Biggestleaf Internet Marketing

Conversion Marketing- An Introduction

Rhys John — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:16:09 +0000

The ultimate goal, of most internet marketing strategies, is to make conversions (sales). So what is conversion rate? Let’s break it down:

In simple terms it is the percentage of visitors to your site that perform a desired action. This action could mean a number of different things have taken place. Product sales, software downloads, newsletter signups and membership signups are all examples of a conversion. To explain conversion marketing let’s take a look at an example:

-A web browser arrives on your travel website through a search engine query (this would be the case if your website is optimized). The term they have searched for is, “Accommodation in Cape Town”. They then browse around different accommodation pages on your site and find accommodation that suits them best. On the information page they find that the price is too expensive and click ...

Google’s Secure Search Raises Privacy Concerns

Robert Rothe — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:09:45 +0000

With the amount of data being sent around the internet privacy is an obvious concern. Google has now approached this issue by making its Secure Search the default for logged in users. However, the outcome is a double standard in Google’s security policy and a loss of valuable information for website owners and users of Google Analytics.

Is there a problem with privacy?

Google wants the internet to be a more secure place. Since Google searches are becoming increasingly personalized, the leading search engine implemented an encryption protocol called SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which helps to protect information from third parties. The result is Google’s Secure Search and it is now the default if you are logged into any of Google’s services (e.g. Gmail, Google+, etc.). Unfortunately Secure Search also withholds referral information from Google analytics and this has caused ...

SEO is the Marketing Tool for Small Business

Robert Rothe — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:11:47 +0000

Times are tight in the travel industry, especially for smaller businesses. When it’s hard to make a dollar it is time to focus on the most trusted an effective marketing tools. According to a recent survey, SEO is the single most popular marketing channel among small business owners in the US. Learn more about the benefits of Search Engine Optimization for SMBs in this post.

A survey recently posted by Search Engine Land states it clearly: if small business owners in the US could use only one marketing tool it would be SEO. In the survey Search Engine Optimization grabs a thundering 32.9% of the pie, while traditional media such as newspaper ads, radio or direct email came in second at 19.7%. Other options in the survey were Social Media, paid search advertising and mobile marketing. So why do small business owners ...

Growing your online content

Rhys John — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:19:50 +0000

The importance of fresh content

We are all in the same boat in the online world. Like strict parents, the biggest search engines in the world have final say over where websites rank in the SERP’s. And just like obedient children (we try), we need to keep these search engines happy and proud of our efforts. One of the best ways to do this is to constantly create user friendly, search engine optimised content on a regular basis.

If Google were your father and you came home from school and told him you had received an A+ for mathematics, your initial thought would be that he would be ecstatic with your result. What you are not telling him is that you actually copied all your work from your best friend Peter. Google, like your Father, will eventually find out and penalise you ...

HAN congress 2011

Micha Wacquier — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:14:50 +0000

HAN Congress 2011 – Windhoek, Namibia

On 24-25 November 2011 the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) is hosting its annual awards gala and tourism conference in Namibia’s capital Windhoek. The event features a half-day congress, the Suppliers’ Exhibition, the HAN Tourism Trade Forum (HTTF) and closes with the HAN Tourism Awards Gala.

The 2-day event gives HAN members the opportunity to network and negotiate with colleagues and suppliers. The Awards Gala honours accommodation establishments with the HAN Award of Excellence. Robert Bernatzeder and Micha Wacquier of Biggestleaf will speak at the HAN Conference on 24 November. The conference gives HAN members the opportunity to learn about developments impacting the tourism industry. Biggestleaf will give a basic introduction into Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and present effective online marketing strategies.

Congress Agenda 7h30: Registration 8h00 – 8h30: Welcome & Introductions 8h30: Congress Sponsor: Standard Bank of Namibia: Hein Liebenberg: ...

Vote for Table Mountain – Lessons from a Wonderful Marketing Campaign

Robert Rothe — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:15:14 +0000

The New 7 Wonders of Nature was a contest between unusual and fascinating natural features of this world. Because the winners were elected in an international poll, the road to victory ran through a well-planned marketing campaign. Cape Town and South Africa got it right again, but how did they top candidates such as the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef?

A wave of support by South Africans and Cape Town lovers from around the world enabled Table Mountain’s victory in the New 7 Wonders of Nature Campaign. The Vote for Table Mountain Campaign created a positive hype around the voting campaign that gave the Cape Town landmark a strong finish to put it among the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The exposure generated by the campaign has an estimated value of R35.2 million and led to considerable increases in ...

New 7 Wonders of Nature Announced

Robert Rothe — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:12:11 +0000

The die has been cast. After months of anticipation and billions of votes the New 7 Wonders of Nature have been announced. We are particularly excited to report that Table Mountain is one of them. Read on to see the other 6 in this grand septet.

The New 7 Wonders is a campaign to promote the cultural and natural heritage of our planet. The New 7 Wonders of Nature were selected though an international poll in which billions of votes were cast. The 7 Wonders stand in no particular order. Without further ado here are the New 7 Wonders of Nature:

Table Mountain Amazon Iguazu Falls Jeju Island Komodo Puerto Princesa Underground River Halong Bay

The countries of the 7 Wonders are expected to see great increases in tourism and a boost in publicity. The previously selected New 7 Man Made Wonders now feature in school curriculum all over the ...

5 Lessons from the Getaway Travel Blog Conference

Robert Rothe — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:09:03 +0000

I dragged myself out of bed early on a Saturday morning and spent a sunny day indoors. The day was better suited to some fun on the beach than coffee and PowerPoint presentations at the Getaway Travel Blog Conference. At the end of the day I was feeling more enthusiastic about my job than ever and I learned a few things. Here are my takeaways from a sunny day indoors.

1. Write Short and Take Good Photos

According to Getaway editor Cameron Ewart-Smith travel writing and blogging is quite simple. “Write short and take good photos” is his trademark slogan. Obviously this is easier said than done. If you aim to write concise and creative content and become passionate about photography, you will improve over time.

2. Good Content Is Actionable

You are competing for the reader’s attention throughout your post or article. If the ...

Crowdsourcing – The Evolving Problem Solver

Rhys John — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:16:39 +0000

Do you know what “crowdsourcing” is? If not, now is the time to get to grips with the concept as it is growing at a phenomenal pace in the online world. Crowdsourcing is essentially problem solving in the form of an “open call”. This distributed problem-solving relies on an “active audience” to be successful and can be a great tool for your business.

The internet is a huge inter-connected network where people share ideas and information all the time. Crowdsourcing takes advantage of the power of a collective group of targeted and inspired people to share ideas and creations in exchange for emotional or monetary rewards. For example, a coffee franchise using crowdsourcing to collect new product ideas could offer the best idea (the winner), a year’s supply of coffee. The outcome benefits both parties. When we look at idea sharing ...

How to Move From a Facebook Group to a Fan Page

Robert Rothe — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:10:07 +0000

Are you using Facebook to promote your company? The way to do this is to use a fan page. If you are still using a Facebook group, it is time to upgrade. Find out how to make the switch efficiently.

Group vs. Fan Page: Why Move?

While a group is great for private organizations with a set amount of members like a running club or a graduation class, it is not ideal for promotional purposes. Everyone in a group can only post from their private account and updates will not necessarily show up on members’ newsfeeds. You will not be able to interact with other brands or people using your brand identity.

Facebook pages on the other hand have been designed specifically to represent brands. Using a Facebook page you can switch between your brand and your personal identity. This allows you to ...