The Blog

PTG Marketing Team

Thu, 03 May 2012 14:06:00 GMT

The Plum Tree Group Marketing team explaining how we become a part of our client's businesses and work together to bring marketing strategy to life, through PPC, SEO and Social Media.

Winning Engagement with Gamification

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:36:00 GMT

What Is Gamification?

First let’s talk about what gamification isn’t. Some people think gamification is about making games, but they are wrong. Gamification is the process of identifying the things that make different kinds of games fun, exciting and engaging and then applying those concepts to non-game situations. Gamification practitioners deal with game dynamics and game mechanics and try to implement them in different ways. Today marketers and digitally savvy gamification practitioners are using gamification to drive user engagement and loyalty to online presences and social media.

Game dynamics are the underlying forces that drive engagement and motivation in a game. A great example of a game dynamic is status. In the first person shooter Call of Duty, the game is not about collecting badges, but players proudly display badges as status markers in their profiles and are motivated by the desire to have a better status. Some other common dynamics include reward, competition and discovery.

Game mechanics are the nuts and bolts of what makes a game work. Turns are a classic example of game mechanics. Turns are a way of structuring gameplay that usually limits the player to performing a set number of actions or a set amount of time in which to act. Other mechanics include points, time, and space.

Great, but why do you care? Gamification has been growing for the past couple years and the verdict is in: it gets results. Companies have sprung up that design gamification platforms for websites that take advantage of a mix of game mechanics and dynamics.

Gartner research shows that the Gamification industry is on target to generate $2.5 billion within the next 3 years. Sites participating in the beta version of BigDoor’s platform saw 153% lift in User Loyalty; 672% lift in User Engagement and 355% in Social Sharing. This month BigDoor has reached $13 million in funding. Badgeville published this infographic last year to showcase their success:

Playboy

Playboy wanted its audience to become more engaged with the brand than it otherwise might be. Bunchball helped customize the social part of their Nitro platform to create a Facebook App called “Miss Social.” Miss Social was a competition for women who wanted to be in Playboy. Each month the competition ended and started over. The winner was chosen by finding whoever had the most friends vote for her. Each month the winner of the month was crowned Miss Social and won the opportunity to have her pictures (nude or clothed) in Playboy.

This competition used status, competition and reward dynamics to great effect. The mechanics involved “Likes” functioning as points and the time-based competition mechanic to limit the time in which points could be earned. In addition, users could perform additional actions to win more votes and encourage their friends to share the app and its relationship to Playboy subscriptions.

The results were unequivocally successful: Playboy experienced an 85% increase in re-engagement from its audience and a 60% increase in revenue from one month to the next. The app launched in December 2010, and 6 months later the active user base for the app had grown to 80,000 women.

Getting Started With Gamification Platforms

A number of companies have been successfully implementing gamification on websites and driving engagement and loyalty online.

1. Badgeville

Badgeville’s director is a white label company that attributes its fast growth and success to the easy implementation and flexibility of their Social Rewards & Analytics Program which is customized to meet client needs.

Their main offering is The Badgeville Platform, which “leverages gamification mechanics to create engaging web experiences” and drive behavior and engagement valued by clients. Their platform is customized for each client, and they offer a consulting service wherein clients are partnered with an implementation planner in order to customize their product for each business.

2. BigDoor

According to CEO & Co-founder Keith Smith, BigDoor's approach is to be open and flexible, which means that their API (Application Program Interface) is easily accessible by clients and others interested in developing the gamification platform.

One of the philosophies central to BigDoor’s business identity is that gamification needs to be adopted more widely and accepted as legitimate by more businesses owners, who at present remain skeptical. To this end BigDoor offers their platform free of cost to small businesses with roughly 25,000 monthly visitors or fewer. They hope to grow gamification from the ground up by focusing on small businesses and making adoption simple and easy. Finally, BigDoor stresses that there is no omnibus gamification solution, and gamification requires the constant supervision that they provide.

3. Bunchball

Bunchball’s founder Rajat Paharia writes, “At the end of the day, we all need to provide something of value to our customers, and they need to pay us for it. So when thinking about which companies have momentum, you should … focus on which companies are signing meaningful customers, generating meaningful revenue from them, and delivering meaningful results... at Bunchball we are doing all of the above.”

Unlike BigDoor, which wants to involve as many new businesses in gamification and even offers a free way to implement their gamification software, Bunchball hopes to position itself as the business that goes after the big clients, and already boasts the most “blue chip” clients such as major television networks, Warner Bros., Adobe, HP, Chiquita, and Playboy to name a few.

4. YOU

There is nothing to say that you need to turn to one of these platforms to provide a gamification solution for you. These platforms have all been proven to do a good job at making users engage more fully with websites, but your whole business isn’t your website, and there’s more to gamification than just an online presence.

