You see this isn’t just a pretty website. Sure it does a sexy job unveiling Segment&Serve – Sitebrand’s personalization platform that was previously known as the Retail Marketing Suite. But more importantly, this website is an example of modern marketing – one that we can hold up to the world as an example. I know I sound rather cocky saying this, and those who have done this will understand my perspective, but let me tell you why.

• We use our own product, Segment&Serve, for Personalization
• We use Marketo for marketing automation which provides us Lead Scoring and Lead Nurturing.
• We use silverPOP for Email and List Management.
• We use Google Analytics for Measuring (Coremetrics coming soon!)
• We are integrated with Salesforce.com for Customer Relationship Management.
• We use Joomla for Content Management – this gives us total control without any outside assistance.
• We are in the process of implementing HubSpot for Search Engine Optimization.

So just how are we personalizing the website you ask? Let’s count the ways…

If you do the math, we have 6 campaigns (not counting default), with 9 different options for Skytext (the text on the right hand side of the Billboard), with AM and PM visual backdrops (our control group is night time if you get that image during the day - control groups are presented about 10 percent of the time so that we can measure the actual impact of personalization by comparing results against the control group), which means we have 6 X 9 X 2 = 108 different potential campaigns available to run.  And that’s just on the home page alone!

We will be adding more campaigns throughout the entire site as we evolve it over time.  For example, our next campaign is to have the phone number listed on the bottom right of every page dictated by your GEO location; hence, a UK visitor would prominently see their toll free number first, instead of a North American toll free number.

What it comes down to is this: the modern marketer is a complex being.  They must be technical – really technical.  They need multiple solutions to manage the entire lead and customer engagement.  They need vision to understand the prospect experience.  And they need strategy to drive prospects to the online site where the funnel essentially begins.  They need to own the funnel from start to almost finish instead of just handing off a lead to sales as soon as a pulse is detected.  This is truly where personalization shines as it persuades visitors to engage further and commit faster to conversion points such as purchases or downloads. And marketers must be number crunchers capable of measuring their progress all along the progress, which only gets more complex when you add multiple marketing tools to the mix, by using pretty little dashboards.

The worst part is – most executives absolutely do not understand the breadth and scope of the talents required to do this job successfully.  To all of my fellow marketers out there who live this life daily, and revel in the chaos as I do along with my team, allow me to congratulate you for practicing a noble, if somewhat frustrating, profession.  You truly are a special breed.

If you are intrigued by this approach to Lead Engagement, I strongly suggest you check out the upcoming webinar we are doing with Marketo later this month.  I think you’ll love it.  It’s only 29 minutes long so you have no excuses not to attend.

Speaking of personalization and engaging visitors, you may find the breakdown below somewhat interesting.  This is a high level overview of our 108 home page billboard messaging campaigns.

Default Content
-> “Looking to Personalize?…”

First time & Geo-location
US Visitors -> “…Sitebrand says hey!”
Canadian Visitors -> “…Sitebrand says hi!”

First Time & Geo-location & Referrer URL = blog.sitebrand.com
Canadian Visitors -> “Like our blog eh? Sitebrand thanks you…”
US Visitors -> “Like our blog huh? Sitebrand thanks you…”

Returning Visitor
-> “Back for more? Checkout the latest buzz!”

Returning Visitor & Referrer URL = blog.sitebrand.com
-> “Blogged out?…”

First Time Visitor & Search Engine = Google
-> “Google brought you but Sitebrand keeps you”

Returning Visitor & Search Engine = Google
-> “…Still looking?”

SkyText (this is the text to the right of our Billboard)

• To be successful, you need to reinvent your marketing practices. Use Segment+Serve.
• Analytics will only enable you to measure your failure rate - unless you Segment+Serve.
• If your shopping cart abandonment is high, it’s time to Segment+Serve.
• Is your conversion rate too low? It’s time to Segment+Serve.
• If your website visitors are not buying, it’s time to Segment+Serve.
• Can you test your marketing initiatives in real-time? Let Segment+Serve do it for you.
• Need more online transactions?  Are your goals not being met? It’s time to Segment+Serve.
• Spending too much money on e-marketing with little ROI? It’s time for Segment+Serve.
• Bounce rates higher than you like?  It’s time to Segment+Serve.

