Software For Email Marketing

Web Content Management - 10 years on has anything changed?

Friday, December 18, 2009 by Maria McCann

Approaching the beginning of another decade gives me the chance to indulge my nostalgic tendencies and look back over this one.

I’m fortunate to have a dual perspective on online marketing solutions. I’ve been marketing (and consulting on) website content management systems for the past 10 years and have also experienced using more than a dozen in anger throughout this period as a marketing user.

I’m often asked “what’s changed and has marketing online got any better or easier?”.

The answer is lots and a resounding yes.

Then –

IT ruled the roost. They owned the technology and their word was law. It didn’t matter about the business user’s (my) experience in terms of ease of use, time to market. The multiple week/month lead times for creating a new landing page or rolling out a new country site was hampering my ability to respond to changing market conditions. But that didn’t matter.
Re-using content meant copying and pasting web pages in the admin view. The result was a maintenance nightmare – change one word on 16 different instances of the same page, and inevitably, miss some completely.
We spent weeks learning new tools and understanding HTML instead of actually doing marketing and adding value.
We changed our processes to fit in with how the software thought we should be doing things. Or, waited for the IT and development teams to code something for us and then had to stick with that for the next few years.
Personalizing online content was talked about a lot but wasn’t something mere marketing mortals could achieve.
Every channel (and the content) was created separately - web, mobile, email, print etc
Rolling campaigns out in more than one region at the same time required lots of resource and time, not to mention epic project management skills.

Now –

Marketing own the web and online marketing channels. We chose solutions that are easy for non-technical users to master and enable us to publish content, pages and even whole sites on demand.
Re-using content means we can have one instance of copy, change it once and it will change through-out the website. No more out-of-sync messaging!
Changing content is easy – we can all browse web pages. Horray for in-page editing. Adding new content is easy too - we all know how to write a word document.
At last, we can work in the way that suits us and our business.
Website personalization has never been easier. Marketers can control exactly what content can be seen for each audience profile.
Thanks to next generation web content management incorporating multichannel marketing systems, the same content can be used everywhere. Truly create once, publish many.
Global campaigns are as fast and easy to manage and implement as single region campaigns.

Here's to the next decade and further evolution and innovation!

Turning unstructured content into a corporate asset

Monday, November 23, 2009 by Remco van Rij

Unstructured content (e.g. Documents, Web pages, XML components, audio, video, medical images, scanned images, engineering drawings, enterprise reports, records, presentations) is growing overall by over 200% per year - 35 billion emails per day, Word content doubles every two months. Structured content is growing at only 4%.

Most business executives consider unstructured content to be an asset, yet few believe that it is properly managed like an asset. The majority of corporate unstructured content is not really managed as an asset at all, but instead is just needles of value in a haystack of shared drives, mailboxes and more systems than organizations know what to do with.

Unstructured information assets that are uncontrolled and unexploited do not support the implementation of corporate strategy and communication; in fact, they hinder it. Instead of reducing risk, they increase it.

And much of this content is brought to the outside world via the internet. If you want to maximize the value of your content (instead of treating it as a cost), trust it to a platform that manages your content in a way you can use it for all your channels.

SDL Tridion is market leader in Global Web Content Management, and by offering integrations with digital asset management systems and collaboration software, it supports the full life cycle of one of your most valuable corporate assets: persuasive content! Your content becomes fuel for target audience marketing, brand management and email campaigns. Only imagine...

Releasing the Hounds after Web Content Management (WCM)

Friday, October 30, 2009 by Gavino Gonzalez

Caged Web Site Content Management

Fellow Marketers, raise your hand if you cannot change the content on your website promptly. Come on you don't have to be afraid, I've been there more times than I can count in my career. You have a collection of perfect collateral that you are itching to deploy on your website, but you’ve been informed that it will take a week(maybe longer) before it can go live. Why? It's sitting in the IT departments 'web content management support box'. You have online marketing objectives to achieve, so time to market is a critical factor in the success of the campaign.

Releasing the Hounds

Best-in-class Web Content Management software can help you reach your business objectives faster and with less headaches. Benefits of a well deployed enterprise Web Content Management system include:

•    Reduced time to market
•    Increased efficiency
•    Maintaining consistency of brand and message
•    Increased customer loyalty
•    Increased conversion rates
•    Reduced Operation costs

All of the above combine to deliver an amazing return on your marketing investment.

Imagine if...

Imagine having the ability to do things like adding new content to your website, deploying an email campaign, creating landing pages and micro sites and fixing incorrect content and more without the need to go through IT.

The best part is you don't need to be an HTML wizard. You don't even need to know HTML at all. Best-in-class enterprise Web Content Management systems are extremely easy to use and have WYSIWYG editors which make editing website content as easy as creating a word document or sending an email.

