Business Technology Marketing Benchmark Guide 2007-08 – Marketing Sherpa
Business Technology Marketing Benchmark Guide 2007-08
- 1,038 B-to-B marketers surveyed
- 4,658 business tech buyers surveyed
- Practical data on: search, email, PR, direct mail, lead generation, trade shows, podcasting, telemarketing, & budgeting
“I’ve read it and it is terrific! If you are a marketer for
a company that sells technology, I encourage you to get a
copy. It will definitely help you better budget, forecast,
and benchmark your marketing results.”
– Brian Carroll, Book Author, Lead Generation for the Complex Sale.
MarketingSherpa’s newest Benchmark Guide is packed with 180 charts of practical, proven data to improve your B-to-B marketing, including:
- Real-life data from 1,083 business tech marketers who reveal what works (and what doesn’t) as well as how their tactics are changing this year.
- Honest answers from 4,658 prospects — the business executives that your marketing tries to influence — about how they react to your marketing and where they look for technology vendor information.
- Competitive stats — discover how your marketing stats compare to the “norm” for search, email, direct mail, trade shows, telemarketing, etc.
Plus, BONUS Report: Get $127.00 B-to-B Homepage Design Study free with your Benchmark Guide purchase today.
Top 10 questions answered by MarketingSherpa Business Technology Benchmark Guide 2007-08
#1. What percent of gross revenues should go toward marketing? What portion of marketing budgets should go to online versus offline? If I had $50,000 more dollars to generate leads, what’s the best way to spend it?
#2. How do my email marketing open and click rates compare to other B-to-B tech marketers? How can I improve my email response rates in the corporate world?
#3. How can I improve Webinar and white paper offer landing pages and online forms so more prospects register?
#4. What works for B-to-B search marketing? How do my search advertising and search optimization results compare to my peers?
#5. Should we be podcasting as a marketing tactic? How can we improve podcast results?
#6. What are “normal” response rates for offline media such as direct postal mail, telemarketing, and trade shows for lead generation campaigns? Plus, how are costs changing?
#7. Which white paper titles and types of summary copy generate much higher response rates than others? Should we be syndicating more white papers and what will that cost?
#8. What’s the average acceptance rate for webinar/webcast offers? What percent of respondents actually end up attending? How does lead quality differ between webinars and virtual trade shows?
#9. How many executives are sitting on a typical technology selection committee these days? How many people do we have to influence at small companies? What about Fortune 1,000s?
#10. What’s a typical lead-to-sale closure rate? What are the top challenges in improving our lead-to-close rate from marketing’s perspective, and what fixes are advised to improve things?
Table of Contents: MarketingSherpa’s Business Technology Marketing Guide 2007-08:
