20 Tactics to Increase and Engage Web Traffic - BBCON 2013 - Mike Snusz & Sophia Latto

04/07/2023 #bbcon @sophialatto @mikesnusz 1

20 Tactics to Increase and Engage Web TrafficPRESENTED BY SOPHIA LATTO & MIKE SNUSZ


INTRODUCTIONS

SOPHIA LATTO, PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT – UX DESIGNI help nonprofits develop internet strategy around building constituent relationships, delivering compelling messages, and online fundraising. Prior to joining Blackbaud, I worked as a Creative Director at a design and marketing agency in New York City that specialized in online marketing and communications for the non-profit, utility, beverage, and financial sectors.

MIKE SNUSZ, SR. INTERNET MARKETING CONSULTANT

10+ years of fundraising experience. Areas of focus include email campaigns, online giving, SEO, website, analytics and social media. Previously managed the turnaround of the Ride For Roswell event, including it’s three-year growth from $330,000 to $1.2 million. Focuses on helping nonprofit build constituent relationships online, deliver compelling messages and maximize giving opportunities.


DRIVING QUALITY TRAFFIC


OPTIMIZE SEO FOR LOCAL SEARCH1


SEARCH RESULTS ARE MORE LOCALIZED, ESPECIALLY ON MOBILE


HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE LOCAL SEO?

1. Get reviews on Google+

(Good ones matter)

2. Complete profile 100%

3. Add photos

(First one is your profile)

4. Review categories

5. Link to other reviews

BUILD OUT GOOGLE+ LOCAL PROFILE


IMPROVE CITATIONS

• What’s a citation? Anywhere that uses your name, address and phone all on same page

• Everything must exactly match your Google+ Local listing• Website address abbreviations, zip code/phone number formats


OPTIMIZE SEO FOR LOCAL SEARCH

RESULT

• Generate more traffic from local search results

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Get Google+ reviews• Ensure citations exactly match Google+ profile• Complete Bing/Yahoo! Local places


WRITE BETTER PAGE TITLES2


WHAT IS A PAGE/BROWSER TITLE?


OPPORTUNITIES MISSED


OPPORTUNITIES SEIZED


WFH’S WORLD CONGRESS EVENT PAGE

• Before:• 20th-30th ranking in SER• 369 search visits/month

• After Page Title Updates:• 1st-2nd ranking in SER• 532 search visits/month

(44% increase)


INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS ASSOCIATION’S HOME PAGE

• Before Page Title Updates• 367,000 search visits

• After Page Title Updates• 707,000 search visits


WRITE BETTER PAGE TITLES

RESULTS• Improve search rankings and traffic

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Review page titles on:- Home page- Landing pages- Top content

• Eliminate duplicates + add missing ones (Google Webmaster Tools)


GOOGLE TRENDS3


GOOGLE TRENDS: NAVIGATION


Regional Filter Applied — Florida

GOOGLE TRENDS


GOOGLE TRENDS: CALL-TO-ACTION


GOOGLE TRENDS


GOOGLE TRENDS

RESULTS

• What words or phrases are used most for searches.• Learn if associated word used in searches are related to your mission.

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Change wording on your navigation and calls to action.• Use words or phrases that relate to your region if your

mission is regional.• Select words and phrases that have associated search words

that make sense for your mission.


USE GOOGLE WEBMASTER TOOLS FOR SEARCH KEYWORD ANALYSIS4


GOOGLE ANALYTICS SHOWS POST-VISIT KEYWORD INFO

UPDATE: Google says no longer able to track keywords visitors use


GOOGLE WEBMASTER TOOLS SHOWS VALUABLE PRE-VISIT KEYWORD INFO


BETTER META DESCRIPTIONS NEEDED?


USE GOOGLE WEBMASTER TOOLS FOR SEARCH KEYWORD ANALYSIS

RESULTS

• Quick wins to increase rankings, traffic and clicks• Learn rankings for keywords

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Use GWT to look for:1. Keyword Info

2. High rankings + Low click-throughs Better meta descriptions needed?

3. Average position of 4-25 Review keyword usage in important page areas (page titles, headings, etc.)


CREATE RICH SNIPPETS FOR SEARCH RESULTS5


GOOGLE AUTHORSHIP FOR BLOG POSTS

• Searchers drawn to image before headline*

• Higher click-through rates (up to 150%) **

• Possible higher rankings?

