It was once again mid-December, and I was once again sitting and trying to come up with a list of resolutions. While going through some of the most common resolutions: get healthy, do more for others, etc. it hit me: these are great marketing resolutions, too. <\/span><\/p>\n Resolutions are a great concept. They give you focus for the year and motivate you to get more done. So often our work lives overlap with our personal lives\u2014wouldn\u2019t it be easier to just make <\/span>one<\/span><\/i> set of resolutions?<\/span><\/p>\n This is everyone\u2019s perennial favorite, and for good reason: when you\u2019re in shape, you feel at your best. It\u2019s the same for your business. One of your marketing resolutions should be\u00a0to\u00a0lose dead weight and make <\/span>healthier business choices.<\/b><\/p>\n This year, instead of indulging in every marketing tactic out there, concentrate on the ones that will<\/span> strengthen <\/span><\/i>your business. Does your accounting business need a Pinterest? Probably not. Do you need to\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Instead of sending out quick emails and posts that get you through the day, work on campaigns that will carry you into the future.<\/span><\/p>\n L<\/span>ong gone are the days where a simple HTML website was enough to impress a client. <\/span><\/p>\n These days, it\u2019s all about <\/span>user experience<\/b>. Consumers have grown to expect a lot from companies. User experience is no longer just about how your website performs, but how it looks, as well as how well it\u2019s optimized for mobile. <\/span><\/p>\n Instead of choosing website elements based off of your personal preferences or keeping certain elements because they\u2019ve been there since day one, think of your customer. <\/span>88 percent<\/span><\/a> of online consumers are less likely to revisit your site after a bad experience. <\/span><\/p>\n How do you prevent that? By focusing on the little things as well as the overall experience. A user experience manager for Bing credited using a <\/span>specific shade of blue<\/span><\/i> for <\/span>at least $80 million<\/span><\/a> in additional annual revenue. <\/span><\/p>\n You can also just listen to your audience. Have they been asking for a search bar? A better way to contact you? Give them what they want\u2014the customer is [almost] always right. ESPN saw their revenue jump <\/span>35 percent<\/span><\/a> after incorporating customer feedback in their homepage redesign. <\/span><\/p>\n In 2016, stop sending out tweets that get no engagement. Stop sending emails that are never opened. Stop writing blogs that are never read. <\/span>Start<\/span><\/i> learning from your mistakes. <\/span><\/p>\n Marketing is a vast and complex business. What works for one company might not work for another. A very easy and practical way to figure out what works for your business is to start <\/span>A\/B testing.<\/b><\/p>\n A\/B testing in its most basic form is simple: make different versions (such as a version <\/span>A<\/b> and a version <\/span>B<\/b>) and see which one does better. It\u2019s a near-universal practice that works on social media strategy, email blasts, landing page copy\u2014pretty much all types of content. <\/span><\/p>\n By A\/B testing, you\u2019ll be able to actively compare <\/span>conversion and engagement rates<\/span><\/i> and use that data to figure out what resonates best with your audience. <\/span>A\/B testing helped <\/span>ComScore<\/span> increase lead generation by 69 percent<\/span><\/a>, and it helped Sony <\/span>increase purchases by 20 percent<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nResolution #1: Lose Weight and Get in Shape<\/span><\/h3>\n
Resolution # 2: Think About Others<\/span><\/h3>\n
Resolution #3: Learn from Your Mistakes and Make Better Choices<\/span><\/h3>\n
Resolution #4: Write More<\/span><\/h3>\n