INTRODUCTION
The main goal and objective of marketing are to reach the public frequently and influence their decision to maximize the sales of a company. But over time marketing has changed with digital marketing and it is giving wonderful outcomes to the business. There are various ways to use the techniques of digital marketing such as CRM also changed the face of digital marketing and the growing use of the internet is also attracting users through computers, websites, mobiles, tablets, and smartphones. Digital marketing is majorly based on e-marketing that is affecting the public. In this report, Clintons Cards is a firm that came in inception in 1968 by the late Don Lewin. It is was founded to offer a wide range of greeting cards for every occasion. Because these instances are important for every person's life that is the mantra of the business as 'birthday and anniversary never go out fashion'. The report covers a comparison of traditional and digital marketing and its importance, website optimization techniques, Search Engine Optimization, Pay-Per-Click advertising. Moreover, it also underpins online display & video advertising and social media marketing, digital marketing activities, and website analytics (Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick, 2012).
TASK
Comparison between traditional and digital marketing and its importance
Traditional marketing refers to the promotion, advertisement or campaign that are used by the companies from years and to meet the success whereas the digital marketing is utilizing the media resources over the internet in order to meet the goals of the firm. Over the times, traditional marketing is become a slow process to promote the products and services. Therefore, digital marketing is reaching out the to the prospect consumers of the goods and services frequently. In the given case study Clintons has faced the both kind of marketing scenario in the market as it was using traditional techniques since inception but as the time requires some changes needed to adopt to get better results. There is a huge difference between traditional and digital marketing and that are given below -
Traditional marketing | Digital marketing |
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Clintons card has seen both affects of marketing from the beginning and till now as in traditional marketing that was only covering the local area to sell the cards with a maximum benefits. But it has to put money for it which was not up to the mark in order to gain the profit. On the other hand, the digital marketing used to spread the information of the products so that any one can purchase the cards from anywhere in the world. Clintons is not limited to a particular region it can sell the cards beyond boundaries to attain profit and less investment.
Clintons could utilise website optimisation techniques to improve performance
Website performance optimisation is required to be in top priority in high competition circumstances. A company does everything to be in limelight to beat the competition. In digital marketing it is also necessary to keep improving to raise the business. The website optimization is one kind of techniques that improve the performance of Clintons Cards business. The website optimization is very important in digital world to attain the expected performance. There are some techniques that can amend the performance of company and that are mentioned below -
Reduce HTTP Requests
When a browser fetches data from the server it can do so because of the HTTP ( Hyper Text Transfer Protocol). It sends the request to the server and get the the response and then send it back to the client. In general it works as interface between the client and server. As much as HTTP requests a web page it will take time to load the web page. Because browser is limited to open certain number of simultaneous connections to a single host. In order to reduce the request the the elements of individual pages can be can be bundled into single file and these elements includes images and small files. This will reduce HTTP requests and the number of round trips which are required to load a webpage (Wymbs, 2011) .
Image Optimization
The users expects to load an image faster but the maximum amount of time will be taken while downloading images and that makes the less satisfied the users. High quality images keeps the users engage on the sites that is good for the website as user spends more time on web page. In order to compress the image file size Photoshop can be used this will enhance the quality of the image that looks good to the user.
Making a website responsive
As there are so many mobile users and it necessary to built a responsive website (accessible on computer, tablets and smart phone ). If the website is responsive that can will be capture more attention of the people. For an example, if Clintons cards has a responsive website then it can be be accessible for everyone and anywhere in the world. It will increase the business with profit and the user will also be satisfied because the responsive design of the website will be easy and fast to download. There are some crucial things which increases the websites utilization such as responsive design provides SEO benefits. Its conversion rates will be increased, inclining mobile traffic, fast web pages, decline in bounce rate (Wertime and Fenwick, 2011) .
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Better hosting service
To run a website successfully Clintons needs to chose a best reliable services through comparing the configuration of different platforms. After configuring the platforms they can select the best hosting services that will be suitable according to requirements. The company needs its own server to respond quickly to the requests because the server is not configured as its own then it will the website cannot work efficiently as the requests will not be able to get the response.
Enable browser caching
When a user enters the website then the elements are stored on the hard drive in cache or temporary storage. Enabling cache will increase the speed the website to use its faster. The major benefit of enabling the cache is that whenever a person will browse enters the website at that time the browser will open the webpage faster then before because now the HTTP requests does not need to send to the server as it stored the elements of the webpage to use frequently (Royle and Laing, 2014) .