*moz.com/ugc/how-to-get-more-clicks-with-low-rankings

**www.catalystsearchmarketing.com/how-rich-snippets-can-improve-your-ctr/


GOOGLE+ LOCAL PROFILE REVIEWS

• More clicks (20-30% reported)• Builds trust


CREATE RICH SNIPPETS FOR SEARCH RESULTS

RESULTS

• Improve search result click-throughs• Improve local and mobile SEO

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Use Google Authorship for blog posts(Add to posts: <a href=“InsertGoogle+ProfileURL?rel=author">Google</a>)

• Ask for more Google+ reviews


GOOGLE ANNOTATIONS6


GOOGLE ANNOTATIONS


GOOGLE ANNOTATIONS

RESULTS

• Track how spikes in web traffic are affected by promotions, ads and changes on site.

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Tracking events in GA adds continuity during staff turnover.• If an effort makes a significant difference in web traffic, then repeat it.• Allows you to more accurately compare analytics YOY.


INCREASE ENGAGEMENT


5-SECOND USABILITY TESTING7


FINDING YOUR WEBSITE IS ONLY HALF THE STORY

Search engines are likely the first place your audience will go to find information about your organization. If Google can’t find it, they can’t find it either.

Search engines make it easier; however, you have less than 5 seconds to capture the attention of a search engine user. If your audience doesn’t immediately respond favorably to your content — they’ll bounce.


The appeal of the overall design of a site is the number one factor used to evaluate a website’s credibility.

5 seconds is enough to• Learn an organization’s mission• Form an emotional reaction• Form an opinion on credibility• Decide if we like something• Choose to engage

USABILITY TESTING: 5 SECOND TEST


What is the mission of the organization?




What is the mission of the organization?



RESULTS

• See how visitors perceive your organization and your mission.• Learn if you are accurately communicating your mission• See adjectives and emotions used to describe your organization.

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Change imagery • Revise major headlines• Think about the color palette and it’s impact• Consider the content hierarchy and the layout


CLICK-TEST USABILITY TESTING8


USABILITY TESTING: CLICK TEST



The top five clicks were:• Slideshow Arrow• Why Work

With CFT• Discover & Get

Inspired• Disaster Relief• Donate



RESULTS

• See where your users click.• Learn how your users interact with your navigation.• Quickly find out whether your calls-to-action are working effectively.

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Re-architect your navigation • Change the look or placement of your calls-to-action• Redesign the page• Tweak the language on links


MOBILE TRAFFIC AND TOP PAGE REPORTS9


MOBILE TRAFFIC REPORT

July 2012 to July 2013


Top Traffic Pages: 3 of the top 10 pages are their main P2P event

TOP PAGE TRAFFIC REPORT


MOBILE OPTIMIZATION (DONATION FORM)

Mobile Metrics06/2011 vs. 06/2012

Avg. Time on page Bounce Rate

Before Mobile 04:01 40%

After Mobile 01:30 25%

Result -02:31 -15%

• Average time spent on that page has decreased by 02:30 • The mobile bounce rate has been reduced by 27%.

The data above compares before and after mobile activity for a mobile-optimized donation form page.

This data does not include tablet users as tablet users receive the full desktop experience.


MOBILE TRAFFIC & TOP PAGE REPORTS

RESULTS

• Identify the most popular pages on your site• Learn how many people are accessing your site via mobile device

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Identify pages of your site to optimize for mobile• Provide a good mobile user experience for high traffic events.• Optimize your donation form for mobile (even it it’s not a top

10 page.)


USE TRIGGERED EMAIL SERIES TO DRIVE ENGAGEMENT1

0


WHY TRIGGERED EMAIL SERIES?

• What is it? A series of emails sent automatically in response to a certain action

• Why is it important?It’s the most effective way to improve relevancy of email*

Right message + right constituents + right time = Impossible (manually)

*Source: 2011 Marketing Sherpa Email Marketing Benchmark Report


4X MORE OPENS AND 5X MORE CLICKS

Source: Experian: The welcome email report: benchmark data and analysis for engaging new subscribers through email marketing

4X MORE OPENS

5X MORE CLICKS


TYPES OF TRIGGERED EMAIL SERIES

• Email signups

(59% of new subscribers have no opens or clicks since opting-in*)

• First-time donors

• Event registrants

• Community signups

• Membership purchase or expiring

• Sustainer credit card expiring

*Epsilon and DMA’s “Q2 2012 Email Trends and Benchmarks”


EXAMPLE: SUBSCRIBER WELCOME SERIES

Remind + Feel Good

Give Monthly

Donate

Events

Volunteer


USE TRIGGERED EMAIL SERIES TO DRIVE ENGAGEMENT

RESULTS

• Increase return visitors• (Efficiently) improve relationships and engagement

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Setup for first-time donors, subscribers, volunteers and event participants• Coordinate with other emails


