Web content that improves your return on investment

Jonathan Bowers, January 31st 2008, 12:09PM

In relation to other advertising mediums, the internet is just emerging from infancy. It's no surprise then that many people are still not getting sponsored links right and essentially throwing money away by delivering poor relevance.

Search engines reward on relevance for a very good reason - it's what the user wants. So if you place an ad online and it doesn't lead to a page that delivers on the promise of that ad - you are punished two fold. Users will not stay on your site and Google will in turn hold back from rewarding you.

How can Google promote a website that the user doesn't want to see?

There are some very simple rules you can follow in preparing the landing pages for your online advertising that will help to keep the visitors from reverting back to the search results never to return again.

First off, you should make sure your 'Creative' which is the descriptive text within the advert is an exact distillation of the page they will click through to. Then ensure that this page is the most relevant page on your website for these keywords. Do not require your user to click further to find the information they need.

To give yourself the best chance of converting the visitor make sure that the navigation across the website is very simple and user friendly so that your landing page is as few clicks away from a transaction as possible.

There is one major 'don't' with landing pages too. Do not place them in an area that requires a login or registration process before the user can reach the information they require. This is a sure way to send them straight back to the search results with a bitter taste in their mouth.

At UKFast we create new pages for every keyword that appears in our advertising campaign. It's an ongoing process that can be very rewarding when done correctly.

Tags: advertising, adwords, websites
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Online elections in the US and France

Jonathan Bowers, April 24th 2007, 11:22AM

It seems to me that politicians are really harnessing the internet now and truly undertanding the power that it can afford them. Well, they are in the US and France anyway. It's not just that the presidential candidates themselves are doing it but by extention the online community is also creating a buzz about each politician.

So while the Huffington Post is announcing that it will host the first online debate for the US Presidential election race and the French are racing online to scrutinise each of their candidates websites, I had a look at our probable leader-to-be and his presence online.

If it weren't for Theyworkforyou.com and the No:10 website, Gordon Brown would have a very limited online presence indeed. He doesn't have his own site or blog and the labour party seem to be making much less effort as a whole to garner support on the web than their Conservative rivals. Most importantly, Brown is making no effort to be available to people online.

I wouldn't be surprised if Brown's own website appears at a time when his advisors convince him it is necessary. The only problem is that by then, it will be too late to win the real support of people who want to trust and respect the candidate that they vote for.

Tags: politics, websites
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Static or dynamic - a difficult choice?

Jonathan Bowers, March 13th 2007, 5:12PM

It amazes me that so many people involved in key business decisions do not realise the difference between a static website and one with dynamic content and functionality.

People as consumers will demand a lot from the Internet. Sites have to be fast, straightforward and easy to use. The sites that we spend time on and add to our bookmarks are those that we can interact on or at least carry out some sort of function.

So why do many people running their own websites not choose to provide the same level of service that they expect as consumers?

There may be over 1.5million businesses in the UK with a web presence but I wonder how many of these are actually delivering the same level of service as they demand when browsing.

It's probably the two percent that are making 75 per cent of the Internet's revenue.

Tags: websites
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The web's best industries

Jonathan Bowers, August 23rd 2006, 4:51PM

I'm working with Internet consultancy Harper James at the moment to produce a list of the UK's best industries online.

In order to build an extensive list, I'd love to consider people's thoughts on the best and worst of those online. We're all aware that certain industries - like the travel sector have been revolutionised by the advent of the net and many of these sites are designed and run in a very professional manner. But which areas are racing to catch up, which are just getting a foothold and which are still down right ugly?

I'll be working on this over the next few weeks and considering criteria including the look of a site, its navigation and search success amongst other things.

So if you'd like your say, post a comment here.

Tags: websites
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Optimising Your Online Presence Seminar

Jonathan Bowers, June 6th 2006, 5:01PM

Tomorrow night in Manchester City centre, UKFast's MD Lawrence Jones is joining with Yahoo, Hitwise and Internet Marketing agency Adoofa to give tips to city businesses on boosting their online presence.

It's going to be a hugely informative evening and having heard snippets of Lawrence's talk, a lot of the information is very specific and could make a real difference. It's a rare opportunity to hear from people in positions in the Internet industry that allow them a lot of niche knowledge.

I am not sure whether there are any tickets left, but if you are interested in trying to get one, email Nicky Wake at Don't Panic Projects and she might be able to squeeze you in.

I'll post again about the event afterwards for those who are unable to make it.

Tags: internet, marketing, websites
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