We test and curate the best online tools because we actaully use them in our businesses. Meet the experts who contribute to Marketing Satchel.

We are a group of individuals that are highly passionate about marketing. If you ask us to sit down and talk about sales funnels over coffee, we’re already jazzed before the coffee hits our system.

Email marketing? Conversion rates? Search engine optimization?

Now you’re speaking our language.

We believe that online businesses can grow and thrive if they have access to the right tools. With the rise of cloud software, there are a plethora of online marketing tools available. We break through the clutter and provide professional insight on the best tools and tips to save you time and money.

Our Mission

Are you overwhelmed by digital marketing?

Marketing Satchel is your go-to marketing tool advisor. We personally try, test, and break all sorts of digital tools and strategies (so you don’t have to).

Our Values

Whether your online business is big or small, we want to help you succeed in your slice of the Internet. We encourage online businesses to be socially conscious, fully engaged, and passionate about the day-to-day.

Marketing your business shouldn’t be a part of the daily grind. It should be interactive, challenging, and a blueprint for the future of your business.

How Can Marketing Satchel Help?

Marketing Satchel provides you with current marketing information that can save you time and money in your online business. We provide in-depth reviews, comparisons, and our best tips to keep your business ahead of the curve.

We specialize in the best tools and tips regarding CRM, CRO, Digital Courses, eCommerce Platforms, Email Marketing, Sales Funnels, SEO, and Social Media.

CRM

CRM or customer relationship management is a way to collect important analytic data regarding current and potential customers. This data is then used to improve engagement, customer experience, and to retain existing customers. Investing in a CRM software can increase sales and longevity of your business.

Top CRM tools include Zoho, Salesforce, Apptivo, Insightly, and HubSpot.

CRO

CRO or conversion rate optimization is the process of taking a visitor into a customer. CRO is a complex process that requires a working call to action.

CRO is unique to each website and each business. What may work for one, doesn’t necessarily work for the next. You will need to decide what will entice your visitors to make that first purchase. It may be a free gift, free shipping, or even a discount on your new product launch.

Once you find out what is engaging your customers, you go full speed ahead with what works and throw out what is failing to convert. Optimizing your sales process will increase customer retention and revenue.

Top CRO tools include Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Hotjar, SurveyMonkey, Crazy Egg, Omniconvert, Unbounce, GTmetrix, Sumo, Clicktale, and more.

Digital Courses

As your business progresses, you may be interested in creating online courses that will earn you passive income. Such platforms will host video files, payment plans, upsells, and more. You can even use these platforms to provide your customers with eBooks, audiobooks, PDF informational sheets, and more to sell or use as your lead magnet.

Create membership packages to make repeat sales and send segmented email newsletters to market your campaigns.

Top digital course platforms include Podia, Coursera, Ruzuku, and Thinkific.

eCommerce Platforms

When you sell a product or service online you are going to need eCommerce software that can support your growth. An eCommerce solution will allow you to sell globally with just a few clicks.

A quality eCommerce platform will help you gain the trust of your customers. It can provide a branded shopping cart, encryption for online payment methods, and a shop that is always open. Adding eCommerce to your website will increase your sales, lower your overall costs and provide passive income through one-and-done digital products.

Top eCommerce platforms include Wix, Site Builder, Shopify, 3dcart, Ecwid, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, OpenCart, RedBubble, Sellfy, SamCart, OptimizePress, ThriveCart, Kartra, Volusion, and more.

Email Marketing

In the past, marketing emails were handwritten content that required manual follow-up and tedious data entry. Today, email marketing software provides automation for all key areas including segmentation, reporting, and even drag-and-drop design options.

While each email marketing software option provides different features and pricing, they all help you automatically keep track of your customers and provide 24/7 customer service. Easily track ROI when your list grows and pinpoint issues when your list decreases.

Top email marketing platforms include Constant Contact, Drip, Sendlane, Sendible, ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, Drip, and ConvertKit.