Chapter 1: Business Technology Buyers and Their Sources of Information
1.01 Chart: Tech Buyers Rate Information Sources – Tracking Their Industries
1.02 Chart: Tech Buyers Rate Information Sources – Evaluating Vendors
1.03 Chart: Top 5 Information Sources for the Executive IT Management Group
1.04 Chart: Which Web sites Are Part of the Product Research Process?
1.05 Chart: Did the Customer Find the Product Vendor or Vice-Versa?
1.06 Chart: When a Technology Need Arises, Do Orgs. Know A Vendor?
1.07 Chart: How Important is Prior Knowledge When Evaluating Vendors?
1.08 Chart: What Constitutes Prior Knowledge of a Vendor?
1.09 Chart: Number of Participants in the Buying Process – Purchases Over $25K
1.10 Chart: Technology Marketing Challenges Ranked – Avg. vs Big-Ticket Marketing Organizations
1.11 Chart: Sales Cycle Expansion 2005-2007
1.12 Chart: Sales Cycles by Technology Sector
1.13 Chart: Retention Statistics Collected by Tech Organizations
Special Report: Information Sources Analyzed by Role and Stage of Purchase
1.14 Table: Mainstream Online Information Sources by Stage of Purchase
1.15 Table: Emerging Online Information Sources by Stage of Purchase
1.16 Table: Offline Information Sources by Stage of Purchase
1.17 Table: Print and PR-Related Information Sources by Stage of Purchase
1.18 Table: Mainstream Online Information Sources by Role in Purchase
1.19 Table: Emerging Online Information Sources by Role in Purchase
1.20 Table: Offline Information Sources by Role in Purchase
1.21 Table: Print and PR-Related Information Sources by Role in Purchase
Spending Projections by Sector
1.22 Chart: IT Spending Projections by Sector – % Change 2007 vs 2006
1.23 Chart: CIO Spending Predictions – Computer Hardware
1.24 Chart: CIO Spending Predictions – Data Networking Equipment
1.25 Chart: CIO Spending Predictions – Telecommunications Equipment
1.26 Chart: CIO Spending Predictions – Storage Systems
1.27 Chart: CIO Spending Predictions – Outsourced IT Services
1.28 Chart: CIO Spending Predictions – Infrastructure Software
1.29 Chart: CIO Spending Predictions – E-business Software
1.30 Chart: CIO Spending Predictions – Security Software
Chapter 2: Stats on Technology Marketers & Their Budgets
2.01 Chart: Gross Margins by Sector
2.02 Chart: Sales & Marketing Spend as a Percentage of Revenue
2.03 Chart: Marketing Investment Continues to Outstrip IT Spending
2.04 Chart: % of Revenue Spent on Marketing – Large Orgs.
2.05 Chart: % of Revenue Spent on Marketing – Medium Orgs.
2.06 Chart: % of Revenue Spent on Marketing – Small Orgs.
2.07 Chart: % of Mktg. Budget Spent Online – Large Orgs.
2.08 Chart: % of Mktg. Budget Spent Online – Medium Orgs.
2.09 Chart: % of Mktg. Budget Spent Online – Small Orgs.
2.10 Table: Marketing and Lead Generation Role Salaries by Region
Selected Technology Advertising and Exhibiting Costs
2.11 Table: Print Ad Rates
2.12 Table: Exhibiting Costs of Technology-Oriented Trade Events
2.13 Table: Exhibiting Costs for International Technology-Related Trade Events
2.14 Table: Technology Newsletter Sponsorship Rates
Outsourcing of Marketing Functions
2.15 Chart: Outsourcing of Marketing Functions by Company Size
2.16 Chart: Impact of Paid Search Outsourcing
Globalization
2.17 Chart: Companies Offering Translated Content by Size of Org.
2.18 Chart: % of Revenues that Originate Overseas
2.19 Chart: % of Email List Members that Originate
2.20 Chart: % of Web Site Visitors that Originate Overseas
2.21 Chart: B-to-B Companies See Competitors ‘Going Global’
2.22 Chart: Obstacles to Globalization of Web Sites
2.23 Chart: Measuring the Impact of Site Globalization
