For question #2 please use the link below. For other question, read the instructions
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
Australia is the country of choice
Question
Digital and Direct Marketing
While running a website, it is essential to monitor and analyze user behaviors for one to operationalize further marketing goals. Website managers can use an array of google analytics Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to monitor these user behaviors. Below are some of the KPIs that website managers can use in web analytics and their corresponding rationale for monitoring.
- Bounce rate
Scholars define bounce rate as “sessions in which either immediate back-button clicks have been initiated once the user loads the page or as abandoned clickstreams in which no further action has been taken after the user initiates a session” (Poulos, Korfiatis & Papavlassopoulos, 2020, p.6). In other words, bounce rates are short sessions on a page. Such sessions may occur when a user is directed to a page after clicking on a link or when a user directly enters the websites’ link on google.
Website managers should routinely monitor bounce rates to assess the engagement value of interactions in their sites (Poulos et al., 2020). Notably, the percentage of bounce rate in the google analytics signifies whether or not users who visit the site find value in the content. By monitoring this metric, website managers can determine sites that draw in fewer visitors and customize the material in such pages to help meet customer needs and wants.
- Time on page
In the google analytics interface, time on page refers to the average time that a user spends on a specific page. Notably, the calculation of time on page begins when a website page loads and stops when the user clicks on another site.
Monitoring the time on page is very crucial as it helps the website manager assess the performance of their site in terms of satisfying customer wants and providing substantial content. For example, if users spend less time on a page, it may be an indication of positive or negative user satisfaction. Notably, less time on the page may imply that visitors can quickly locate the information they require, while more extended time on the page could mean that the site is more abundant in content (Marek, 2011). However, less time on a page could also mean that the user did not find the information on the page to be useful and opted to click on a related post. As such, this metric should be monitored and critically assessed to determine user satisfaction and to establish where changes in content ought to be made on a page.
- Sessions and Users
In google analytics, sessions refer to the number of visits recorded on a particular site. In other words, sessions establish a visitor’s interaction with a website from the time they click on a website to the time they exit. For example, if a person clicks on a website twice in a day, then the google analytics indicates these as the visitor’s sessions. On the other hand, users are individuals who visit a website or initiate sessions on a website.
Sessions and users should be monitored to help a website manager assess the effectiveness of their Search Engine Operations and Marketing campaigns. For example, if the google analytics reveal few sessions per user per day, it would mean that very few people visit the site each day, implying that the SEO and marketing campaigns are not sufficient enough to drive traffic on the site. This information can help the website manager identify ways in which they can enhance their campaigns to draw in more sessions on the sites. Also, users should be monitored to help determine whether the marketing campaigns are effective in bringing in new visitors, as each session identifies a “new” and “returning” user.
- New and Returning visitors
Based on Google’s tracking snippet, a new user is a person visiting a website for the first time, or after a lapse of two years. On the other hand, a returning visitor is a user who has initiated an interaction with a website before using the same browser and device. A visitor may qualify as a returning visitor if he visits the same site within two years, after which they become new visitors. It is worth noting that if a returning user visits a website using a different device, the google analytics records the activity as a new user.
Website managers should routinely monitor new and returning visitors to help identify the effectiveness of a website and the degree of loyalty exhibited by visitors. Notably, if visitors revisit a website, this may imply that they need more information and that the site is effective in meeting their needs and vice versa (Prasetio, Sari, Sharif & Sofyan, 2016). Also, if a site records a high number of returning visitors, it would mean that the users are loyal due to the level of satisfaction provided by the site. Monitoring the rate of returning visitors would, therefore, help a website manager determine whether a website is performing effectively and make changes based on the results of the assessment.
New users should also be monitored to evaluate the effectiveness of a firm’s marketing campaigns and SEO. Notably, new visitors would imply that a site’s campaigns are effective in drawing in new users and vice versa. Depending on the results of the assessment, a website manager can enhance their SEO and marketing campaigns to attract new users.
- Average Page Load Time
This metric refers to the average time that a page in a website takes to load entirely after clicking on the site.
