Online Advertising Generates Big Results for Applebee's

When it comes to marketing on the Internet, most companies will focus on Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising. It’s a great way to capture leads and generate conversions based on online search behavior. In fact, pay per click is known for it’s fantastic ROI when compared to other marketing initiatives. At echo, many of our websites have ongoing PPC campaigns. 

While pay per click is great, there are other online marketing options that can generate tremendous results too. This was the case with Applebee’s Illinois. When we began working with them on their online advertising in 2010, we looked at many options.  The goal was to drive more traffic to their website ourapplefans.com and their Facebook page. To achieve this goal, we chose to focus on online display advertising to generate interest and drive traffic to these sites. 

1 Million Site Visitors
We developed banner/display ads and focused on a new message every month with a very specific call to action such as email, text, or ‘like’. We honed in on current restaurant promotions and specials which resulted in a rotation of 4-5 messages per month. With these banner ads, we were able to reach a very broad audience which led to fantastic results. In fact, Applebee’s had 1 million unique visitors with our display ad campaign. This was a remarkable number that far exceeded Applebee’s expectations. 

A fantastic feature of this online campaign is the transparency of the data. Not only do we have general campaign tracking available to us, we also had the ability to track specific call to action messages, allowing us to compare one banner ad to the another. 

Valuable Customer Data
Beyond unique visitors, we also were able to gather valuable customer data. One promotion which offered a free appetizer with a text, was able to capture phone numbers. While another free dessert offer, captured opt in emails via a online form submittal.

In the end, this campaign is a great example of how online banner advertising can work. In fact, Applebee’s has expanded this advertising program with us. The territories in Florida, Ohio and Indiana have jumped on board with a campaign of their own in March 2012.

Can online advertising benefit you? Please contact us and we’ll help you sift through all your options and recommend what can work best. 

Launch Pad : Nyco Products Website

As a premier manufacturer of innovative specialty cleaning chemicals and sanitary maintenance brands, Nyco knows a thing or two about building brands. When they were looking to create a fresh, new website, they interviewed six firms and chose us to develop a comprehensive site that could easily be updated by Nyco staff. Our Skybox CMS was a perfect fit. 

Working together with the Ticsay Group, a marketing strategy firm, we developed this site from the ground up. We met extensively with the Nyco team and developed a design which fit beautifully with their existing brand. 

An Easy Navigation
The site features a great amount of content, so we developed drop down navigation, as well as side navigation to guide the user. The side navigation features a warm green color scheme with custom icons.  In addition, appropriate imagery was carefully selected to bring interest and relevancy to each page. 

Skybox CMS
As a content manageable website, Nyco has the ability to add, edit or delete pages. This is achieved through the page management feature of our Skybox CMS. In addition, we built custom modules for Nyco such as a News Blog and a Careers Module for job postings. At the core of the content management though are the products. With our custom built Products Module they can easily add a product, upload images, add content, create tags and upload documents related to the product. Each and every product automatically works with the side navigation, as well as the search which allows users to search by product name, type, tags or codes. 

Works On All Devices
Mobility is also a key part of their site. Nyco wanted their site to work on iPads for their sales reps. With our responsive web design programming, the site automatically adjusts to the device, whether its a computer, tablet or smartphone. No pinching or zooming is necessary. It’s one site that works on all devices and it looks fantastic on the new iPad. 

With it’s extensive content and substantial amount of products, the Nyco site is one of the largest sites we have ever built. But with our Skybox CMS, as well as our smart programming the site loads quickly and is very scaleable. Please take a look for yourself by visiting their website. We welcome your feedback. 

Client Corner : The New Basecamp

The best project management site just got better.

When it comes to managing our projects, we sing the praises of Basecamp. It’s an easy to use website that is great for collaborating and managing project details. In fact, most of our clients use Basecamp with us. 

A few weeks ago, 37 Signals, the makers of Basecamp, released a new version. While it was five years in the works, it was well worth the wait. While most of their competitors focused on adding new features or functionality to their sites, Basecamp focused on one key thing, the user experience.  They simplified the navigation, reduced the number of project sections and designed a new design that put the right information at your finger tips. 

The new Basecamp has transformed the way we manage projects. The Daily Progress section, gives us a timeline view of all project activity, allowing us to see exactly what each person is working on throughout the day. They even send a daily recap highlighting all the projects that have been worked on with all the detail to back it up. This has resulted in a more responsive and transparent approach to managing projects.

The projects section allows us to arrange the projects by client as well as by favorites. A favorite can be a consistent project or one under deadline. It’s graphical approach for each project makes it easy to select. We just click on the big project box and we’re into all the project details. 

While the new features are used by our firm every day, the real benefit we see with Basecamp occurs when our clients use it along with us. Clients can easily send us notes regarding projects, can see project progress, can upload files and view tasks. In one convenient site, they can see all the details that occur with their project. In summary, it’s a project portal that lets us communicate in a manner that is much easier than email. 

To learn more about Basecamp, please visit their website.

App of the Month : iPhoto for iPad

Yep, we’ll admit it, we were counting the days until the new iPad was released. The thought of all that Retina display graphic goodness in our hands made us giddy. We’re tech nerds. 

Shortly after announcing the new iPad, Apple introduced a new app, iPhoto for iPad. For Macheads, iPhoto is quite familiar. It has long been Apple’s key software for managing and editing photos. With the new iPhoto for iPad app, much of the functionality of the iPhoto software has been brought to the iPad, making it a highly portable, highly powerful photo editing tool. 

Launch the app, and a scrollable thumbnail grid lets you breeze through pictures in portrait or landscape. You can also compare multiple pictures side by side, select favorites, and hide so-so shots in one fell swipe. Once you select a photo, you have many options to choose.

Special Effects
You can also choose from dozens of beautifully designed photo effects to give pictures an extra touch. Use the swatch book to change the look and feel of each photo. Then pinch, zoom, or slide to adjust an effect.

Photo Editing
Apple added brushes where you use your finger to paint adjustments onto an image. Just swipe over an area to make it lighter or darker. Zoom in to brush away blemishes with the powerful Repair tool. Select the Sharpen brush to bring out the fine details or use the Soften brush to smooth hard lines and edges. All this makes editing your photos easy and fast. 

Photo Sharing
With iPhoto for iPad, there’s more than one way to share a photo. Post pictures directly to Facebook, Flickr, or Twitter. Play an impromptu slideshow on your iPad or iPhone. Or stream photos to your television. Sharing is one area will Apple shines by making it simple and easy. 

What Apple has managed to do with this new app is allow one to upload, edit and publish images without a computer. It’s all done from the convenience of your iPad, making it a very practical and innovative way to manage images. Check it out yourself.