Anyone can apply gamification to their product, service, or public presence. All you need to do is start thinking of your own creative solution. Gabe Zichermann says that the most important dynamics are SAPS: Status, Access, Power, and Stuff. Go through your own memories of games you’ve enjoyed and think about how those kept your attention. You were probably challenged and rewarded with something from the SAPS dynamics.

Try and find ways to implement some fun into your service too. At the end of the day, gamification is about using game mechanics and dynamics to boost engagement and garner loyalty. It’s up to you to decide how to positively reinforce what you want your audience to engage and to what you want them to be loyal. Gamification is your new tool for engagement, go use it.

PT Bio: The Bus Bank

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:38:00 GMT

PTBios: We often act as an extension of our client's company. PTBios is an opportunity for our clients to have a "one-on-one" with their "colleagues" This week we mix it up and turn the camera on them! Meet Brandon Dudley, Director of Marketing of one of Plum Trees longest clients The Bus Bank.

What is Design?

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:43:00 GMT

This week we sat down with Eric Smith, Director of Design & Product Development here at The Plum Tree Group. Eric breaks down the fundamentals of design and gives the insider on the PT design process.

iPad 3 Announcement? (PT Update)

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:33:00 GMT

To start the year we posted a video counting down our " Top 5 Tech Trends of 2011" ( http://plumtreegroup.net/_blog/The_Blog/post/Top_5_Tech_Trends_of_2011/) in which we mention the possibility of an iPad 3..after trolling the internet for more details we came across this:

The rumor is that the iPad 3 announcement will come in the first week of March, but doesn’t specify when it will be released. For reference, the iPad 2 was announced on March 2nd of last year, and available on the 11th. There are some significant changes expected and to gain a better understanding on the current state of the American consumers’ current iPad usage and anticipation of the iPad 3, AYTM conducted DIY market research utilizing our online consumer panel and survey tool. The highlights of our discoveries are encapsulated in this infographic:

Source: AYTM Research

What Makes a Good Logo (5 Quick Tips)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:38:00 GMT

What makes a strong, effective Logo? Lets asks a professional. This week we sat down with PT Senior Designer, Christina Lewis and she gives her "Elite 5" tips to making a strong Logo.

PTBios: Nick (Marketing)

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:58:00 GMT

PTBios: We often act as an extension of our client's company. PTBios is an opportunity for our clients to have a "one-on-one" with their "colleagues." Meet Nick, Search Engine Marketing Specialist here at the The Plum Tree Group

What The F@*# is Pinterest?

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:14:00 GMT

Hello! Mica, your friendly neighborhood Outreach Assassin. I do Social Media and Email here at PTG and something that really caught my eye is a little thing called Pinterest. But first things first. What. Is. Pinterest.

Pinterest categorizes itself as an online pinboard. Much like the one we keep over our desks, it’s very image focused. I actually began a personal Pinterest account to spend a day playing with it. I wanted to know more about how PTG can use this new network for Social Media campaigns and SEO. Just a tip from my experience, if you want to investigate something new, do so as an individual personality - yourself! If you think about it, all Social Media is created to connect people with other people.

You start with boards, which are kind of like your own groupings, such as “My New Bathroom” or “Cars I Like.” Each board fits underneath a larger category like “Women’s Apparel” or “Food & Drink” which can be seen as it’s own feed whenever anyone posts into it. Each box in a Board is an individual Pin, which is a picture, video and link to source. Pinterest can do a whole lot of stuff with each individual Pin and account. Such as:

- Can save links like bookmarking

- Can use like a wish list with Prices
- Can see others' boards
- Can follow people/accounts
- Can follow individual boards
- Can comment on pins
- Can "like" pins
- Can tag other users in pins
- Can let followers pin to boards
- Can "repin" pins to own boards
- Can post videos (new, YouTube)
- Can search for content
- Can browse categories

- Can embed outside of Pinterest

Phew! But why is it important? One reason is sheer growth. It’s been called one of the “Top 10 Social Networks” by Experian’s Hitwise, due it its meteoric rise in the last six months from under under 1 million to over 3.24 million users per month.

Very very recently, Pinterest actually added functionality to put Pins into the FB timeline. Clearly, Pinterest is poised to grow.

Why else is Pinterest important? SEO! Most social media implements “No-Follow” links, which prevents spammers from creating a bunch of Twitter or Facebook accounts to affect page rank. Pinterest, however has several DO-FOLLOW links in every Pin that not only count toward SEO value, but are coming from a very reputable source: Pinterest! Also, when a Pin is “RePinned” that new page will also have links back and so on

So, who then is doing all this Pinning and RePinning? According to comScore, Pinterest is Female-dominated, women making up between 54-70% of its user base. While it’s not limited to girly stuff, HitWise does explain that it’s “dominated by images featuring home decor, crafts, fashion and food.” An article in USA Today recently quipped, “if you haven't heard of [Pinterest], find the nearest twenty- or thirty-something woman. She'll likely know what's up and can tell you all about it. If she can stop pinning.”

