Good communication is at the heart of any successful business and the internet is undoubtedly the key communications channel which brings us closer to the audiences we want to engage with.  When it comes to internet infrastructure, penetration and take-up, Northern Ireland has plenty to shout about when it comes to marketing Northern Ireland as a good place to do business.

Internet Access – How Effective is Northern Ireland’s Communications Infrastructure?

In February a £25m investment in mobile infrastructure was announced to bridge the gap in 2G and 3G mobile coverage in Northern Ireland in comparison to the rest of the UK. Predictions cited that we would have 94% 3G coverage by the end of the year.  The Chancellor George Osborne also announced plans in the March budget to make Belfast a ‘super-connected’ city due to a successful bid for funding to deliver ultrafast fixed broadband access and large areas of public wireless connectivity.  The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) launched the Next Generation Broadband Project, which has played a key role in setting Northern Ireland apart from other UK regions. Northern Ireland now has the highest household availability of superfast broadband services at 94%, some 34% higher than the UK average of 60%.

Internet Penetration – What is the Profile of a Typical Internet User in Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland’s broadband penetration varies significantly by demographic factors. Nearly nine in ten households with children and over eight in ten adults aged 16-34 or in the AB social group have access to broadband services at home, whereas the over 55’s are the least likely group to have broadband at home.

Internet Consumption – What Channels do NI People Use to Access the Internet?

Aside from internet consumption on PC’s, Northern Ireland has an increasingly technology-savvy community, with around 9% of households now owning a tablet computer such as an iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab, compared to only 2% in 2011. In addition, 8% of homes now own an e-reader such as a Kindle. These technology hungry individuals are typically aged 35-54, from AB social groups/higher income homes and living in an urban area.  Smartphone penetration among adults in Northern Ireland has risen substantially in 2012 to 34%, up from 21% in 2011, and 35% of adults in Northern Ireland now access the internet on their mobile phone compared to 29% in 2011.

Impact of the Internet on Consumers – What are Northern Ireland People Doing Online?

The internet is having an increasing impact on our lives. In Northern Ireland, 80% of internet users are emailing, 72% are shopping for goods and services and 66% are social networking. These are the most popular activities we engage in when we are online.  In total, almost half of all adults in Northern Ireland (49%) use social networking sites on their PC’s or mobile phones, including Facebook and Twitter. Fifty-six per cent of those with broadband at home use their connection to view TV or video clips, while the same proportion engage in internet banking (up by 5% since 2011).

Are you making the most of the opportunities the internet presents to you?

We have greatly improved broadband access in NI and increasing numbers of our population access the internet at home, at work and on the move, to communicate with each other and buy and sell goods and services.  This is compelling evidence that Northern Ireland businesses need to harness the power of the internet to sustain and grow, and also to attract inward investment into Northern Ireland. 

For more information on using the internet to grow your business email us on info@thewebbureau.com or by phone to 028 9073 1190.

*Statistics sourced from OFCOM Communications Market Report for Northern Ireland, published July 2012

Gone are the days of simply choosing a few keywords, writing an ad and setting your campaign live.  Google Adwords has come a long way since its inception and contains many features to assist advertisers achieve their objectives and maximise their return on investment.

Embarking on a PPC campaign can be very involved even for the most experienced advertiser, never mind those who are just starting out!  To guide you through the PPC maze and help you get started, we have put together these top tips.

(1)    Do your research

 Before you start your PPC campaign, take the time to undertake research to ensure your campaign will be as effective as possible.  Google’s Keyword Tool is a great place to start!  It will give you an idea of the search volumes for your chosen keywords and phrases, as well as giving you an approximate CPC(cost per click) which will gives a good guide on the budget required.   For example, you may find generic terms are pricier than the niche “long tail” terms, but research will help you determine what is achievable within your budget.   Tools including SEMRush, Spyfu and KeywordSpy can also give great insight into competitor PPC activity and approximate advertising spend.

 (2) Make a plan

Think about your campaign objectives and organise your ad groups effectively by keeping your ad groups tight with a targeted set of related keywords and focussed ad text.  Don’t fall into the trap of trying to achieve your objectives quickly, by adding a huge amount of keywords and ads into one ad group; it will prove much more time consuming to manage.  The result of good planning will soon become clear; better campaign performance, higher quality score and higher click through rates (CTR).

