Category: Digital Marketing Hints
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Performance-Based Contracts in Marketing
From time to time, we receive requests from both domestic and international clients asking if we can structure our web marketing contracts on a performance-based (success fee) model. At first glance, this kind of setup sounds appealing because it allows for larger rewards when things go extremely well. However, we generally decline such arrangements for…
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SEO or Online Ads: Which Brings Faster Results?
This is a topic that often comes up in our industry and one that many of our clients ask us about. Of course, there’s no simple answer to the question, “Which is better?” Both SEO and online advertising have their pros and cons, so the right answer is that both can be good depending on…
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Top 3 Common Causes of Broken Links
When you click on an external link on a webpage- that is, a URL that leads to another website, and encounter an error like “”Page not found,”” this is referred to as a “broken link” or more technically, a “404 error.” As mentioned in a recent blog post, these errors not only negatively affect SEO…
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How AI Overviews Are Disrupting Web Traffic
Awhile ago, Google began displaying AI-generated summaries at the very top of search results. From our experience, these appear in about half of all searches. According to recent discussions in the industry, these AI Overviews (also called AI/O) tend to show up less when users are searching for a company website or something to buy,…
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Enhancing SEO by Improving User Experience
For many years now, it’s been widely understood that Google prioritizes website content over superficial technical tweaks or external link-building. Many of you may already be aware of this. What Google values in a website’s content isn’t copied information from elsewhere or AI-generated filler; but original, high-quality content that provides real informational value. That’s what…
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User Engagement vs. Bounce Rate
Over a decade ago, one of the primary metrics for measuring a website’s effectiveness was page views (PV). That is, the number of times a page was viewed. Page views (roughly speaking) count how many times a page is opened. So in extreme cases, someone could simply open and close the same page repeatedly, and…
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Updated Search Engine Usage Statistics
Sometimes, overseas clients ask whether Yahoo still holds a large share in Japan. In most cases, it’s someone who used to live in Japan or has some experience with Japan-specific web marketing. It’s true that just a few years ago, while Google dominated in most countries, Yahoo was still holding strong in Japan and Taiwan.…
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The Hidden Dangers of Broken Links
As I’ve written many times on this blog, having URLs on your website that return errors is a significant negative both in terms of SEO and user experience. And yet, it’s surprisingly common to see them left unattended. Even on the websites of major companies, it’s not unusual to encounter an error after clicking a…
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Left-Hand Drive Japanese Cars, Right-Hand Drive Foreign Cars
Most Japanese cars in Japan are right-hand drive, with a few exceptions for luxury sports cars. They’re designed this way to suit Japanese roads, while other countries like Germany use left-hand drive. If these cars had been sold as left-hand drive from the start, they likely wouldn’t have gained the same popularity in Japan. The…
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Free Samples of The Digital Age
The strategy of attracting customers with free samples has been a cornerstone of business since the analog era. For instance, newspapers often offered the first month free to encourage subscriptions, and free samples of cosmetics, supplements, or food tastings were common ways to entice customers. This tried-and-true approach remains relevant in the digital age, where…
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Corporate Site & Shop Site
This is a question we occasionally receive from customers. Some companies that specialize in online shops only maintain their shop site without creating a separate corporate website with detailed company information. They often say that their shop site is sufficient for attracting customers and that it already includes basic company details. While this approach might…
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Be Careful When Posting Videos on Chinese Websites
Creating a website for China requires careful attention to the country’s strict regulations. It goes without saying that political or adult content is strictly prohibited, but even if your own website complies, you could still face issues if any other site hosted on the same web server violates these rules. This makes it essential to…
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Perseverance is Important in Social Media Marketing!?
This phase is true: the most important thing in social media (SNS) marketing is perseverance. This applies to both free SNS tools like Facebook and Instagram, as well as blogs. When starting a business or a store, many people, actually about two out of three, consider using blogs or SNS to attract customers. They might…
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Consulting About Anything and Everything Doesn’t Sell
When it comes to consulting, many smaller firms or solo consultants often try to attract customers by claiming, “We can handle any industry and any type of consultation!” However, this approach tends to lack impact and makes it harder to stand out or attract clients effectively. Instead, specialization can make all the difference. For example,…
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The Role of Business Matching Sites
If you frequently shop online, you likely have a few favorite sites you always turn to. Platforms like Amazon, Yodobashi, Yahoo!, and Rakuten are incredibly user-friendly for members, so most people tend to visit those sites first, search for what they need, and make their purchase. But what about B2B? When searching for a reliable…
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Why Your Site Isn’t Searchable Overseas
It’s common to hear complaints from Japanese companies that their website appears at the top of search results for their company name in Japan but not in searches from other countries. Depending on the situation and the environment of the customer experiencing the issue, one or more of the following could be the cause: 1.…
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Brand Safety
In the world of internet advertising, the term “brand safety” comes up from time to time. According to Wikipedia, the definition is as follows: “Brand safety is a set of measures that aim to protect the image and reputation of brands from the negative or damaging influence of questionable or inappropriate content when advertising online.”…
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Guest Posting is Not Popular in Japan
We often receive inquiries from overseas customers asking about websites where they can post guest articles. Guest posting is a method where an article you’ve written is published on a third-party blog or informational site. Including links and references to your own website in the article is believed to benefit SEO, and there are even…
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Using “No. 1” in Advertising is Banned
In Japan, it’s well known that terms like “No. 1,” “the best” and “the largest” in advertising are regulated. These expressions aren’t outright banned, but when used, they require solid evidence that must be available for verification. This is why many ads on the streets use phrases like “one of the largest in Japan” or…
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The Various Effects of Digital Advertising
When running paid digital ads, like Google search ads, you can track various metrics that reflect the campaign’s performance. One major advantage of digital advertising is the visibility of results—something much harder to achieve with traditional, non-digital ads. There are numerous metrics to monitor, such as: Impressions Clicks Click-through rate (CTR: clicks / impressions) Cost…
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Declining Ad Click-through Rates
While there’s no exact stats, it’s generally believed that click-through rates on internet ads have been declining, similar to open rates for email newsletters. Twenty years ago, when people were new to the Internet, many would click on ads at the top of Google and other search results without much hesitation. But as people became…
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Is Social Media Not Suitable for Japanese B2B Business?
In Japan, social media—especially Facebook—has traditionally been viewed as a platform mainly for personal hobbies, not for work or B2B business. It was generally thought to be effective for promoting consumer products but less suitable for marketing large-scale services or industrial equipment for companies. However, the reality is that many B2B companies in Japan are…
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Three Points About Video Avertising
According to Facebook’s guidebook for advertising agencies, there are a few key strategies for creating effective videos. First, it’s essential to use a 9:16 aspect ratio for videos to fit smartphone screens. Since most people use their phones in portrait mode, a vertical layout prevents blank spaces at the top and the bottom, or the…
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Request for Unified Image
When working in marketing for large Western companies, there’s often a strong emphasis on maintaining a unified brand image. This is especially true for high-end fashion brands, but it also applies to B2B IT companies. In these companies, there are strict rules about logo usage, color schemes, photos, and layouts. For instance, when a European…