The average page load time should be monitored to determine the degree of user engagement on a specific site. Notably, it is typical of users to abandon sites that have the highest average page load time. As such, website managers should monitor this metric using different dimensions such as an array of browsers to determine how fast their pages take to load. Information obtained from this assessment can help website managers visualize the user engagement with the website and adopt measures to enhance the speed of slow pages within the site when need be.
Question Two
Summary of Australia’s Communication-related Factors
Statistics from the CIA World Factbook website reveal that Australia has a well-developed communication network, both domestically and internationally. Notably, it is estimated that the country has 8.09 million and 28.279 million subscribers of telephone and mobile cellular phones, respectively (“The World Fact Book, n.d.). These figures imply that information across the country is mainly transferred through mobile phones.
Furthermore, statistics from the website show a high degree of internet connectivity in the country. It is estimated that 20,288,409 individuals (88.2% of the country’s population) are internet users (“The World Fact Book, n.d.). Also, 7.64 million individuals (31 per 100 inhabitants) are subscribed to broadband services. Furthermore, 90% of mobile device sales are estimated to be smartphones (“The World Fact Book, n.d.). This information implies that a significant fraction of the country’s population uses a smartphone and has access to internet services.
Additionally, it is evident that the country has two major broadcasting corporations that air radio and TV stations. These corporations include the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Special Broadcasting Service (“The World Fact Book, n.d.). This information implies that radio and television are the primary tools of publicly sharing information to residents of Australia.
Analysis and Discussion
Based on information from the above summary, it is evident that there are several digital and direct marketing opportunities available in the country, including social media marketing. As the literature suggests, this form of digital marketing involves the use of social media platforms, such as Facebook, to build on brand awareness and subsequently boost a firm’s sales (Alves, Fenandes & Raposo, 2016). Social media marketing may work best among populations that have access to social media through smartphones and other internet-enabled devices. From the above analysis, it is evident that a significant fraction of Australia residents use smartphones and are subscribed to broadband services. Furthermore, prior research reveals that social media has rapidly and invigoratingly become part and parcel of the Australia people’s lifestyle (Harrison, Rintel & Mitchell, 2014). Thus, firms have the opportunity to use social media marketing to build their brand and drive sales among social media users.
Besides social media marketing, mobile marketing is also a viable marketing opportunity in Australia. Growing literature reveals that real-time connectivity capabilities enabled by smartphones are making it easier for brands to send promotions, notify people about experiential marketing activities, send relevant advertising and action that seek loyalty of consumers (Oscar, Alexandra & Sandra, 2017). Therefore, the fact that a significant fraction of mobile phone sales in Australia are smartphones implies that more people are subscribed to the telecommunication system. As such, marketers can use mobile marketing in the form of emails, SMS, and MMS to build their brand and boost their sales among consumers.
Besides digital marketing, there are also opportunities for marketers to take advantage of direct marketing channels to promote their brands among members of the public. Most notably, direct response TV is the best immediate marketing opportunity due to the availability of broadcast media in the country. Marketers can utilize the broadcast channels, such as TV run by Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Special Broadcasting Services (SBS), to create awareness about their brands across the country.
Question Three
In the field of entertainment, consumers can be grouped in different categories depending on their purchasing behavior, age, gender, and demographics to help marketers segment consumers and develop the most appropriate marketing strategy that suits each target group. The same approach may also be used in marketing products offered in streaming service platforms such as Netflix. As such, the following analysis describes the characteristics of different categories of consumers to help identify the traits that constitute the best customers.
- Heavy versus medium and light users
These product usage variables fall under the behavioral segmentation of consumer markets. Notably, they describe the frequency of purchase exhibited by consumers (Kelley, Sheehan & Jugenheimer, 2015). In the context of Netflix, a heavy user is a trait that describes a consumer that frequently visits the streaming service platform. Most notably, this category of users is likely to visit Netflix at least ten times a month. On the other hand, medium and light users describe panelists that have a moderate to low frequency of consuming the product. Medium users are likely to visit Netflix at most ten times per month while light users may visit the site at most twice a month.
