New Privacy Bill Marks The Death Of Online Advertising? by: Custom Toll Free, April 22, 2011 This week we saw John McCain and John Kerry introduce a new U.S. privacy bill aimed at protecting consumer data, particularly when it comes to the Internet. So does this spell the end of online advertising? There is no question that consumers are at risk with so much of their data floating around the web. Security breaches mean big problems and open individuals up to identity theft and being targeted by scams. This new privacy bill aims to scale back the sensitive information collected by corporations to only what is necessary for a particular transaction and demands new disclosures on why certain data is being collected, who it may be shared with and how it will be safeguarded. As well of course as giving the option to opt out. Many advertisers and retail associations are not happy to say the least. They point out that this proposed bill gives the FTC too much power in enabling them to draft the bill and that it will equally harm brick and mortar businesses as well. Businesses worry that the ‘shopping experience’ could be seriously tarnished by the need to give out excessive privacy notices at the point of sale. The Direct Marketing Association has also weighed in, highlighting the fact that this is probably not the best time for harsher new regulations and restrictions just as the economy is trying to find a strong foothold again. If it became too restrictive and seriously affected online advertising which has perhaps become the saviour of the economy between job creation, retail sales and higher profit margins, we could find ourselves plunged back into an extended depression, with no light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps the one plus is a lack of a ‘Do Not Track’ mandate for online advertising in this bill which could put the breaks on many advances in Web 3.0 and means millions of dollars wasted, and a stall in the new trend towards a more interactive experience for the customer. The truth about privacy is that we are all at risk everyday. All it takes is a desperate bank teller to clear out your bank account or sell your information. Plus perhaps the biggest danger comes from the credit reporting agencies who freely sell our private information everyday. May be this should be the first point of attack for those worried about consumer safety. So is it the end of online advertising yet? Not by a long shot. Could a tough bill make it harder for U.S. companies? Absolutely. However with globalization everything we don’t like will just go on from offshore locations and feed foreign economies while the U.S. sinks even further. Read More
Is Local Online Advertising The Best Value For Money? by: Custom Toll Free, April 21, 2011 Local search online advertising is a great addition to your marketing mix. However online Yellow Page type advertising alone probably won’t drive in all the traffic that you are looking for by itself. The experts who are really making millions a year on the web, some of whom are even making over a million a month are finally coming out and telling us that while free social media marketing is incredibly powerful, it is paid online advertising programs that are really providing the consistent, high volume of traffic they require. Though regardless of which types of online advertising that you are utilizing, your ROI and your ultimate success will to a great degree depend upon your targeting. This includes various demographics including age, income, sex, interests and of course geographic location. These are options easily taken advantage of when using Google Adwords or paid Facebook and YouTube advertising. The more targeted your online advertising, the better your advertising effectiveness, the higher your response ratios and the higher your conversion rates will be. So it is safe to say that laser targeting means maximizing your marketing ROI and the best value for your money. Some may argue that paid advertising is foolish when there are free options out there. However, those options usually end up also taking a chunk out of your budget in one way or another, whether it is content creation to do it on the scale you need or personal time invested. Also remember that it is not just the online advertising channels that you use that determines your return, but how well you use them. You must be constantly testing and improving your online advertising campaigns with toll free numbers, better content and scripts for your call center agents. Read More
855 Toll Free & Your Web Domain Name by: Custom Toll Free, April 20, 2011 If you have been planning a new start up and want to ensure the best results or are just looking for ways to improve your brand and conversions, a matching 855 toll free number and web domain name may be just what you need. Choosing a winning web domain name can be a trying process these days. It can be incredibly difficult to find an available Internet domain that suits your needs and stands out, while matching your brand. So what if you reversed the process and selected a premium 855 toll free number first and then also used it as your web domain name? It has done wonders for a number of industry leading businesses today. This provides brand unity, an easy to remember business phone number and a web domain name that provides instant credibility. The Internet may be the best way to market your business these days, yet consumers are more cautious about who they do business with. With an 855 toll free number as your web domain name you will enjoy an immediate professional image that portrays you as a sizable, professional company even if you are a one man shop. This will not only mean much higher conversion ratios from the traffic that you generate for your website but will also dramatically increase response ratios on your direct response advertising and will rocket the click throughs on your PPC campaigns for higher ROI and a shorter cash cycle. If you are already married to a web domain name, then utilize the most advanced online 855 toll free search tools to find a matching vanity number so that you can still harness these benefits. Why 855 toll free? 800 numbers are great but you will find that many of the best numbers are already in use, while the recently released 855 toll free prefix still has many fantastic and affordable choices available. Read More
5 Ideas For Expanding Your Online Marketing Strategy by: Custom Toll Free, April 19, 2011 1. Foursquare Read More
