Rob's blog

What won't you buy online?

2010-02-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

I wonder if there will be any product or any service which is not available to buy in ten years time?

Surely you need to try shoes on before you buy? Think again and take a look at http://www.ladiesshoessize8.org.uk/. Or how about soft furnishings? Do you need to see samples in store before you buy? Well ready made curtain e-tailer Curtain Rack don't have a bricks and mortar presence but they still run a successful business selling made to measure curtains and high end soft furnishings from Kylie at Home, Katie Price and Linda Barker - http://www.curtainrack.co.uk/.

Surely you would need to see 'art' in the flesh but a client of mine www.godfreyandwatt.co.uk who run a gallery in Harrogate are planning to close the gallery and just sell online.

Mo Mowlam

2010-02-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

I have just finished watching the Channel 4 drama 'Mo' and I can't remember having been so moved by a TV drama!

I met Mo many years ago. It must have been around 1980 when she was working at Northern College, Barnsley and needed some printed literature. On one occasion, Mo called at the design studio on a cold winters day and she promptly hutched up her skirt to warm her bum on an electric fire and let out some sort of 'ooooaaah' noise! The image is still so clear to me and a story I recounted to friends many times, even before she was elected an MP and so before she was in the public eye. Mo made a big impact on me then with her down to earth approach. Watching the drama and seeing the depiction of her in later life when she used a common sense approach in bringing about the peace process in Northern Ireland just made me realise how lucky I was to have this brief glimpse of a great woman.

Retailers will still prosper

2010-01-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

If we are to believe the research, retail will look a great deal different in 10 years time than it does today and I personally don't think it will be that long before internet sales cause serious problems for those bricks-and-mortar retailers and property owners who still don't get it!

Retailers will continue to find ways to prosper as they have always done, after all we are a nation of shop keepers, but if brands continue to move from the high street or shopping centre to the internet (e.g. Woolworths, UK) where will that leave property owners and our pension funds? Currently we still might think that shoppers will not buy shoes before trying them on in store and the same could be said for a whole host of non electical goods but trends are already changing. Online footwear sales are expected to increase by 351% and health and beauty products 330% by 2020. Research also suggests high street retail sales will fall by 7% in this period while online sales will increase by 223%.

Voids will need filling but what type of business will need a physical presence?

I guess it will always be difficult to have a virtual haircut but I bet opticians are already looking at ways of carrying out eye tests online. Whilst some retail property is likely to be taken up by residential in town centres I don't think out of town shopping centres will have similar take up. So that leaves stuff people need to do or like to do out of the house.

What will happen to jobs and shops?

2010-01-18T05:20:00.000-08:00

If we believe the research and online shopping continues to take market share from the high street and shopping centres so that by 2020 more sales are made online than brick-and-mortar shops what effect will it have?

I'm sure we all will welcome lower prices and better convenience but what about all those who are employed in retail and what will happen to the shop units? Traditional retail is one of the few services that can't be farmed out to India or China but if sales assistant roles become fulfillment roles then it becomes possible or at best jobs will move to distribution centres - so get used to pay cuts!

And what will become of our town centres if more and more retailers close their shops? Surely we can't take any more cheap stores or charity shops but the alternative could be empty units. So get used to the desolate look of your high street or shopping centre that the recession has brought about!

It's clear to me that shopping centre owners and those in control of our town centres are in for a tough time and what is worrying is that none of them seem to be putting plans in place for a significantly different retail landscape.

E-Tail to take over from Retail in 2020

2010-01-14T03:22:00.000-08:00

Retail research company Verdict has warned UK retailers that online sales will dominate high street sales by 2020!

So retailers beware if they do not develop a strong online presence. But as consumers take advantage of cheaper goods and more convenience what will happen to our high streets and shopping centres as retailers close their doors? It's clear that only the retailers and shopping centres who embrace digital technologies (fight fire with fire) will prosper but they will have to get onboard quickly - remember the millennium? It doesn't seem ten years ago!

Old school customer loyalty programs will just not do as customers become ever more savvy. Those who adopt a true 'voice of the customer' approach within their loyalty, engagement, and customer experience initiatives will continue to increase their market share, profitability and brand equity. 'Engagement' is the key but not many companies know how to incorporate 'engagement' into their marketing strategies let alone measure and monitor it.

According to eBay's latest Online Business Index, despite a tough year in 2009, the majority of internet retailers have experienced an increase in sales and profits while expanding their business. However, 79% of those with bricks and mortar businesses claim they could not have kept their high street presence alive without being online at the same time.