Chapter 3: Marketing Tactics – Online and Offline Tactics Measured
Advertising – Online Display Ads
3.01 Chart: Average Clickthrough Rates – Online Ads 2004 to 2007
3.02 Chart: Technology Related Online Ads – Offer Acceptance Rates 2005 to 2007
Blogs
3.03 Chart: Effectiveness of Emerging Marketing Tactics Compared
3.04 Chart: Importance of RSS to Technology Buyers
3.05 Table: Ranking of Blog Impact
3.06 Chart: Use of Corporate Blogging Guidelines
Notes from the Field: Encouraging Blog Coverage
Top Corporate Blogs
Top CEO Blogs
3.07 Chart: Topics of Technology Company Blogs Image: IBM Blog Link Page
Special Report – Buying Leads
Lead Providers
Content Marketing
3.08 Chart: What Types of Content Appeal to Technology Buyers?
3.09 Chart: How Challenging Do Marketers Find Content Creation?
3.10 Chart: What Triggers a Content Update?
3.11 Chart: Are Marketers Matching Content with the Buying Cycle?
3.12 Chart: Role of Content-Based Incentives in Technology Marketing
Direct Postal Mail
3.13 Chart: Volume & Quality of Leads – Offline Tactics (Large Orgs. Only)
3.14 Chart: Direct Postal Mail Response Rates by Size of Targeted Companies
3.15 Chart: 3rd-Party Direct Mail Conversion Rates
Notes From the Field: Unique Postal Mail Campaign
Email
3.16 Chart: Technology Marketers Compare Effectiveness of Email Tactics
3.17 Chart: Email Tactics Rated ‘Very Effective’ by Size of Targeted Organizations
3.18 Chart: Email Targeting and Personalization Variables Rated
3.19 Chart: Email Content Tests Rated
Notes from the Field: Email & Landing Page Test for Lead Generation Campaign
3.20 Chart: Technology Buyers’ Expanding Definition of Spam
3.21 Chart: Which Email Clients Are Used by Technology Buyers
3.22 Chart: Growing Importance of “Personal Email” Addresses
Email Benchmarks
3.23 Chart: Open Rates – House Newsletter
3.24 Chart: Open Rates – Solo Emails to House Lists
3.25 Chart: Click Rates – House Newsletter
3.26 Chart: Click Rates – Solo Emails to House Lists
3.27 Chart: Acceptance Rates and Sales Conversion in House Newsletters
3.28 Chart: Acceptance Rates and Sales Conversion in Solo Emails
3.29 Chart: Acceptance Rates and Sales Conversion from 3rd-Party Lists
3.30 Chart: Acceptance Rates and Sales Conversion from 3rd-Party Newsletters
Email Filters & Blacklists in Corporate America – B-to-B Email Deliverability
3.31 Chart: How Corporations Filter Spam
3.32 Chart: Organizational Attitudes Toward Email Filtering
3.33 Chart: IS/IT Responses to False Positives
3.34 Chart: A Difference of Opinion – Spam Evaluated by Users vs Anti-Spam Pros
3.35 Chart: Are Business Email Users Aware of False Positives?
3.36 Chart: How Often Do Business Recipients Check Their Bulk Folders?
3.37 Chart: Are False Positives Changing Attitudes Toward Whitelisting?
3.38 Chart: Do Corporations Offer Whitelisting to Through Internal Systems?
3.39 Chart: Are Business People Still Subscribing?
Mobile Email Use
3.40 Chart: Business Technology Buyers Are Viewing Mobile Email
3.41 Chart: Volume of Emails Viewed on Mobile Devices
3.42 Chart: Are Commercial Emails Easy to Read on Mobile Devices?
Podcasts
3.43 Chart: Podcasting Arrives as Mainstream Technology Information Source
3.44 Chart: Number of Podcasts Offered
3.45 Chart: Types of Podcasts Offered
3.46 Chart: Duration of Podcasts Offered by Technology Companies
3.47 Chart: Number of Speakers in Technology Company Podcasts
3.48 Chart: Who Is Narrating/Hosting Technology Podcasts?
3.49 Chart: Fewer than Half of Download Pages Inform Listeners of Podcast Length
Notes From the Field: Creating a Podcast Using Best Practices