Check this out

SDL Tridion offers a top rated enterprise web content management system. Positioned as a leader by both Forrester and Gartner, renowned WCM industry analysts, the SDL Tridion solution makes managing complex content over multiple websites and channels fast and easy. Better yet, it even includes a suite of ROI focused online marketing tools. To learn how SDL Tridion can make your life easier and your online campaigns more successful, contact us today and request a demonstration.

Web content management and old school marketing (2)

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 by Annelore vanderLint

Like confessed before, although I work for a global web content management software vendor, I'm still an old school marketer. I believe it’s the business benefits and not the technical specifics that are making a web content management system - or any interactive marketing tool for that matter - sexy. But even with all the interactive tools we have at our disposal, taking the benefits of these techniques to the next level is not easy.

I feel that the most important achievement of today’s interactive marketing solutions is that they enable us to measure the result of everything we do. The old credo “I know I’m wasting half of my marketing budget, but I do not know which half” does not fly on the online stage.

A content management system with integrated analytic solutions enables us to close the loop in our marketing activities. We can capture customer responses and behavior and we should use this data to direct and refine our interactive marketing strategy and tactics.

Easier said than done. That’s why we have drafted a whitepaper and a webinar (recorded version) that shows for each step in the AIDAS cycle how ‘closed loop marketing” concepts for the online channel are relevant and what you can do to support them.

We show how customer acquisition on the web starts with being noticed and how you can make people aware of your offering by using activities ranging from online advertising, branding and email marketing to search optimization and social tagging. We illustrate how the web over the years has developed from the mass communication platform it was, to becoming an engagement channel and the consequences this has for online marketing organizations that need to shift focus from traditional shotgun strategy to a rifle approach. To generate desire and action, marketers should actively seek direct dialog and need to offer a relevant and persuasive online experience. Only by establishing a strong emotional bond that creates loyalty to a brand, long-term growth and success can be guaranteed. The key is to make intelligent investments that allow you to measure result, improve and create long lasting relationships with your customers.

10 Ways to Improve Website Performance

Monday, October 26, 2009 by Brad Davis

1. Implement and Maintain Current Web Content Management (WCM) Technology

It wasn't that long ago when a basic function calculator could be purchased for $9.99. Today, walk into any drug store and you can purchase the same calculator for $1.99 or buy a super deluxe scientific model for $9.99. With most technology products you get more for less over time. The same principle applies to enterprise web content management.

The web content management market and industry has changed considerably over the last few years and continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Best-in-class enterprise web content management systems are now at the core of successful online marketing strategies and do much more than simply manage online content. These systems now include interactive tools that will help you achieve online marketing objectives, such as increasing conversion rates.

To keep your organization ahead of the game and maximizing business results from your online channel, plan on upgrading WCM technology every three to five years.

2. Frequently Update Website Content

Adding fresh content on a regular basis to your website will improve your search engine rankings plus has the extra benefit of keeping customers coming back for more. Use dynamic content to deliver an enhanced visitor experience, build brand loyalty, and drive conversions.

3. Personalize Website Interactions by Using Landing Pages

One of the quickest and easiest ways to increase the personalization of your online channel is to incorporate the use of more landing pages. Landing pages should generally be directed at one target audience with one message and have one call to action. By segmenting your target audiences you can channel them to the landing pages with content that best fits their profile. Personalized content increases conversion rates.

4. Conduct A/B Testing of your Website Content

I am the first to admit that marketing is as much an art as it is a science. And while there are best practices for virtually every marketing tactic, the truth of the matter is that we never know for sure what will work and what won't work. That is until we've tried it. When you find out what works, do more of it. A best-in-class enterprise web content management system will have A/B testing with functionality that makes this kind of testing simple.

5. Use Old School Segmentation for Target Audience Marketing

Segment your Target audiences into groupings that make sense for your business and deliver persuasive content tailored to each group. Best-in-class enterprise web content management systems will have this capability.

6. Personalize the Website Experience

Website personalization is very similar to Segmentation, however here you are personalizing the web experience for individuals rather than groups. Next generation web content management systems have the ability to deliver personalized content to individual website visitors based upon explicit and implicit behaviors.

7. Integrate Web Content Management with Other Systems and Platforms

A best-in-class WCM system should easily integrate with CRM's, ERP's, email campaign tools, and other software and solutions. Integrating your enterprise web content management system will significantly improve efficiency, help marketers deliver more relevant content to their target audiences, and assist with website optimization, testing, and analysis.

8. Establish a Social Media Presence with Cross Links to Your Website

Develp and execute a social media strategy. At a minimum, set up Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In accounts with links to and from your website. Post relevant content to these social media sites on a regular basis.