What brands can use Pinterest? In terms of PTG clients, I’m exploring the idea of using Pinterest for both SMO and SEO purposes for companies that are female-oriented or have excellent photo content. Pinterest has some great ways to Pin, from an iPhone app to a Chrome plugin, but sadly, to get an account is Invite Only. Time to make friends with your resident Social Media Specialist, or you can add yourself to a waitlist on Pinterest. In terms of best practices, it’s hard to say this early, but the one I found in all my research was just to not overdo the self-promotion. If a brand or client wants a Pinterest account, be sure to start a board devoted to “Stuff We Like” “Things We Are Inspired By” in addition to any product images or promotional content. From there, just tread the Social Media waters and happy Pinning!

PT 'Voice' - Viral Marketing + Honda Super Bowl Commercial

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Video marketing campaigns has had a huge effect on our industry specifically marketing. How did Honda capitalize on this during the Super Bowl?

Is Google’s “Search, plus your World” Bad for SEO?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:31:00 GMT

When it comes to social media, Google’s attempts to get involved have not exactly been gamechangers. However, we should not compare Google Buzz or Wave to the bigger, better Google+. The more versatile and popular network has finally learned to exploit the biggest advantage that Google has over Facebook and Twitter: integration with Google’s other services.

This means Google+ buttons on Gmail and Reader, integration with Chrome, and most recently, Google+ content showing up first in Google search results. But is Google’s so-called “Search, plus your World” feature something that makes social networking easier, or is it going to become a nightmare for Search Engine Optimization experts around the world?

We recently asked Plum Tree’s SEO experts what kind of effect they think it will have. Their opinion? Either it will be a big failure, OR they’ll essentially force people to accept it as a part of the new Google environment. The new, “personalized” Google+ search results will show up before organic search results and even before paid advertisements. This will make it harder for SEO engineers to optimize content, given that results pages will vary largely from user to user, depending on how active they are on Google+.

Over the last few years, one of Google’s goals has been to add “trust and authority” to search results, based on recently shared and trending content. Link building—that is, getting people to link to your content—has always been one of the biggest ways authority is determined. However, what will change is how Google determines the quality of the source that the link comes from. In other words, getting someone to link to your content on Google+ is immediately more valuable than a link from Twitter or Facebook.

Another huge impact Search+ will have on SEO is increased loss of keyword referral data. Ever since last year, if you are signed in with your Google account and perform a search, the keywords you search with are encrypted. Now, this might sound good for many people, but for SEO experts it means that a certain percentage of keyword traffic data show up as “(not provided)” in their Analytics platform. Originally, this percentage was only in the single-digits, but with so many people now logged in to Google Plus, many have now reported these numbers to be above 20%.

What this all means is that, if you want to leverage Google+ to optimize your content, it’s not enough to simply have a Google+ account and be posting content there—you also have to be well-connected and shared by many other Google+ users. As “Search, plus your World,” grows and evolves, we’ll start to get a better understanding of just how big of an impact it could have.

An Intro to Adobe Photoshop Touch SDK and Mobile App Suite

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:11:00 GMT

Adobe has come out with some pretty amazing new tools over the last year or so. While there have been several notable upgrades to many Creative Suite applications, the stuff we’re most excited about has to do with Photoshop and its new mobile capabilities. In fact, if you’re still using Photoshop CS4 or earlier, you’re missing out on some incredible stuff.

The Photoshop Touch Software Development Kit (SDK) was announced last April and will allow developers to create “companion apps” for mobile and tablet devices. The free-to-download SDK is part of a larger campaign to create an integration—or perhaps, more accurately, a communication—directly from tablet devices apps into Photoshop on your desktop computer. The SDK is compatible with iOS, Android, RIM, and webOS-based devices, as well as with both Mac OS and Windows.

As opposed to many websites and software companies who often just create a “mobile-version” of their program or network, Adobe is thinking more about tablets and mobile devices as a tool to be used in conjunction with your desktop computer. This means thinking about the inherent advantages that a tablet device offers. The apps are catered more to those times when creativity comes unexpectedly; in the coffee shop or in the park, scribbling on a napkin or taking a quick photo with your iPhone. Also, the apps are more designed to help “drive Photoshop” rather than act as a mobile substitute.

Adobe created this video to help elaborate on their vision for the Touch SDK’s potential for creativity and productivity.

