Been there, done that.

The potential of the digital universe is huge. Branding and sales possibilities are limitless. Opportunities this wide open demand wide open thinking. An approach built from the ground up, as seen through the eyes of our customers. Big’s digital branding approach is a fusion of creative, technology and agility. This approach is the result of the successes and failures we experienced in more than a decade of running online businesses of our own.

Through our experience as actual players in the digital arena, we learned four hard truths:

1. Businesses have a narrow margin target in which to operate – the trick is to get there as fast as possible.
2. The fastest way to hit the margin target is to establish strong customer relationships.
3. Effective digital branding either establishes a relationship (new contacts), develops relationships (introduces new products, services or ideas), or serves relationships (providing the desired content or service).
4. To be effective, digital branding is fluid, constantly evolving to stay in the target margin.

These truths are the base for Big’s approach to digital branding. We fully integrate creativity and technology in a way that produces measurable results. It starts with creative ideas, driven by proven brand strategies. We’ll discover your unique brand story, and tell it in a way that establishes you as a leader in the marketplace.

Big is committed to living on the leading edge of interactive technology. Websites, email blasts, banner advertising, viral tactics, digital animation, films, 3D modeling, custom games, app development, QR coding – you name it, we’re immersed in it. All this technological horsepower is carefully applied to push your brand message into the target zone and keep it there.

While we’ll readily agree that we’re awesome, we don’t consider ourselves to be “experts.” Technology changes too fast, too often for that. There will be times where we have to admit that we were mistaken – that we are headed in the wrong direction. Our experience as fellow online marketers enables us to recognize when we have lost our way. The humility to admit it. The insight to make it right. And that is what makes Big unique.

So what exactly does all that creativity,
technology and experience get you?
Here’s a short list of Big’s Digital Services:

Website Development

Congratulations! Your campaign is up and running. Unfortunately, this is where most firms stop. They may offer Pay-Per-Click (PPC), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Content Management, etc., but these services are offered in isolation after the site is completed. Any necessary changes in direction will be costly. Time is wasted and money burned.

Big websites are different. They evolve in support of customer “conversations,” changing course and direction to stay in the target zone. Analytics are run during construction. Initial construction might begin with five pages.

We measure results, looking to answer three simple questions:

1. Does your website establish relationships with new contacts?
2. Does your website develop serious relationships by introducing products, services or ideas?
3. Does your website serve established relationships, resulting in conversions?

From there the site is adjusted and expanded as the conversation requires, until the final website is established. After that, your website is monitored monthly to make sure that visitors remain confident, comfortable and responsive. Time-on-site, page views, conversion rates, etc., detect adjustments that must be made to maintain a fluid conversation with every visitor. The result is a highly-tuned website, that attracts strong prospects and converts them to sales.

Continuous Optimization with Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Big’s Search Engine Marketing strategy follows the action. We collect visitor data to tell us exactly what is working, and what isn’t. We can also tell where visitors are coming from and what they’re doing once they get to your website. The data is analyzed and the content and message of the site are fine tuned to keep that conversation between you and your customers flowing.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

The ultimate goal of any digital branding effort is conversions. Some conversions are obvious, such as converting casual visitors into customers. But there are many more subtle, but equally important conversions, such as sign-ups to a mailing list, catalog or newsletter; recommending your product or service to a friend – basically any step along the path that leads to brand loyalty.

Your website can be engineered to encourage conversions – from high-level site architecture to something as simple as the color of a button. Big uses testing and analytics to uncover visitors’ paths, focal points, and clicks on your site. Then we make subtle changes and adjustments maximize your site’s ability to convert visitors into customers.

The Big CRO Process

1. Create a hypothesis for improving conversion rates
2. Decide which elements need to be tested to support your hypothesis
3. Make the appropriate website changes and begin conversion testing
4. Collect enough data to accurately draw conclusions from your test
5. Review the changes in conversion performance and adjust appropriately

Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising / Paid Search

Trackability and precision make Pay Per Click (PPC), also known as Paid Search Advertising, one of the most powerful tools for driving visitors to your website. But like any powerful tool, putting it in the hands of an amateur can be downright painful. Misguided PPC marketing programs can end up costing thousands of dollars per hour.

Big’s PPC approach leaves traditional bid management and keyword portfolio strategies in the dust. We understand how consumers search online, their buying behavior and the critical factors the influence buying decisions. We use the most advanced tools, and technology for research, tracking, analytics and competitive intelligence to drill down to the most “granular” data. After all, it’s usually the smallest details that can make the biggest difference.

The detailed data we collect gives us the insight to constantly chart new directions to increase your ROI and market share. We can even uncover and exploit your competition’s online weaknesses. After all, if you’re not playing to win, chances are you won’t.

Retargeting

Any digital campaign, no matter how good, is going to let a few potential customers get away. Retargeting is the fine art of putting your message back in front of these prospects and bringing them back to your website for another shot at conversion. Big’s digital team continuously tests and adjusts your campaign to avoid hitting the “plateaus,” which are common to ongoing marketing efforts.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO to its friends, is the art of making sure that your website appears as close to the top of as many search lists as possible. Keeping the front seat requires constant checking and recalibration due to new marketing initiatives, changing search engine algorithms and the influences of competitors.

We do our homework.

Big starts every SEO program with tireless research into the who the target consumers are, the market and industry landscapes, and who exactly the competition is. From there a roadmap is established to ensure a smooth course to the top of the charts.

Taking charge.

In order to be at the top of the pecking order, your website will have to demonstrate to search engines that it is the authority for any topic, keyword or industry. We have to prove that visitors to your website will find exactly what they’re looking for. Big uses techniques such as latent semantic indexing and integrating your brand’s social presence and public relations activities to keep you in front of as many search engines as possible.

Hold us accountable.

Big uses the latest search marketing technology and advanced tracking to determine which SEO initiatives provide the best value, how well they are working with other marketing initiatives. You’ll know exactly what you’re getting from your SEO investment.

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

The easiest way to reach people is to go where the people are. Social Media Marketing allows you to expand your business and personal influence while starting new relationships and customer conversations.

Social media is experiencing explosive growth and shows no signs of stopping. Big’s Social Media Marketing strategy focuses on starting and continuing conversations with existing and potential customers by taking your brand to where they live online. We identify which social media platforms offer you the best ROI, whether by community building, branding visibility, or ad-driven website visits and sales. Big also uses social media to monitor how your brand is perceived online. Adjustments to audience and message are made to keep your conversation on target.