Public Relations
3.50 Chart: Volume and Quality of Leads from Public Relations Tactics
3.51 Chart: Press Release Optimization Tactics – Tech. Orgs vs Average
3.52 Chart: Measuring Success in Optimizing Press Releases 2005-2006
SEO and Public Relations Study 3.53 Table: Keyword Comparison
3.54 Table: Story Rankings of Optimized Releases Text: Optimized Release
Search Engine Marketing 3.55 Chart: How Hard Will Technology Buyers Look for Answers in Search Results
3.56 Chart: Are Technology Buyers Reading and Clicking on Paid Search Ads?
3.57 Chart: Search Engines Used by Business Technology Buyers
3.58 Chart: Search Engines ‘Used Most Frequently’ by Technology Buyers
Notes from the Field: Optimizing PPC Leads
Notes from the Field: Search ROI – Lessons Learned on a SEM Scoring System
Search Benchmarks
3.59 Chart: Clickthrough Rates 2004-2007
3.60 Chart: Technology Company Search Ad Clickthrough Rate
3.61 Chart: Technology Company Search Ad Conversion Rate
3.62 Chart: Technology Buyers’ Feelings Toward ‘Cold Calling’
3.63 Chart: Factors in Cold Calling Acceptance – Decision Makers vs Contributors
3.64 Chart: Results of Cold Calls Received by Technology Buyers
3.65 Chart: Tele-Qualification Connection Rates by Size of Company Targeted
3.66 Chart: Quality of Leads Generated by Tele-Qualification
Trade Events
3.67 Chart: Volume and Quality of Leads Generated by Trade Events
3.68 Chart: Lead Generation Results – Broad vs Vertical Trade Events
3.69 Table: Cost of Exhibiting at Technology Trade Shows
Webinars
3.70 Chart: Webinar Attendance Continues to Increase
3.71 Chart: Frequency of Webinar Attendance
3.72 Chart: Actions Taken After Webinar Attendance
3.73 Chart: Tech Buyers Rate the Importance of Webinar Variables
3.74 Chart: How Technology Buyers Found Their Most Recent Webinar
3.75 Chart: Webinar Invitation Acceptance Rates
3.76 Chart: Webinar Attendance Rates
Notes from the Field: Getting Webinars to Stand Out from the Crowd
White Papers
3.77 Chart: White Paper Readership
3.78 Chart: How Technology Buyers Heard About Their Last White Paper
3.79 Chart: Tech Buyers Rate Variables in White Paper Usefulness
3.80 Chart: Importance of Detail in White Paper Summaries
3.81 Chart: Disconnect in How Much Info to Provide Summarizing White Papers
3.82 Chart: Reasons Buyers Migrate to White Paper Alternatives
White Paper Titles
Three Key Discoveries
Top Five Rules for White Paper Title Success
White Paper Writing and Syndication
12 Steps to Develop a Successful White Paper
Eight Additional Tips Regarding PDF Files and Download Pages
Eight Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
White Paper Syndication Services
Notes From the Field: Rules to Follow When Going Viral
Chapter 4: Web Sites and Lead Generation
4.01 Chart: How Satisfied Are Tech Marketers With Their Web Sites? – Three-Year Trend
4.02 Chart: Technology Marketers Evaluate Web Site Management
4.03 Chart: Technology Marketers Evaluate Web Site Management
4.04 Chart: Technology Marketers Evaluate Their Use of Web Analytics
Technology Marketing Eyetracking: White paper & Webinar Registration Pages
Heatmaps Explained
Colors
Background Image
Image: Janco Associates White Paper Landing Page
4.05 Heatmap: Janco Associates White Paper Landing Page Image: Janco Associates Registration Form
4.06 Heatmap: Janco Associates Registration Form Image: Ciber White Paper Library Page
4.07 Heatmap: Ciber White Paper Library Image: Right Now Technologies White Paper Library
4.08 Heatmap: Right Now Technologies White Paper Library Page Image: Right Now Technologies White Paper Registration Page
