Category Archives: Industry Buzz

Three Reasons Why Your Company’s Website Needs to be Responsive

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A quarter of web views come via a mobile device

A quarter of web views come via mobile devices

Today, there are more cell phones in the United States than people. We increasingly use our phones to access websites and social networks, and for many Americans, smartphones are their only access to the internet. It’s not surprising then that mobile traffic to websites rises each year, now accounting for a quarter of all views. But if your website is not designed to be viewed from a mobile device, you can expect six out of 10 of those mobile viewers to leave your site before completing a call to action.

The solution to this challenge is a responsively designed website. Responsive sites adapt to the device the viewing the website, allowing for a more user-friendly experience. Web pundits are calling 2013 “the year of Responsive Design.” RIESTER has been developing sites with a responsive, mobile first, philosophy since 2011. Since then, we have helped clients develop a number of award-winning responsive web design websites.

Here’s the top three reasons why your website should use this design philosophy:

1. Better User Experience

According to Google, users are 67 percent more likely to buy on sites when they have a positive mobile experience. It is easy to see why, optimized, responsive sites are more enjoyable and easier to navigate than the pinch-and-zoom method of non-responsive websites on a smartphone or tablet.

2. Responsive Web Design Improves SEO

Google and Bing favor websites that create a positive, engaging user experience more than ever. When curating search results, they will place more credit to websites that address user needs in the context for the visitors. At the heart of it, search engines also have technical preferences to websites that are responsive.

3. Your Website Will Be More “Social Friendly”

In 2012, 60 percent of Social Media visitors came from mobile devices. A brand’s responsive designed website that is referenced in social media posts will perpetuate a “mobile friendly” experience for the end user. This positive, interesting experience will also set the stage for the sharing of information socially through brand advocates.

The Responsive Web Design Bottom Line

As we move into this new, post-PC era it is imperative that brands address the mobile needs of their customers and partners by creating an experience that fluidly conforms to smartphones and tablets. Not only will this convey thought-leadership, but improve usability that will lead to increased conversions and engagement.

Contact RIESTER to learn more about responsive web design

Responding to tragedy on social media

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Epicurious boston tweets The horrific Boston Marathon bombing prompted many people and brands to get on social media to offer their condolences and, in some cases, assistance to those impacted by the atrocity. While most comments were sincere and thoughtful, one brand, Epicurious, sparked outrage with its tweets suggesting recipes to help Bostonians get through the trauma. The company quickly deleted the offending messages and apologized, but the damage to the brand was done.

Epicurious is not the first brand to fall into this trap. Famously, Kenneth Cole used the #Cairo hashtag during the Egyptian uprising to plug their new spring collection on Twitter. During Hurricane Sandy, American Apparel struck a nerve when it offered a special online discount for people in affected areas with the prompt “In case you’re bored during the storm.”

How to Avoid the Social Tragedy Trap

First, take the marketing hat off. Using tragedy as an opportunity to push products or sales is rarely a good idea. Unless you are giving away snow shovels during a blizzard and want to communicate to people how to take advantage- step out of the marketing mindset and be sincere, human and offer an authentic response to the events. We do not believe the saying “there is no such thing as bad press.” Consumers remember social media mishaps like this for a very long time, and it may impact whether someone buys from you or your competition in the future.

How Should Brands Respond to Tragedy on Social Media

Another question we have clients ask us is if they should post about a tragic event and at what point a tragedy becomes post worthy. First, consider your brand. If you have a brand that focuses on being fun and light hearted, then you may not want to draw attention to tragedy. Second, ask what you have to offer to the conversation. If your brand does business in the impacted community, then you have a connection that you can discuss on social media. Or, if your customers are in the impacted community you may want to let them know that you are thinking about them. If you are not connected but feel your brand’s voice is caring and compassionate, then posting is still appropriate when done without putting marketing first.

When one of our clients debated about posting something on Boston, we considered their voice. We determined that it was fitting within the brand to offer condolences. The post performed similarly to their other content, showing that fans were just as likely to engage with the condolences post as they were with the brand-centered content.

