2009

All posts from 2009

Looming Deadline for SMX Session Pitches

by Kelly Kubrick on December 14, 2009

Toronto’s April 2010 Search Marketing Expo (SMX Toronto) session pitch deadline is December 15th, 2009. For anyone new to this conference, SMX Toronto runs alongside eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit.

If you or an organization you work with would like to talk about a search (search engine optimization, marketing, analytics and onsite search) project you’ve completed of late, the conference organizers would love to hear from you:

Read about planned session tracks and submit your pitch

read more
Kelly KubrickLooming Deadline for SMX Session Pitches

Web Usability for Business Results

by Kelly Kubrick on November 25, 2009

Our next OCRI Zone5ive Marketing Forum has been announced – join us on Thursday December 10, 2009 at our new location, the Travelodge Hotel Ottawa and Conference Centre in the Greenery Room. Our speaker is Dominira Saul, Director of User Experience Design, Akendi.

Session Overview: If you’re responsible for a website, whether you work with outside agencies or do everything internally, you need to understand: what drives good usability; how to recognize poor usability; and how to work with your external and internal partners to get what you need.

It’s common knowledge that the easier a website is to use the happier users will be. This can translate into increased sales, greater brand awareness, and decreased support costs among other benefits. In today’s web-driven world, usability is more important than ever.

In his talk, Dominira Saul will outline what we should all know about web usability; the right questions to ask; and what steps you should take to ensure a better user and brand experience.

Register Online

Thursday  November 10th, 2009
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – registration and lunch
12:30 p.pm to 1:30 p.m. – presentation

read more
Kelly KubrickWeb Usability for Business Results

Prepare to Defend Your (site) workshop goes on the road

by Kelly Kubrick on November 1, 2009

CASLIS, Canada’s Association for Special Libraries and Information Services is sending Online Authority’s “Prepare to Defend Your (site)!: Website Performance Measurement” workshop on a cross-Canada roadshow.

Join Kelly Kubrick this fall in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa or Montreal for an entertaining workshop on Internet Performance Measurement. Learn how to:

  • Prove you are using your website to offer better service to clients;
  • Ensure your website remains accountable; and
  • Secure resources to improve the website going forward.

It’s an Internet call to arms!

This three hour workshop will be offered by the following CASLIS chapters:

  • Winnipeg, Manitoba – November 3rd, 2009 – 2:00 pm
  • Edmonton, Alberta – November 4th, 2009 – 12:30 pm
  • Calgary, Alberta – November 5th, 2009 – 9:30 am
  • Ottawa, Ontario – November 12th, 2009 – 1:00 pm
  • Montreal, Quebec – November 24th, 2009 – 1:oo pm

Register for your preferred city at each chapter’s website, or contact Online Authority for assistance.

read more
Kelly KubrickPrepare to Defend Your (site) workshop goes on the road

Customer Engagement through Social Media

by Kelly Kubrick on September 25, 2009

On behalf of the OCRI Zone5ive Marketing Forum programming committee, I’m pleased to share details about our ‘season opener’ which will be held on October 8th, 2009.

Our speaker is Natasha D’Souza, Founder of Virtual EyeSee, who will be presenting Customer Engagement through Social Media:

If you are like many organizations, you have likely begun to add some elements of social media to your marketing tactics. But how do you leverage these new channels to truly engage customers in meaningful conversations, and to gather and respond to market feedback?

In this Zone5ive session, you will learn how to use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Blogs to listen to and engage your audience, and to build your own online community using open source tools and hosted services.

Some of the takeaways will be:

– skills to help you learn to listen to your customers
– approaches for successful customer engagement
– crowd sourcing your product development; and much more.

Natasha D’Souza from Virtual EyeSee will take you on a social media adventure and inspire you to engage with your customers. Whether you are on a shoestring, moderate or large budget there is solution for everyone.

Date: Thursday October 8, 2009
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Ben Franklin Place, Council Chamber – Main Floor, 101 Centrepointe Dr.

Register online or by contacting Tanya Calvo, Conference Administrator at 613-828-6274 ext. 224 or tcalvo@ocri.ca.

read more
Kelly KubrickCustomer Engagement through Social Media

The MHC Online®: Get the Electronic Edge!

by Kelly Kubrick on September 8, 2009

The Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute (CMHI) and Online Authority are pleased to announce the newest Manufactured Housing Consultant (MHC)® workshop.

The MHC® Online: Get the Electronic Edge! will be offered in Ottawa, Canada on Saturday, September 19th, 2009 in conjunction with CMHI’s Semi-Annual Meeting.

This new workshop was created for salespeople seeking perspective on the value of the web as a lead generation tool. In particular, this course is directed at Registered Manufactured Housing Consultants (MHC)® and manufactured housing and factory-built sales people, marketing staff and business owners.

