Search Engine Optimization - Blog Post Assignment

1. Using the information & techniques from the lectures and reading, analyze your blog for search engine optimization improvements. In a blog post, answer the following:
• What data did you look at?
• What techniques did you use?
• What are your findings?
• How would you improve the SEO of your blog? Use the data & techniques to prove your recommendations.

When you're finished with your post:

5.                   Click the link above to submit the link to your blog post.

6.                   Post a link to the Search Engine Optimization Discussion board for Module 3.

7.                   Comment on your peers' posts.

I think most people see my blog are my classmates because all my blogs are my homework. When people searching something they usually use the keywords to find it. Analyze using behavior we can easily find out that most people only look at first few result that show up.  For my blogger, most page views are the first several articles.

From analyzing, I can find out that when I post something newly, the page view will increase and the most page view are around Thursday to Monday every week.

Most of my visitors are located in United States and most of them using Firefox and internet explorer.

For improving my blog, I think I can add keywords, write high quality articles to make people have the willing to read my blog, split catalogue, regular update and avoid duplicate content.

Landing Page Improvements - Blog Post Assignment

For me, opening the landing page, the most things I want to see is something I interested in. I think there is a good way to realize that: Fill in the personal data on amazon, like, favorite colors; favorite things want to buy on amazon, interests and so on. My favorite stuff is SpongeBob, so I always searching SpongeBob products on amazon. If the landing page can show the picture I will click in. Based on different interests to put the things they might buy on the landing page is the smartest one.

And also, I want to know what product is the best seller and which one have the most page view.

For marketing:

 I think amazon can make everything classify in detail. For example, boots, type, color, high heel or not, the length of the heel, ball peen or pointed , all options in detail can make searching efficiency and make people get what they want as soon as possible.

And also for one type of product customer can list the products from low price to high price, best seller, best reputation to suit their needs.

The data marketing need is involve: for one product: page view, average time for viewing, how often a visitor view this product, if there are compare price behavior with other websites.

Custom Report - Blog Post Assignment

1. Using the information from the lectures and reading, setup a custom report for your blog in Google Analytics. Think about what metrics would be especially interesting & useful for measuring the effectiveness of your blog. Take a screenshot. In a blog post, share your screenshot & talk about why you chose the metrics you did.

 

I think the three metrics below is the most useful information of my blog for measuring the effectiveness.

 

Pageviews is the most direct way to see when, how many people view my pages. From that I can figure out the regular pattern of people’s browsing habits

 



 pageviews by countries can help me understand visitor distribution easily and figure out what area of people interested in my bolgger. The pageviews by Browsers can help me see the trend of browser using



Posts pageviews tell me which article is the popular one in my blogger.

This tool is really useful for my blogger to let me understand visitors behavior and point of intersts.

Root Cause Diagnosis Exercise - Blog Post Assignment

You know the following:

• Visitors to the Ford website can get to the Mustang from an ad on the homepage, and also from the menu at the top of the site.
• The Request a Local Quote button is on every page within the Mustang section of the site, including on the last page of the Build & Price section.
• Ford is using Facebook & Twitter to promote the new mustang.
• Ford is also using display & search ads online, and radio and television ads offline.

To help your team narrow down the possible problems:

1. Do a root cause diagnosis to identify all the influencing levers for why visitors may not be filling out the Request a Local Quote for the Mustang on Ford.com.
2. Create a blog post sharing your diagnosis along with what you would do with the information to move the team forward with answering their question. 

From this page, I can easily identify why people aren’t requesting quotes from local dealers for the Mustang, although the quotes from local dealers is the very important information that decided buy it or not, where to buy.

First thing is the location of this button, it is at the middle of the right page. Between “search dealer inventory” and “get update“. That place is the easiest place for most of people pay attention to.

Second is the size of that button, it is too small to get people’s attention.

Third is the color of the button. White. At that area, too much words are white and this button is easy to be ignored by people.

Last one is the design of the button, pattern is smaller than the words and the hyperlink under words is easy escape people’s attention.

To improve it. Change the location of the button and also the size, color, size of pattern. Make it showy. Using social media properly. Enclosed herewith the link of quotes from local dealers in significant place the catch more attention will improve this problem and let more people pay attention to the local price.

Southwest Airlines Case Study - Blog Post Assignment

1. In a blog post, answer the following:
• Why are press releases important to Southwest's business strategy?

Huge group of people use search engines to search information they want. After research on what words are popular and add them URL press releases, hyperlinks in their press releases. More people can see their information when searching on internet. After using this strategy, it brings Southwest 2.5 million dollars in ticket sales. Besides revenue, Southwest’s fame, social influence is all raised.

