Online Conversion & Beyond

Focus on Conversion

One of the more difficult aspects of maintaining (posting, comment handling) a highly focused blog like Online Conversion & Beyond is resisting the urge to add material that is "off message."   And yet, we are constantly made aware of happenings in the world that beg for reportage and commentary which have no logical link to conversion.

For that reason, I've recently begun posting to a more personal blog on the new Vox platform titled Malchus' Blog.  For those readers who enjoy this blog, and would like to see our consideration of other topics (e.g. global perspectives on the workplace, comments on the economy, and our commitment to public service),  I recommend a brief visit.  If you like what you see, then bookmark us in your aggregator or visit us on a regular basis.

But when you come here . . . expect to see postings on conversion in its many manifestations.   That's what we are about.

Business Blogging: Do Conversion Results Justify the Effort?

At least once a week, I'm asked if blogging does anything positive for my business, which is management consulting.   Most of my non-blogging colleagues know that I spend a considerable amount of time online, looking for things that my readers might find interesting and informative, and shaping posts that tell the story quickly and (hopefully) clearly.  Soooo, what they want to know is . . . is it worth the effort?  Does it really support conversion for my practice?

I never hesitate to answer their questions in the affirmative.  Yes, to me it's worth it.  And I hope that it's also worth your time, as a reader, to check in and see what's here from time to time.   

In terms of "what's in it for me," I share the hope of the e-tailers profiled in Rick Bruner's recent post in Business Blog Consulting.   My faith in the power of blogs, is based on 5 assumptions, which Rick elegantly presents as follows:

1. They’re niche-driven attracting readers who are interested in the topic at hand. That’s qualified traffic. It makes sense that those will be some of the best customers.
2. If the blogs are routinely updated visitors will come back again and again, many of those being existing customers.
3. Trust and brand loyalty will result.
4. Many of these customers will become evangelists for you and talk about you via their own consumer-generated media outlets (blogs, IM, chat rooms, email, etc.).
5. Your blog will become a center of influence around which a community of interested customers/shoppers develop.

If you are deeply committed to blogging as well, and getting the same questions from your friends, colleagues (or your boss) . . . share the list above with them.  But be prepared to show your results. 

Thanks for Letting Us Know We Matter

Here at Online Conversion & Beyond, we try to have you, our reader in mind when we create each post.  We consistently ask our selves (before hitting the submit/publish button) "Will someone out there find this of value?  Do we really understand our audience?  Are we adding to the conversation, or just pushing pixels?"

Well, based on information reported today by Frank Barnako at MarketWatch, you've told us that we matter:

"Gary Price at SearchEngineWatch.com estimates about 10% of Web logs "matter" -- that is, they have interested at least one person to subscribe to an RSS feed. Bloglines, a Web-based reader, estimates that 1.1 million bloggers have attracted subscribers."

From all of us, to those of you who've subscribed - thank you.  It really makes the time we put into blogging seem like a worthwhile investment.

Language Conversion

When the weekend is clearly in sight, we need a good laugh to prime the pump.  Today's offering comes from our friends in the far western side of the Keystone State who offer up the Steel City's answer to Babelfish.

Check out the Pittsburghese Translator - You'll be glad yinz did.

RSS - This Changes Everything

We've been looking forward to BusinessWeek's cover article on blogging, "Blogs Will Change Your Business."  It's a good read, and something I'm recommending to all my clients and colleagues who've asked me repeatedly why I spend so much time online.

One of the most interesting comments in the article, which mirrors our perception of the changing world quite well is the author's assertion that "The innovation that sends blogs zinging into the mainstream is RSS, or Really Simple Syndication." He goes on to explain how aggregators, "an easy-to-use system to turn blogs, or even specific postings into Web feeds" work.  Then comes the punch line -  "In time aggregators could turn the Web on its head" by turning surfers into subscribers who simply wait for requested material to show up each day.

As they say, this changes everything.  Using a print metaphor, you now simply go to your front porch to pick up the newspaper rather than go to the newsstand where you might be tempted to pick up a rival publication based on relevance and interest.  The implications for advertisers are huge.  And the need to develop and preserve relationships grows even more important than today.

Read the article.  Consider what it means to your business.  And decide whether your advertising and promotion strategy needs some new thinking.

Blogs and the Marketing Communication Mix

Jeremy Pepper, CEO of POP! Public Relations asserts that blogs are simply one component of the marketing communications and PR mix in today's WebProNews article "Blogs in the Communications Mix."  We could not agree more.

Soon after this blog was launched, we posted an electronic press release through PRWeb, and saw a spike in traffic the likes of which we have only recently replicated (via solid, high-interest content, one of Jeremy's other keys to success).

No matter how interesting, au courant or "hot" a tool (like blogging) becomes, we must keep it in perspective, recognizing that our intended audience is distributed all across the curve of early, typical and late adopters of new media.  We have to reach them through a variety of means if we really intend to connect, the key being ensuring each tool complements the others in our mix.  A good example would be a direct mail campaign, led by electronic PR and supported (trailed) by blogs and target pages on the sponsoring company's Website.

Try the new media.  Experiments are how we learn.  But don't forget the mix.

Social Networks and Conversion - A New Perspective

Today, Online Conversion & Beyond would like to welcome a new resource to our site.  Bruce Hoppe, Ph.D., is a bright light in the emerging field of social networks.  His blog Connectedness focuses on some of the more interesting new thinking in this field.  We've found what he presents not only relevant to our work (after all, conversion is often enabled as much by social connection as it is by any of the other factors we track), but also quite entertaining.

Take a look.  You'll be glad you did.