Unsworth Sugden Group

Latest research from Socialbakers shows Facebook has lost two million users in the UK in the last six months, a trend which is being replicated all over the world suggesting that users are becoming bored of what was once perceived as the darling of the social media world.

However, the same study also found that 60% of questions being posted to brands on the site are being answered, demonstrating that companies are paying more attention to the channel as a platform for communicating with customers.

Despite the fall in users, Facebook has just reported an increase in advertising revenue, predominantly through mobile advertising, showing brands are, more than ever, tuning in to the possibilities of reaching new customers via this medium.

The UK is currently ranked seventh in the list of countries on Facebook with just under half of our 62 million population regularly logging in to ‘like’ and comment on news on our timelines. With such a massive potential audience, marketers, for the time being at least, cannot afford to log off.

Are you getting bored of Facebook? We want to hear your thoughts!

The big advertising news this week was the Internet Advertising Bureau’s latest report, showing digital advertising spend in the UK was up to almost £5.5 billion in 2012.

Remarkably in 2002 this figure was less than £200 million.  I’m sure there are not many market sectors that can say they have seen such rapid growth in just 10 years!!!

The latest figures were up £607 million on the previous year and one of the main reasons for this is the increase in mobile advertising.  £526.0 million was spent on mobile advertising in 2012, mainly fueled by the increase in Smart Phone users. These figures represented an additional £322.7 million on 2011’s figures.

Online advertising is proving more popular than ever before.  Clients are embracing the Internet as a cost effective way of targeting new customers.

Recent reports suggest that online advertising in Europe has grown by more than 40% in the last 18 months.  In addition, forcecasts and predictions suggest that online advertising is likely to expand by a figure of 20% over the next 12 months.

One of the main attractions of online advertising appears to be the ability to get your audience to click on a digital advertisement and direct them onto a company’s website; once on the company website, you are no longer competing against other on the page advertisers.

It is important the initial web banner, sky scraper or button has a strong catchy sales message.  Don’t try and include all of the product’s unique selling points, these can all be included on the website.  The most important thing is to get the Internet user to click on the advertisement.  Design and creativity is paramount, particularly if there are other advertisers on the web page.

If designed and written correctly, online advertisements can help to increase website traffic and subsequently increase online enquiries and sales.

Unsworth Sugden’s web division USdigital has designed an exciting new microsite for housebuilder Barratt Homes’ Milton Keynes development, Vizion. 

Vizion is a flagship development with over 307 luxury apartments, situated in the centre of Milton Keynes. The website will promote the great location and attractive lifestyle that Vizion offers. A major selling point is its close proximity to the bars and restaurants at ‘The Hub MK’ and the nearby shopping centres. The development is likely to attract a lot of interest from homebuyers from outside the area, who may well be unfamiliar with Milton Keynes. The website will be showcasing all of the exciting new things Milton Keynes has to offer.

The microsite will be promoted by both press and online advertising.

website link to follow shortly….

Web design is crucial; no one wants a 2nd rate, pedestrian looking website. However, there is little point in having an all singing, all dancing website if no one is accessing it.

Without a method of directing traffic to your site, it will achieve nothing. No matter how informative the website is, or how great the design looks, your website will be unlikely to generate new business or sales enquiries.

Website Traffic can be generated in 6 main ways:

1. Search Engine Optimisation
2. Online advertising
3. Press Advertising and PR stories
4. Pay per Click Advertising
5. Email Marketing
6. Internet Users directly accessing your website

Search Engine Optimisation is considered by many as the most important method in getting traffic to your website. To maintain an effective SEO strategy, it must be performed on an ongoing basis.

While press advertising is seeing a decline, online advertising is proving more popular. Web banners and skyscrapers are important digital marketing tools in getting the internet user to jump onto your website.
If you are looking to get your website onto the first page of Google and generate instant traffic to your site then Pay Per Click Advertising is often a good answer - however this can prove expensive in the long run!

Email marketing is good at getting repeat visitors to your website. Emailing your database and directing people onto your website from their inbox, often through special promotions is an excellent way of generating site traffic.

Remember people won’t just stumble across your website. You must actively market it.

Web design is important. But so is website traffic!!!