Competitor Billboard Content (this is the text if you are coming from a competitor of Sitebrands)

• First Time Competitor Visitors -> “Looking to personalize?”
• Repeat Competitor Visitors -> “Back for more?….”

Competitor Skytext Content

• Sitebrand is the industry leader in Personalization. Care to join our team?
• Checking in on Sitebrand? Join our team and learn firsthand why we’re the industry leader.
• Instead of visiting Sitebrand, join our team and be part of Sitebrand. Now hiring!
• The careers section is part of the Company navigation.  Apply now. Join the industry thought leader.

This is the theme of our August 21 webinar and it’s a nice spin on our usual format. That’s right, you’re not just signing up for the perspectives of two presenters this month. Oh no. This time you’ll be treated to the perspectives of four presenters! And even though each presenter wears a Sitebrand hat, there will be guaranteed controversy thanks to old school versus new school perspectives. This on top of four distinct personality types…if you know what I mean.

I know we’re in the thick of summer holidays, but don’t let that stop you. Sign up anyhow and watch for a post webinar email that will include a link to view it online at your leisure. 

Joining me for this roundtable panel will be 3 more of Sitebrand’s own. We’ve got Darryl Praill, VP Marketing - he always makes discussions interesting thanks to his highly, shall I say, opinionated thoughts on all things marketing. We would be the “over 40″ side of the equation so our world hasn’t always been about the web.

And then to round things out, we’ve got the ”under 40″ pair of this panel who I daresay have almost always lived in world with the web. These would be Mr. Jim Cain, a Senior Analyst here who is very plugged in to all things analytics…especially as it relates to actioning those analytics which is a big part of why web personalization should matter to you. And then there’s Alok Ahuja, one of our senior account managers and possibly one of the most adored this side of the moon. His clients love him and I think it’s because Alok is always testing the boundaries…not just geo-boundaries, but boundaries in general!!!

So the essence of our webinar will revolve around the mixed messaging on the meaning of web personalization. We’ll talk about what it’s NOT - ie.
- A/B testing
- Recommendation engines
- User registration and personalized greetings
- Analytics
- ‘One-to-one’ emails mentioning first names

And we’ll talk about why it matters - ie. how it really does present an opportunity to dramatically increase revenue and conversion with segment and serve functionality that creates highly relevant online experiences.

So what’s holding you back? We typically hear comments like:
- I’m already using Google analytics, isn’t that enough?
- I’ve already optimized my content.
- My marketing dollars are limited and already committed.

In just 29 minutes, Sitebrand promises to break myths, educate, inform and convince you that personalization should be your #1 priority…and that it doesn’t have to cost a thing if you do it right.

So go ahead and register today…unless of course you’re happy doing the same old, same old.

Consider the use of customer testimonials. Clients leave them all of the time. At worse, you simply need to ask for them. It’s amazing how much people like to share and to talk. An integrated campaign will take that quote and create a case study. The case study then gets pitched to a major and trusted publication usually tied in to some human interest angle. That leads to a press release announcing the happy customer, or event, and referencing the case study and the industry coverage. Accordingly, you inform your opt-in email list of the great news and perhaps associate a short-term promotion tied to the event. Your email service provider utilizes the Forward-to-a-Friend feature to allow your email subscribers to share the news, and the positive branding, with their friends. Now suddenly your relevance in the search engines increases proportionately to the multiple references. Your higher rankings, and your supporting mentions, combine to nurture the consumer with a positive experience of your brand. Said another way - your integrated marketing leveraged one piece across multiple marketing channels. That’s what I’m talking about!