To complement the release of the Touch SDK, Adobe has released three new mobile apps:

Adobe Color Lava:
If you’ve ever used Adobe Kuler, Lava is like that, but on steroids and made specifically for touch-based devices. You can actually swirl around colors and mix them up the way a painter would on his or her palette. Once you’re done, you can then transmit the colors you created back into Photoshop as swatches.

Adobe Eazel:
Digital finger painting done right; create rich realistic paintings on your tablet and then send them to Photoshop to finish them up. There are some other apps that do this, such as Sketchbook Pro, ArtStudio, and Brushes, but the ability to seamlessly integrate your work back into Photoshop is very attractive.

Adobe Nav:
In what is sort-of a mobile version of Adobe Bridge, this app can be used to browse through all the projects you have open on Photoshop, as well as to customize the default tools found in your Photoshop desktop toolbar. It can also be used as a way to transfer images from your tablet into Photoshop.

Adobe Revel (formerly called Carousel):
The newest of the bunch, this one requires a paid subscription, but for a good reason: it syncs your entire photo library between your computer, tablet, and mobile devices. No need to worry about storage issues or syncing things manually. Subscriptions go for $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.

These all come together to form an amazing, cross-platform, Photoshop ecosystem of creativity. It’ll be exciting to see what other apps Adobe comes out with to expand Photoshop’s capabilities. Have you tried any of these apps yet for your iPad, Android device, or other tablet? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

PTGives: Volunteering at Roosevelt High School

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:49:00 GMT

On Monday, January 9th, we donated some of our time to help students at Roosevelt High School’s after school tutoring program get set up with brand new laptops. For many of the students, this was the first personal computer they have ever owned. To see the excitement in their eyes, and to hear about all the things they would now be able to do, truly put a HUGE smile on my face.

The students received these gifts for their hard work in school and leadership in and outside of the classroom. We look forward to continuing this relationship and growing this program in the future.

For more information, or to get involved with future PTGives events, please email us at: info@plumtreegroup.net or contact us on Facebook or Twitter.

By Luke Lewandowski, Customer Solutions Specialist

PT Bios: What makes Plum Tree so unique?

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:25:00 GMT

2012 has arrived and we here at Plum Tree are positive that it’s going to be a great year. What makes us so sure? Well, you might say that it has to do with the people, talent, and culture that make Plum Tree so unique.

In the video above, we ask Chaves, Dan and Charlie what they think sets Plum Tree apart from other web agencies. We hope you’re as excited as we are about the new possibilities and opportunities that our unique culture has in store for 2012.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also subscribe to all of our videos on YouTube and Vimeo.

Web Developers Rejoice! Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 is Dead

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:19:00 GMT

Anyone who’s ever developed a website likely has a bitterness toward Internet Explorer 6. The once-popular web browser was originally released by Microsoft in 2001—a time when the World Wide Web was a very different place. Due to IE 6’s security issues and lack of support for modern web standards, web developers have had to create special exceptions and CSS workarounds to ensure their sites display correctly.

Well, not anymore.

Microsoft recently announced that, starting this month, those still using the obsolete browser would be forced to upgrade to a newer version. Those still using Windows XP will be updated to IE 8, while those on Vista and Windows 7 will get IE 9.

In many countries, the number of people still using IE 6 is less than one percent; this includes Austria, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and, most recently, the U.S. (good job, guys). However, Microsoft reports that, worldwide, IE 6 still accounts for 7.7% of web usage. Even worse, in China usage is over 25%.

Just last month, the folks behind the Internet Explorer Countdown movement were happy to add the United States to their Champion’s Circle page. When it was announced that usage in the U.S. had dropped below 1%, Microsoft’s IE Marketing Team threw a little party. Roger Capriotti, director of IE marketing, write on the Microsoft IE Blog: “IE 6 has been the punch line of browser jokes for a while, and we’ve been as eager as anyone to see it go away.” They even made a nice cake to celebrate.

So, what’s the big deal? This means that the web can move forward, grow and evolve. The more web developers have to make special exceptions for outdated technology, the slower this evolution will occur. Although IE 7 and 8 still lack support for many HTML5 and CSS3 standards, it’ll be exciting to see how the web progresses now that IE 6 is history.

Top 5 Tech Trends of 2011

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:18:00 GMT

2011 has been a crazy year for the tech industry! From the rise of Angry Birds to the death of Steve Jobs, there has definitely been a lot to talk about. In this video, we list five of the most exciting and unfortunate happenings of the past year.

Take a peak, then let us know what you think on Facebook and Twitter.

PT Bios: Kevin and Michael

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:31:00 GMT

In our latest segment of PT Bios, we ask Kevin and Michael what is the one tool that they simply couldn’t live without.

Kevin, a Web Developer at Plum Tree, mentions the Firebug add-on for Mozilla Firefox as one of his essential tools. Recently, Firefox announced that version 10 (to be released in early 2012) would feature it’s own developer tools, which could become a replacement to the popular Firebug plugin.

