Why Service Level Agreements Fail

One of the basic principles of physics is the conservation of momentum. 

This principle explains why service level agreements fail and how you can fix them.

In business dynamics, conservation of momentum means each group will fall into its own cadence or rhythm. They will stay in their own groove until acted upon by an external force. 

Does this sound familiar?

>Marketing sends us bad leads.

>Sales can't close the great leads we send them.

>I told operations we were going to close that big deal.

>Sales always says they are going to close that big deal and it never happens.

>Marketing does not understand this great new design and how it will change the world.

>Engineering couldn't speak in plain terms if their life depended on it.

>We are the only department that can make accurate predictions. Everyone else lives in a fantasy world.

You are probably laughing out loud right now because we all have heard these rants.

Enter the Service Level Agreement.

The purpose of an SLA (Service Level Agreement) is simple: align various departments, get everyone on the same page, and agree on expected outcomes and accountability.

An example of this alignment could be Sales and Marketing defining a "good lead" and committing to execute an agreed-upon follow-up strategy (accountability). Another could be aligning on lead time for orders from Sales to Operations. Easy. Simple.

So why do Service Level Agreements fail?

The players change.

Everyone has a 5-year plan. A new survey by Robert Half shows 64% of workers favor job hopping with 75% of employees under 34 believing it could benefit their career. That means in reality, you can expect the players to change almost yearly! Those who set up the Service Level Agreement will likely not be there in 12 months.

The objectives change.

Using Predictive Lead Scoring, as we gather more data, we are able to determine the quality of leads and their closing rate. An efficient way to develop a lead score is to look at historical data. What behaviors did existing customers exhibit before they closed? This could be the number of page visits, the frequency of visits, offers downloaded, demo presentations viewed, trial participation, etc. Next, give each behavior a weight. If you know that viewing a product demo has a higher closing rate than downloading an offer, for example, give it a heavier weight. 

Now 3 months later, your data tells you a trial has a better closing rate than a demo. The objective has changed from demos to trials.

 

The market changes.

Only 53 US companies have been on the Fortune 500 since 1955.

SOURCE: AEI

In 1998, IBM was the biggest American tech company by revenue. Now, some 20 years later, it’s not even among the top 30 companies in the Fortune 500. Innovation creates new markets that did not exist and technology (including AI and Machine Learning) allows companies to quickly position themselves as the new market leader.

Should you just forget about Service Level Agreements?

No. The key to a successful SLA is to understand it is not a static document. You need to adopt scheduled reviews and adjust and optimize where necessary. Reviewing your metrics on a regular basis— we recommend no longer than every 90 days— and developing an agreed-upon process to address market changes and new products will keep you on track with your business goals and objectives. 

The Physics Of Marketing

Newton's first law states that an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on

by an external force. This is commonly referred to as the Law of Inertia.

Force=mass x acceleration

Another fundamental rule of physics is that opposite poles of a magnet attract each other. You have probably seen the science experiment where the same poles of a magnet push each other away and when you reverse one magnet they are attracted to each other.

However, when it comes to marketing some people want to ignore the Laws of Physics thinking they don't apply to marketing. We totally get it. Maybe you didn't like science class or maybe you think only psychology applies to marketing. 

What do we mean by this?

🔎 Seeing something your competitor is doing and assume it is working.

🔎 Believing if you do more of something it will work.

You see something your competitor is doing and assume it is working.

This is a common problem for many businesses. You like the look and feel of something you see posted by a competitor and the implication is it will work for you. Being popular makes it more popular. You produce similar content and it shows up in search engine results. You now have popular high ranking content. How does this happen? The use of proper SEO allows for better ranking in search engines it appears higher in search results. A dogpile effect then occurs. A popular post topic becomes more popular because more people produce content on that topic.

The real question is did you get more customers?

 Maybe it is time to be the opposing force.

In a vast sea of sameness, how do you stand out? You don't!

You repel potential customers.

Instead of selling the same product or service in the same way, tell the story of why.