- Men versus women
The two gender variables fall under the demographic segmentation of consumer markets. Prior research conducted between the two genders reveals that women consume more videos on the web compared to men. Notably, some research done in 2012 showed that 57 percent of Netflix.com visitors were women, while 43 percent were men (Kafka, 2012). Several rationales are provided for the gap of consumption between the two genders, including convenience and trust in web videos. Notably, it is argued that compared to men, women are more likely to trust videos that are recommended on the web, thus increasing their chances of visiting streaming sites. Also, compared to men, women are likely to perceive web videos as more convenient to watch, thus increasing their likelihood of subscribing to the platform.
- Younger versus older users
The two age variables fall under the demographic segmentation of consumers. On the one hand, younger users are the millennials or those below the age of 65 years, while older users are individuals above this age bracket. Based on a survey conducted in the United States, it is evident that younger users are more likely to subscribe to Netflix compared to older users. Notably, it is estimated that 65 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds and 30-44-year-old U.S residents have a current Netflix subscription, while only 41 percent of individuals aged 65 and above are subscribed to the service (Watson, 2020). Also, there exists a significant difference in the type of shows that younger and older users are likely to watch on Netflix. Most notably, it is argued that older users are higher consumers of Netflix’s original series and content, while younger users consume non-originals series.
- Lifestyle and viewing preferences
The two variables fall in the psychographic segmentation of consumers. Lifestyle describes the way of life of the target consumers, which determines their purchasing behavior and needs. For example, individuals who fall in the category of minimalist lifestyle only purchase things that they need. Thus, they may not have the leisure of subscribing to Netflix. On the other hand, those that live a luxurious lifestyle prefer convenience and comfort and are more likely to subscribe to streaming services that enable them to watch anything they want at any time of the day.
Consumers can also be grouped based on their viewing preferences, which describes the degree to which a person likes a specific viewing option over another. For example, some consumers may prefer viewing adult content to kids’ content. Also, viewing preferences may describe the type of package that consumers like more. For example, some consumers may prefer basic packages over standard and premium packages. As such, the viewing preference of the consumers may determine the type of content they consume and the preferred subscription.
- In my view, the best Netflix consumers are more likely to be young, heavy users. This combination of traits is likely to be exhibited by the best consumers because young and heavy users have a high streaming rate compared to their counterparts, implying that they would generate the most revenue for the firm.
References
Kelley, L., Sheehan, K., & Jugenheimer, D.W. (2015). Advertising media workbook and sourcebook. Abingdon, U.K:Routledge.
Harrison, J., Rintel, S., & Mitchell, E. (2014). Social Media in Asia. New York, NY: Dignity Press.
Oscar, R., Alexander, M.L., & Sandra, R. (2017). Mobile marketing: Conceptualization and research review. Espacious, 38(61), 26-39.
Alves, H., Fernandes, C., & Raposo, M. (2016). Social media marketing: A literature review and implications. Psychology and Marketing, 33(12), 1029-1038.
“The World Factbook” (n.d.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
Prasetio, A., Sari, P.K., Sharif, O.O., & Sofyan, E. (2016). Analyzing traffic source impact on returning visitors ratio in information provider website. International Conference on Innovation in Engineering and Vocational Education, 128(2016), 1-5. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303503906_Analyzing_traffic_source_impact_on_returning_visitors_ratio_in_information_provider_website
Poulos, M., Korfiatis, N., & Papavlassopoulos, S. (2020). Assessing stationarity in web analytics: A study of bounce rates. Expert Systems (Forthcoming). Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337064240_Assessing_Stationarity_in_Web_Analytics_A_study_of_Bounce_Rates
Kafka, P. (2012, February 24). Hey ladies! Guess who loves we videos? All Things. Retrieved from http://allthingsd.com/20120224/hey-ladies-guess-who-loves-web-video/
Watson, A. (2020, May 14). Netflix subscriptions in the U.S. 2020, by age group. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/742108/netflix-subscription-adults-usa-by-age/
Marek, K. (2011). Web analytics overview. ALA, 5, 1-10. Retrieved from https://journals.ala.org/index.php/ltr/article/view/4233/4827