A closer look....

With Firebug, users can right-click on any web page element and hit “Inspect Element.” This brings up a console that allows them to view and edit the HTML, CSS and functionality of any element on the page. This functionality has already been replicated in Google Chrome as a standard function, so it’s only logical that Firefox would want to offer their own, native version. You can watch a preview of the new Firefox tools, or download the future of Firefox now (caution: this release is not stable yet).

Are you a Firefox user, or have you migrated to Chrome or another browser? Do you have a question for a future PT Bios video interview? Leave a comment on our Facebook Page or contact us on Twitter.

PTGives 2011

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:45:00 GMT

When it comes to the holiday season (or any season for that matter) it can be hard to not get consumed with your wants & client needs . But at some point, to maintain your productivity and sanity, you just need to get away from it all. The Plum Tree Solution? “PTGives”

PTGives is an exciting new internal initiative that gives our team members a chance to rest their eyes from their computers and “open” them wide to gain perspective and awareness of the world around.

This year's PTGives took place at the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago. 12 of our team members did their part to give back to the community.

There will be many more PTGives events in the near future! For more information, or to get involved, please email us at: info@plumtreegroup.net

PT Bios presents: Ask Dan Fitzpatrick!

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:57:00 GMT

Dan Fitzpatrick, a Project Manager at Plum Tree, recently sat down with us to answer some key questions about his work. His responses helped us to better understand how he approaches his work, as well as what direction he sees the project management industry going in the future.

"As a project manager, it’s not so much about new and exciting technologies that I use, it’s the new and exciting technologies that the client uses. My role is one of communications, which is really the basic things: one-on-one conversations, phone conversations, emails, keeping track of all the information, making sure the communication is clear."

"It’s not any single application, it’s how they are used that fascinates me. As we’ve seen mobile devices increase and become ubiquitous across society—you know there’s more of them now than there are laptops and desktops combined—we’ve seen a whole host of new uses, and we’re going to continue to see a whole host of new uses within companies, themselves. So it could be anything from internal communications to inventory taking to other organizational uses, and I think that there’s going to be an increasing market in that area."

"At Plum Tree, from the beginning of the company, we set out to create a culture of innovation. One of the ways that we’ve done that is, when we hire new people, we make sure that they’re skilled in their field, but also that they bring in outside experiences—be it, architecture or operations management at another organization—and we try to use the skills and practices from other areas and apply them to our internal development and we’ve had great results from that."

"The project that excites me is always the next project. Every project that you get, it’s like a newborn child or an undeveloped lot; it’s nothing but potential. And it’s your job to help the client fulfill the potential, get the most out of it, get what they want out of it, and get what they need, and that’s always exciting to me."

Do you have a project management question for Dan? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page or contact us on Twitter at @PlumTreeInc.

Have you seen the new Facebook Timeline?

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:15:00 GMT

While many users grow weary of Facebook's constant redesigns, many have praised their recent upgrade to user profiles. The new "Timeline" format brings with it a more exciting and easy-to-customize interface, which some have likened to a Tumblr blog format. If you're unfamiliar with the new Facebook Timeline, or just aren't sure how to upgrade, Cháves will give you a brief rundown in this video.

Let's hope Facebook is planning on implementing the Timeline style for brand pages, soon. One can only imagine the ways that the new "cover image" could be used for branding purposes.

As always, be sure to check out Plum Tree's Facebook Page and let us know your thoughts.

eIntelli Mobile Means Custom Apps Without the Headache

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:42:00 GMT

We realize that developing a mobile application for your organization can be time consuming, expensive, and even confusing. That’s why eIntelli Mobile is here for you. eIntelli Mobile is a division of eIntelli, a product development brand focused on providing accessible tools to help smaller businesses and associations attain the growth they are looking for.

“Mobile phones are becoming more and more a part of our everyday life. It’s tough to stay connected sometimes, we’re trying to make it easier. eIntelli Mobile is the next step in mobile marketing and communications for Associations, we’re excited about the breakthrough in communication we’re able to provide through our app.”
-Brad McCrory, Director of Product Development

eIntelli Mobile creates modular mobile development products that allow users enhanced accessibility to your organization right from their mobile device. With a mobile app created by eIntelli Mobile, users have the opportunity to interact with your organization in ways they never before imagined. The mobile application world is changing quickly and proving to be a successful tool in expanding your business.

Some of the key features and benefits offered by eIntelli Mobile:

More engagement: Mobile application users are more engaged than the average member that might receive only newsletters or rely on the website for events and news, which for your association means more member retention, overall involvement, and growth.
Always connected: Allows members to donate, sign-up for events and workshops, sync calendars, receive push reminder messages for events/classes/workshops, access directory, and more all within the application.

eIntelli Mobile offers several different pricing options, depending on your needs, or we can create a custom version tailored to your organization. Our developers specialize in iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone development, or we can help create a Mobile Web version of your site.