USE SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS TO CREATE BETTER POSTS/TWEETS1

1


FACEBOOK INSIGHTS: BEST TYPES, REACH AND ENGAGEMENT


FACEBOOK INSIGHTS: BEST DAYS AND TIMES


TWITTER ANALYTICS: IDENTIFY TWEETS WITH GREATEST REACH


USE SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS TO CREATE BETTER POSTS/TWEETS

RESULTS

• Learn content that’s most engaging and has greatest reach• Best day and time to post

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Review 2x per month• Use data to dictate future posts/tweets


THINK MOBILE FIRST WITH SOCIAL MEDIA1

2


MOBILE FIRST WITH SOCIAL

FACEBOOK

• 70% of your audience will be reading your Facebook post on their mobile device.*

• Use simple imagery that is easily seen.• Put important information at the top of your post.• Linked pages need to be responsive or mobile.

PINTEREST

• Use vertically oriented images — the best ratios are 2:3 and 4:5• Use images with bright dominant colors that are highly saturated.• Linked pages need to be responsive or mobile.

TWITTER

• Use simple imagery that is easily seen.• Linked pages need to be responsive or mobile.

*Source: “How to Create Perfect Posts” Info-graphic


MOBILE FIRST WITH SOCIAL

WHY THINK MOBILE FIRST

• The user experience doesn’t end with the social post. • Linking to mobile or responsive landing pages continues the optimal

user experience.

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Optimize your social media landing pages for mobile• Crop images that work best with a mobile format


BOOST CONVERSIONS


USABILITY TESTING: NAV FLOW 13


USABILITY TESTING: NAVFLOW TEST (BEFORE)

Target audiences, such as donors, members, or students participate in a usability test that exposes problems with the current website.

The data above reflects how successfully test participants were able to navigate a website’s conversion path, from start to finish, when forced to click on a single target for each step.


USABILITY TESTING:NAVFLOW TEST (AFTER REDESIGN)


USABILITY TESTING: NAVFLOW TEST (AFTER REDESIGN)

The New design concept gets passed through the same usability test. A 79% success rate (+27%) is a great indication that the new design has solved the initial problem with the old site.

The data above reflects how successfully test participants were able to navigate a website’s conversion path, from start to finish, when forced to click on a single target for each step.


USABILITY TESTING:NAVFLOW TEST (QUICK FIX)


USABILITY TESTING: NAVFLOW TEST

RESULTS

• See how visitors navigate through a conversion path• Learn if your visitors are able to complete a task• See if your navigation is clear

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Redesign the site • Adjust the site architecture• Change language on navigation• Revise call-to-action — button, language, placement & color


USE SOCIAL MEDIA AMBASSADORS FOR ONLINE CAMPAIGNS1

4


USE SOCIAL MEDIA AMBASSADORS FOR ONLINE CAMPAIGNSInvolve a group of socially influential constituents to spread the word

• Identify prospects (Social Score)• 10-20 key influencers• Prepare + cultivate them• Make it easy with samples• Send timely email updates during campaign


USE SOCIAL MEDIA AMBASSADORS FOR ONLINE CAMPAIGNS

RESULTS

• Extend your reach with P2P model• Increase traffic and conversions

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Identify• Inform, prepare and cultivate• Make it easy


TRACK WEBSITE CONVERSIONS VIA GOOGLE ANALYTICS1

5


WHAT DRIVES CONVERSIONS, NOT JUST TRAFFICECOMMERCE TRACKING IN GOOGLE ANALYTICS


TRACK THE ELUSIVE SOCIAL CONVERSION

USING GA’S GOALS TO MEASURE EMAIL SIGNUPS


SETUP GA GOALS TO TRACK (THE ELUSIVE) SOCIAL CONVERSIONLEARN WHAT DATES/POSTS LED TO CONVERSIONS


TRACKING CONVERSIONS IN GA

RESULTS

• Which channels generate conversions (not just traffic)• Social sites + posts driving conversions• Gift info by channel

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Use GA Goals for non-monetary conversions(Email, volunteer, etc.)

• Use GA Ecommerce to track monetary conversions(Donations, event registrations, etc.)


