In a recent survey conducted by RedEye as part of Econsultancy’s 2010 Conversion Report, some interesting trends regarding staff-responsibilities in relation to site conversion were highlighted.
To give this some context first, the research is based on a survey of more than 700 client-side and agency digital marketers in the UK – covering areas such as strategies employed, resource, tools and the aforementioned responsibilities.
Here’s what was highlighted on this last point;
70% of companies employ at least 1 person who’s directly responsible for improving conversions, up from 60% the previous year. So it’s a fair assumption that the remaining 30% are not employing anyone at all. The following statistic could explain why;
Of all the digital marketers surveyed, 93% already feel that they are personally involved in their organisation’s efforts to improve conversion rates. That’s 93% who feel they directly impact conversion rates versus 30% who don’t see it as their sole responsibility?
Perhaps.
So herein lies a disconnect and begs the following question – what do Marketers do and should they be doing it?
Thinking about this I was reminded of an article that was brought to my attention recently entitled “Time To Sack The Marketing Director” by Robert Craven. In it, Craven – a keynote speaker and founder of his own management consultancy company – points out that marketing should ‘be about results, not activity’. Deliberately challenging and famed for cutting through the ‘business school hyperbole’, he continues with the following rallying cry to all Managing Directors…
“Go to the marketing director’s office and put a line through the “marketing” title and replace it with the words “REVENUE GENERATION”! Unless their activity is generating revenue then it is probably a waste of their time and your money.”
OK, a bit dramatic perhaps, but Craven provides the right kind of rhetoric to be employed by any Managing Director in the boardroom. This is what he does. That’s his thing. The question is whether what he’s saying is fair.
In my opinion it is.
The simple truth of the matter is that marketing departments are ALL responsible for proactively influencing conversion rates and ultimately those top line numbers. This is something the RedEye survey respondees appreciate but in some cases, don’t like to be held directly accountable for. Somewhat understandably you might say.
The talent however, lies in being able to produce innovative marketing activity that supports the profit line; and finding the right balance within the team dynamic to achieve this.
Here at WhiteLabelDating.com we’ve been busy redressing this balance within the eCommunications Team.
For the last few months I’ve been recruiting for 2 positions which I can happily announce have now been filled. Each candidate brings with them what I know is the right level of experience & skillset required for each of their roles. They’ll also be positioned within a team that will, moving forward, become even more focused on leveraging profitability through the various stages of the Customer Journey – be it welcome, growth, retention, and so on… The challenge is to do this while simultaneously offering a better, improved customer experience (although the former often tends to follow the latter).
So what better time than now to introduce the new team members;
First up we have Sundeep Jagatia who joined us back in January. Sundeep brings with him a wealth of experience in eCRM and Email Marketing having worked previously for such household names as The Post Office and Dixons.
We’ve also recruited internally with Jenna Keating – currently seeing out her notice period as a Customer Care Executive and already with a proven understanding of the consumer needs as well as the dating industry as a whole.
I take great pleasure in welcoming them both to the team and look forward to working with them over the course of the next year (and beyond).
Toby Prior, Senior Email Marketing Manager