Neil Saunders of Verdict concluded: "Traditional bricks-and-mortar shops cannot afford to ignore the potential growth opportunities available online. Consumers are increasingly demanding a wider choice of products at competitive prices, alongside improved customer service levels. With the 2020 tipping point approaching, these businesses should be looking to the internet to meet their customers' needs."

Bloody cold but beautiful!

2010-01-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

The last day of the holiday and I kayaked on Ullswater, Cumbria with my good friend of 33 years, Ian. The temperature was minus 9 degrees C when we drove down to the water - so bloody cold but well worthwhile. The views were stunning! Good solace before starting back at work the following day.

So it's the first day of work in 2010 and I stuck one of the photos from my Ullswater trip on my desktop and posted this blog. Ten years have gone since the millennium, can you believe it! I still have photos, signatures and messages from friends and relatives who came to our millennium party waiting to be buried in a time capsule - surely it can't have been sitting on drawers in my study for TEN years together with the ashes of the best dog ever to have walked the earth. Actually Conker's ashes have only been there four or five years but both have been there far too long. I must get round to burying them this decade.

It's been a significant decade in my life, the house we built is finished and the garden is... well it will never be complete but it is almost under control, sadly I lost my Mum, both sons have grown from kids into adults (one to be married this year) and my business, HMA, is now established as a leading company in the digital sector with global brands such as 3M and Burberry beating a path to our studio door.

So what now? Well despite the economy we have managed to improve our position in the last couple of years and now we intend to double the size of the business in the next two years - a busy but hopefully stimulating couple of years ahead!

It's been a good couple of weeks!

2009-10-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

It's not often that work and hobbies both provide equal interest and satisfaction at the same time - quite often you have to sacrifice one for the other but I have had an enjoyable time of it lately.

I'm just back in the office after a few days paddling down the Wye from Hereford to Ross on Wye with colleague and friend, Steve Pickup. Steve has worked at HMA for over ten years looking after the 3D side of things and has recently got into kayaking. We covered 30 miles, camping on the way, and had wonderful weather for October. The Wye is no doubt the loveliest river to paddle in Wales/England - Wordsworth can't be wrong:

O sylvan Wye! thou wanderer thro' the woods,

How often has my spirit turned to thee!

The highlight of the trip was spotting a Kingfisher in the distance and as we floated to within a few yards of its perch, it darted into the water and came out with a fish. Wonderful! Camping took its toll on both of us but still planning the next trip down to Monmouth.

So I'm back in the office and have an equal feeling of achievement. About three weeks ago, global brand 3M needed a digital company with customer loyalty experience to help them with an urgent project and as a result of our SEO strategy they found us, HMA. We secured the project within two days and delivered it within two weeks. This was not a straight forward requirement - as well as getting to know 3M, their brand, how they work and the subject of the project, we also had to manage other third party data providers. The HMA team demonstrated a real in-depth knowledge of the requirement and fantastic commitment to turn around a comprehensive solution in the time scale available. Our work was very well received and just before I set off on my kayaking trip I received a call from 3M, and because they were so impressed by our performance they have asked us to look at another project! This gives me so much satisfaction, a job well done - I am so proud of the HMA team.

Mixing work with pleasure

2009-07-27T02:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of photos taken from my kayak while paddling North Bay, Scarborough on one of the very few good days recently. The building is The Sands apartments - a project HMA has worked on over the years, initially producing virtual reality illustrations and animations to help get planning permission and then a website to help sell individual apartments. Most are sold now but you can still get a penthouse apartment with a sea view for £360,000. Tempting...

Here is the url for the website: http://www.thesandsnorthbay.com/Default.aspx

Email marketing soars in USA

2009-05-28T02:36:00.000-07:00

Working on the basis of whatever happens in the USA is likely to follow in the UK, it looks as if email marketing will continue to rise in popularity above other forms of digital marketing such as banner advertising, SEO and PPC. Last year advertisers in the USA spent $12.1 billion on email marketing and it is expected to rise to $15.7 billion by 2013.

The rise of digital advertising was at first at the expense of newspaper advertising which has seen a 30 percent decline since its peek in 2001. Yellow Pages in the USA has predicted a 4o percent reduction in revenue over the next five years and direct mail spend is predicted to fall by $20 billion by 2013.

But as more and more companies turn to email marketing because of its cost effectiveness and measurability, some marketers are still struggling to get to grips with regulations, email software and the intricacies of how consumers interact with messages in their inbox.

More info: http://www.hma.co.uk/Services/IncreasedSiteTraffic/EmailMarketing.aspx

This is Skye

2009-05-21T02:11:00.000-07:00

A week of wall to wall sunshine, great kayaking and great company!