Trim the number of plugins on website
As plugins are helpful to do a lot of improvements to the websites and this can be used to add custom functionality, clean up code, improve your experience and more. It also eliminate the mess with the code which makes easy to work on other's designed code. The plugins are used to support the user – friendly sites. These plugins are easy to use and install. But there are still some issues with the plugins and because of that the speed of the website can be decrease. To avoid the low speed one should be careful to use the plugins. It also harmful for the security purpose as it is openly available on the internet therefore, the intruders can crash the system or may create a risk for the website. The plugins can generate technical difficulties.
Clintons can use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click advertising (PPC)
According to Vangie Beal Search engine optimization or SEO is a practice to increase the traffic on website with quantity and quality through organic searches. It is a methodologies of strategies, techniques and tactics which are applied to increase the amount of visitors to a website through obtain the high ranking placement on search result page of SERP which includes Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines. There is need to understand the SEO for Clintons Cards so that it can utilize the search engine optimization for a better way and to understand it clearly there are some specific aspects that are as follows -
- Quality of traffic - A business can attract the visitors across the world but there is huge difference in quality traffic such as the Google can tell the the visitors that a firm is providing customized flowers but in actual that is a fruit vendor that is not a quality traffic. Instead of that a business need to attract the genuine users who are looking for the products and services (Fahy and Jobber, 2012) . Clintons Cards needs to capture the attention of the actual visitors who are looking for the greeting cards (Martin and Schouten, 2012) .
- Quantity of traffic – If once it happened that right people are clicking through correct search engine result pages then it would be better to get more traffic because it is exploring the web pages.
- Organic results – Organic traffic refers to the advertisement that does not require any pay and these advertisements has an importance on the SERPs.
The SEO is one of the most useful and cheaper technique to capture the visitors but it needs put the efforts to attract the users that really need the products which a company offers. Clintons Cards is greeting cards company which provides greeting card for every occasion so it can use search engine optimization. Whenever any individual wanted to look for the greeting cards then the the SERP will provides them various links but the firm needs to acquire on top list placements. On the top ranked links the user can reach to the website to purchase the products. This is known as quality and organic traffic which is most essential for a website.
Steps to design an effective SEO
The Clinton cards can design an effective SEO to perform better than its competitors like Funky Pigeon and Moonpig these steps are as follows -
- Research keywords – While designing a SEO it is important to create a search engine friendly site. The website should use some user – friendly words that can be catch easily to search a products on internet. The user can search 'birthday cards' then the all the websites that sells the birthday cards will be displayed to all.
- Place keywords strategically – The Keywords should be place in the content url, links that can be retrieve easily(Chaffey, 2010) .
- Meta tag and title tag – The meta tags and title should be on top of the description that will be easy to retrieve the web page on SERPs.
- Content and images – The content should be updated because visitors get engage with attractive content and related high quality images so it is essential to update the content.
Pay-Per-Click
According to Christopher Carr pay per click is expensive than SEO as it charges on per click. The advertisements are displayed through various mediums and when they get clicked by the user at that point of time the SERPs charges some amount from organization. If Clintons Cards displays some advertisements on social media platforms at that time they need to pay a fixed amount to the SERP.
Steps for PPC
There are a few steps to design a PPC and that are mentioned below -
Create Goals for PPC Campaign
First of all this is essential to identify the target audience such as who will be target through the paid research. This needs to chose keywords and creating advertisement texts to communicate with the audience. The Clintons needs to look for the desired outcome in actually what they are expecting to from the digital marketing. The page should include capture the audience with a attractive keywords (Cheyne and et. al., 2013) .
Create an Easy to Use Campaign Structure
While developing a structure of the campaign two things needs to keep in mind is that to make content relevant and simple. Relevant means to create a themed advertisement groups with a small groups of keywords. On the other hand, simple the refers to manage the campaign on a daily basis because monitoring a campaign makes it more effective that allows to a better identification of efficiencies and inefficiency.
Clintons cards can utilize these techniques to reach out the people in an effective way through online websites, techniques and tools (Wilson and et. al., 2012) .