Contact us today to get started with a mobile app by eIntelli Mobile. For a full list of features, check out http://www.eintelli-mobile.com or check out the eIntelli Mobile blog. We look forward to helping your business or association grow with a cross platform experience!

PT Bios: Chaves and Charlie

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:57:00 GMT

In our first-ever PT Employee Bio video, Blog Editor Charlie Thomason and Video Blog Editor Cháves Williams answer the question: "In the next 5 years, what do you think will be the most important skill for someone in your industry to have?" You can look forward to many more PT Bios and other great videos on our blog! Also, be sure to check out our YouTube and Vimeo channels.

Think Outside The Facebook: 3 New Social Networks Brands Are Using

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:15:00 GMT

By now, your company’s marketing team has probably launched a social media campaign based around Facebook Pages, Twitter, and YouTube. However, there are several other, emerging social networks and apps out there that brands have begun to experiment with. Here are some great new ways to think outside the Facebook:

Google+

Surely, you’ve heard of Google Plus by now, but are you aware of how many companies have begun to use the popular, new network’s brand pages? NASA, The Muppets movie, Burberry, and Dell have all developed their online marketing presence through the use of exclusive content. So, is Google+ good for your brand? Here are some Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Google+ is operated by Google: This means that G+ brand pages are always going to show up in search results. Clearly, this is one of the biggest advantages Google has over Facebook.
Google apps and innovations: It’s no secret that Google is constantly innovating and experimenting with new tools and technologies. Given the kind of resources Google has at their disposal, many of these innovations are bound to make their way to Google+. This means brands may soon be able to engage with users in deeper and more useful ways.
Don’t get left behind: Simply put, Google+ is growing at a very rapid rate. You don’t want to get left behind for not keeping up with your competitors who will be joining.

Cons:

No contests or promotions: Google’s content policy forbids direct posting of contests, sweepstakes, offers and/or coupons. You may post a link to a promotion, hosted on an external site, but Google doesn’t want to get drawn into any potential legal battles that could occur as the result of a contest gone wrong. Similarly, when Facebook first launched, brands had to obtain written permission from Facebook to run promotions on its network.
No vanity URLs (yet): While this feature is sure to come eventually, it is not yet possible to create a short, customized URL for your brand page, similar to how you can on Facebook (e.g.: facebook.com/plumtreeinc).
Google’s past attempts at social media have all failed: Remember Google Buzz? Or how about Google Wave? Neither of those things exist anymore, and were never very popular to begin with. Hopefully Google+ will have more success.

Instagram

From iPhone app to Gamechanger:What started out as a simple iPhone-only photo sharing app has grown into one of the largest and most successful new social networks out there. Brands such as Starbucks, General Electric, USAToday, and Southwest Airlines are all using it to share images of their valued customers, employees and products.

Big plans for the future:Similar to Twitter, Instagram features geo-location tagging and hashtags and, similar to Facebook, features “Likes” and “Comments.” At the recent Le Web conference in Paris, CEO Kevin Systrom announced that the company was working on an app for Android, as well as advertising opportunities for brands. “Burberry, Audi, these brands are sharing pictures of their products,” Systrom said, “and that shows what will come with brands and the advertising experience in Instagram will be extremely engaging.”

Potential limitations:Maybe the only downside to Instagram right now is the lack of web-accessible user profiles (which is why we are unable to link to any of the above examples). While this may also be on Instagram’s radar for the future, some third-party sites have already implemented ways of creating these types of profiles. Examples include Webstagram, Inkstagram, and Instagrid.

Twitter Brand Pages

Just yesterday, Twitter rolled out a new redesign, which included new brand pages for a few select companies. Although not all users are yet able to view the new redesign, companies such as Pepsi, General Electric, Verizon Wireless, Heineken, and Dell have implemented the new brand page layout.

New features for Twitter brand pages include:

More prominent header images: Brand pages may features a large, wide splash image that helps enhance your brand identity.
Promoted tweets on pages: Promoted tweets are nothing new to Twitter, but now brands may feature a select tweet at the top of their profile, even if it’s not their most recent tweet. These allows brands to ensure that a certain contest or promotion is the first thing a user sees when they land on the page. This is something that even Facebook has now allowed, yet.

What new social media tools has your brand been creating a strategy for? Leave us a comment on our Facebook Page or contact us on Twitter at @PlumTreeInc. We’ll be expecting you…

Say hello to the new Plum Tree!

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:05:00 GMT

Notice anything different? That’s right, Plum Tree’s Website and Blog have undergone a facelift!