• How does Southwest track sales directly attributable to their press releases?

They use hyperlinks not only at the end of article but also between two paragraphs. And also add keywords that popular in their article and Distribute via wire search also test different press releases to make sure which one is the best one.

• Why are search keywords important to press release campaigns?

Search keyword can make sure what words can gain the page view of their own press releases. Obviously, unless this article has the information you are searching for or you will never see it when press the search button.  Add popular keywords can help raising the page view of one article which increases the opportunity that people take notice of their tickets and buy it.

• How did Southwest optimize their press releases for search engines?

First of all, Southwest research the most popular words in research engines so that they can make sure what kind of information that people are looking for. Second, Edit press releases to include search terms, which can gain the rate that people can find and see it. Thirdly, Have special hyperlinks on hand, and use them wisely. Not only at the end of the article but also placed in the middle of two paragraphs. After that build distribute via wire search that is crawled by news search engines and the last step is to test kinds of press release to make sure which one is the best one.

                         

                              How did Southwest measure the success of their PR campaigns?

                      From their sales, the page views of the press release and the page view of the book ticket website, feedback from customers.

• How can PR campaigns influence or be influenced by other events involving the company? Give an example outside of the Southwest case.

PR campaigns sometimes influence or be influenced by other events, For example, APPLE Confidential work is very important. Because of it, people are expecting the news conference. If the content of new product let out before news conference, the situation for this PR campaigns will be totally different.

Choosing a Vendor - Blog Post Assignment

In a blog post, try to answer the 10 questions from AV reading for a potential vendor for your chosen company. Explain why the vendor may be a good or poor fit based on your answers.

Q1: “What is the difference between your tool/solution and free tools from Yahoo! and Google?”

For DELL, know what other competitors situation is important. Some need pay tool can provide information about competitors quickly and accurately that free tools can do.

Q2: “Are you 100 percent ASP, or do you offer a software version? Are you planning a software version? ”

Most tools only provide ASP, but I want DELL have its own software version. If the company which provide tools have the version, they can charge as they wish witch might increase the cost. And also, have the software version is more safe and convenient to use first-party cookies which provide more accurate data and result.

Q3: “What data capture mechanisms do you use?”

I think DELL need to use the one provide the most comprehensive data and analytics. But we still can’t superstition it without thinking. No matter what kind of mechanism, it is just mechanism, we still have to dispose data with real situation and find the best way to solve it.

Q4: “Can you calculate the total cost of ownership for your tool?”

The total cost of ownership is not only for the fee that tool charge you , but also involved page view, professional services, Annual support costs and Cost of administration. We will add them all to estimate the total cost.

Q5: “What kind of support do you offer? What do you include for free, and what costs more? Is it free 24/7?”

Some limited options of a free tool can’t be found immediately. The vendor won’t tell you clearly. Some charges are hide behind free service.  We have to make it clear which one will charge DELL and which one is totally free. Then, we can figure out the total cost.

Q6: “What features in your tool allow me to segment the data?”

I think this tool have to support pressure test that can prove it can dispose huge data from DELL and also provide segment function which allow DELL to analysis customer behaviors.

 Q7: “What options do I have for exporting data from your system into our company’s system?”

We need to own the data, that can make sure there are no limit when we want to dispose the data. And also, if we have some problems with the vendor. It won’t influence our business and  data analysis.

Q8: “What features do you provide for me to integrate data from other sources into your tool?”

If Dell wants to use other analytic tools, this tool need have the function that can gather data together and analysis it. This can make result more accurate.

Q9: “Can you name two new features/tools/acquisitions your company is cooking up to stay ahead of your competition for the next three years?”

This is the best question I think. An advanced system can help us have the fast and the most accurate result which can help us find the best solution when face problems. Especially for knowing the information of competitors.

Q10: “Why did the last two clients you lost cancel their contracts? Who are they using now?

May we call one of these former clients?”

This the directly way to find out what the problems of this tools. Maybe the data is not that new. Maybe the analysis method is too old and slow. Maybe the result is not that accurate. We only need the best and fast tool .

Guidelines for Measuring Relationships in PR - Blog Post Assignment

1. In a blog post, give an example of a company or organization that has good relationships with its audience. And answer the following questions:

In my personal idea, APPLE is the example that has good relationships with its audience

• How does the organization maintain good relationships with its audience?

Open Facebook, twitter, and its own website pages for people interaction and focus on advertising and activities. Its customer services are really good. This company always catches most attention when new product is coming.