My week with Gordon Brown

2009-05-18T05:50:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent one of the most enjoyable and memorable few days in the company of Gordon Brown. As you might expect he is a really intelligent guy who knows lots of stuff but unless you have met him you will not realise what a friendly, easy to get on with leader he is.

We had some interesting conversations about digital marketing - he relies on the web a great deal these days - but we mostly coverered general everyday things that you would discuss with your buddy in the pub.

Did I mention Gordon runs a kayaking company on the Isle of Skye. http://www.skyakadventures.com

What shall I do?

2009-04-29T02:42:00.000-07:00

Monday 4th is the last day of the Championship season and Barnsley FC need at least a draw away at Plymouth to ensure we are not relegated.

Should I:

A. Stay at home and watch Sky Sports to keep an eye on the goals going in?

B. Go kayaking and take my mind off the situation?

Not sure what to do yet but either way it's going to be a stressful day!

Best day of the year!

2009-03-30T03:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I paddled on the Yorkshire Ouse from Bishopthorpe, through York, towards Boroughbridge. It was the perfect day with wall to wall sunshine and only a few powered craft out on the water to navigate. I called ahead to check that the slipway was open but managed to call the wrong number on my handsfree. The call was answered by a very sleepy lady, it was early and the clocks had just gone forward. I asked if her slipway was open. Thank goodness she didn't take the question the wrong way!!!

Robot

2009-03-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Wow! Life-like female robot!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7946780.stm

Magic Marketing

2009-03-02T06:10:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I ran a marketing campaign to get in front of our 'A' list new business prospects which was very successful. We called the campaign 'Magic Marketing' and we mailed magic games, tricks and a magic wand to the prospects, backed up of course with eshots that incorporated visual illusions etc. You've guessed it the strap line was 'a little bit of marketing magic from HMA'. It required a fairly large investment to buy and brand all of the items and have bespoke packaging produced but it paid dividends and we managed to convert three prospects into live accounts who have now given us a very good return on our initial investment.

I have just been reviewing our web reports for February and I noticed the following search term which landed someone on our site - "How to increase footfall without advertising". Now I take this to mean - 'how to get more visitors to my shopping centre without spending' - this really would be 'Magic Marketing'!

Almost one in five visitors to our site in February, who used a search term other than the company name, searched using terms relating to footfall or customer loyalty schemes such as "marketing strategies for footfall increase in a shopping mall" and "the best customer loyalty scheme". Now it's good to see our own SEO is working but it shows just how bad the retail sector is suffering in this recession. The problem for many shopping centres and other destinations is that property owners are slashing marketing budgets, not increasing them and customer loyalty schemes need investment over a period of time rather than providing a quick fix.

So what's wrong with email marketing?

2009-02-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else still come across this objection to email marketing - "I get loads of spam and I never look at them, email marketing is just a waste of time and effort!" - but yet they continue with traditional direct mail. How much of that goes unopened? You simply don't know, but with a good email system you can see exactly what is opened, when, by whom, how many times, what links are clicked on and whether it ends in a sale - track that as accurately and easily with traditional direct mail.

I find some clients have a great deal of difficulty coming to terms with the email marketing platform and try to impose traditional direct mail rules. There are some similarities in that the mailshot should be carefully targeted and preferably from a trusted, recognised source. The fact that with B to C the recipient must have positively signed up to receiving the email helps our cause further. When it comes to the creative you really have to concentrate on words rather than images. Is the subject title relevant? Who is the email coming from - a machine, a spammer or a real individual? I hate it when I receive an email where the subject title catches my attention but then all I can see are lots of red crosses in its content! I want to be able to read further to see whether it is something that is of interest without having to download a page of graphics - so the opportunity of engaging with me is lost.

20% to 40% open rate is an accepted industry standard but I have found we can achieve a much better open rate when the message and the content are carefully crafted and we are working with a good database. Another advantage of email marketing is that you can learn from your mistakes and it doesn't cost a great deal. In a recent campaign we saw a click through rate of 86% which resulted in a 185% increase in website visitors when compared to the previous month.

Digital Britain - Interim Report

2009-02-02T02:28:00.000-08:00

The DCMS's interim report is out and I must admit I haven't read the whole 74 page report but it is availale at http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/5631.aspx. I am pleased to see plans to encourage further take up of broadband connectivity in the UK with a proposal for a Universal Service Commitment in broadband by 2012 but plans to create a Rights Agency to 'bring industry together' over copyright issues can surely only lead to further red tape. We all need to protect our intelectual property but the global nature of the internet will never allow one government to legislate and I don't want even more central control.