Toll Free Number Mistakes To Avoid by: Custom Toll Free, April 18, 2011 Looking for a toll free number, avoid these common mistakes… Toll Free Number Hierarchy There is nothing wrong with 888, 877, 866 or even the new 855 toll free numbers. These have all worked incredibly well for big businesses as well as the American Idol series. However, it is true that an 800 toll free number does offer a little more value. In fact it has been shown that 800 numbers receive 25% of the incoming calls intended for the other toll free prefixes. Odd Numbers If you are looking for a winning vanity number you will find that those which are entirely made up of your phrase or word are more valuable than those with stray numbers in them that can confuse callers or make them harder to remember. Spelling Your toll free numbers should not only be catchy but be easy to spell. Otherwise you are going to end up losing quite a bit of business from your marketing campaigns and potential referrals. Prospects are not going to sit there all day trying to remember your toll free number or trying to figure out what they spelt wrong. Make it easy for them if you are truly interested in maximizing marketing ROI. Brand Unity There are lots of cool toll free numbers to choose from, but you should certainly start by searching for those that will unify your brand. Search by keyword or phrase to look for a toll free number that includes your business name or web domain name, preferably both. Savvy entrepreneurs are now even looking for winning vanity numbers first and then building their brands around them. Securing Multiple Variations Just as with Internet domain names, if you don’t secure multiple variations of your toll free number that include common spelling mistakes and the other toll free prefixes you are leaving the door open for your competition to move in on your business. USE IT A toll free number could easily be one of if not the best investment you make in your business. Though unless you use it and really put it to work for you, you will not enjoy many of the advantages and benefits they offer. Your new toll free number should be on every communication you have with the public. Read More
Using International 800 Numbers for a Global Presence by: Custom Toll Free, April 15, 2011 Are you expanding your business overseas? If so, then getting an international 800 number can certainly help. The toll free number makes your business attractive everywhere in the world. And the best part is, your marketing strategy can stay consistent which just serves to make it stronger. If you’re already looking for international 800 numbers right now, here are some features that you may find helpful: Rollover Option – when you get a toll free package, the number of minutes that comes with the plan is specified. The rollover option allows you to rollover the unused minutes to the next billing cycle. Customized Greetings – depending on the provider you choose, the customized greeting may be available for free. They give your company a more professional image. Voice Mail Option – the voice messages you receive can be sent to selected email addresses. Time of Day Routing – this is a very helpful option because it allows you to route to different numbers depending on the time of day. Basically, this is most beneficial for companies that outsource their contact support services. Simultaneous Call Processing – ability to accept multiple calls. Another feature that may prove useful is the international Callback. Take note that it is important to get the lowest number of incomplete calls. In this regard, you should stick with a provider with a proven track record and competitive prices. Some companies also offer wholesale callback rates for even greater savings. Read More
Measuring Advertising Effectiveness by: Custom Toll Free, April 14, 2011 A lot of marketers put a lot of focus on launching an Internet advertising campaign. But when it comes to gauging results, they have no concrete plan. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can ever make in advertising. Fortunately, there are a lot of tools that are available for free or at a minimal price. One of the most highly-rated tools is Google Analytics which is available to anyone who signs up for an account. By plugging this into your website, you’ll get in-depth information on traffic, visitor behavior, and conversion rates for an effective advertising campaign. The data can be further segmented according to your preferences including traffic sources (referring websites) and geographical data among others. So before you launch any new advertising strategy, make sure to put analytical tools on your website. It can track the effectiveness of the campaign and provide you with solid data. Aside from measuring the increase in the traffic, you can also analyze conversions. Some examples of these include: Completed sign-up forms Purchases from your e-commerce website Downloaded Files Clicks on your contact form or email address Subscription to Newsletter As you can see, simple analytics tool can provide a minefield of data which you can use to have an effective advertising strategy. Read More
Transferable 800 Service by: Custom Toll Free, April 13, 2011 Transferable 800 services provide premium toll free numbers with the complete control to port or move your toll free services to any carrier of your choice at anytime. Options and flexibility are always a good thing and are important to the continuity and profitability of your business. Don’t worry if you really haven’t thought about who you want to manage your toll free services yet, the best toll free providers that offer transferable 800 service normally provide activation and will host your number until you decide when and where you want to move your toll free numbers. In fact most often you don’t really need move your service, but it is nice to have the control. Plus you will often get a grace period of around a month after you reserve a new toll free number with transferable 800 service that comes a range of features including free minutes, online voicemail, online faxing, access to online details and advanced routing capabilities. When acquiring any business phone number, especially 800 vanity numbers you definitely want to check if it is a transferable 800 service. You do not want to be held captive. However, the one exception to this rule is for those who are taking advantage of toll free shared usage plans. Shared usage is a great option for those looking to get the most out of their budget or who want to harness the most powerful 800 numbers for specific areas even if they are owned by someone else. However if you are making the investment in a high quality number and the sole use of it you you need full control of the the toll free management and which carrier is handling your business phone lines so that you can switch carriers if there are issues later or in order to take advantage of more powerful routing options and improved customer service. Read More
6 Ways To Improve Advertising Effectiveness & Conversion Ratios by: Custom Toll Free, April 12, 2011 1. Credibility The better your credibility the greater your advertising effectiveness. This has been proven time and time again by those who have used toll free numbers in their advertising campaigns. Toll free numbers lend instant credibility which can not only easily directly double your conversion rates but shorten the time it takes to close new deals and enables you to build in higher profit margins. Read More
6 Ways To Improve Advertising Effectiveness & Conversion Ratios by: Custom Toll Free, 1. Credibility The better your credibility the greater your advertising effectiveness. This has been proven time and time again by those who have used toll free numbers in their advertising campaigns. Toll free numbers lend instant credibility which can not only easily directly double your conversion rates but shorten the time it takes to close new deals and enables you to build in higher profit margins. Read More