Converting customers in the digital age

The recently concluded E-Commerce Week, organised by BASIS, was a clear indication that the digital revolution in Bangladesh is underway and rapidly gaining momentum. The series of events held during the week covered topics ranging from payments and logistics to how businesses can set up e-commerce ventures. There was much needed evangelisation and education around the opportunity for building Bangladesh's digital economy.
G&R Ad Network, one of the participants at the E-Commerce Week shared THE knowledge and best practices on one of the most fundamental aspects of commerce in this new, digital age �" conversions.
What is a Conversion?
For any website owner, the most important task is to clearly determine what the objective of the site is. When a website visitor completes that objective, it is known as a conversion. Similar to creating a business plan for an offline business where you set goals and forecasts, your online business is no different and measurable targets should be put in place. Typically, an online conversion will fall into one of the 4 areas listed below.
1) Sales: How much revenue did I make? 2) Leads: How many leads did I generate? 3) Information: Did users find what they were looking for? How long did it take? 4) Ad Revenue: How many pages did the users visit? Did they interact with the content and advertising?
The “Conversion Funnel”
Their presentation at E-Commerce Week focused on the online conversion “funnel” and the need for website owners to optimise performance to this model.
Step 1: Drive Awareness
In order to acquire customers, the first step is to make them aware of who you are. For an internet business, online marketing channels �" both paid and unpaid �" can be an excellent way to publicize your brand, communicate to your prospective customers, and ultimately drive traffic to your website.
Recommendation: Launch online ad campaigns and measure everything. Focus on attribution i.e. understanding which sources drive the most return on investment.
Step 2: Generate Interest
Interest can definitely be influenced by your advertising campaigns - this is done by having a compelling offer or value proposition within your ad. Beyond the ad, however, it is your website that engages the user and offers them further information on your business. Similar to an in-store experience, the design and usability of your site determine how long the user wants hang out. As they stay on your site longer, they move further down the conversion funnel from being aware of your offering to being actually interested in learning more and potentially purchasing.
Recommendation: Communicate your brand's message or product/service information clearly and keep it consistent between marketing campaigns and the website. For instance, if you are promoting a discount in an online ad campaign, make sure it is available on the site
Step 3: Activate Desire
At this stage the user has already gone through most of the consideration stages and is actively interested in what you have to offer. Here, your website's features and functionality must ensure you give the user what they want so that interest converts into a desire for the product or service you are looking to sell.
Recommendation: Make your homepage useful and allow for easy navigation and discovery of information. Provide FAQs and other useful content that would address any user concerns not only about the product they're looking at, but also your business in general.
Step 4: Take Action
The final step in the conversion process refers to closing the deal. Interestingly, this step is one where many potential online customers tend to drop out and not complete the sale. Once the user wants your product or service, the steps to make a purchase or complete the intended action must be simple and straightforward.
Recommendation: Minimize steps - count the number of clicks it takes for user to complete purchase and the number of form fields they have to fill out. Reduce these as much as possible. Do not ask for additional information unless you really need it.
Measuring Conversions
Importantly, you should use web analytics software (e.g. Google Analytics) to measure the effectiveness of your online presence and how users convert, moving down each stage of the funnel. We have seen many local examples where simple design errors such as an unwieldy contact form, or lack of visibility of the “submit” button have led to conversions falling out. Analysing how users behave on your on site will help establish where gaps and/or issues may be occurring and also help in identifying opportunities for growth. For instance, it may be that a certain online ad campaign is driving traffic that will convert to sales at a higher rate than other activity. Maybe users from Bangladeshi newspaper sites convert better than users coming from Facebook. Such insight is useful and can support making key decisions such as how to allocate marketing budget.
For a website owner, one of the key benefits of e-commerce is that it is very measurable. Data is generated for every kind of activity and this ensures that marketing campaigns, website performance, billing systems and so are accountable. It is this kind of data-generated insight that should be the primary influencer for decision making in the digital age.