So where is the Word of Mouth we alluded to? Simple. It’s the by-product of your campaigns. People like to talk. Why do we want them to talk? Because online sales tools only nominally augment the likelihood to convert according to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

The study goes on to say that 64% found out about the product from friends, family, or co-workers.

So how do you encourage word of mouth because we know that will increase actual online conversions? Simple - you create a personalized, one-on-one experience for each consumer or visitor and then you complement the experience with integrated marketing. Combined, you create credibility and trust — and buzz!

So! How goes the integrated marketing?

And then along came online marketing. And it’s a different beast.

As a marketer, it is awesome. Great tools, cool applications, real-time feedback, and immediate and measurable results. It’s word of mouth on steroids. Yet, for most of my contemporaries, it scares the hell out of them. They don’t get it. They don’t have time to learn it. And they end up outsourcing all facets of it to the very people who read these blogs; the next great generation of marketers.

A recent article published by Wharton, with inputs from the CMO Council, suggests that CMO’s of the future will come from the digital side. That’s a mistake.

The problem with people who solely do interactive, or online, marketing is that they don’t understand the full picture. They don’t understand the power of product roadmaps, or of industry analysts, or of direct marketing, or of public relations beyond the online medium. They don’t understand the importance of long-term strategy and tactical execution, integrated marketing campaigns tied to corporate objectives and financial forecasts. Conversely, the problem with marketers with traditional skill sets is that they are equally missing the big picture.

I know I’m generalizing but having worked with so many staffers and vendors I know I’m pretty safe in these statements. What evidence do I have? Current statistics say Americans spend 14 hours a week watching TV and 14 hours a week online. Talk about a split between the old and the new!!!

So what am I blogging about today? I’m blogging about Marketing as a trade. If you’ve chosen this trade, make the effort to learn both sides of the business. Think big. Use all of the tools of the trade to achieve big goals with big results. Marketing is an awesome career if you treat it as an apprenticeship and learn every aspect. Be an online and an offline marketer and you’ll avoid the Peter Principle.

Over the coming posts we’ll examine things to think about in a complete and integrated marketing plan and strategy. It won’t be a marketing course and it won’t be a Harvard discussion. It will be Marketing from the streets. It’ll integrate online and offline and provide the big picture you can use to achieve your goals. Best of all, it will address processes, measurements and budgets - the three things marketers hate to talk about.

I know.  My question doesn’t make sense.  Allow me to explain. We’re in the middle of remessaging Sitebrand. As such, we need to revisit what we do as it relates to those who would be our consumers.  When you do this exercise, you force yourself to really understand your current and future clients.  Pretty much Marketing 101, right?  The toughest part in these exercises is nailing down what you do such that your target market understands, or at least has their interest piqued, such that they want to know more.  It’s the beginning of the messaging funnel that draws the prospect in and starts them on their way to a sale.  If you’ve ever been through it you’ll understand how this is often the most controversial aspect of remessaging.  Rarely does anyone agree and even if you manage some consensus there will always be someone else out there to tell you how you’ve got it wrong.  Welcome to Marketing!  (remind me again why I like this field so much!)

So that explains the question.  For a vendor such as Sitebrand that does dynamic online personalization, persuasion and conversion solutions, the argument around what our prospects would positively react to in that initial messaging was "Optimization or Conversion".  What are your thoughts?

Let me tell you what I think.  I think it’s Conversion.  As a Marketer, I absolutely hate the term Optimization.  When I hear that, I think of expensive consultants pouring over my systems trying to do efficiency studies which will result in more consulting engagements to apply the recommendations of the efficiency studies which will then encounter some unanticipated complications as a result of my unique infrastructure and architecture which will require more expensive consultants to analyze my technology framework which will then result in more expensive consultants to implement topographical improvements which will remove the bottlenecks I didn’t know I had which will allow the consultants to upgrade my hardware and software configurations which will then require expensive consultants to train my staff on the changes which will result in a loss of productivity and revenue generation activity which will result in many late nights for me and my team as we desperately try to catch up.  But I’ll be ‘optimized’!

