Visitor Tracking

With spring jut about behind us, many people's thoughts are already turning towards summer. Maybe it's planning that vacation, coordinating the kid's time off school, or just anticipating great outdoor activities. Apart from the holiday period at the end of December, the early summer can also be a very busy season for most businesses. Considerable expenditure is put into launching potential hits and marketing decisions are based on firm foundations. You have to do your homework to know what seasons are the most lucrative for your business.

Knowing as much as possible about your customers can save you a lot of headaches and potentially make you a lot of money. To compete effectively, you have to play the numbers game and play it well.

2. Feature Article

The more you know about your customer and your product, along with how the two interact, the better positioned you will be to improve on your business model. Grocery stores are prime examples of this. Discount membership cards enable them to track where you live, where you work, your family details, your annual income, and to retain a record of every single purchase you make at each store in their chain.

Your website shouldn't be any different. If you're running an online business, the only way to determine whether your strategy is working is to measure the results. Where are your visitors coming from? What kind of people are they? What do they do when they are on your site? Are they more interested in one of your products than another?

Consider for a moment the importance of actually profiling those visitors who make a purchase from you. Where do they come from? Have they bought from your competitors in the past? Why are they now doing business with you?

Knowledge is power and the more you know about your clients, the better. If you can determine what's working on your website and the specifics of your customers, your marketing can be tailored to capture those most likely to buy from you.

3. globi Announcements

While you may have spoken to Tracy Griffiths in Globi's Admin, we all knew that eventually the time would come when she would move on the expand her career in full-fledge accounting. Well, as luck would have it Joanie Dang was looking to gain some general accounting experience at the exact same time!

Joanie brings with her a Financial Services Diploma from SAIT and 3 years of accounting experience.

You might recognize a family resemblance to Rick Dang, one of our brilliant developers here at Globi. Joanie is Rick's little sister and we are very happy to have such a talented individual as her on our team!

4. Web Site Tip

Our last newsletter discussed the significance of having your own domain name. However, it's also very important to make sure that your online identity isn't too obscure.

Once your website is ready to go, if your company's domain name resembles www.abc-company_ltd_customer-service.com, you should probably investigate how you can simplify it so people can find you easier on the web. Try to make your name one word if possible and as short as possible. Domain names are also case sensitive so you want to eliminate the possibility of your visitors making an error in typing.

Our example ends with .com, and this is still the case with most top level domain names out there. These names are also the most memorable and make you easier to locate if someone simply takes an educated guess at your web address.

There are others of course, such as .ca, which identifies you as being from Canada and .org, which is typically used by non profit organizations, public libraries and so on, while online directories, networks, listings or resource sites usually end with .net. One ending which may not always be a happy one is .biz. It can be somewhat obscure and may discourage some visitors. However, if you do decide to use this one, you should make certain that the .biz registrar is reputable and dependable before going ahead.

5. Marketing Tip

It may seem to be stating the obvious, but you need to ensure that your pages are consistent throughout your site. Your visitors will then know what to expect as they surf through what you have to offer.

Your company logo and corporate color scheme will probably be in evidence on each page, but if you are using certain symbols and icons on the home page, make sure they are the ones used in all the other sections too. Your navigation and layouts should be consistent from page to page. Not only will your site look more professional; it will also make the customer more comfortable as they study your products and services.

Remember that repetition is linked with memory. If your website visitor sees the same colors/logo/navigation on every page of your site then they will be more likely to remember you and think to use your service in the future.

6. Web Site Faux Pas

We've all seen it and may even be guilty of it ourselves. Errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation have become common place in e-mail, particularly within companies or in inter-office communications. Politicians, public figures and news anchors mangle the language on a daily basis so much that we have almost become accustomed to it. However, don't let your website fall into the same trap. Many sites are full of basic spelling and grammatical errors that could have easily been avoided by simply doing spell and grammar checks or having an expert review your content.

Your online copy reflects on your professionalism. You need to take pride in what you have on the web. If it appears you don't really care what your site looks like, the customer will assume your products may also be sloppy. The quality of content on your site will always have a positive or negative effect on your visitors. Without the sake of sounding cliché, you only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure that your visitors get a positive one.

7. Globi Client Case Study

Challenge(s): Site's database was originally developed in an old Access format, which was restrictive and didn't easily allow for multiple users. Additionally, it was felt that the administrative section was a bit difficult for administrative staff to maintain and the client wanted to have search system of all members. Later improvements were to make the system as automated as possible.

Solution(s): Globi ported the site from an ASP/MSSQL solution to a PHP/MySQL solution, which made the site more portable and run faster. Under the new format, Globi was then able to conveniently and cost effectively add some new functionality like improved searches, thumbnail images in search results, and image auto-sizing on upload.

Client also moved to Globi's Hosting service allowing the ability to implement a user base email system that would notify members when their contract would expire with Silver Screen. This also provided the client with the ability to search all members from any Internet connection and not just from the office.

Benefits: By the nature of the client's industry, staff are now able to access the site for any Internet location by multiple users and not just during office hours. The database is now kept confidently up to date by staff and the additional search fields helps the client provide an even better service to their own clients while saving hundreds of hours previously spent on internal administration and their associated cost. The client is now considering completely eliminating the costly overhead of office space while their administrative staff can work conveniently from any location.

8. Feedback

Just wanted you to know that I think you guys do a fantastic job. I called your office yesterday with a concern over our newsletter on the web site. We discussed a solution and 3 hours later the solution was in place and everything is flowing great. You are one of the few companies I have dealt with that have answers and solutions immediately. No waiting for a week. Cheers to all of you.

Have a question or comment? Email us: feedback@globi.ca
We're always happy to hear from you!

9. Globi Special

Globi Web Solutions' goal is to create the opportunity for you to have a professional identity for your company or corporation. A well-designed logo represents your company and the essence of your business, leaving an impact for both print and web display. It signals the existence of your company, its strength, services and products offered. The aim is to create a lasting impression on your customer's mind.

Globi offers 3 different logo design packages to suit your specific needs and budget. Visit the Logo Design page on our website to find out about each package.

Hey - share the Wealth!

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Privacy

As our subscribers, we respect your privacy and will never make our mailing list publicly accessible.

Until next month, we remain your humble messenger to the internet.

Globi Web Solutions
1023 - 12th Ave SW
Calgary, Alberta, T2R 0J5
Phone: (403) 229-3800
E-mail: admin@globi.ca
Web Site: http://www.globi.ca

Copyright © 2010 Globi Web Solutions. All Rights Reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in whole or in part without the inclusion of Globi Web Solutions' Reprint Permission below.

Reprint Permission

Although this material is subject to copyright, please feel free to reprint this publication, in whole or in part, in your company publication, in training, presentations, or wherever you feel this would be of benefit. This also holds true for members of the media. All we ask (actually, we insist) is that you use the following credit line:

Reprinted with permission from Globi Web Solutions, a leading Website Design and Development Company based in Calgary. For further resources and information, go to globi.ca. Copyright © 2010 Globi Web Solutions.

1. Editor's Remarks