Asus' all-in-one PC series

Asus has introduced its ET2013 series of all-in-one PCs in the local market.
The Asus All-in-One PC ET2013 series is powered by the Intel Pentium dual core 2.9 GHz processor for responsive multitasking performance and energy efficiency. The 20” 16:9 HD+ LED backlighting gives crystal-clear images on screen while helping to reduce power consumption.
Its ultra-slim space-saving design makes easy to setup and use. The PC comes with 2GB DDR-3 RAM, 500GB Hard Disk, Intel HD graphics, built-in speakers, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), Gigabit LAN, Webcam, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 3 USB 2.0 ports, USB keyboard and mouse.

Financing depends on panel’s assessment: Goldstein

World Bank Country Director Ellen Goldstein on Tuesday said the decisions by the global lender regarding future project financing in Bangladesh depend on the outcome of its external panel's assessment.
“World Bank’s panel of internationally-recognised anti-corruption experts will issue a report assessing the adequacy of the Anti-Corruption Commission's investigation once they have had an opportunity to fully review and discuss the First Information Report (FIR)," she said.
"Decisions by the World Bank regarding future project financing and implementation would depend on the outcome of the external panel's assessment," said Goldstein.
Earlier on Monday, the ACC after a year-long inquiry into the allegation over Padma bridge project sued seven people for allegedly conspiring to indulge in bribery.
The accused include former secretary of the Bridges Division Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, but the anti-graft body did not include in the case former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury

Top Gun to be released in 3D in 2013

A 3D version of Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise, will be released in selected Imax cinemas on 8 February next year. Paramount announced on Tuesday that the 1986 classic had been re-mastered from high-resolution original negative scans. The painstaking conversion of the movie, which has earned more than $350m worldwide, was overseen by Tony Scott. The late director, who died in August, had been looking into a Top Gun sequel with Cruise and Paramount. Together with Jerry Bruckheimer, they were scouting locations for Top Gun 2 before Scott's suicide. According to a report in the New York Times, plans have since been shelved. Top Gun in 3D will run in cinemas for six days ahead of the film's debut on Blu-ray.

Britney Spears is highest paid female musician of 2012

Although she didn't release any new music or go on tour this year, the 31-year-old made an estimated $58m (£36m) in the 12 months to May 2012.
In second place, Swift brought in around $57m thanks to her tour - which made more than $1m (£62,000) a night.
Lady Gaga, 2011's top earner, slipped to fourth with $52m (£32m).
A substantial part of Spears' income came from her stint as a judge on US X Factor, which was reportedly worth $15m (£9.3m).
Forbes magazine said the bulk of her earnings came from her 2011 album, Femme Fatale, which went Platinum in the US, and receipts from her world tour, which ran between June and December 2011.
Endorsements The pop star also earned a substantial amount from her popular perfume line with Elizabeth Arden and her endorsement deals.
However, the star does not have personal control of her finances, which have been managed by her father since 2008.
Jamie Spears was appointed the singer's conservator after she underwent psychiatric treatment in hospital, following a very public period of personal turmoil. He now shares the conservatorship with her fiance, Jason Trawick, although he has no say in her finances.
Forbes compiled the list after estimating income before tax, based on record sales, touring information merchandise sales and interviews with concert promoters, solicitors and managers.
Elsewhere in the list, 24-year-old R&B singer Rihanna moved up two places to number three, earning an estimated $53m from her Loud tour, hits such as We Found Love as well as a perfume line and lucrative endorsements.
Rounding off the top five was Katy Perry, 28, with an estimated $45m in earnings, helped by her California Dreams Tour which grossed nearly $60m, according to Forbes.
"What all these girls have in common is that they have smashes under their belts," marketing guru Steve Stoute told Forbes.
"Gaga [is] a pop culture icon because of her sensibilities. I think Rihanna has found the very thin space of being the alter ego of the good girl.
Along with Katy Perry, "they've completely dominated the charts in the past three years," he added.
Madonna, 54, scraped into the list in ninth place bringing in an estimated $30 million, which did not account for profits from her latest tour as it fell outside the time period Forbes considered for the ranking.
Despite their huge incomes, only eight of the top-earning women featured in Forbes list of the 25 best-paid musicians, partly due to family considerations, and partly because of how they are perceived within the industry as they get older.
Hip-hop mogul Dr Dre topped the overall list, earning $100 million (£62.3m), largely thanks to his lucrative range of high-end headphones.
Spears came seventh, and was the only woman to feature in the top 10.