With our newly redesigned Web presence, we wanted to create an experience that emphasizes our multidimensionality and unique talents. Plum Tree Design Director Eric Smith, offered some insight on his strategy behind the new site:

“Like all companies, ours is multidimensional. Our website interlinks content across people, services and projects allowing visitors to connect the who, what and how very easily.”

Here at Plum Tree, we’re looking forward to breathing new life into our Blog and hope you’ll bookmark us or subscribe to our RSS feed. We’ll be posting agency news, tips and tutorials, highlights of client work, interviews with Plum Tree rock stars, and more.

We’re also going to be posting some fun and informative videos, which will also be available on our new YouTube and Vimeo channels. Our web videos may include tours of the Plum Tree offices, Internet marketing and eCommerce secrets, and even demos of our products, such as e-Intelli.

Another new dimension to our website is a redesigned Web Portfolio. The new format allows users to either catch a glimpse of our complete repertoire, or dive in deeper to discover our strategy behind each project. "Our website seeks to handle both deep time and quick time for users," Eric Smith explains, "getting our message across at a quick glance, while layering additional information for those with more time to learn in depth."

Let us know what you think of the new Plum Tree look! Send us a comment on Facebook or Twitter. We’ll be expecting you…

About Meta Descriptions..

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:53:00 GMT

What is a Meta description and why is it important for your website?

Let’s start by identifying what the Meta description is and the purpose it serves. The Meta description should be found within the <head> tag in any HTML document.

It looks like this: <meta name=”description” content=”The Meta description goes here.”>

It usually comes near the Meta keywords tag and the <title> tag. It serves as a short description of what that particular page is about. In the past this tag, along with the Meta keywords tag, were used to stuff keywords in an effort to spam the search engines. Not anymore. The Meta keywords tag is essentially ignored and the Meta description tag is usually used as the text accompanying the search engine result on a SERP page. It can be ignored, though, depending on what was searched for and what search engine you are using.

Why are Meta descriptions important?
Meta descriptions are important for two reasons. The first is that they can have influence on keyword rankings within search results. Countless times have we seen pages improve in search engine rankings due to changes made within the Meta description tag. The second reason they are important is related to usability and click-through rate. If a user searches for a term and a page from your website comes up, this doesn’t necessarily mean they will click your link. If they take the time to read your description and it matches what they are looking for, or it is explained in a way that makes sense, they will click your link.

How to write a good Meta description:
As mentioned earlier, Meta descriptions are important because they affect search engine rankings and click-through rates. To positively affect both of these factors you will need to write good Meta descriptions. In order to do this you will need to keep two things in mind; targeted keywords and your users. Always remember, write content for users and not search engines. If you write a Meta description and only have your targeted keywords in place, no one will click your link because it will look like spam. If you don’t have any keywords, you may not rank well for the keywords you are targeting. Best practices would be to add in no more than 2 keywords and have some type of call to action for your users. Make it catchy and make it informative. Most search engines start cutting off text at 150 characters so try to keep it to 150 characters or under; there are tools on the internet for this.

Key points:
Take a look at the Meta descriptions of some similar websites that rank well for your keywords and use them as examples. Make sure every Meta description on every page on your site is unique to that particular page; otherwise it will be seen as duplicate content. Make sure your Meta descriptions are informative and add in a keyword or two. Remember, write content for your users and not search engines.

How To: Rank Better in Google's Local Listings

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:49:00 GMT

Want to reach millions of Google users, quickly and for free? Try Google Places, the latest incarnation of Google
’s local business listings. It’s extremely easy to setup and use; however, improving your business listing’s ranking on Google.com and Google Maps often requires a bit of work. Here is our step by step guide to creating and optimizing your listing:

1) Claim your listing within Google Places. If your business does not have an existing listing, you can create one using your Google account. Depending on your industry, this process may require you to request a postcard through regular mail in order to verify your physical address. Don’t wait to start the verification process as it can take several weeks!

2) Update your listing. Once you’ve verified ownership of your listing, you should update the listing’s content. Be sure to fill out every field and to post great pictures and videos of your business. One tactic to avoid is keyword stuffing in your business name or even using the same keyword multiple times. Google has been known to suspend listings that use these tactics.

3) Create online citations. OK, so you’ve done the above but you’re still not ranking as well as you’d like. What now? Create some online citations! Citations are external business listings that Google uses to establish your existence and authority. Make sure your business name, address, phone number, and website URL appear consistently across any external listing. We recommend starting with Internet yellow pages, ratings sites, blogs, and online newspapers.

4) Ask for customer reviews. Ask happy customers to post reviews about your business. Great reviews will not only improve your ranking but inform potential customers on the value your business provides.

5) Don’t neglect your website. Be sure to include the same business name, address, and phone number on your website! A well optimized website that ranks highly in organic search is another component to ranking well in Google’s local listings. Are you unsure of your website’s PageRank or Meta information? Contact us and we’ll be happy to offer you a free website assessment.