An overview of the relevant laws and guidelines
Digital marketing is very beneficial for an organization as they provides chance to display more attractive and effective promotional activities. It is helpful to conduct more efficient procedures of marketing to gain new customers along with retaining the current ones. But it is also mandatory for companies to follow several laws and guideline which are given below:
- Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988
- Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations
- Social Media and the law
- Electronic Communications Act
- Committees of Advertising Practice
- Data Protection Act
Discuss how Online Display & Video Advertising and Social Media Marketing can be used to attract, retain and engage new and existing customers
Digital advertising may be considered as the medium of internet marketing in which use various tools or techniques such as online ads, videos and social media and many more to deliver marketing messages to the targeted audiences. Many of firms consider digital tools or techniques for creating awareness among customers by using video adverts, paid search and social ads, sponsored blog posts etc. in the present scenario, digital marketing play an important role in promoting any products or services as well as business among strong competitors. Clintons has opportunity to increase its goodwill and come back with innovative ideas and creativity in the marketplace. They can undertake various forms of digital marketing and tools or techniques for the purpose of attracting, retaining and engaging new as well as existing customers towards firm. They can expand their greeting cards business at other places for targeting huge audiences in an effective manner (Taiminen and Karjaluoto, 2015).
Clinton should make appropriate strategies and action plans regarding adoption of online display, advertisements and social media platform for the purpose of effective marketing of their greeting cards so that more customers can be aware. It is necessary to implement such strategies in adequate way so that positive outcomes can be gathered. Therefore, company can implement its online display and advertisement strategies and social media marketing by following such steps.
Implementation of online display and advertising strategy:
- Analyze and define: in this stage, it is necessary to analyze the objectives for attaining best possible outcomes. Clintons focus on digital advertising campaign objectives and customers profile so that better strategy can be formulated.
- Determine digital advertising channels and tactics: In this, Clinton can select best suitable method or channel of digital marketing. It will support in attaining, retaining and attracting more new and existing customers towards organization.
- Campaigning setup and implementation: In this stage, company can consider various tools or methods that will be beneficial in retaining more customers towards organization. Clintons should create and launch the digital advertising campaigns with the help of Google AdWords, adverts and Facebook etc.
- Gather data: In such phase, company collect relevant information or data regarding digital advertising campaigning. It is helpful aspect which support in analyzing conversions rates, click through rates and scheduling as well.
- Optimize: In this, they develop an optimization plan for proper marketing of their greeting cards business in which consider A/B split testing, re-selecting digital advertising channels which will be beneficial in targeting different audiences in an adequate manner (Kaufman and Horton, 2014).
Implementation of social media marketing
- Set a social media marketing goals or objectives: It is first phase in which company formulate a strategy regarding social media marketing for establishing particular goals or objectives. Clintons company try to capture market and retain, attracts and engage them towards greeting cards (Ryan, 2014).
- Create audiences: In this, company try to find its potential customers through segmentation in effective way. Clinton focus on birthday parties, occasions or weddings for their unique greeting cards.
- Research the competition: In this phase, company determine its competitors that are available in existing marketplace. It will support in finding better platform of social media for creating more awareness among target audiences.
- Conduct a social media audit: This must be required to analyze the appropriate data or information regarding socials media. Audit will help to Clintons in reviewing their performances at social media and provide clear picture to them.
- Find inspiration: It is necessary to have unique brand and distinctive from other competitors. Clinton can be inspired from another successful businesses who created better position by using social media which they gave on social websites or blogs as well.
- Create strategy to adopt social media platform: In this company decide to take best media such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, websites and many more to spread information very quickly.
- Test, evaluation of strategy: This is last phase in which company look after its strategy and measure effectiveness and positives outcomes in an effective way.
Therefore, Clintons company can undertake social media platform for attracting, retaining and engaging their new or existing customers towards firm.
How Clintons could incorporate Content and Email Marketing
As being a small business a firm needs to try almost everything because nobody knows which techniques and strategy gives better result. Therefore, Clinton Cards can use content and email marketing. The Clinton cards can use both of these techniques of online marketing to cater the target audience and make them interested in the greeting cards brands (Charlesworth, 2014) .
Content marketing
Content marketing refers to create and sharing rich content to attract the visitors and convert them as customers and establish a strong relationship with them to make a repeating buys. The content should be related with the product or services that are selling by the firm which means that a company is making the visitors aware about the types of goods and increase the trust in the company ans products. As Clintons Cards is greeting cards company so it can create a content with unique and catchy keywords for online marketing in order to allure the visitors. There are several ways to post the content for marketing such as - blog posts, videos, emails, white papers, infographics, presentations, web pages and landing pages. Get the best assignment help at the best price.