Interested in attending? Visit CMHI for meeting and workshop agendas as well information about how to register.

If you have any other question, feel free to contact CMHI or Online Authority for more details.

read more
Kelly KubrickThe MHC Online®: Get the Electronic Edge!

50 Ideas on Using Twitter and LinkedIn for Business

by Kelly Kubrick on June 8, 2009

Looks like it’s going to be a great OCRI Zone5ive Marketing Forum session this week! Andrew Milne of bv02 Inc. will be moderating the following panel:

Kelly Rusk, Manager of Marketing and Communities, MediaMiser Ltd (Go Kelly!)
Scott Lake, Founder, ThinkSM and SWIX
Luc Levesque, Founder, TravelPod.com

Entitled “50 Ideas on Using Twitter and LinkedIn for Business” the pitch is:

“Listen to and engage this panel of social media experts to determine how, when and if you should be adding some of the world’s most influential social media networks to your marketing and communication mix. Benefit from their experience and research and discover how both local and international brands are succeeding, or failing, with the likes of LinkedIn and Twitter. Covering topics such as How to Build a Social Media Plan, Social Media ROI and Social Media Tools you’ll leave the session armed with a checklist of things to do and investigate.”

Date & Time: Thursday June 11, 2009 – 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Ben Franklin Place, Council Chamber – Main Floor, 101 Centrepointe Dr.

Register here

read more
Kelly Kubrick50 Ideas on Using Twitter and LinkedIn for Business

CMA Ottawa Speed Networking Event

by Kelly Kubrick on May 25, 2009

On May 26th, 2009, join myself and other members of CMA Ottawa for great opportunity to pitch yourself, your company or a new product and service to your marketing colleagues in the nationagl capital region.

The event is called “Speed Networking” and it will be held at the Hampton Inn at 100 Coventry Road in Ottawa, Ontario.

Be sure to arrive with your business cards & brochures, and be prepared for your three minute elevator pitch! To ensure you get the most out of the event, also be sure to tell others what kinds of services you’re looking for. There could be some great suggestions right across the table from you.

Due to the special nature of this event, space is limited, so be sure to register ASAP.

Event details:

  • When: Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 from 11:45 a.m. to` 2:15 p.m.
  • Where: Hampton Inn and Conference Centre, 100 Coventry Road, Ottawa ON offering plenty of free parking
  • Cost: $ 35.00 for CMA members, $ 50.00 for non-members. Price includes lunch, coffee and dessert.

Register here

Presented by the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Marketing AssociationCMA Ottawa hosts monthly networking and educational luncheons and seminars throughout the year.  The CMA is a place of dynamic exchange among direct, interactive and customer contact marketing users, creators, managers and suppliers.

read more
Kelly KubrickCMA Ottawa Speed Networking Event

Trends in Web Marketing: Tried, Tested and New

by Kelly Kubrick on May 21, 2009

By Kelly Kubrick – first published in Building Excellence Magazine, Spring 2009

In September 2008, at CMHI / MHAAC’s semi-annual meeting at Oak Island, Halifax, Kelly Kubrick presented attendees with an overview of recent trends in web marketing. Kelly reviewed a variety of tactics, and categorized them as “old news” (offering declining value), those whose value hasn’t changed and those which are considered “hot” (you might get burned using them).

Old News

“Old news” tactics are those which have been around some years now, may be showing their age and which are generally receiving fewer marketing dollars than in the past. To begin, marketers appear to be shifting “offline” advertising (print advertising, outbound telemarketing and rented mailing lists) dollars towards online (search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, etc.) dollars, because the online offers a far more measurable spend.

However, within the world of online marketing, there is movement away from designing complicated home pages, measuring gross traffic (vs. net leads), static micro sites and live chat as a customer service channel. Again, the driver appears to be accountability – ensuring that the dollars spend deliver the most value. Finally, offering a web site and email newsletters is certainly old news – any company that hasn’t invested in at least the former might as well be trying to market itself using an unlisted phone number.

What hasn’t changed?

By contrast, other tactics have proven their value within the online marketing toolkit. Home builders should ensure they provide customer testimonials, pricing information and multiple product search criteria on their websites. As an example of the latter, Kelly suggested visiting Vacation Homes to see all the different ways visitors might choose to search for a property they might be interested in.

In addition, Kelly recommended testing of the length of any “Request for information” forms you offer on your website – until you objectively test which elements do or do not depress response, you shouldn’t make assumptions about which fields should stay or go.

Finally, Kelly advocated strongly that home builders should allow prospects to communicate with you based on their channel of choice – thus if they first contact you by phone, you likely will need to continue communicating them via that channel. Alternatively, if you can convince your clientele to initiate contact with you via less expensive channels, you should reap financial benefits later. Wondering how? Here’s a quick question – in your marketing materials, which gets the larger font? Is it your telephone number or your website? What does that tell you?

