We work with a good number of small businesses here at Area 224 HQ. Think “Small” Equals “No Silos?”
Sometimes, even the smallest of businesses have a silo mentality.
Marketing may be a loosey-goosey term. If so, Sales may “own” Marketing – bringing with them their own ideas about what it means to “market” your company’s products or services.
Unless you’re in a financial services or legal position where having a silo mentality (in the form of a regulatory “Chinese Wall”) is required, you’ve got to get away from the “I, me, my, mine” mentality.
HOW?
Well, for starters, think about how you’re using your company’s web data. We’re not talking Social Media (YET), we’re talking about the baby steps.
You DO have a web site, right? Okay, good, bad or otherwise, you’re getting analytics.
If you’re getting those analytics – whether or not you are Marketing or Sales or Operations or anyone else – you have an opportunity to learn something.
If you’re not getting those analytics, stop reading now and find out who owns them. Then get them.
Next, you want to focus on some key things. For instance:
- Who? You may not be in the business of capturing emails – and the jury’s still out on whether it’s about list building or providing information that keeps you top of mind with limited fuss. (I favor the latter for Area 224, but the former has worked in the past with other businesses.) If you don’t capture emails, you can still figure out who by glancing at your analytics. Sites that are referring visitors is one way to start – specific tabs on your site where people begin their journey, or “landing pages” may give you a clue as to where people are coming from.
- How Long? Back in our U Sphere days, we knew we were on to something when we had visitors spending an average of 7 minutes per visit on the site. If you’re anywhere close to that number, you probably have the content that captures people. Good on ya, mate. If not – a focus on the right sorts of content is a good idea.
- What Does It Cost? Acquisition cost is a great metric to have at your disposal. And it doesn’t have to be that tough to get – value your time, figure out how much of it you’re spending doing web stuff, see how much you are spending on keyword advertising — and decide on what “acquisition” means to you. Is it a bona fide customer? An email address? A registrant?
At U Sphere, when we started, it was costing us $20 per user — all in, 20 bucks to acquire a college-bound student as a registrant wasn’t bad.
But we got better at it — lowered that acquisition cost to $3.50 a year later.
How did we do it? Well, Sales talked to Marketing, and Marketing talked to Sales — and they both were best friends with the Web Analytics Guy.
We were too small for silos, too. How bout you?