Why do you do what you do?

What lead you to your service offerings?

How are you different?

Tell your story!

 

Believing if you do more of something it will work.

There actually is some science behind this idea. In statistics, the law of large numbers shows that if you do enough of something the outcome will converge on the theoretical outcome. If you toss a coin enough times you will get an even number of Heads to Tails. From this you can infer that by doing more of something will get you more results. If you have unlimited resources this approach can eventually work for you. The problem is most businesses do not have unlimited resources.

In fact, most companies we work with have a finite amount of resources and are looking for a definite Return On Investment from those resources. A more effective approach is to focus content around Buyer Personas to connect with your ideal customer. A study featured by HubSpot showed a 202% increase in conversions with personalized Call To Actions. Work on creating content that resonates with your ideal customer and when you have refined that content to generate high converting traffic, then focus on increasing traffic to that content.

It is very easy to get caught up in all the marketing hype you see on the internet. Everyone has the magic that will fix all your problems. Don't get caught up in the euphoria. Before trying 20 different things, step back and decide what is most important to your business. Select one clear objective that is easy for everyone to understand.

√ Clearly define what success looks like.

√ Define a specific metric that measures that success.

√ Set a defined time to measure.

√ Analyze the data to see if you have succeeded.

If you have met your goal, then work on improving another area. If you did not meet your goal, determine what needs to be changed. Doing more of the same will not change your results.

What You Need to Know Before You Pay for SEO Services

I don't know about you, but I get at least one email or phone call a week from an SEO expert. Typically, I will take the call or schedule a meeting because I am curious if there is anything I am missing in my SEO strategy. While not meant to be a slam against SEO service providers, you really should look at DIY SEO before you pay.

Before you pay for SEO services, here are some things you need to know.

What is SEO?

HubSpot has an easy to understand definition: SEO stands for search engine optimization -- that much has stayed the same. It refers to techniques that help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This makes your website more visible to people who are looking for solutions that your brand, product, or service can provide via search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.

The primary goal of SEO is to drive more traffic to your website. If you dive a little deeper, what you probably want is your ideal customer to visit your website so they can purchase your product or service. This is an important difference. Instead of just stuffing a bunch of keywords into your blog or web page, you will want to use topics and phrases that solve your customers' problems. 

Think about how you perform an internet search. If you are like most people, you ask a question looking for an answer. This is why topics and phrases are a better SEO strategy than keywords alone.

As you can see in the image above, I had a very specific search request. Notice I did not follow a bunch of "steps" along the buyer's journey.

Google has some interesting observations on the buyer's journey and how consumers are searching the internet now: "Forget everything you know about the marketing funnel. Today, people are no longer following a linear path from awareness to consideration to purchase. They are narrowing and broadening their consideration set in unique and unpredictable moments. People turn to their devices to get immediate answers. And every time they do, they are expressing intent and reshaping the traditional marketing funnel along the way."

Practical & Tactical:

Actions To Take

Before You Pay For SEO Services 

You can't manage what you can't measure. Here is a list of items that your SEO specialist should be implementing on your behalf. While some of the terminology may seem unfamiliar to you, it would be worthwhile to know exactly what they are and how it relates to connecting your services to the ideal buyer.

Optimize Your Snippet

No, we are not talking about a haircut! The snippet is what people see when they are searching on the internet. It has three basic components: Page Title, URL and Meta description.

Page Title (blue text) - Get to the point. Deliver your message in 70 characters or less.

URL (green text) - Focus on the keywords for which you want to be found in search.

Meta Description (black/gray text) - Give a clear reason why they should visit your website.

Organize Your Website 

Use Heading Tags

Heading Tags are like chapter titles in a book.

They are part of an SEO strategy to align Page titles, Meta Descriptions, and content. H1 Heading Tags can be thought of as chapter titles in a book.

Other Heading Tags like H2, H3, etc., are like those words under a chapter title in a book that tells you what to expect. These provide meaningful input to search engines to better understand the page content on your website.

