Web sites are no longer about throwing up a heap of information into a categorized architecture and leaving the user to find the information that is relevant to them. This is not optimal for generating leads or sales because, users are savvier and want information to be presented to them. Too much information will get confusing, and the more clicks it takes to get to the relevant information will correlate in more bounces off the web site. Therefore the aim of a good web site/user experience should be to provide the right information to the user at the right time. Sitecore AIDA has a number of marketing performance optimization tools which are able to collect, evaluate and analyse user patterns to provide the best web experience and ultimately a targeted journey for each user.
Sitecore AIDA is more than just a product, it’s a framework that is based on the concept of four key areas. Each area contains various “tools” which enable content authors to get the best results and enable the users to get the best experience on your site.
Analysis
Sitecore is able to track all interactions users have with their account (across multiple channels). There is no need to manually track every campaign with tags, Sitecore is able to do it automatically which allows performance of content, campaigns and experiences to be measured.
- A/B & multivariate testing allows tests to be setup (without coding) to measure which content is working and which content is not. Case studies in the past have shown that even simple changes (such as the colour or text of a button) can be shown to affect leads by measurable percentages. It’s not simply clicks that are measured, engagement as well as goal conversions are analysed to provide analysis on the varying content.
- Goal tracking allows numeric values to be set on various activities across a web site, which can then be used to show how engaged each visitor is. Downloading a file, completing a form and even viewing a page are all measurable and can be used to profile each user. These profiles can then be used to determine if someone is ready for a sales call or perhaps needs more information.
Insights
Insights provide details on every interaction the users make, which is then analysed to show what is working well and what might not be working so well. This allows for a web site which delivers better web experiences which are more relevant.
- Rules-based targeting can personalise content based on a large array of attributes such as goal achievement (using goal tracking), location, source of referral and even dates/times (think holidays for example). If an organisation had offices in multiple geographic locations, rules-based targeting could be used to promote the contact details of the office which is nearest to the location of the user. If a user has completed a sale (goal), customized banners related to the purchase can be shown.
- Behavioural targeting is really the key to displaying the right information to the user. It analyses what the user has looked at and can even anticipate what they might be looking for. The user does not need to be logged in for this to work, it works seamlessly with anonymous users as well.
Decisions
Sitecore can provide the most relevant experiences via tracking custom goals, personalising content and predicting what experience the user needs. With Sitecore AIDA you can test, measure, decide and ultimately act quickly.
- Predictive marketing out of the box provide a set of simple tools which can observe a user’s behaviour across the site and give them personalized content in real time. Once you start building a profile on the user (based on a number of factors including interests and actions) the experience can then be personalised, and this can be different at each step of the profile progression.
- Customer segmentation uses rules to create dynamic segments based on a behaviour or interaction (such as a profile, location, and even a goal being triggered). This can be done without the use of a CRM or alternatively the CRM’s power can be harnessed to create the segments. These segments are then another factor which can be used to tailor experiences to the users inside that segment.
Automation
Automation is able to respond right away to user actions with specific lead-nurturing content and triggered campaigns which are most relevant to them.
- Lead nurture is able to profile all of the content that the user experiences, which in turn goes into the calculation of a detailed lead score – which itself is based on all user touch points (web site, email, mobile and even social). Integration is available both ways with a CRM which can leverage any insight into sales and can be used for very personalized marketing. Web forms can also be created without the need of IT or programmer assistance, these forms can then be populated by Sitecore automatically and any leads generated are sent to the CRM.
- The number of channels that users may use is growing with time, what might have only been phone or postal mail in the past now has such channels as Facebook, Twitter, email, mobile and various other applications/social networks. Marketing automation allow the marketers to control the conversation over all of these fragmented channels which in turn allows more personalization and centralization. This cross channel automation allows different types of interactions, automated responses and even content based on how the user interacts with your company. Sitecore knows where the conversation left off and on what channel which allows marketers to pick up right where they left off, this leads to a stronger communication with the user and keeps the conversation moving forward (towards conversion).
We only provided a brief overview of the Sitecore AIDA framework. We have utilised this tool in the real world and when used correctly, it is a powerful and necessary tool for any organisation that wants to market their products online. Each tool plays a part in building a great web experience which not only gives the user a clean and personalised journey, but improves the company’s brand and converts more leads into sales. For more information about Sitecore AIDA, click here.
Diversus are a Sitecore partner with numerous developers certified to develop great online solutions. If you would like to find out how Sitecore and the AIDA framework can help you, please feel to contact us.