Developing Success: The Return of ROI

Innovation often comes from obvious places

In 1994, the World Wide Web was just entering the popular imagination. Stock options in companies valued many, many times over earnings (if there were any earnings) were eagerly sought and Interactive Age Magazine grew fat and sassy on huge ad budgets from 100s of companies that no longer exist.

By the end of the decade, the “coolness factor” was replaced by ROI. Business people demanded results from their investment in internet technologies.

Here's a short list of items to consider to help you increase your internet ROI:

• Use your statistics package - good packages can provide information on the content that viewers view most, search terms used to find your site (can inform search engine optimization), sites that link and refer viewers to your site and document downloads (including the number of downloads).
• Integrate your marketing efforts - For example, create unique pages for each marketing tactic and include a strong call to action (similar to a promotional code). Measure effectiveness by reviewing activity generated and also by reviewing hits to each unique page.
• Segment content - have content specific to the variety of audiences that go to your site. Keep track of which sections of your site are generating the most traffic to see where additional marketing dollars may have greater impact. Gather information from each audience segment via forms and requests for information to build a relationship with your visitors. Information from forms can inform buyer/viewer profiles and help you target your media buying and other marketing efforts more effectively.
• Offer valuable content - This is one way to ask viewers for more information about themselves and their buying habits. People are willing to give up information as long as they are getting something in return. For example, people are willing to register to access added-value content and receive discounts or promotions.
• Make it easy for you and your customers - Maintain your site with an easy-to-use content management system (CMS) and take control—no more waiting for changes, additions, deletions on your site. Also, create ways for current clients to easily shop, generate a work order, or facilitate any other process that either takes up your staff time (i.e., make requests, track your own order, answer questions via a knowledge database, download documents in PDF format to save on the cost of printing and shipping, etc.).
• Listen to your customers - Most importantly, listen to your customers. Gather input on your website, look at Blogs, Discussion Lists and other industry forums to see what customers are looking for, what their main complaints are, and look for opportunities to address them using web-based technologies.

How we got there. Learning through experience, listening to clients.
Much of our success in creating ROI has come from the experience of creating our content management system, cmScribe. The original concept was to provide clients with the ability to update their sites on their own, without having to know any code. The NetReach programming team started working on a beta of a content management system in early 2000. As clients used the system, we added new components based on their comments, complaints and desires.

With 100% of its functionality driven by client requests and testing in real-world environments, cmScribe has demonstrated its ability to meet diverse, demanding needs. Features include easy on-page editing and moving of content (whole sections of sites could move up or down the site architecture), the ability to add keywords and descriptions for Search Engine Optimization, capturing visitor data, supporting sophisticated marketing efforts, and providing ecommerce capabilities.

If you'd like to know more about cmScribe and other ways to improve your Net Results we invite you to contact us!

— Stephen Bouikidis, Executive VP, NetReach stephen@netreach.com 215-283-2300 x147

Tip Sheet: Domain Name Registration and Privacy

We get several calls a week from clients wanting to know if a fax they’ve received for “Website Address Listing Services” or a similar service is either 1) an invoice they need to pay or 2) a service they should subscribe to. If it reads — THIS IS NOT A BILL. THIS IS A SOLICITATION — then it’s not a bill, so you don’t need to pay it!

But, more importantly how did the service get your information in the first place? Spammers, stalkers, wackos and the shifty con artist could be getting your information from your Domain Name Registration Record. When you or your service bureau registers your domain (your website address) a lot of information is required: your name, your email address, your physical address, your phone number. This information is public and readily available. See for yourself, go to: http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp?tab=home and type in your site’s address, click search and read your record.

There are ways to protect your privacy if you are an individual without access to a legal entity such as a company (if your company owns your domain name you still need to provide accurate information and a contact name. This may only shift the problem to a slightly less personal level).

Proxy and private registrations are two ways to protect your privacy. They are very similar; in the first you are making a legally binding agreement with a proxy company that will provide their own information. They have access to your data, and for a fee, act as a “forwarding agency” for your email, calls and snail mail. In the private registration you provide your name, and the registering company provides the email, telephone and address information. The difference is that with the private registration, you remain in full legal control of your site’s address as you are listed as the registrant.

If you decide to go with either of these privacy options carefully review the credentials of the offering company to determine if they are a legitimate company with a track record.

Just Released: Web-to-Print Capabilities Added to cmScribe

Netreach today announced an extension to its web-based content management system (CMS) that allows users to generate a print-based catalog from their website. NetReach’s cmScribe already allows users to create and edit content, easily and efficiently through a browser, to their website. Now clients have the additional ability to repurpose web content and create a high-resolution print version of their web-based catalog.

» Read more

Case Study: Biomol

In 2003 Biomol engaged NetReach to redesign and re-architect their site with a fresh, contemporary look using a reorganized interface to make it’s extensive product inventory both easy to navigate and search. At the same time, NetReach migrated the Biomol site to more up-to-date .NET server technologies using cmScribe—NetReach’s content management software.

The adoption of the cmScribe content management system in 2003, gave Biomol staff three important business critical web functions. Staff were now able to:

» Add and edit content and new products
» Receive online orders, and
» Manage product fulfillment via a commerce manager.

cmScribe helped Biomol self-manage their site, create internal efficiencies and reduced their cost for fulfillment.

» Read more

© 2006 NetReach, Inc. • 124 South Maple Street, Ambler, PA 19002 • 215.283.2300 • www.netreach.com

PRIVACY POLICY NetReach respects your privacy. We will never sell or rent your name, e-mail address, physical address or any other identifying information that you give us to any third party. If you would prefer not to receive future e-mails from us, you may opt-out by replying to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject line.