Maximize Alt Image Text for SEO

You found this great stock image
you want to use in your blog or landing page. 

It is called: Conceptual image of light bulb on wall with sketches of ideas. 

That's nice, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the content on your page. 

If you right click the image above and hit, 'save image,' you will see the alt image text.

Now, right-click the image to the right.

We have added alt text that aligns with this article.

Alt Image Text allows search engines to better understand the content of the image and provides input for text-to-speech programs for the visually impaired.

Add Structured Data 

What is structured data? This is code that is added to specific web pages to allow search engines to better understand what is on the page. Structured Data is very useful for Blog Posts, Product Pages and Service Offerings. Google has made this easy with their Structured Data Testing Tool.

 

Fix Broken Links

No one likes the "Page Not Found" message! We really like using the Check My Links extension for Google Chrome. Use this tool to fix any broken links on your site.

Perform Keyword Research

We find many people have unrealistic expectations around keywords. If you have a relatively new website and/or just beginning to publish content on your website, you most likely won't be on page one for a keyword that is used by a million other websites. It is important that you talk with your current customers to find out how they search for solutions to problems using the internet and focus your keywords around solving those problems. Quality over Quantity. A useful tool to help you find high-quality keywords is Keywords Everywhere. We use the paid version and find it very useful.

Align Your Content with SEO in Mind 

If your Page Title, URL and Meta Description are about yellow sneakers, then your page content must be focused around yellow sneakers. You will hear the term, "Black Hat SEO," for all the ways to game search engines. Frankly, that is too much work and can have negative consequences. Why try to cheat, when the rules are available to everyone? Google tells you exactly how to do this in aFree SEO starter Guide. Google Search Console is a very useful in helping you determine what content is resonating with your audience and what content is falling flat.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free service offered by Google that helps you monitor and maintain your site's presence in Google Search results. You don't have to sign up for Search Console for your site to be included in Google's search results, but doing so can help you understand how Google views your site, which helps you to optimize your site's performance in search results. To maximize results, connect Search Console to Google Analytics.

Google Analytics     

If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. If you can't manage it, you can't improve it. Google Analytics allows you to measure the effectiveness of your SEO efforts. 

Content 

I don't know about you, but many people struggle with content creation. It's important to note that content can take many forms:

• Blog Posts
• Surveys
• eBooks
• Infographics
• Website Pages
• Videos
• Case Studies

We have found that listening to questions people ask about the problems they struggle with is very helpful in content idea creation. Social media groups and communities are a great resource for ideas.

Pro Tip: Use internal links to connect useful content thematically.

Use a Pillar Page to build internal links. "A Pillar Page is a comprehensive resource page that covers a topic in depth and links high-quality content created for the supporting subtopics."- HubSpot

Here are some examples of Pillar Pages:

5 Things Financial Firms Need To Know About Cyber Security

International Standards Used In Calibration

Google My Business

Social Media

In addition to ideas for content creation, social media is an effective way to promote your content and improve SEO. Check out  How To Monitor Social Media In 13 Minutes A Day to help you get started.

By familiarizing yourself with the basic terminology and best practices mentioned here, you can effectively manage your budget and get the results you want for your business. Better yet, with many of the tools we have recommended, you can already get started to improve your own SEO on your own "terms" (no pun intended). 

Lastly, an important point to remember: SEO is more than a one-time purchase or fix. It is a strategy that requires ongoing attention. At Analytics That Profit, we don't sell an SEO package; SEO is built in to our overall marketing strategy. 

The Biggest Problems With A Website Update, And How You Can Avoid Them

3 Reasons A Website Update Goes Over Budget and Over Schedule

There are several inherent problems with traditional web design. One of the biggest stumbling blocks is the reiterative process. A single change starts the process all over again. The adage of 1 step forward and 2 steps backward definitely applies. Another problem is the dormancy of a website. Websites are put on set it and forget mode. We will revisit it next year.

In the meantime, the market has changed and new opportunities exist and the website just sits there.