Sales Funnels

A sales funnel is an integral part of any business. It focuses solely on the potential customer and the journey it takes to get that potential customer to purchase a product or buy a service from your business.

The virtual sales funnel varies from four tiers to six. The sales funnel begins by creating awareness around your product or service. After you have completed the initial round of marketing, you continue to narrow the funnel by segmenting your audience and learning what motivates your target to buy.

Each sales funnel ends with the same goal, getting the potential customer to answer the call to action. Sales funnel software can complete the entire process for you from initial reach to close. This automated process replaces traditional phone calls and direct mail and provides your potential customers and repeat customers with a personalized experience.

Top sales funnels software includes Optimizepress, Leadpages, Optimizely, Samcart, Mouseflow, ClickFunnels, and Kartra.

SEO

SEO or search engine optimization increases the visibility of your website by utilizing search engines. SEO can be measured in the increase in website visitors using free methods. (excludes direct traffic and paid advertising)

Mastering SEO can greatly increase your overall online presence and move your site to the first page of search engine results. Although SEO changes frequently depending on search engine algorithms, it is an affordable way to take your business to the next level.

Top SEO software includes Moz Pro, Aherfs, SEMrush, Google Webmasters, Screaming Frog, LongTailPro, KWFinder, SEOquake, Answer the Public, and Yoast SEO.

Social Media

Top influencers rely on social media to launch products and services, engage on a daily basis, and receive content recommendations.

By using a social media tool you can combine all of your social media accounts on one dashboard. This saves you time by only needing one log-in. You can also easily keep track of customer service requests, comments, etc.

People are spending more and more time on social media with billions of users on Facebook alone. By utilizing social media tools you can keep up with trends, post on a more frequent basis, and show new visitors that you have an active passion for your business.

Top social media tools include Buffer, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, MeetEdgar, Crowdfire, Sendible, Post Planner, Tailwind, and more.

Our Top 10 Online Marketing Tips

Digital marketing plays a huge role in today’s market. Currently, there are over four billion internet users. Getting a grasp on online marketing can help you take your business to the next level so you can reach a larger audience than possible with traditional methods.

With digital marketing, you can engage with your customers in real-time and automate the sales process. However, this form of marketing can be very fast-paced and overwhelming for even experienced marketers.

Focusing on these ten key factors will help you grow your business and keep it sustainable.

1 – Understand your end goal(s)

Before you begin marketing your business, you must establish what your end goals are. Do you want to successfully launch a line of products? Become a top player in your service niche? Or maybe you want to increase your potential customer base by improving your email newsletter skills.

Whatever your goals are, write them down and then begin your marketing plan on how to get there. If you don’t have an end goal, you will waste a lot of time and money trying to keep your business afloat.

2 – Implement at your own pace

Once you establish your end goal(s) and your marketing plan, jot down all of the steps you need to accomplish. Check them off one by one and consider learning or taking online courses to improve each step along the way.

Don’t try to go from point A to point B in one day. Take baby steps and immerse yourself in the process. You will make mistakes along the way but it will help you in the long run. You might even find that the path you thought was the best runs into a dead end. You can always take a step back and re-evaluate.

Trying to complete all of your tasks at the same time is like having too many tabs open in your internet browser. You may have good intentions, but by implementing each step separately you can keep a handle on your progress and budget.

3 – Know Your Target Audience

Before you spend money on marketing, make sure you know your target audience. Understanding the ins and outs of your potential and current customers can help you schedule product launches, evaluate pricing and product features, and even make it easier to figure out where to look for additional leads.

If you haven’t started an email list, now is the time. Email is still a valid form of communication and shouldn’t be overlooked. Offer a freebie on your website or a special discount if your website traffic signs up for your newsletter. You can even cross-promote on your social media channels and through your online orders.

Use Google analytics and additional data mining software to pinpoint data regarding your audience. You should know where the majority of your customers’ ages, where they live, and how they shop.