"Phones" 96% Indians check their phones regularly: Survey

MUMBAI: A report by internet gear giant Cisco has revealed what we always suspected. An ever-networked Gen Y is practically making phones an intrinsic part of its daily routine. They wake up to check their updates -- often before brushing their teeth -- and fall asleep only after logging in to keep their status messages current. As phones become cheaper and mobile broadband proliferates, smartphone usage looks set to blur all previous boundaries.

Ninety percent of respondents to the Cisco Connected World 2012 report released earlier today check their phones as a matter of routine -- in India its even higher at 96%, according to this study. What's more, through the day, they continued to be glued to their handsets, with 60% of respondents admitting that they checked their phones through their work day, with a higher percentage of women (85%) being online practically all the time. Besides being an instrument of communication, smartphone owners have almost become permanently welded to their phones -- 45% said they would suffer withdrawal symptoms if they couldn't log on periodically. This facet seems aggravated in India -- some 70% said they compulsively check their phones for updates and 42% of them admitted to feeling anxious when disconnected.

This constant need to stay connected could be a problem. According to this survey, 29% of respondents check their phones so often they lose count, 40% of IT professionals check them once in ten minutes and 75% of them check their phones in bed. In India, personal and professional boundaries are clearing blurring -- a full 84% of respondents said they checked their phones in the bedroom and a higher percentage (56% compared to 46% globally) checked while out for a meal.

What's more, Gen Y in India and everywhere is going out of its way to access phones and the content on it. According to Cisco's survey, two-fifth of global respondents (41% in India) say their employers forbid them from using their handsets for personal browsing, but many of them take this edict lightly -- globally 71% break the rule, compared to over half in India. With this urge to have access at all times, users are spending an alarming amount of time online -- 40% said they spend more time online with friends than socialising in person (56% in India). What's more, 81% of them believe they need to have separate offline and online personas.