TEST WEBSITE CONTENT & DONATION FORMS1

6


CONTENT TESTING


DONATION FORM TESTING

• Why test? • Your donation form may be leaving money on the table

• What to test?• Trust logos [Charity Nav, BBB]• Content• Giving amounts


DONATION FORM TESTINGWORLDWIDE WILDLIFE FUND 90% CHANCE FORM B IS 20% BETTER

A B


TEST CONTENT & DONATION FORM

RESULTS

• Increase traffic to key pages• Improve your donation form conversion rate

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Use Google Analytics Experiments • Test one variable at a time


ADD CALL-TO-ACTION LINKS TO YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS1

7


57% of people who watch a nonprofit video go on to make a donation*

YouTube Nonprofit Program

*Google 2013 study, conducted by Millward Brown Digital

DO VIDEOS GENERATE DONATIONS?


ADD CALL-TO-ACTIONS LINKS TO YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS

RESULTS

• Nudge video watchers along conversion paths• Increased traffic + conversions

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Sign up at www.youtube.com/nonprofits• Add links to old videos


INCREASE RETURN VISITS


IMPROVE THE EMAIL SIGNUP PROCESS18


PRIORITIZE EMAIL SIGNUP

Does email drive quality traffic?• Top source of online revenue (35%)*

Is your email housefile declining?• Avg. Churn Rate: 16%*• Avg. Growth Rate: 15%*

*2012 eNonprofit Benchmark Study (NTEN, M&R)



www.loftcs.org




BEST NUMBER OF FIELDS?

Source: Dan Zarzella analysis of 40,000 landing pages


SIGNUP FORM BEST PRACTICES

2. Set Expectations + Communicate Value

3. Overcome Objections

1. Connect to Mission

Possible Addition: -Link to samples

www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/email


CONFIRMATION EMAIL BEST PRACTICES

2. Set Expectations

1. Connect to Mission

3. Added Value 4. Engage

Further


IMPROVE THE EMAIL SIGNUP PROCESS

RESULTS

• Grow your email list• Engage and retain subscribers

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Prioritize email signup on your home and internal pages• Improve the signup page


EMAIL TESTING TOOLS19


• 75% of consumers are 'highly likely' to delete an email that doesn't render correctly on a mobile device.*

Email on Acid (built into the Luminate tool), or Litmus.• Check emails in all

readers and in different mobile devices.

EMAIL TESTING TOOLS

* Source: “Make or Break Mobile E-mail”, Constant Contact and Chadwick Martin Bailey, August 2013.


EMAIL TESTING TOOLS


EMAIL TESTING TOOLS

RESULTS

• Find out what your email look like in all popular email readers and devices.

• Preview pre-header text and subject lines in different email reader in-boxes.

HOW YOU CAN IMPROVE

• Tweak your email code to display better across readers.• Shorten or revise your subject line for more impact.• Shorten or revise your pre-header text so it’s more compelling.


These tools work with most ESPs and can give you a little more information about how your emails perform.

ADD-ON EMAIL ANALYTICS TOOLS

Engagement Reading Environment


ADD-ON EMAIL ANALYTICS TOOLS

RESULTS

• See what kinds of email readers and devices your audience is using to read your email.

• Find out what is the level of engagement of your email messages.

HOW YOU CAN IMPROVE

• Provide an email message that works best with the readers most used by your audience.

• Test email messages to see if engagement improves. • Make adjustments in content based on test outcomes.


BOOST TRAFFIC WITH EMAIL TESTING20


WHY TEST & WHAT TO TEST

WHY TEST? ACCORDING TO TOP EMAIL PROGRAMS:

• Email testing is the top value driver*• 82% test and measure everything**

MOST EFFECTIVE ELEMENTS TO TEST:**

1. Target audience

2. Landing page

3. Subject line

4. Call-to-action link

*Source: 2011 MarketingSherpa Email Marketing Benchmark Survey**2011 Gleanster survey on Email Marketing


HOW TO TEST?

1. Send 2 tests to small sample (10-20% each)

2. Review results + statistical significance (after 1-2 days)

eMarketingDynamics.com calculator

3. Send “winning” message to everyone else


RECORD TEST RESULTS

Use Excel spreadsheet to capture:• Date• List or segment• Variable tests (e.g. subject line used)• Open, click-through, conversion and unsubscribe rates• Notes


BOOST TRAFFIC WITH EMAIL TESTING

RESULTS

• Short-term: Best version of an email• Long-term: Learn what resonates

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Test one variable at a time• Test often


FREE ASSESSMENTS DURING BBCONAT BLACKBAUD STRATEGIC AND CREATIVE SERVICES BOOTH


TWEET THIS

#BBCON (For every Tweet with this hashtag, Blackbaud will donate $1 to a local nonprofit!*)

@MIKESNUSZ

@SOPHIALATTO

*Up to $4,000

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20 Tactics to Increase and Engage Web Traffic - BBCON 2013 - Mike Snusz & Sophia Latto