4 – Optimize Your Website

Your website is the central hub of relevant information about your products and services. It may also be your main source of revenue.

In order for your customers and website visitors to find you, you will need to make sure your website is optimized. Follow these top five tips to get your website more search engine friendly.

  1. Research keywords
  2. Create relevant content and incorporate top keywords
  3. Speed up your load time by making sure plug-ins and images are as small as possible
  4. Create landing pages to increase sales
  5. Add top keywords to your page titles (i.e. business name plus keyword)

5 – Write relevant content

Starting a blog on your website can not only multiply your listings in the search results but a blog can help to gain your customer’s trust and interest in your business. Choose topics that answer your customer’s questions and moderate comments to provide additional tips.

If writing isn’t your thing, consider hiring niche content writers to quickly fill your website with well-written, researched content. The more articles you can add to your blog, the better. Rich articles will keep traffic on your site for longer time periods, which can lead to increased sales and referrals.

Don’t underestimate adding your content to your social media channels. Linking your content can expand your reach and engage new leads that may get their current updates solely on social media.

6 – Are you mobile-friendly?

A website that provides a responsive experience for your visitor is essential to boost sales. 34% of all US eCommerce sales will come from mobile phones in 2019, and that number is increasing year after year.

If you use WordPress as your website platform, there are both free and paid options available for responsive themes. You should also request a responsive website design if you have hired a web designer to create a custom site.

Test your mobile-friendly site on both Android and iOS platforms to ensure your site is easy to navigate. Take a look at the checkout process. Does it run smoothly? Can you see and utilize the same features on mobile as desktop? Try to keep your mobile and desktop sites as similar as possible for a seamless user experience.

7 – Use Video

Video is a visual way to get your brand message across. According to Forbes.com, 90 percent of consumers indicate product videos directly inform purchase decisions.

With the rise of YouTube and other social media platforms, video can engage your customers in a visual way. It can also build trust as you virtually form a relationship with your customers.

Consider using video to launch a new product so you can visually show all of the features, the size, weight, colors, etc. You can also use video to announce a giveaway, a sale, or an FAQ about your company.

8 – Listen to your audience

When you first start out, you may try several different ideas to see what your audience responds to. Once you use data and analytics to find out what your audience likes, you begin to see trends.

Use these trends to create additional products, content, or services to draw your audience in. By creating what your audience likes, you can begin to form a niche and narrow the path your business takes.

There is a huge advantage in finding your core audience. Use your passion and the engagement of your customers to guide your business plan and marketing strategy. By focusing on what works, you will spend less money and have more time to create the content your audience craves.

9 – Master the sales funnel

Once you have your marketing goals, website, and core audience in place, you will need to continuously target your customers and website visitors with expertly crafted sales funnels. Sales funnels take your potential customers and existing customers on an automated journey that in the end leads to repeat sales and long-term revenue.

If you are clueless about where to begin, there are several sales funnel cloud software options to choose from. A few of our favorites are Kartra, Mouseflow, and LeadPages.

10 – Become an industry leader

Succeeding in your online business should be celebrated. Within the first year, 90% of online businesses will fail (often within the first four months). If you are making a profit and continuing to grow your customer base, you are one of the lucky few.

Success becomes a responsibility. Consider sharing your experience online, or speaking with local business leader groups. The knowledge you have learned through creating your profitable online business came from highs and lows. Be candid about your mistakes, help people choose the right business software, consider offering internships to help those who share your vision and values.

Who is Marketing Satchel For?

Marketing Satchel is for the online business owner or marketing enthusiast that is looking for the best in-depth reviews and tools to help you save time and money.

If there a marketing software or topic you would like to see on Marketing Satchel? Contact us for the chance to see your topic as a future feature.

About the Founder

Ewen Finser – Online Marketer, and Entrepreneur

Ewen Finser first started blogging and building websites back in 2011 (just for beer money!). Since then, he’s become gluten-free, so building a media company seemed like a more prudent idea.