Joya Ahsan, one of the biggest names on the television screen is busy with cinema nowadays, and receiving similar resounding accolades on the big screen also. She has won the Best Actress Award at this year's National Film Awards for her outstanding role in "Guerrilla" and her highly anticipated movie "Chorabali" is to be released later this month. Besides working with Shakib Khan in a mainstream Bangla movie, she is also working with a Kolkata movie house and due to be released next year.
The actress recently spoke to The Daily Star (TDS) about her recent work and future plans.
TDS: What do you anticipate will be the audience reaction to “Chorabali”?
Joya Ahsan: I believe the audience will be treated to a brilliant movie. It's a thriller and audiences are hungry for such films, since there's a lack of a conducive environment and good cinemas. The movie has a twisting plot and is artfully made. Personally, I loved working in the film and hope the audience loves it also.
TDS: How was it like working with your co-artiste Indranil?
Joya Ahsan: Indranil basically comes from Mumbai and works in Kolkata. He is a very professional actor. He loves his work and maintains a professional approach throughout. Despite being a super star, he is extremely humble. While working with Indranil, it never felt like an actor from abroad had come to Bangladesh to perform. He can create a very good chemistry with everyone around him and it was an absolute pleasure working with him.
TDS: Can you tell us something about your character in “Chorabali”?
Joya Ahsan: I played the role of a daring crime reporter. The journalists play such an important role in our society and I feel that anyone who watches the movie would be inspired by the character.
TDS: You also had to learn how to ride a bike for your role?
Joya Ahsan: Yes, it was quite an adventurous experience. I thought why don't I learn something new? Previously I learned how to ride a horse for a TV play by Nurul Alam Atiq. Although I was scared at first, I still managed to ride! I try not to miss an opportunity to learn something new for my work. That is why I learned to ride a bike for “Chorabali”.
TDS: This is the first time you've chosen to work in a mainstream movie. What is the reason?
Joya Ahsan: I made the choice because of my love for cinema. I feel that the film industry cannot improve unless mainstream films are good themselves. My commitment as an artiste also prompted me. Artistes are like clay, they can shift shapes and adapt for any challenges they face in any kind of cinema. Working in “Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini” is part of that design.
TDS: What is your character like in “Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini”?
Joya Ahsan: The audience will find me as a stereo-typical Bangla movie heroine in the film. The character is born and raised in Malaysia. I believe that the appearance plays a major role in building a character so I designed my own costumes for the movie. This was my personal experiment.
TDS: How was your experience working with Shakib Khan for the first time?
Joya Ahsan: I felt that Shakib Khan is a very professional actor. He loves his work and is a brilliant co-actor. From up close, I saw how serious and sincere he is about his work.
TDS: You've also worked in the movie “Parle Thheka” and sang songs for the film?
Joya Ahsan: Yes, that is an upcoming project. We will establish the character as part of the project. I sang two songs, as the character demanded it. It was a leap for me but I did it to help me blend deeper with the character.
TDS: You also did a Kolkata film recently. When will it be released?
Joya Ahsan: The movie is called “Aborto”. Hopefully it will be released next February.
TDS: What is your reaction to being selected for the National Film Award for “Guerrilla”?
Joya Ahsan: It's an overwhelming feeling to be recognised on a national level. I am overjoyed and grateful to my audience, but I think the feeling will not sink in completely until I have the award physically in my hands!

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Singer James Taylor suggested for lead role in Lincoln

Singer-songwriter James Taylor says he doesn't see the resemblance, but he was pitched - without success - to play the role of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in the new film.
Taylor told a packed audience at the National Press Club on Friday that Oscar-winning musician John Williams - who composed the soundtrack for "Lincoln" - had pushed for Taylor to play the lead role in Steven Spielberg's new film.
The role of Lincoln in the historical drama ultimately went to Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis.
"John wanted me to play that part. He actually stood up for me there and suggested me at one point," said Taylor, 64, adding, "It was never going to happen."
The "Fire and Rain" singer, who has no professional acting experience, said he was flattered that some people thought Day-Lewis' portrayal of Lincoln reminded them of him. But he did not see much resemblance aside from the fact that they were "tall and somewhat skinny."
"He doesn't look like me to me, but I live in here, so I'm apt to notice the difference," Taylor said.
British-born actor Day-Lewis, who already has two Oscars, is seen as a front runner to take home another golden statuette at the Academy Awards in February.
Taylor said he had no ambitions to go into acting after what he called "an interesting ride" of a performance career in which he essentially played himself.
"This is fine. I've spent my life being myself for a living," said Taylor, a five-time Grammy Award winner.
"There are performers who develop and assume a character that they then play for the public. But I don't know anyone who is as much themselves publicly for a living as I am," he said.
Taylor and his third wife, Kim Taylor, campaigned actively for then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008 and again in 2012. The singer performed in Washington on Thursday evening at the 90th annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree, presided over this year by President Obama and his family.