What’s hot now

These tactics are experimental and too new to have established themselves as keepers in the web marketing toolbox. However, for those willing, there are several emerging online tactics you might consider trying in 2009.

Targeted Messaging

To the right is an image used on the homepage of Wilshire Homes to help the visitor grasp how this builder can solve living arrangement concerns. This is an excellent example of sidestepping home building jargon by offering the consumers’ perspective first.

motherinlaw

Source: Screenshot from http://www.wilshire-homes.com homepage, September 2008

Geo-targeted pay-per-click (PPC)

Below is a screenshot from a Google AdWords PPC account. Pay per click refers to the process of purchasing positioning on search engines such as Google, Yahoo! or MSN. In particular, the screenshot shows how targeted this media buy can ensure that advertisement is only shown to search engine users connected to a computer within 35 kilometres of Oak Island, Halifax. In other words, using this technology, home builders can ensure that their advertising dollars are not wasted on those people who are outside the targeted geographic range. Revolutionary, don’t you think?

google-adwords

Source: Screenshot from Google AdWords, September 2008

Multivariate Testing

Multivariate testing refers to a concept where by a marketer can identify several elements on a web page that they are not sure about, and test response against each. To illustrate – below, there are two versions of the same home page from Zip.ca , a Canadian DVD-by mail rental service. In the first image, the home page is designed around the release of Dark Knight with no mention of pricing. In the second image, the home page is designed around an image of a happy family, with pricing and a “quick start” free trial form to fill in.

Which appeals to you? Why?

zip1

zip2

Source: Screenshots from http://www.zip.ca homepage, September 2008

Here’s the trick – both of those home pages exist simultaneously. In other words, during this multivariate test, this website presents alternate versions of the same page, and records response so that the marketers can figure out which approach drives the most response. No heart-stopping redesign project here, but rather an objective analysis of what works, or doesn’t, on your home page. Imagine the number of things you might consider testing on your own site…

Interactive Microsite

Also from Wilshire Homes is an interactive micro-site found at BuiltAroundYou. When the site launches, you’ll be greeted by Sheila, who will proceed to ask you about your housing interests. However, instead filling out a survey, Sheila asks you a series of questions, verbally. As you respond, by clicking or filling in fields, a personalized housing report is created, which you can elect to receive by email, print out or send it to Wilshire to request follow up. Or do nothing with at all. Try it, and imagine how it might appeal to younger generations unwilling to visit a sales centre…

builtaroundyou

Source: Screenshot from http://www.builtaroundyou.com, September 2008

So where does this leave you? Essentially, the message is that there’s no shortage of tactics in web marketing available to you, but rather that you should have an opinion about which ones might be appropriate for your own company’s strategy.

A final thought – it’s five years from now, and Internet advertising now outpaces traditional channels. How will you acquire customers? Furthermore, young Canadians know Internet better than you. How will you retain their business?

Best of luck in 2009!

Kelly Kubrick is the former Director of E-Commerce at Time Warner in New York and President of Internet marketing consulting firm Online Authority.

read more
Kelly KubrickTrends in Web Marketing: Tried, Tested and New

Prepare to Defend Your(site)!

by Kelly Kubrick on May 21, 2009

I had the pleasure of teaching a workshop at the Manitoba Libraries Conference 2009: Future Generations, Evolving Services in Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 7th, 2009.

My thanks to the audience who threw themselves enthusiastically into my “Prepare to Defend Your(site)! Internet Performance Measurement” workshop. I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about challenges faced by libraries in the digital world as we were able to divide the group into three segments:

In addition, I’d like to thank the Manitoba Libraries Association conference programming committee for the flawless organization of those of us involved in the event and the event itself. In particular, I’d like to thank Kerry Macdonald  Pat Routledge and Jo Ann Richling.

So glad to meet you all, and to have the chance to see a bit more of my Canada!

read more
Kelly KubrickPrepare to Defend Your(site)!

Web Analytics Wednesday: Feb 11, 2009

by Kelly Kubrick on January 29, 2009

Good news – Alex Langshur of PublicInsite has announced the date for Ottawa’s next Web Analtytics Wednesday.

Details: Wednesday February 11th, 2009 at 6:00. This month, it looks like we’ll be at the Heart & Crown Pub in the Byward Market, in the Black Rose Room and our topic is:

“…this event will feature a short presentation by the Canadian Mint on how they used customer satisfaction measurement to dramatically improve the user experience and drive key conversion events.”

And with a refreshing beverage or two, no less. What an excellent way to get your professional development in this month, don’t you think?

Thanks again for hosting Alex!

read more
Kelly KubrickWeb Analytics Wednesday: Feb 11, 2009