(3)    Optimise your campaign landing pages

PPC is all about relevancy; the keywords, the ad text and the landing page.  It may be tempting to link your ads to your website’s homepage but this simply leads to a frustrated visitor who can’t find what they were promised from your ad.  Think about the content of your ad and drive people through to a landing page with highly relevant content and a prominent call to action, for example “Contact Us” or “Buy Now.”

(4)    Track Conversions

 One of the joys of PPC advertising is the ability to measure the exact return on your ad spend.  Be sure to set up conversion tracking to measure how many conversions are received as a direct result of PPC activity.  Whether it’s a lead, a sign up or a sale, conversion tracking allows you to see conversion rates and calculate the all important cost per conversion, giving you the ability to calculate if PPC is a viable sales/marketing channel for your business.

(5)    Test and Refine

The best way to ensure you get the most from PPC and achieve your objectives is to constantly test and refine your campaign.  Try adding different keyword variations, phrases and ad variations, measure the impact and refine.  If something isn’t working, change it – it doesn’t cost you any extra as you only pay when someone clicks on your ad! 

We hope our top tips help you get started with your PPC campaign.  If you need some advice or want to chat through some ideas, get in touch with our team of Digital Marketing experts today.

There was much excitement in our Digital Marketing team last Friday afternoon as we received confirmation that three of our entries to the Digital Advertising Northern Ireland (DANI) Awards had made the shortlist.

Paul Haslam, Director of The Web Bureau said:

“We are delighted to have been shortlisted for these celebrated industry awards. This is testament to the hard work and dedication of our committed team.”

The Web Bureau is nominated for Best B2B Campaign for the Northern Ireland Website Scrappage Scheme and Best Use of Search for two Search Engine Optimisation campaigns delivered on behalf of clients, Grand Opera House Belfast and Kingspan Environmental.

Best B2B Campaign – Northern Ireland Website Scrappage Scheme

The Northern Ireland Website Scrappage Scheme was a nationwide marketing campaign launched in April 2012 by The Web Bureau to encourage businesses to ditch their old website in exchange for £1,000 discount off a new site.

Paul Haslam, Director explains the rationale behind the campaign: 

“Your website is the first port of call for many potential customers or stakeholders and first impressions last. Many websites in Northern Ireland look dated, lack fresh content and are not designed and content managed in a search friendly manner.”

Paul adds, “We had a great response to the scheme and had the opportunity to educate many Northern Ireland businesses on the value of having a visually engaging, functional and search friendly website.  Special thanks must go to the PR team at Lighthouse Communications for their assistance with widening the reach of our message through traditional and online PR channels.”

Best Use of Search – Grand Opera House Belfast

The Best Use of Search award offers recognition for a campaign that successfully enhanced the visibility of a website in search engines organic listings.

Grand Opera House is well known for its shows, however, this SEO campaign focused on using search engine marketing to generate awareness of less well known services including meeting and conference room hire and lunch and dining facilities on site. 

 

Best Use of Search – Kingspan Environmental

At The Web Bureau, we have delivered many web design, web development and digital marketing projects for various brands within the Kingspan Group. This particular project, launched in final quarter of 2011 sought to promote their Sensor Systems Winter Fuel Essentials products website, www.oilalarms.com, at a time of year when demand for these products is naturally higher.

Both companies experienced significant jumps in their rankings for keywords from positions beyond Page 10 of Google UK to Page 1 and subsequently extended the projects.

Denise Cowan, Digital Marketing Manager commented:

“We are delighted to be recognised as one of the leading search engine optimisation providers in Northern Ireland, and to have the opportunity to continue to work with the Marketing teams at Grand Opera House and Kingspan Environmental. Our clients also deserve recognition for their forward thinking approaches to marketing and ongoing commitment to implementing successful digital strategies.”

The DANI Awards recognise businesses, organisations and individuals, working in the digital media sector in Northern Ireland. With ten categories, entrants can gain recognition for successful web design, e-commerce, mobile marketing, social media, search engine optimisation and digital strategy projects. In addition, DANI present an individual award for the Digital Business Person of the Year. 

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Titanic Building in Belfast on 13 September. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

If you are interested in search engine marketing to drive traffic to your website and grow sales, contact The Web Bureau on 028 9073 1190 or email denise@thewebbureau.com