is an incredibly valuable tool to employ in bolstering your e-commerce conversions. Seeking suggestions and comments from your existing customers will help you increase conversions and grow your business in the following ways:

  • You gain valuable insight into the minds of your target market
  • You cultivate loyalty among existing customers by showing them that their opinions matter
  • You receive unfiltered criticism and positive feedback from an honest and unbiased source

The importance of an exceptional customer experience cannot be stressed enough. A good customer experience will increase conversions, while a poor experience will undoubtedly be detrimental to your bottom line. According to Esteban Kolsky’s presentation at the Callidus Customer Conference, 13 percent of unhappy customers will tell 15 or more people about their experience, while 72 percent of customers will share their experience with six others if they are happy.

4. Generate a list of best practices and adhere to them

Identifying best practices and committing to follow them is vital to the continued success and growth of your business. Ideally, you should involve your employees when discussing best practices to ensure that you are fostering a unified culture at work. Four of the most fruitful best practices within the e-commerce industry are:

  • Create a blog and update it regularly. Your blog content should be current and relevant to your target audience. Use a calendar to ensure that you update your blog in accordance with your desired frequency.
  • Feature star-studded testimonials on your website. Customer testimonials are one of the most influential forms of advertising available, especially if the testimonial is provided by an industry expert. Keep testimonials short and to the point, and include a customer photo with the quote if possible.
  • Present an offer your customers can’t refuse. Few things are more enticing to a prospective customer than an irresistible offer on a product that they need or want. Examples include bundling free accessory packages with key products or extending a 15 percent discount to all new customers.
  • Keep a close eye on your competitors. As the owner of an e-commerce store, you cannot afford to live in a bubble. Failure to monitor your competitors’ pricing and sales tactics may ultimately lead to customer abandonment. In addition to monitoring the websites of your online competitors, you can maintain a competitive edge by participating in industry trade shows and surveying your customers.

5. Enlist the help of an industry expert

The best way to increase your e-commerce conversions is to seek the guidance of an experienced industry professional. An industry expert can help you define your goals, enhance your website and create a superb user experience for your customers.

Consider the example of KITH, a multifunctional lifestyle brand for both women and men, as well as a progressive retail establishment. The KITH team recognized the need to increase their online brand identity and create a better user experience. KITH reached out to my agency, Avex Designs and embarked upon a campaign to develop their online brand experience. We helped the NYC-based brand achieve this goal through the following steps:

  • Enhancing the KITH website by making it faster and more SEO friendly
  • Creating a custom user experience that focuses on KITH’s strong brand identity
  • Educating the KITH team about how they can better manage their content
  • Providing ongoing support by providing a website style guide

As you evaluate marketing and design companies, you should remember that web design companies are not all created equal. You should choose a creative agency that is committed to collaborating with their clients and educating them about the ways that the customer’s digital experience can increase conversions. Ideally, you should seek a marketing and design company with the following attributes:

  • An impressive breadth of experience that includes web design, SEO, web development and digital strategy
  • A robust portfolio of references
  • Experience using testing and prototyping to develop client solutions
  • A desire and ability to facilitate customer growth

With the help of a trusted creative digital agency, you can optimize your e-commerce company’s online presence and foster a winning user experience. However, many of the above enhancements can be applied by you or your web designer. Either way, the end result is an increase in your overall conversion rate and a higher level of customer satisfaction.

How to Increase Your E-Commerce Conversions in 2017 Posted By .  Available from <http://www.business.com/sales/john-surdakowski-increase-e-commerce-conversions/> [January 23, 2017] Photo Credit: By Varun s (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

5 CMS Mistakes That Ruin Your Website

5 CMS Mistakes That Ruin Your Website Available from <http://www.thenonprofittimes.com/management-tips/5-cms-mistakes-ruin-website/> [January 11, 2017]

A lot goes into building a new website or redesigning an existing site. You need to decide what you need it to do, how visitors will use it, how staff will use and update it, and what it will look like. You’ll also need to find ways to make sure it can be found on the web by people searching for it.

Selecting the right Content Management System (CMS) for your needs is just one step in the process, but it’s a critical one. A CMS is an important tool that enables your staff to post useful content and provide important information to your constituents. If the CMS is hard to use or staff members don’t like it, your website is more likely to slip out of date or lack useful content.

  1. Rushing into a system. It’s common, especially for nonprofit managers, to hear an enthusiastic testimony from a friend and to think, “We need that!” But, do you? First, think about the problems you need to solve and do your research to find out whether this system best addresses those issues or whether other systems might do a better job of helping you solve your problem. A thorough evaluation up front might take a lot of time, but website projects can get messy and expensive if you don’t think through the details at the beginning.
  2. Not understanding the software landscape. For better or worse, your limited experience with one or two systems sets your expectations. If your old CMS made it easy to integrate with your constituent relationship management (CRM) or design eLearning content, you might assume those are common features. And if you really liked a CMS, you might think it’s the only one that offers your favorite features. Check your assumptions and make sure you’ve reviewed a diverse range of content management systems to be sure you understand what’s available within your budget.
  3. Thinking bigger is better. A CMS is supposed to make it easier for non-technical staff to update your website. A big, complex CMS might enable a lot of fancy features, but do you need all those features? If your CMS is too sophisticated, your staff probably won’t be able to take advantage of those features, and they might look for workarounds that compromise your site.
  4. Lacking focus. Website projects can be exciting and inspire a lot of ideas, but unless someone is able to sort through the ideas and decide what matches your organization’s goals, you risk creating a Frankenstein site that tries to do too much and accomplishes very little.
  5. Treating selection as a tech project. Your CMS is fundamentally a communications tool. If your IT staff takes the lead on the project and doesn’t fully partner with others at your organization — especially communications staff — it’s very likely that users will find the configuration frustrating and the features you need most will be underutilized. The end result will be a website that doesn’t accomplish your organization’s goals.
5 CMS Mistakes That Ruin Your Website Available from <http://www.thenonprofittimes.com/management-tips/5-cms-mistakes-ruin-website/> [January 11, 2017]