Operating a portfolio of 30+ different blogs and digital commerce lines, Ewen started The Marketing Satchel as a venue to provide honest assessments of the marketing tools and strategies he and his team use to grow their businesses. He is one of the leading experts in SEO, SEM, CRO and will only recommend a tool that he would use himself.

Ewen also served as a Captain in the Army National Guard, specializing in Military Intelligence and Domestic Response Operations.

Marketing Satchel editors scour articles to ensure they are accurate and up to date to the time of publication. Our editors value your time and organize articles for relevance and readability so you can find the information you need quickly and implement it the same day.

Our Contributors

Our contributors all have professional experience in online marketing. They are active users of marketing software and enjoy researching the latest tools and tips to share with our valued reader

OUR TEAM

Diverse digital marketing backgrounds. Singular focus on quality analysis.

David Borgogni

David is a professional digital marketer. He’s the founder of First Click Content, a digital marketing agency that focuses on content development driven by organic search data analysis. He’s also a passionate content strategist and writer.

Why are you giving advice on Marketing Satchel?

Regardless of how big or small it is, any business needs the right marketing approach to succeed. I had to learn this lesson the hard way, as several of my business ventures failed to get off the ground until I finally learned how to use marketing in my favor.

Having the opportunity to write about my experiences in this field was one of the reasons why I started giving advice on this platform.

Which part of marketing is your favorite?

The most rewarding part of marketing for me is end-user interaction because it allows me to see if the campaign I’ve created is hitting its target.

What type of work have you done in the marketing field?

I conceptualize marketing strategies, discover the best approaches to target audiences and monitor the performance of marketing campaigns.

If you could give people one piece of advice related to marketing, what would it be?

Don’t try to do what everyone else is doing. Be creative. Design a unique approach that gets your message across to the right audience.

Katrina Dent

A self-confessed digital marketing nerd, Katrina Dent loves to write about all things marketing. One of her favorites is to write about digital course creation software. A published writer and author, Katrina can always be found at a coffee shop with her laptop.

Why are you giving advice on Marketing Satchel?

I'm advising on Marketing Satchel because I have a deep passion for copywriting. I have made a successful career out of writing and marketing full time, and I want to share my tips and tricks with new, upcoming marketers who may need a bit of guidance.

Which part of marketing is your favorite?

The smiles on my client's face when I help them succeed with marketing strategies.

What type of work have you done in the marketing field?

I am an experienced copywriter who has helped businesses in Canada, the United States, the UK, and Singapore. In my 6+ years as a professional in the field, I have done everything from social media marketing to blogging to traditional advertising and aspires to do more.

If you could give people one piece of advice related to marketing, what would it be?

While you should invest in attention-grabbing ads, you shouldn’t rely on them to sell. Only 2% of sales occur on the first contact. The other 98% are follow-ups. If you put more focus on nurturing prospects, you’ll see more of your customers cross the buyer’s journey finish line.

Jessica Lauren Vine

Jessica Lauren Vine is a business writer and editor with over 20 years of experience with online and offline businesses. She built and sold her first online business at the age of 12 and has loved all things online marketing since. In her spare time, she researches new business models and reads books on business, wealth, and personal development with the goal to help others with her growth from the information through articles and videos on the topics.

Why are you giving advice on Marketing Satchel?

I've done all types of marketing in the online marketing space as well as the offline marketing space. I love sharing my knowledge and helping people get the ah-ha moments they need to level up.

Which part of marketing is your favorite?

I love building an audience of people I can help. Creating relationships is an important part of marketing for me.

What type of work have you done in the marketing field?

I've done marketing for my own offline services business as well as marketing for blogs and affiliate marketing.

If you could give people one piece of advice related to marketing, what would it be?

Don't let marketing freak you out and make you feel like you can't do it. Yes, there's a lot to learn, but that's the case with anything. Marketing is very much worth learning.