• How might it measure those efforts to maintain its relationships?

Output, outtakes, and outcome are the most common way to measure it. Sales, market share, customer’s feedback, click rate of their websites, browsing time for people on their website, topics about their products on social media are all the ways to measure it.

 

                        Why is it important to measure those relationships?

Those relationships are important to a company.  Good relationship can help the company have the accurate feedback and maintain their social image and influence. Measure relationship can help a company find out problem and advantages which can provide exactly solution about how to deal with the problems efficiency.

• What is the value of those good relationships to the organization?

Good relationships can make their work easier. The satisfaction from customer will be higher. If there are any problems in their products, company can receive customer’s true feelings and improve it. Also, good relationships with media can maintain their image and also enhance Positive dissemination.

• What might be the organizations appropriate goals? Explain why they would be appropriate goals.

I think the appropriate goals for APPLE is to become the leader of electronic companys. Like APPLE always do. Design is the most important thing in their products. It always lead the trend and change people’s life. Earn money is one goal, the other one is make people’s life more continent and colorful.

• What might be the outcomes of these successful relationships and how might they be measured?

For apple, the outcomes of successful relationships is when a new products coming. Countless people will pay close attention to it. Media scramble for reporting. This social influence is the best advertising and good to this company. They can also measure by reputation , click rate of website, situation of ordering before sell.

Content Analysis - Blog Post Assignment

Do a content analysis for your chosen company and share your results in a blog post.

• How is your company currently perceived by its publics?

For public perceived, I research that.1. DELL’s direct business mode is famous. Lots of people know it and believe this business mode is the key of DELL’s success.2. people thought that the quality of DELL’s products can be trust 3 the cost performance of DELL’s products is really good. 4. Evaluation of DELL’s service is high.  5. Mainly produce products for big organizations or companies.

• What messages are being conveyed?

After research, I thought the messages are: 1. DELL’s social image is well, people generally trust this brand. 2. For its products, most people is satisfied. 3. DELL really ignore personal computer market which makes people thought that they don’t pay much attention to produce personal computer.

• Are these in line with what is being sent from the company itself?

I think DELL is thinks highly of produce products that can make high cost performance and high quality. Besides that, Dell pay too much attention on how to fit group orders and believe that they can earn more money on that kind of huge orders and ignore personal market.

• Do you think the PR & marketing is effective? Why or why not?

I don’t think DELL’s PR & marketing is enough. DELL’s advertise on media is low, and most of them are the introduction to products. Maybe it’s because its high reputation, DELL don’t invest much on PR and marketing activities. But for personal market, this kind of advertising is essential.

Sodexo Case Study - Blog Post Assignment

1. Visit Sodexo's Career blog, Twitter & Facebook pages (feel free to visit their other social media presences as well):
• http://www.sodexocareersblog.com
• https://twitter.com/SodexoCareers
• https://www.facebook.com/SodexoCareers

In a blog post, answer the following questions:

• Why might potential employees find Sodexo's content engaging?

                  I looked up their pages, I think potential employees find it is content engaging is because their pages are Complete classification. It provides recruitment information also provides other information like successful experiences and matters need attention. Also, this company have wide coverage on websites. Facebook and twitter are the most popular SNS in the world.  It accepts all kinds of contacting like leave a message, email phone call, twitter and so on. It is fit people’s different needs.

• In what ways is Sodexo using social media to reach their target audiences?

                    They open pages on social media like Facebook and twitter which provide a platform to people talk about it and contact Sodexo. From people’s daily discussion, more people will know it, and they also can accept more information about how to improve their service.

• How might Sodexo measure the effectiveness of their individual social networks.

                   I think the most direct way is the click rate of their websites. The other data like how many people leave message or email, what is the average time people browsing this website can also measure the effectiveness of their social networks.

Measurement Program - Blog Post Assignment

For your chosen company (or choose a new one), follow KDP's 7 Steps to Measurement Program (ones that are possible) and document your steps in a blog post. Explain how you think your chosen company should measure ROI (Return on Investment)?

Step 1: Define Your Goals and Objectives: Why Are You Launching This Plan or Pursuing This Strategy? What Is the “R” in the ROI That You Are Seeking to Measure?

Sales: Of course sales for DELL are really important. Computer market is a fierce competition all around world. People have many choices and every big computer companies is dying to be the first. For DELL in United States computer market, the largest competitor is HP. Several years ago DELL’s market share is the first in US market and these years HP has already exceed it.  For sure sales are one of DELL’s goals and the most important one.