Centenary celebrations of Bangladesh National Museum

Marking the centenary celebrations of Bangladesh National Museum, a painting competition for children was recently held at Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala (art gallery).
Mymensingh district administration organised the painting competition.
Eighty nine children from different educational institutions from class one to class ten of the town and outside took part in the competition in four groups. The subjects of the competition were Open choice, Liberation War, Victory marking Independence and The speech of Bangabandhu on March 7.
Forty paintings from the four groups will be sent to the National Museum and after another scrutiny in Dhaka, the names of the winners will be announced. The National Museum will publish an album with the selected paintings of the children coming from 64 districts.
Earlier, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and Development) of Mymensingh, Shibir Bichitra Barua inaugurated the competition as chief guest. Dr. Bijoy Krishna Banik, deputy keeper of the art gallery presided over the inaugural session.
The judges of the competition were--Mohammad Abdur Rouf, lecturer of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Fine Arts Institute and Poritosh Majumder, assistant expert at National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE), Mymensingh.
The chief guest said, the National Museum was established in 1913, a significant milestone as Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize that year. The National Museum is a stakeholder of our culture and tradition, said the chief guest.
Mymensingh, a town is renowned for the world famous artiste Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and the child artists of today will one day bring more fame and glory for Mymensingh, concluded the chief guest.

Family Flick Movie Review: We Bought a Zoo

Moviemakers these days seem to be pushing family flicks over the brink of extinction. Is it because families do not have time to watch movies together anymore? Or is Hollywood running out of ideas for family entertainment? Whatever the reason might be, movies with a broad family appeal are becoming a rarity. It is becoming quite an ordeal to find a movie suitable to watch with my six-year old son, who is rapidly turning into a movie buff like me.
Having said all that, I must say that I admire the thoroughness with which the 2011 movie “We Bought a Zoo” caters to the whole family. Acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe (“Jerry Maguire”, “Almost Famous”) directs an amazing story about a widower who decides that his grieving children need a fresh start. So they move to the most unlikely of places: a zoo. With the help of a diverse set of staff the family works to return the rundown zoo to its former glory.
In lesser hands, a film seemingly based on a familiar formula would have landed in a sentimental mess that often devours films like these. Instead, with the aid of a strong acting ensemble and Crowe's dexterity in developing his characters from inside out, we have an intelligent family film.
The movie is based on a memoir written in 2006 by Benjamin Mee, former journalist of “The Guardian” about how he and his family rescued a failing zoo in Devon. The real Mee bought Dartmoor Wildlife Park when his wife became ill, however, in the movie she dies before the opening credits.
The events chronicle the attempts of Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon), father of two, who feels the pain of losing his wife to cancer and puts his children teenaged Dylan (Colin Ford) and seven-year-old Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones), over his job. But when Dylan is expelled from school, six months after the tragedy, Benjamin starts thinking. He realises that the hurt will take longer to heal if they remain in the shadow of their past. So he attempts to glue together the broken pieces of his family by finding a sanctuary in a crumbling country house that comes with a zoo.
At the Rosemoor Wildlife Park, the family gets to know a team of quirky staff members led by head zookeeper, Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson). Later, when the forthright, no-nonsense Kelly asks Mee why he bought a failing zoo when he had no experience, he replies, “Why not?” The team has a good alchemy and in spite of rising debts and personal tension, financial difficulties and heartbreak, they work together. Mee had never been a wildlife advocate but somehow the dilapidated zoo echoes his own fractured life. He empathizes with the wild creatures in his menagerie, especially the dying tiger, Spar, whose despair mirrors his own.
Damon's performance is extraordinary. He understands the depth of his character and lets us glimpse into the hurting and lonely person beneath the tough exterior of intelligence and wit. The director fittingly captures the magic of Rosemoor and its animal inhabitants. Simply watching them interact offers a number of genuinely touching moments.
With the sunshine seeping through the leaves of majestic trees, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto aptly portrays the tranquility of the spot. Finally, the eclectic and mood-altering music by Iceland's Jónsi appeals as everything else about the film.
This easy-going, likable film might not be lauded by critics but the film is not likely to dishearten its audience. Of all the movies I have seen this year "We Bought a Zoo" is definitely one from the heart.
The story is one of hope and healing, and the rebuilding of the zoo provides a metaphor for the family's personal journey. In case, you are still wondering why you should watch this movie, just ask yourself, “Why not?”