If you’re still not ranking as well as you’d like, it’s important to remember it’s not an exact science; Google is constantly experimenting with their local ranking algorithm and ranking improvements can take time. That said, we’ve seen great results following the above tactics. If you’d like some help with this process, The Plum Tree Group offers local business listing optimization as one of our marketing services. Contact us today to find out how we can work together.

Social Commerce

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:55:00 GMT

Is your eCommerce site Social? Today, most users’ online experiences are based on Social Networking capabilities, and they are starting to expect the same social functions from retail sites as well.

What is Social Commerce you ask? Social Commerce can be defined as “A mashup of eCommerce with social networking, integrating best practices in catalog, merchandising and shopping cart processes with consumer – to – consumer engagement, content –sharing and social activity.” - Guidance. Recently, designers and developers have begun to combine user interactivity and sharing capabilities within the online retail landscape to enhance the online shopping experience.

From sharing capabilities to a virtual try-on module, let The Plum Tree Group help your eCommerce site become more Social.

Facebook: Your Social Storefront

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:50:00 GMT

As Facebook once again reinvents their Company Pages platform, even more businesses are realizing the social commerce possibilities through their Pages.

Although Facebook commerce is relatively a new concept and there are not a lot of success stories as of yet, there is still a good reason to set up shop on YOUR Facebook Page.

Creating a Facebook eStore allows Fans to browse through your offerings before they have navigated to your site, helping to spread the word about specific products from Facebook, to the product pages on your website.

If you are unsure about offering all of your products via Facebook, try highlighting some of your top sellers to better drive users to your site. This can give new fans a quick overview of what you offer and allow users to easily “share” products with their friends.

Facebook Storefronts are a great way to increase social shares, product exposure and traffic to your site. Let The Plum Tree Group help you set up shop via your Facebook Page.

When Was The Last Time You Optimized Your Submit Forms?

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:04:00 GMT

In online marketing, all websites should be optimized to invoke a “conversion” or a desired action that you would want your users to take. This could be a purchase, a newsletter sign up, phone call, or to submit a form for service. The latter is often called an online sales lead and could be a major source of revenue for your business.

How do you get more of your visitors to submit online request forms? The answer is very simple; make them as easy as possible for the user. The shorter the better, make sure that you have only the information that you would absolutely need to qualify the lead or to make follow up contact.

If you require that the user fill in over 10 fields, make sure that the page is set in a multiple step process instead of a long vertical form. This will decrease your overall abandonment rate.

Although this advice seems like common sense, on a recent poll of websites, 77% of websites with submission forms either required too much information or laid out their pages inefficiently.

A great tool for testing which forms convert highest is Google Optimizer. G-O is free and allows you to conduct A/B testing on variables to determine a higher conversion.

Case Study:

PTG recently consulted with The BusBank, an industry leading group and event transportation provider for charter bus services to stimulate more quote requests out of their current website visitors.
PTG analyzed The BusBank’s current online form, and determined that the form was longer than necessary thus causing abandonment by otherwise potential customers.
Through A/B testing it was found that decreasing the length of the form by 20% increased online quote requests 25%.
The Plum Tree Group offers conversion optimization as an offering to any website looking to increase revenue, traffic, and conversions. To submit your sites please send an email to info@plumtreegroup.net for more information.

About The Plum Tree Group

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:04:00 GMT

The Plum Tree Group is a technology solutions provider for a variety of industries. Please feel fee to browse our website at www.plumtreegroup.net and get to know more about us. As you will find although we design professional web properties, we are just not a web design team.

Our staff includes Sales and Marketing gurus, Business Consultants, and Expert Level Technology Developers. Our business is to make your business better. Let us know your pain points with your business, we will strive to develop an affordable solution. To view our portfolio click here or to contact us directly email us at info@plumtreegroup.net or call 877.404.3849

Magento eCommerce

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:03:00 GMT

The Plum Tree Group has recently featured Magento as an eCommerce solution along with OScommerce, ZenCart, and our own custom shopping cart for more unique needs.

With at least 7 Magento projects slated to be completed by Q4 2008, The Plum Tree Group is on the forefront of this cutting edge solution, also known as “ecommerce on roids.”To view a recent example that The Plum Tree Group has done with Magento please visit www.iprobbq.com

When looking for an eCommerce platform to build your business, the following things are probably very Important to your decision, all of which come standard with Magento.

Easy to upload products and product lists including bulk upload
Search Engine Optimization
Cross Selling and Up Selling
Discount Codes
Newsletter Management

To view a full features list click here: www.magentocommerce.com/features. If you would like more information on Magento and your business, contact us at info@plumtreegroup.net for a free evaluation of your business or current website.