Blog posts
Amend a content marketing strategy in a blog post can be use as to promote the products but this blog posts should be scheduled. Clintons Cards can use the blog content to with its own websites because the blog has creative writing style that allures and keeps busy readers (Yadav, Joshi and Rahman, 2015) .
Videos
Videos are also an impressive way to deliver the ideas about the greeting cards to the targeted audience with a innovative thoughtful concepts. Clintons can use YouTube is one of the best way to convey the information about the cards to the public.
White papers
White paper is a tool that can be sued to educate the people about the goods and the features of that products. It is one of the best practices to spread out the content which covers the specialty of the greeting cards. Clintons can use the white papers cause it leads the sales through make the prospect customers aware about the occasional greeting cards.
Infographics
As the name indicates give information with graphics in this the textual information is used less. Because the the message a business wants to convey to the audience is majorly based on the graphics but the only thing is required is that the graphics should be killer that can catch the attention of the visitors.
Presentations
The presentation is also used by the marketers with limited content and that is posted on various free websites like delicious in order to gain the profit. The presentation conveys the information to the public in an effective way (Scully and et. al., 2012).
Email marketing
Email marketing is a prominent to communicate and stay connected with the clients as they are also encouraging a business. The Clintons cards can use this strategy to connect with them because this establishes a bond between the firm and clients. There are some general email campaigns can be used to promote the products and services through newsletters. It can be used as sales promotions. But there is need to manage the email marketing with a focus because if the shotgun emails send to the people who does not relate to the greeting cards then it is waste of time and money for Clintons. There are some simple keys for a successful email campaign that are as follows -
- The Clintons marketers need to focus on growing and cutting email subscriber list. The firms needs to request emails through websites, blog, social media channels or in store promotions. Because the customer are already know about the greeting cards.
- It would be good if the markers divides the list of the customers because it is not necessary that every customer will be interested in greeting cards. The VerticalResponse is an email provider that can be used to divide the contact list to save the time and cost.
- One should deliver a quality content which is aimed to fulfill the needs of the target list of emails. For an instance, if some family member or a friend's birthday is near then their near ones wanted to give them a greeting cards, so it will be good for them if they can gt the desired card from Clintons (Daj, Samoilă and Ursuţiu, 2012) .
The content and email marketing has the ability to capture the attention on the website through a killer content that can engage the readers and give information about the greeting cards variety.
Clintons could use website analytics to improve performance
Website analytics is used to get measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of web data for purpose of understanding and optimizing web usage. These analytics can be used to track, retrieve, store and report the data from specific software applications such as - Google Analytics, Clicky, Kissmetrics and Mint. By using all of these applications website audience can be track with geographical area and device uses. In order to improve the performance of the website initial the marketers needs to set a goal to attain through the website because these goals will measure the outcome of the website. To improve and get the beneficial output of the web analytics the Clinton Cards can use techniques to perform the key activities and these techniques are - content marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, marketing automation, email marketing, digital advertising, digital marketing analytics and mobile marketing. In order to perform the activities all of these tools and techniques are used to get successful web analytics that can boost the business (Rakiġ and Rakiġ, 2014) (.
Laws and Regulations
There are some specific rules and regulations of digital marketing that must be follow the rules and regulations such as - Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, The Companies (Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2008, Social Media and the law, Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP). Filming.
For an example, TK MAXX is an apparel organization in the United Kingdom that uses its website to grow more. But the company can grow more in a direction by using the web analytics that supports it most. To attain the goal it needs to put more efforts to get the determined objectives with a strategy to set a new milestone (Brennan and Croft, 2012 ). Students who are in computer science field must take our Matlab Assignment Help UK service from IT professionals.
CONCLUSION
The emerging technologies and tools are boosting up digital marketing to attain the organization goals. After going to the above mention report it has been concluded that, digital marketing is increasing now a day in wide manner. Because it assist organisation in doing several promotional activities as well their wide wide difference between traditional and digital marketing. Moreover, with the assistance of digital marketing company can do their products selling activity in better manner. In ancient time peoples are using traditional approaches which is expensive come to modern digital technologies. Apart from this, through the same technology such as websites, display and video advertisement, emails and many more company can do promotion of their business in better manner.
Digital marketing assist company in attracting large number of customers in easy manner. Because it is the most attractive way of doing promotional activity. Moreover, through this enterprise can increase their productivity, sales and profit maximisation also.