Message or positioning: In computer market. I think the market share can lead the trend. “Everyone buys this product so it is popular and great so I want to buy it.” This is the most conformity thinking of customers. Actually, the position of one company in the whole market is really important. The most successful company in one industry should be the one people come up with firstly. DELL’s goal is to be the company that people think of firstly. DELL’s goal is people like it not only for their high quality product but also for their cheaper price and humanity design.

Public Safety or Education: Public safety and education seems have nothing to do with DELL. But actually computer science is connected to high-tech, education is really important to development high-tech products. DELL’s DELLHPCC system is just about supporting scientific research in universities. We can see that DELL is really pay attention to cultivate talents. I don’t think public safety is related to DELL, but education is closely related. Education is not the goal of DELL but the a method to reach their goal----produce advanced products.

 

Step 2: Define Your Environment, Your Audiences, and Your Role in Influencing Them

Environment: In today’s market, everything becomes hyaline. A lot of websites provide place to people to rate one product and discuss it. Costumer research is not restricted to do some paper research or telephone interview. You can find customers’ real attitude to one brand. The environment is like this, if you want to know what you need to improve and the advantages of one product, just Google it.  

Audiences: Audiences are the group of people who use computer, almost everyone and media. A good relationship with audience can bring lots of benefits: 1. Make people trust what you describe the product 2 a good relationship with media can solve much problems, they won’t make too much negative reports which can bring shame on one company. And the bad relationship, first of course, people don’t like this brand, they will never buy it. And also tell others it is not good. Second, people don’t believe the description of your product and media maybe report a lot of negative news about this company. Even that news are not true, still a lot of people will believe it. Improve the relationship with audiences can get feedback of products rapidly and accurately.

ROLE:  Our role is to improve our product to suit customer’s needs and let people pleased with our products and survey.

 

Step 3: Define Your Investment: What Will It Cost? What Is the “I” in ROI?

Investment involved: 1. Might need to purchase measuring tool 2. Analyst which collect all the results and summarize the accurate reason and provide solution

 Step 4: Determine Your Benchmarks

To compared with big competitors like HP, Lenovo. They all want to have the largest market share in computer market.  Their goals are basically same. DELL’s direct marketing mode is different from the other two.
To compared with DELL’s performance in the past. I would say, firstly it had the largest market share in U.S.  But now, The first place in computer market is HP. It is not about DELL’s performance become bad, it is just about DELL ignore personal computer market for too long time and not catch the opportunity to enhance its market value.

Step 5: Define Your Key Performance Indicators: What Are the Metrics You Will Report With?

The key performance indicators will be: 1. compared with the past data about sales, website traffic, customer ratification.  2.After improve the products, is every indicators become better or no significant change. 3. The performance of other competitors. What’s the distance between them, which strategy is the best one?

Step 6: Select the Right Measurement Tool and Vendors and Collect Data

I select web analytics. This is the best and fastest way to measure and collect data. And also its coverage is the largest one.  Social or traditional media have their boundedness and primary research sometimes cause people’s dislike.

Step 7: Turn Data into Action: Analyze Data, Draw Actionable Conclusions, and Make Recommendations

I don’t really have the data of DELL’s measurement, so I can’t make recommendations about their products. But I need to recommend DELL consumer market is the place that DELL can strive for more market share. And also their input of PR activities is not enough.

 

Explain how you think your chosen company should measure ROI (Return on Investment)

I think the easiest way is compared the data with past data. The satisfaction of customer and products, the website clicks volume.  Their sales, market share and social image.

Social Media Trends - Blog Post Assignment

In a blog post, explain what you think are the major trends in social media for this year. Answer the following:

• Why are the major trends important?

Major trends in social media represent the mainstream crowd’s attitudes to one product. The more attention on one product will lead to a result -----this product is popular and more people will buy it. Major trends in social media can affect the sale of a product to a certain extent. It can also influence the development of one company.  So the major trends are important.

• What do you think will be the trends for the next 6 months?

These years some social media like Facebook and Twitter are very popular. I think for the next 6 months the influence of these kinds of media will continue show their huge guidance quality. People discuss one product on it and decide to buy it or not.  This media can show the real attitudes from customers.

• For your chosen company, how are the trends important? Will they affect their current marketing?

DELL is a computer company; it has lots of competitors like HP, APPLE.  The trends not only affect people’s attitudes on one product but also the attitudes on this brand. To some extent decide a company’s development. A good company will always do what customers want it to do, research customers’ opinions and change their marketing strategy is the best way for DELL. Sure they can affect their current marketing.