A new report out by Plimsoll suggests that less than half of the UK New Media Agencies are in a fit state to weather the current downturn and the report warns many are likely to fail if conditions don't improve soon. Thankfully HMA has been rated as 'strong', Plimsoll's highest rating but it shows whilst future investment in the digital industry is important, we need action now because many will not be around by 2012!

The Digital Economy – Britain’s saviour!

2009-01-13T02:56:00.000-08:00

So it seems Gordon Brown is hoping the digital economy will be a key factor in Britain emerging from the recession fitter and stronger.

“There will be investment in the digital economy, a market currently worth billions and expected to grow rapidly in the years ahead. This is another sector where Britain has potential to be a world leader, and in January we will publish our comprehensive plans for Britain’s digital future,” Gordon Brown, PM.

I’m looking forward to this publication, holding my breath now…!

Pay Per Click PPC

2009-01-08T03:07:00.000-08:00

Many of our clients got to grips with Pay Per Click (PPC) in 2008 but it still surprises me to find how many still have very little understanding of a service which can be incredibly effective. What other form of advertising is as targetted, gives you such control of how much you spend and where creative costs are so low?

PPC is a form of internet advertising where an advertiser pays a fee every time someone clicks on an ad to link to their website.

PPC refers to all advertising of this nature whether the ad appears on a website, blog or search engine such as Google. The ads on Google are referred to as ‘sponsored links’ and appear at the top and to the right of organic listings*. (Google’s AdWords program is the main source of its $17 billion income). You can manage Adword campaigns directly with Google – click on the ‘advertising programmes’ link on Google’s homepage for more information and to set up an account.

An Adwords campaign can provide immediate exposure to new customers and can be very useful if your website is not performing particularly well in natural listings* or if you want to be found by keywords that may not be cost effective to include in your Search Engine Optimisation SEO process. Always plan and review your PPC and SEO campaigns together. Financially Google’s Adwords campaigns are very flexible – you can choose how much to pay per click, how much to budget day by day and you can easily suspend and restart campaigns whenever you choose.

The actual ads, referred to as ‘creatives’, should be crafted to ensure they stand out from competitors ads but also to make sure you only get relevant clicks. Click fraud, where an individual/competitor or an automated script maliciously clicks on your ad, can potentially be a problem and although this type of internet fraud is not believed to be common the fact that it is covered under the Computer Misuse Act of 1990 does provide some comfort. One further thing to consider, you will need to pay for you campaigns with a credit card if managing the service directly with Google.

So to get going with a PPC campaign:

Set up an Adwords account with Google
Research and plan your campaign
Establish you key words and creatives
Implement and monitor
Learn from successes and failures

If you haven’t got the time or resource to carry out your own PPC campaigns many companies like HMA Digital Marketing will provide a service to manage campaigns on your behalf. Most will recharge Google’s fees at cost and charge a fee for creatives and administration.

* Organic/natural listings are the results of searches that are not paid for.

It's not all doom and gloom!

2009-01-07T03:31:00.000-08:00

As a relatively small business of twelve we don't need a great deal of work to keep us busy and the way I look upon it is there is plenty of work out there - we just need a very small percentage of that work. We have started the year with projects that will keep us very busy until at least the end of February and in our business that's a long way ahead. The work has come from a variety of sources, mostly new projects from existing clients but also two major projects from new clients that came to us as a result of recommendations - which is very reassuring. We have also a number of new opportunities in the pipeline by way of our new business process, so fingers crossed.

Let's hope 2009 is not as bad for business as many predict!

2009-01-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

Well it's back to work after the Christmas break. Not that the break was particularly restful, what with hosting Christmas AND New Year in the Hill household but it was wonderful to have all the family around and spend time with friends. I also managed to take my new kayak out for its maiden voyage, even if it was just a little paddle around the small lake at Pugneys, Wakefield.

Back to work after a holiday doesn't seem so bad to me. I guess like all other business owners, work is never far from my thoughts so it is never such a shock to get back to the office. For once I haven't returned with a whole host of initiatives, which I am sure my team look forward to, but because of the gloomy predictions for 2009 we have already put most plans in place for the New Year.

Infact my business, HMA Digital Marketing, is starting the year in a really positive position with worked planned right through to the end of February which is the best start to a new year we have ever had! The challenge now is to keep business flowing for the rest of the year.

First blog

2008-12-23T03:27:00.000-08:00

I know as MD of a digital marketing company I shouldn't admit this, but this is my first ever blog!