Said another way, to me Optimization means tweaking some settings.  It doesn’t mean ‘make more money’.  And as I’ve said before, that’s how I’m measured.  I’m the HIPPO, as Jim Sterne recently alluded to in a session he gave (stands for Highly Paid Person with the Opinion).

Now - talk to me about Conversion and I’m all ears.  You’re getting to my end-game.  You’re talking results!  Measurable results.  Career enhancing results!  Bloggable results!  Tell me more!

Ironically - I shared some of my thoughts with Jim Sterne in a dinner outing the night before his seminar.  Guess what?  He disagreed.  He told me I was biased and that it was all about Optimization.

So I thought about it and I think he’s wrong.  After all, I’m the Marketer.  I am my own target customer.  And I think you know how I feel about Optimization.

So after watching his session, I engaged him again.  This time I told him he was biased (he didn’t look too impressed).  I said that his bias was as a result of living in the trenches of web analytics and measurement.  Being measured by productivity enhancements will create a bias towards Optimization.  In reality, Optimization drives Conversion.  They’re tied together.  And guess what?  He agreed.  So, Jim and I remain good friends.  Whew!

But there you have it, don’t you?  It’s all about knowing your customer.  I’m the executive - talk to me about Conversion.  Maybe you’re the analytics expert.  I’ll talk to you about Optimization.  In the end we’re all measured by results.  And the only results that truly count are financial.  At least in the business world.

If you enjoyed this discussion about messaging and understanding your customers, you may want to check out our next webinar where we talk about understanding the personas visiting your website.  You need to personalize to optimize their experience and convert them for success.  Or something like that.

And that’s the rub. Is personalization about revenue? Or is it about loyalty? Or is it about customer retention? Or is it about brand development?

Well, in my world, I can tell you that I don’t work for Intel, or General Motors, or Proctor and Gamble. My budgets do not have much allocated solely for brand development and I can absolutely assure you that every dollar I spend is scrutinized by my CEO, my CFO and my VP Sales. And while I value and understand the importance of all of the above, I also understand it’s Marketing’s job to feed the sales machine. Can you relate to that? If you can, read on.

So we agree the number one purpose of Marketing is customer acquisition. To me, the corollary to that means my number one focus should be on conversion. Think about it. We spend all of our time and money on creating programs and campaigns to drive traffic to a website, or to a trade show, or to a webinar, and then we typically hope the message is compelling enough that the recipient will simply act on our call to action because they believe our message. I don’t know about you, but when I go shopping, I go comparison shopping. And when I go comparison shopping, I evaluate price and availability first. Only after I have found a merchant who can provide what I want do I suddenly find myself facing a decision; whom to buy the product from. So, using myself as a focus group, what motivates me? For me it’s simple. Who do I trust the most? Trust is the secret ingredient to making each of our programs convert to revenue.

Can you relate?

If you can then answer me this. What makes you trust a merchant you’ve never dealt with before?

There will always be lots of opinions on this but I think it’s simple. I trust the merchant I identify with, who speaks my language, who understands my persona, whom I can relate to.

How does the merchant do that? By personalizing the experience based on my behaviors and my actions. If a picture is worth a thousand words then my actions must be a whole set of books. Don’t believe me? Next time you go shopping in the real world, watch that sales clerk as they approach you. You can be sure they’re assessing your wardrobe, your preferences based on where you are in the store, your body language, your projected financial well being, and your engagement. And you can be sure that the good sales clerks will be mirroring your actions so that you will trust them. In essence, they’ve created a personal experience for you. Why? To convert the customer.

So that’s where I’m starting with my Marketing dollars. I want to convert each prospect I engage with. I want a personal experience for each of them.

Later on I’ll think about retaining them. When my budget goes up. Or my CEO complains.