4.09 Heatmap: RightNow Registration Page Image: 8×8 Webinar Landing Page on VOIPNews
4.10 Heatmap: 8×8 Webinar on VOIPNews Image: DDI Webinar Archive
4.11 Heatmap: DDI/HR.com Webinar Archive Image: Microsoft Office Live Webinar Library
4.12 Heatmap: Microsoft Office Live Webinar Library Image: Palm Webinar Archive
4.13 Heatmap: Palm Webinar Archive Eyetracking: Key Findings
Web Site Search Marketing & Promotional Tools Used
4.14 Chart: Natural Search Placement Report Card
4.15 Chart: Paid Search Ad Report Card
4.16 Chart: Web Site Marketing Elements
4.17 Chart: Use of Promotional Tools on SMB Technology Web Sites
4.18 Chart: SMB Technology Sites Promotional Tool Breakdown
Registration Pages and Processes
4.19 Chart: Sites With Registration Barrier to Downloadable Information Products
4.20 Chart: How Much Registration Information Are Technology Sites Demanding?
4.21 Chart: Registration Accuracy
4.22 Chart: How Often Do Business Technology Content Readers Complete Registration Processes?
4.23 Chart: How Often Do Business Technology Pros Read the Content They Registered For?
Search Engine Optimization
4.24 Chart: Technology Marketers Evaluate Site Optimization
4.25 Table: Key Factors in Search Engine Optimization
Chapter 5: Technology Sales Lead Management and Measurement Lead Management
5.01 Chart: Lead Closure Rates
5.02 Chart: Lead Process Conversion Rates
5.03 Table: Lead Rate Comparison 2005-2007
5.04 Table Lead Rate Comparison – Avg. vs ‘Best Practices’ Orgs.
5.05 Chart: Where Are Marketers Finding Challenges in the Lead Process
5.06 Chart: Percentage of Leads Generated by Marketing
5.07 Chart: Lead Management Practices 2006 vs 2007
5.08 Chart: Lead Management Practices by Organization Size
5.09 Chart: What Do Tech Marketers Know Before Passing Leads to Sales?
5.10 Chart: Lead/Site Metrics Tracked – Regular vs Occasional Review
5.11 Chart: Lead/Site Metrics Tracked Regularly – Avg. vs Marketers w/Comprehensive Lead Management Practices
5.12 Chart: Lead/Site Metrics Tracked Regularly – Avg. vs Long Sales Cycle
5.13 Chart: Technology Marketers Evaluate Their Sites’ Use of CRM
5.14 Chart: How Well Do Orgs. ‘Close the Loop’ on Leads?
5.15 Chart: How Well Are Sales & Marketing Collaborating on Defining a Lead?
Customer Reference Management
Three types of CRPs companies invest in
Five most common CRP mistakes to avoid
5.16 Chart: Frequency of CRP Stakeholder Meetings
5.17 Chart: Critical Activities to Improve CRPs Ranked
Special Report: Lead Generation & Internal Communication
5.18 Chart: What Is Finance’s Attitude Toward Lead Generation?
5.19 Chart: How Informed Is Finance on Lead Generation Impact?
5.20 Chart: Are Finance and Marketing Looking Beyond Lead Volume?
5.21 Chart: How Credible Are the Leads Generated by Marketing?
5.22 Chart: How Reliable Is Post-Lead Communication from Sales?
Channel Marketing
5.23 Chart: Channel Partner Feedback Rates
5.24 Chart: Deal Closure Rates of Top vs Average Channel Partners
Notes from the Field: Channel Marketing Success Targeting SMBs
Appendix: Demographic Breakdown – MarketingSherpa’s Research Studies for the Business Technology Benchmark Guide
Table of Contents: MarketingSherpa BONUS B-to-B Web Site Homepage Design Research Study:
Executive Summary: Study Overview & Top 5 Findings
Section I: Study Background Research & Goals
Definitions for the purposes of this Study
The inspiration behind this Study
Figure: “Standard” B-to-B Homepage Layout Wireframe
Chart: Percent of B-to-B Web Sites Using Standard Homepage Layout
Element #1. Columns
Image: Eyetracking Results Yahoo! Search Results Page
Image: Patagonia Multiple-Column Layout Test Design
Image: Patagonia Single Primary Column Layout Test Design
Image: CareerBuilder.com’s Original Multiple-Column Navigation Homepage for Employers
Image: CareerBuilder.com’s Tested Fewer Column Homepage for Employers
Element #2. Billboards
Images: Eyetracking Test Results: Bombay Homepage
Section II: Research Methodology Employed for This Study
Figure: Alternate Homepage Design: Flipped — Billboard on Bottom
Figure: Alternate Homepage Design: Three-Column — Billboard at Left Side
How the Eyetracking and Satisfaction Study Was Conducted: How Eyetracking Works
Image: Typical Participant in an Eyetracking Lab Environment
Heatmaps Explained
Background Image
Section III: Three Tested Homepage Layouts — Results for Three Large B-to-B Sites (Sun, IBM, and Oracle)
Sun Microsystems Images: Sun Homepage & Heatmap – Original Version
Images: Sun Homepage & Heatmap — Bottom Billboard Version
Images: Sun Homepage & Heatmap – Three-Column Version
Sun Analysis
Sun A – Original
Sun B – ‘Bottom Billboard’
Sun C – ‘Three-Column Version’
Sun homepage analysis across all versions
Sun Versions by Time
IBM
Images: IBM Homepage & Heatmap — Original Version
Images: IBM Homepage & Heatmap — Bottom Billboard Version
Images: IBM Homepage & Heatmap – Three-Column Version
IBM Analysis
IBM A & B – Original and ‘Bottom Bilboard’
IBM C – ‘Three-Column Version’
IBM Across All Versions
IBM Variations by Time
Oracle
Images: Oracle Homepage & Heatmap – Original Version
Images: Oracle Homepage & Heatmap — Bottom Billboard Version
Images: Oracle Homepage & Heatmap – Three-Column Version
Oracle Analysis
Oracle A – Original Version
Oracle B – ‘Bottom Billboard Version’
Oracle C – ‘Three-Column Version’
Oracle Analysis Across All Versions
Oracle Variations by Time
Detailed Analysis Across All Three Major Sites: Sun, IBM & Oracle
Scanning Patterns for Original Homepage Versions
Scanning Patterns for Bottom Billboard Versions
Scanning Patterns for Three Column Versions
Section IV: Three Additional Homepage Layouts Tested Images: Evergreen Homepage & Heatmap
Images: Vectrocon Homepage & Heatmap
Images: Synetrix Homepage & Heatmap
Section V: Study Findings & Conclusions; 6 Recommended Action Steps for B-to-B Marketers & Web Designers
Table: B-to-B Homepage Study Results Data: Time Spent & User Satisfaction
Top Three Findings
Six Suggested Tests Based on Study Results & Indications
About MarketingSherpa Inc.
About Enquiro Search Solutions Inc.
Access Download Business Technology Marketing Benchmark Guide 2007-08 – Marketing Sherpa right now!
Delivery Method:
After your purchase, you’ll get access to the downloads page. Here, you can download all the files associated with your order.
Downloads are available once your payment is confirmed, we’ll also send you a download notification email separate from any transaction notification emails you receive from Coursedownloads.