1. Web Developer/Code Dependent

In traditional web design, unless you are experienced in web development and coding you are dependent on someone else to make changes to the website.

Submit a request.

Wait.

Publish.

Find issues.

Submit another change request.

Wait.

Publish.

A month has now passed! The use of templates that are designed for the end user solve this problem. The coding piece is removed.

Platforms such as Squarepace, WordPress, Wix, GoDaddy and HubSpot offer themed templates for websites. All the coding is done behind the curtain so the end user can add content without any special coding skills required.

2. Lack Of Website Hyperfocus

We need to update our website. Why? Our competitor's sites look better than ours. Reminds me of what my mother used to say to me.” If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?” Me being the snarky little ginger that I was would reply “Yes! All my friends would be dead.” Didn’t work well with my mother and won’t work well for your business. It costs money to refresh a website. The lack of a hyper-focus makes your website a cost center, not a revenue generator. If you are going to spend money on your website, then shouldn’t it have a desired outcome and ROI? If all you want is your contact information, then go with a simple contact page. The reality is, most people use the internet to research potential vendors.

Research from Google has shown that 90% of B2B researchers who are online use search specifically to research business purchases.

Average Searches Conducted Prior to Engagement

Image Source: Google

A hyper-focused website will solve problems for visitors. Potential customers, when searching the internet for vendors, want to understand your capabilities and unique value proposition to solve their problem so they can move forward in the buying process. This is why it is important to understand your customers using Buyer Personas. Once identified, you can provide highly relevant hyper-focused content that will lead them through the buyer’s journey.

Pro Tip: Ask your current customers what they want to see on your website.

3. Ignoring Low Hanging Fruit

While a cool digital online tool seems like a nice addition, they can be expensive to develop. Focus on low hanging fruit first. The revenue generated can then be used to pay for the cool digital tools. How do you find low hanging fruit? Identify friction points in the conversion process with Google Analytics. An easy way to do this is to set up goals in Google Analytics. If you have not set goals in Google Analytics read this article.

Once you have identified the friction points, design the conversion process so it is easy for your website visitors to get the information they need. Solve the problem. Don’t be the problem.

Your WebsiteA 24 HOUR SALES FORCE THAT NEVER TAKES A VACATION!

Here are some enlightening facts from Google:

• 90% of B2B researchers who are online use search specifically to research business purchases.
• On average, B2B researchers do 12 searches prior to engaging on a specific brand’s site.
• 71% start on a generic query, so they’re looking for product first, not for you.
• Seventy percent of B2B buyers and researchers are watching videos throughout their path to purchase.

Source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/the-changingface-b2b-marketing/

This makes it clear that your website is most likely the first “salesperson” consumers will talk to in their buying journey. Building your website around this data will provide consumers with a positive experience with your brand.

Your “salesperson” needs to have answers as to why you can solve the problems that consumers are researching.

A website update every 18–24 months is obsolete thinking. We view your website as a living and breathing organism that is always in a state of evolution.

That is why we became a Growth- Driven Design certified HubSpot Partner.

HubSpot conducted a survey in 2016 and found only 42% of marketers make impactful improvements to their website every year. We get it. Coordinating Developers and Coders, Graphic Designers and copywriters can become a nightmare.

Traditional Web Design: Waterfall

We use the HubSpot Growth Driven Design model for a website refresh.

It is based on agile methodology and dramatically reduces the time from concept to launch. It removes the interdependencies of traditional waterfall design: The next process has to wait on the previous process.

Successful websites begin with a focused growth strategy. Our goal in the strategic stage is to develop an empathetic understanding of your audience’s world and how the website can solve problems along their journey.

The goal of the Launch Pad website is to quickly build a website that looks and performs better than what you have today but is not your final product. Your Launch Pad is the foundation from which you collect real-user date and optimize.

The advantage to this approach is we can make changes to your website and make them live with a mouse click. No developers or designers need to be involved.

Analytics That Profit is a HubSpot Certified Agency Partner and a certified Growth Driven Design Agency.