PR Measurement Guidelines - Blog Post Assignment

Choose a company (can be the same as previous assignments). Answer the following in a blog post:

• What are their current PR activities?

Dell’s PR activities: advertisements on media like TV, broadcasts, websites and on some Mainstream social networking websites to enlarge their brand influence, mainly for their products, price advantage and their marketing mode. They also send selling information e-mails to people. Their DELLHPCC system is full support scientific research in universities. Their Propaganda Angle is lower and publicity is not enough.

• What are the possible outputs, outtakes & outcomes?

Through advertising and other propaganda techniques can increase the brand influence and people’s attention on their products and increase the sale.  Support scientific research can develop new technology and also improve the social influence and trust. Their PR activities also can increase the satisfaction of customers. On some social networking websites like Facebook and twitter can provide a platform for people to talk about their products and research their attitudes to products and improve their products and services.

 

• What might their PR objectives and business objectives be?

Firstly, raise the profile of their brand and brand influence. Secondly, provide product information to clients. Thirdly, gain people’s trust and social influence. Fourthly, research the popular will of their products and improve their product to increase their product satisfaction.

• How might they measure each?

From their sale, page view for each day, feedback on websites and customer satisfaction of product and this brand.

• Do they seem to be accomplishing their objectives?

I don’t think DELL do well on their PR activities. Their advertisements are mainly focus on products, Price and marketing mode. Their propaganda Angles are single and not enough.

Understanding Business Objectives & Audience - Blog Post Assignment

Question #1: What Are Your Objectives?

My objectives are to help Dell open consumer market and achieve more market share. Meanwhile, make the manage system more efficiency.

Question # 2: Who Are Your Program’s Target Audience(s)?

I think my target audience is all computer user group, especially personal computer users.

Question # 3: What Is Important to Your Audiences?

I think the quality and function of computer is important to audiences, cost performance will be another important think standard.

Question # 4: What Motivates Them to Buy Your Products?

Good reputation, Fashionable appearance, Enhanced features and functionality, High Cost-Effective.

Question #5: What Are Your Key Messages?

Better price, further functionality and High-Q of our products.

Question #6: Who Influences Your Audience(s)?

Strong competitors like Apple, HP and Lenovo which share market share with Dell. Their development can easily influence Dell’s position in computer market.

Question #7: How Do You Distribute Your Product or Service?

I can cooperate with huge electrical stores and step up publicity like commercial and website advertisement. I will also improve our website make buying online and customer services more fast and convenient.

 Question #8: What Are You Going to Do with the Information You Get from Your Research?

I will improve our products and customer services based on customer’s preferences and produce new products which meet client’s requirements.

Question #9: What Other Departments or Areas Will Be Affected?

Research and design department and customer services department will be affected.

 Question #10: What Other Measurement Programs Are Currently Underway?

 DELL using the metrics of days sales outstanding (DSO), days sales in inventory (DSI), and days of payables outstanding (DPO), Dell added DSO and DSI, then subtracted DPO, to determine the cash conversion cycle.

Make the Case - Blog Post Assignment

Choose a company. Imagine you're a web analyst at this company and you need to make the case to your boss about why the company needs a measurement strategy. In a blog post on your blog (which you set up in Module 0), make the case to your boss using reasons from the reading and lectures.

I'm a analyst at DELL. Below is my reasons why my company really need a measurement strategy:

 

First of all, computer already became a kind of the life necessities in our life and work. The demand of personal computer market grown every year. But Dell pay too much attention on producing computer for government and big computer these years. Cater to consumer market can expand the market share. Using measurement strategy is the easiest and fastest way for DELL to master consumers' needs and preferences.

 

Secondly, the cost of measurement strategy is very low even free. There are a lot of measuring tools we can download from the website. It can provide accurate data and analysis results immediately and raise the efficiency of management . It can help our company know well with the market direction and help the manager make correct dicisions.

 

Thirdly, If DELL launching new products, feedback from clients are very important. Mesurement strategy can provide data analysis directly. Our company can improve new products based on the the feedback from  clients.

 

 

Lastly, mesurement strategy also can provide the accurate information  about our competitors like HP,APPLE and lenove and analysis them.Master competitors information can help us formulate better strategy to deal with other companies' actions.

 

 

More about Ning Zhu

Hi there,

My name is Ning Zhu, I'm a transfer student from China.

I used to learn Mechanical and change my major to Business.

This is my first time to take online courses, hope to learn more through this class.

This is my very last semester and I will graduate.



                                                                            Ning Zhu