Have a Plan Before You Post

As in all social media crisis situations, it’s best to have this discussion before the next tragedy to ensure that you can easily answer if and how you will respond to a tragedy. Being prepared now can prevent an Epicurious mistake in the future.

 

Google Analytics Just Got Smarter – Introducing Universal Analytics

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Google Universal Analytics

Google Analytics – the industry standard for web analytics – just got smarter. Much smarter. Google revolutionized the analytics service to track and visualize the complete user experience with its new analytics offering, Google Universal Analytics. This advancement is based on the understanding that users interact with brands on a variety of touchpoints online and offline, on desktop computers and mobile devices.

Complete User Behavior Tracking

google-analytics

Google has changed how data will be collected to provide more clarity into user behavior. To leverage Universal Analytics, a new JavaScript snippet must be utilized and businesses will need to set up a new Analytics web property or new account for Google Universal Analytics.

With Universal Analytics, marketers will have simple, customizable user engagement tracking options across multiple devices and online/offline campaigns. Additional customization of engagement tracking will also be provided for “clean” metrics.

For example, Google Universal Analytics will enable:

  • Exclusion of referral domains (e.g. self-referring traffic)
  • Modification of accepted search engine traffic
  • Simple modification of campaign and session time limits
  • Search term exclusions (e.g. attribute “exampledomain.com” to direct traffic)

Universal Analytics Business Insights

These new offerings address many “disconnects” in past Google Analytics metrics that only told one side of the user experience story. As our RIESTER digital division focuses on mobile users with responsive website design and mobile application development, we are keenly aware of the impact of mobile devices on the entire brand experience. The ability to track user engagement across these devices, as well as the attribution of offline campaign metrics will provide our team and our clients much more holistic, strategic insight.

Learn more about RIESTER Google Analytics solutions and services.

View the Google Universal Analytics blog announcement for additional details.

Going Viral

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It is the goal of many organizations to have something go ”viral” online, much like the Oreo Cookie’s Superbowl coup or the everpopular Old Spice Guy. But, knowing ahead of time what will go viral is impossible without a crystal ball, and cannot be guaranteed regardless of how original your idea is.

A perfect example is the Internet sensation that has taken over YouTube this week- Harlem Shake. Four college kids in their dorm room started the phenomenon late last week, and since then, thousands of videos have been created and it garnered more than 44 million impressions.

Caught up by the excitement, RIESTER created its own Harlem Shake video featuring our megaphone toting polar bear.

While creating your own viral sensation is where the big exposure is- jumping on the bandwagon of an existing viral sensation can also be a good way to capitalize on a trend. But, do so with caution. Experts like RIESTER can help you identify which trends to join, and which to let be. Questions we will ask are: Does the trend work with your brand? Can you add something unique to the conversation? And did you do it in time? Today the Harlem Shake is big, but tomorrow it may be Internet history.

RIESTER’s Jeff Bagley explains the method behind the madness of political ads.

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Tired of all of the political ads yet? Political reporter Rich Piatt of KSL(NBC) interviewed our Salt Lake City Creative Director Jeff Bagley to get insights into the techniques used by the creators of all those ads. Bagley described “music [as] the ‘secret sauce’ of advertising,” and said “most of these attack ads use very sort of foreboding, doom-and-gloom kind of music.” Not all of the ads they reviewed were negative though. Remember Reagan’s “Morning in America,” spot?

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Record-breaking space jump shattered expectations of what humans, and social media, can do.

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felix-baumgartner-standing-in-his-capsule-about-to-dive

On Sunday pilot Felix Baumgartner made history when he jumped from 24 miles above the earth surface, and then delicately landing in the New Mexico desert just nine minutes later. Breaking the records for highest manned balloon flight, highest skydive and being the first man to break the sound barrier without a vehicle. He also earned a permanent position in social media ‘text books’ everywhere! Yet the strategy behind it is one any brand can learn from.

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