9. Engage Customers Across Multiple Channels

While the website is at the center of the interactive universe and effectively managing online content vital to success, it pays to reach out to customers and prospects across multiple touch points including email, print, mobile, and RSS. Leverage multiple channels to drive traffic to your website. The best enterprise web content management systems will have online interactive marketing tools as well as multichannel marketing functionalities.

10. Measure, Analyze and Improve Website Content on a Regular Basis

I read somewhere that "whatever it was that made you successful today will not make you successful tomorrow". I'm not sure if that quote fully applies here, but I like it anyway :) Regardless, in my humble opinion, quality is an ongoing process, not a final result.

Use website analytic tools, learn from the reports they provide, and take concrete steps to improve your metrics. Measure, Analyze and Improve on a regularly scheduled basis (like monthly or quarterly). Oh, did I mention that the SDL Tridion enterprise web content management system provides an excellent set of website analytical tools?

Forrester Reviews Top Web Content Management Vendors and Systems

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 by Brad Davis

Searching for an Enterprise Web Content Management System? Start Here.

In an earlier blog post, I suggested that you begin the web content management vendor selection process by doing some research and developing a "short list" of vendors to evaluate. If you're like most organizations, you will probably begin with a Google search using phrases like:

Web Content Management Reviews
Web Content Management Vendors
Enterprise Web Content Management System
Global Web Content Management
Best Web Content Management

Search on a WCM related phrase and you'll get a mind blowing number of results-over 184,000,000. And most of these will be from WCM companies who want to sell you their wares. Of course that includes your friends at SDL Tridion :)

Want Factual, Unbiased WCM Research? Go Straight to Forrester.

Forrester Research, a renowned web content management industry analyst, publishes a report that evaluates leading enterprise-class web content management vendors and their solutions. Their latest report is "The Forrester Wave™: Web Content Management for External Sites, Q-2 2009". The detailed report is used by many organizations to develop their "short list".

About the Forrester Report

Forrester evaluates 10 web content management vendors across approximately 115 criteria, which they grouped into three primary categories:

Current offering
Strategy
Market presence

Results are summarized in a clear concise manner with easy to read charts, diagrams and tables. If you are looking for a best-in-class enterprise web content management system from a leading web content management vendor, this report is definitely a "Must Read".

Download the Forrester Report for Free

Click here to download the web content management reviewed report by Forrester, compliments of SDL Tridion, a leader in enterprise web content management and online marketing solutions.

Selecting the Best Web Content Management System

There are hundreds of web content management products, systems, and solutions on the market today from hundreds of different vendors. Hopefully, you will find the Forrester report helpful in narrowing the playing field and developing a short list of enterprise web content management vendors to evaluate.

Which enterprise web content management system is right for you and which vendor should you select? This depends upon the specific needs of your organization. In any case, be sure to select a financially strong company with the ability to provide excellent web content management support and service.

Beyond Web Content Management

In addition to looking at the features and benefits of different web content management systems, I would also suggest that you take a look at how they will help you achieve your online marketing objectives, such as increasing conversion rates. Look for web content management software tools that will assist with online brand management, target audience marketing, email campaigns, and website personalization.

The bottom line: Top web content management vendors will help you do much more than basic online content management. They will help you realize the many benefits of web content management, the most important of which is ROI.

Quality & Compliance Management For Your Online Presence

Thursday, October 15, 2009 by Brad Davis

Online Brand Management

Enterprise and global organizations want to present their brand, image and vision clearly and consistently. But with thousands of pages, in dozens of languages, for many different brands and products, this may seem like an impossible task. The good news is it doesn’t have to be.

Safeguard is a web content management software tool for SDL Tridion’s Enterprise Web Content Management System. It’s a powerful solution that provides website quality and compliance management- with just a few clicks of a mouse. This means you can deliver consistent, high-quality websites that comply with your own internal standards, industry best practice standards, and regulations.

To learn more about Safeguard and how it can simplify online brand management and improve the quality of your online presence visit: www.sdltridion.com/products/web_content_management/safeguard/

The Challenge of Website Management

Effective online communication requires the orchestration of many different factors. Ask yourself these questions:

Is all published content accurate, up-to-date and search engine optimized?
Do all of your sites have consistent branding and messaging?
Do your websites meet accessibility and legal requirements?
Are local websites presented in the right language?
Are digital assets managed according to company rules?
Do your websites comply with global and regional standards
Are you tracking and bench marking site-wide performance?

Safeguard monitors your entire web presence, in any country or language. Easy-to-use dashboards provide detailed information on your online performance, reporting any quality and compliance breaches so you can fix them and maximize your online business results.

About SDL Tridion

SDL Tridion is a recognized leader in web content management and has received top rankings by leading industry analysts. In addition to enterprise web content management systems, SDL Tridion is also an online marketing solutions company that provides: