Polkadot JAM Slides - Token2049 - By Dr. Gavin Wood
20 Tactics to Increase and Engage Web Traffic
1. 9/30/13 #bbcon @sophialatto @mikesnusz 1
20 Tactics to Increase and
Engage Web Traffic
PRESENTED BY SOPHIA LATTO & MIKE SNUSZ
2. 9/30/13 #bbcon @sophialatto @mikesnusz 2
INTRODUCTIONS
SOPHIA LATTO, PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT – UX DESIGN
I help nonprofits develop internet strategy around building
constituent relationships, delivering compelling messages, and
online fundraising. Prior to joining Blackbaud, I worked as a
Creative Director at a design and marketing agency in New York
City that specialized in online marketing and communications for
the non-profit, utility, beverage, and financial sectors.
MIKE SNUSZ, SR. INTERNET MARKETING CONSULTANT
10+ years of fundraising experience. Areas of focus include
email campaigns, online giving, SEO, website, analytics and
social media. Previously managed the turnaround of the Ride For
Roswell event, including it’s three-year growth from
$330,000 to $1.2 million. Focuses on helping nonprofit build
constituent relationships online, deliver compelling messages
and maximize giving opportunities.
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HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE LOCAL SEO?
1. Get reviews on Google+
(Good ones matter)
2. Complete profile 100%
3. Add photos
(First one is your profile)
4. Review categories
5. Link to other reviews
BUILD OUT GOOGLE+ LOCAL PROFILE
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IMPROVE CITATIONS
• What’s a citation? Anywhere that uses your name, address and
phone all on same page
• Everything must exactly match your Google+ Local listing
• Website address abbreviations, zip code/phone number formats
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OPTIMIZE SEO FOR LOCAL SEARCH
RESULT
• Generate more traffic from local search results
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Get Google+ reviews
• Ensure citations exactly match Google+ profile
• Complete Bing/Yahoo! Local places (added citations)
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WFH’S WORLD CONGRESS EVENT PAGE
• Before:
• 20th-30th ranking in SER
• 369 search visits/month
• After Page Title Updates:
• 1st-2nd ranking in SER
• 532 search visits/month
(44% increase)
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INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS ASSOCIATION’S
HOME PAGE
• Before Page Title Updates
• 367,000 search visits
• After Page Title Updates
• 707,000 search visits
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WRITE BETTER PAGE TITLES
RESULTS
• Improve search rankings and traffic
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Review page titles on:
- Home page
- Landing pages
- Top content
• Eliminate duplicates + add missing page titles (Google Webmaster Tools)
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GOOGLE TRENDS
RESULTS
• Find words or phrases that are used most for searches.
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Test words or phrases you are using for important navigation.
• Use words or phrases that relate to your region if your
mission is regional.
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GOOGLE ANALYTICS SHOWS POST-VISIT
KEYWORD INFO
UPDATE: Google says no longer able to track keywords visitors use
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USE GOOGLE WEBMASTER TOOLS FOR
SEARCH KEYWORD ANALYSIS
RESULTS
• Quick wins to increase rankings, traffic and clicks
• Learn rankings for keywords
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Use GWT to look for:
1. Keyword Info
2. High rankings + Low click-throughs à Better meta descriptions needed?
3. Average position of 4-25 à Review keyword usage in important page areas
(page titles, headings, etc.)
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GOOGLE AUTHORSHIP FOR BLOG POSTS
• Searchers drawn to image before headline*
• Higher click-through rates (up to 150%)
**
• Possible higher rankings?
*moz.com/ugc/how-to-get-more-clicks-with-low-rankings
**www.catalystsearchmarketing.com/how-rich-snippets-can-improve-your-ctr/
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GOOGLE+ LOCAL PROFILE REVIEWS
• More clicks (20-30% reported)
• Builds trust
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CREATE RICH SNIPPETS FOR
SEARCH RESULTS
RESULTS
• Improve search result click-throughs
• Improve local and mobile SEO
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Use Google Authorship for blog posts
(Add to posts: <a href=“InsertGoogle+ProfileURL?rel=author">Google</a>)
• Ask for more Google+ reviews
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GOOGLE ANNOTATIONS
RESULTS
• Track how spikes in web traffic are affected by promotions, ads and
changes on site.
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Tracking events in GA adds continuity during staff turnover.
• If an effort makes a significant difference in web traffic, then repeat it.
• Allows you to more accurately compare analytics YOY.
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FINDING YOUR WEBSITE
IS ONLY HALF THE STORY
Search engines are likely the first place your audience will go to find
information about your organization.
• Search engines make it easier; however,
you have less than 5 seconds to capture
the attention of a search engine user.
• If your audience doesn’t immediately
respond favorably to your content —
they’ll bounce.
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The appeal of the overall design of a site is the number one factor used
to evaluate a website’s credibility.
5 seconds is enough to
• Learn an organization’s mission
• Form an emotional reaction
• Form an opinion on credibility
• Choose to engage
USABILITY TESTING: 5 SECOND TEST
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What is the mission of the organization?
USABILITY TESTING: 5 SECOND TEST
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USABILITY TESTING: 5 SECOND TEST
What is the mission of the organization?
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USABILITY TESTING: 5 SECOND TEST
RESULTS
• See how visitors perceive your organization and your mission.
• See adjectives and emotions used to describe your organization.
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Use tools like Usabilityhub.com to test
• Test mission critical landing pages and your home page
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USABILITY TESTING: CLICK TEST
Are my users seeing the content I
want them to see?
Question:
Click on the areas in which you
are most interested.
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USABILITY TESTING: CLICK TEST
The top five clicks
were:
• Slideshow Arrow
• Why Work
With CFT
• Discover & Get
Inspired
• Disaster Relief
• Donate
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USABILITY TESTING: CLICK TEST
RESULTS
• See where your users click.
• Quickly find out whether your calls-to-action are working effectively.
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Use a tool like Usabilityhub.com to test your home page
• Analyzing where users click and make decisions about how you
present your web content on important pages.
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Top Traffic Pages: 3 of the top 10 pages are their main P2P event
TOP PAGE TRAFFIC REPORT
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MOBILE OPTIMIZATION (DONATION FORM)
Mobile Metrics
06/2011 vs. 06/2012
Avg. Time on page Bounce Rate
Before Mobile 04:01 40%
After Mobile 01:30 25%
Result -02:31 -15%
• Average time spent on that page has decreased by 02:30
• The mobile bounce rate has been reduced by 27%.
The data above compares before and after mobile activity for a mobile-optimized donation form page.
This data does not include tablet users as tablet users receive the full desktop experience.
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MOBILE TRAFFIC & TOP PAGE REPORTS
RESULTS
• Identify the most popular pages on your site
• Learn how many people are accessing your site via mobile device
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Identify pages of your site to optimize for mobile
• Provide a good mobile user experience for high traffic events.
• Optimize your donation form for mobile (even it it’s not a top
10 page.)
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WHY TRIGGERED EMAIL SERIES?
• What is it?
A series of emails sent automatically in response to a certain action
• Why is it important?
It’s the most effective way to improve relevancy of email*
Right message + right constituents + right time = Impossible (manually)
*Source: 2011 Marketing Sherpa Email Marketing Benchmark Report
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4X MORE OPENS AND 5X MORE CLICKS
Source: Experian: The welcome email report: benchmark data and analysis for engaging new
subscribers through email marketing
4X MORE OPENS
5X MORE CLICKS
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TYPES OF TRIGGERED EMAIL SERIES
• Email signup
(59% of new subscribers have no opens or clicks since opting-in*
• First-time donor
• Event registration
• Community signup
• Membership purchase or expiring
• Sustainer credit card expiring
*Epsilon and DMA’s “Q2 2012 Email Trends and Benchmarks”
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EXAMPLE: SUBSCRIBER WELCOME SERIES
Remind +
Feel Good
Give
Monthly
Donate
Events
Volunteer
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USE TRIGGERED EMAIL SERIES TO
DRIVE ENGAGEMENT
RESULTS
• Increase return visitors
• (Efficiently) improve relationships and engagement
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Setup for first-time donors, subscribers, volunteers and event participants
• Coordinate with other emails
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USE SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS TO
CREATE BETTER POSTS/TWEETS
RESULTS
• Learn content that’s most engaging and has greatest reach
• Best day and time to post
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Review twice per month
• Use data to dictate future posts/tweets
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MOBILE FIRST WITH SOCIAL
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
70% of your audience will be reading your social media
posts on their mobile device.*
• Use simple imagery that is easily seen.
• Use images with bright colors that are highly saturated.
• Put important information at the top of your post.
• Use vertically oriented images
• Linked pages need to be responsive or mobile.
*Source: “How to Create Perfect Posts” Info-graphic
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MOBILE FIRST WITH SOCIAL
RESULTS
• A consistent user experience from post to web page.
• Higher engagement
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Optimize your social media landing pages for mobile
• Always think mobile first when developing content
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USABILITY TESTING:
NAVFLOW TEST (BEFORE)
Target audiences, such as donors, members, or students participate in a
usability test to expose problems with the current website.
The data above reflects how successfully test participants were able to navigate a website’s
conversion path, from start to finish, when forced to click on a single target for each step.
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USABILITY TESTING:
NAVFLOW TEST (AFTER REDESIGN)
The New design concept gets passed through the same usability test. A 79%
success rate (+27%) is a great indication that the new design has solved the
initial problem with the old site.
The data above reflects how successfully test participants were able to navigate a website’s
conversion path, from start to finish, when forced to click on a single target for each step.
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USABILITY TESTING: NAVFLOW TEST
RESULTS
• See how visitors navigate through a conversion path
• Learn if your visitors are able to complete a task
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Set up Navflow tests for your primary conversion paths — donation,
membership sign-up, advocacy action or email sign-up.
• Make adjustments to the pages base on the results.
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USE SOCIAL MEDIA AMBASSADORS FOR
ONLINE CAMPAIGNS
Involve a group of socially influential constituents to spread the word
• Identify prospects (Social Score)
• 10-20 key influencers
• Prepare them
• Make it easy with samples
• Reward
• Send timely email updates during campaign
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USE SOCIAL MEDIA AMBASSADORS FOR
ONLINE CAMPAIGNS
Involve a group of socially influential constituents to spread the word
• Identify prospects (Social Score)
• 10-20 key influencers
• Prepare + cultivate them
• Make it easy with samples
• Send timely email updates during campaign
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WHAT DRIVES CONVERSIONS, NOT JUST
TRAFFIC
ECOMMERCE TRACKING IN GOOGLE ANALYTICS
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TRACK THE ELUSIVE SOCIAL CONVERSION
USING GA’S GOALS TO MEASURE EMAIL SIGNUPS
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SETUP GA GOALS TO TRACK
(THE ELUSIVE) SOCIAL CONVERSION
LEARN WHAT DATES/POSTS LED TO CONVERSIONS
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TRACKING CONVERSIONS IN GA
RESULTS
• Which channels generate conversions (not just traffic)
• Social sites + posts driving conversions
• Gift info by channel
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Use GA Goals for non-monetary conversions
(Email, volunteer, etc.)
• Use GA Ecommerce to track monetary conversions
(Donations, event registrations, etc.)
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DONATION FORM TESTING
• Why test?
• Your donation form may be leaving money on the table
• What to test?
• Trust logos [Charity Nav, BBB]
• Content
• Giving amounts
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DONATION FORM TESTING
WORLDWIDE WILDLIFE FUND à 90% CHANCE FORM B IS 20% BETTER
A B
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TEST CONTENT & DONATION FORM
RESULTS
• Increase traffic to key pages
• Improve your donation form conversion rate
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Use Google Analytics Experiments
• Test one variable at a time
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57% of people who watch a nonprofit video
go on to make a donation*
YouTube Nonprofit Program
*Google 2013 study, conducted by Millward Brown Digital
DO VIDEOS GENERATE DONATIONS?
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ADD CALL-TO-ACTIONS LINKS TO YOUR
YOUTUBE VIDEOS
RESULTS
• Nudge video watchers along conversion paths
• Increased traffic + conversions
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Sign up at www.youtube.com/nonprofits
• Add links to old videos
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BEST NUMBER OF FIELDS?
Source: Dan Zarzella analysis of 40,000 landing pages
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SIGNUP FORM BEST PRACTICES
2. Set Expectations +
Communicate Value
3. Overcome Objections
1. Connect to
Mission
Possible Addition:
-Link to samples
www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/email
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CONFIRMATION EMAIL BEST PRACTICES
2. Set
Expectations
1. Connect to
Mission
3. Added
Value 4. Engage
Further
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IMPROVE THE EMAIL SIGNUP PROCESS
RESULTS
• Grow your email list
• Engage and retain subscribers
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Prioritize email signup on the home and internal pages
• Overcome objections and set expectations
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75% of consumers are 'highly
likely' to delete an email that
doesn't render correctly on a
mobile device.*
EMAIL TESTING TOOLS
* Source: “Make or Break Mobile E-mail”, Constant Contact
and Chadwick Martin Bailey, August 2013.
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Email on Acid (built
into the Luminate
tool), or Litmus.
• Check emails in all
readers and in
different mobile
devices.
EMAIL TESTING TOOLS
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These tools work with most ESPs and can give you a little more
information about how your emails perform.
ADD-ON EMAIL ANALYTICS TOOLS
Engagement Reading Environment
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EMAIL TESTING TOOLS
RESULTS
• Find out what your email look like in all popular email readers
and devices.
• See what kinds of email readers and devices your audience is
using to read your email.
• Find out what is the level of engagement of your email
messages.
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Use tools that can help you test your emails.
• Test every message before you send.
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WHY TEST & WHAT TO TEST
WHY TEST? ACCORDING TO TOP EMAIL PROGRAMS:
• Email testing is the top value driver*
• 82% test and measure everything**
MOST EFFECTIVE ELEMENTS TO TEST:**
1. Target audience
2. Landing page
3. Subject line
4. Call-to-action link
*Source: 2011 MarketingSherpa Email Marketing Benchmark Survey
**2011 Gleanster survey on Email Marketing
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HOW TO TEST?
1. Send 2 tests to small sample (10-20% each)
2. Review results + statistical significance (after 1-2 days)
eMarketingDynamics.com calculator
3. Send “winning” message to everyone else
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RECORD TEST RESULTS
Use Excel spreadsheet to capture:
• Date
• List or segment
• Variable tests (e.g. subject line used)
• Open, click-through, conversion and unsubscribe rates
• Notes
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BOOST TRAFFIC WITH EMAIL TESTING
RESULTS
• Short-term: Best version of an email
• Long-term: Learn what resonates
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Test one variable at a time
• Test often
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FREE ASSESSMENTS DURING BBCON
AT BLACKBAUD STRATEGIC AND CREATIVE SERVICES BOOTH
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TWEET ABOUT YOUR SESSION
#BBCON
(For every Tweet with this hashtag, Blackbaud
will donate $1 to a local nonprofit!*)
@MIKESNUSZ
@SOPHIALATTO
*Up to $4,000