Eoin Cunningham

Eoin is a digital B2B content writer. Marketing is one of his niche areas of expertise. He's currently completing a BA at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Julie Thompson

Julie Thompson loves business and loves helping other people succeed in their entrepreneurial journey. She's written for Business.com as well as Business News Daily.

She has over a decade of experience working remotely and uses her experiences to help others. As a remote worker, Julie depends on many tools to help her run her home office efficiently.

With Julie's experience of working remotely for so many years, working with international business owners, startups and her active testing and research of new software, she feels confident in giving advice to The Digital Merchant readers.

Some of Julie's favorite software are Trello, Grammarly Premium, Canva, MailChimp, Ubersuggest, Google Analytics, and Google Docs.

Why are you giving advice on Marketing Satchel?

I've worked in digital marketing remotely since 2008. Some of my clients were international entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses and company CEOs.

I enjoy researching and testing software actively.

Which part of marketing is your favorite?

My favorite part of marketing is getting an engagement response from a cold lead.

What type of work have you done in the marketing field?

I've done celebrity outreach, affiliate marketing, blogging and I'm a freelance business owner.

If you could give people one piece of advice related to marketing, what would it be?

Listen to your audience! Constructive feedback is essential for growth.

Alexandra Gavrilescu

In her field of work, Alexandra puts three secret ingredients: passion, connection, and intensity. For her, online marketing has become one of the most important things in life. She engages in the activities she loves most and many of those are related to digital marketing. As a marketing specialist and a content writer, Alexandra is on a mission to assist others and help them grow, learn new skills, and succeed. Whether you want to know more about marketing funnels or use eCommerce platforms in your company's best interest, Alexandra will unravel all those elements of the digital marketing industry. She's also an expert on topics such as social media, search engine optimization, and email marketing.

Why are you giving advice on Marketing Satchel?

I'm an experienced Marketing professional. I have a Bachelor degree in Marketing and a Master's degree in Marketing Management. After graduation, I worked in several multinational companies as well as medium-sized businesses, including Pirelli and McCann advertising agency. During my years as a marketing specialist, I become more familiar with both hard and soft aspects of marketing, although my favorite remains soft marketing that consists of promotional strategies, communication, advertising, etc. At Pirelli, I was in charge of their pricing operations as a team member of the marketing and sales department. So, out of the four marketing pillars (product, price, promotion, and placement), I've worked mostly on product development, pricing, and promotion, and less on distribution or placement.

I've acquired a lot of experience and I can provide others with valuable marketing insights, especially when it comes to advertising techniques and promotional strategies and tactics for small and medium companies, as well as startups.

Which part of marketing is your favorite?

I like marketing as a whole because all its parts are interconnected but I love the advertising and communication aspects the most. Also, I'm fond of online marketing, especially content creation and social media campaigns.

What type of work have you done in the marketing field?

I was an intern in the marketing department of Enel Romania back when I was still a student. Then, I worked as a pricing operations specialist at Pirelli, and finally, I entered the world of advertising and digital marketing at McCann. After that, I've become a freelancing marketing consultant, content writer, editor, and SEO specialist.

If you could give people one piece of advice related to marketing, what would it be?

My focus right now is to help small businesses or new entrepreneurs grow their companies through effective marketing strategies. My advice for them would be to create a buyer persona so that they know exactly what their target audience is, and then, focus on their potential clients.

The first step, after creating the brand and the branding identity, is to raise awareness and communicate to people what your business is about. Once the public knows your brand, you will be able to create a client database. Among that database are your potential clients, some of which will eventually become loyal customers if you play your cards right. Use content marketing to create value and position your company as an authority within its niche or industry.

Finally, rely on referrals and business partnerships, while also investing marketing budgets in online communication via those channels that are most frequented by your target audience.

Sarah Dixon

Sarah Dixon is a freelance writer specializing in remote work and marketing, and the author of the Alfie Slider series of children's Sci-Fi novels. She lives in York, UK, with her two children and a growing menagerie of pets.