Give PURLs and GURLs a whirl
They’re more than trendy acronyms: Customized URLs are an important and fast-growing strategy to add to your portfolio of services, enabling you to deliver personalized content.
Let’s sort out the lingo first.
GURL stands for Generic URL … also known as a landing page, or campaign page. All recipients see the same content when they visit the page. Let’s say your company’s name is Superfine Mailing Company. Your GURL can invite the recipients to a landing page that is unique to the campaign … but not the person. For example, a GURL could be www.superfinemailing.com/newcampaign.
PURL stands for Personalized URL. Instead of using the often-complicated, long-string URL, you customize a PURL so it’s easy for your prospects to remember. You can even include a prospect or customer’s name, as in www.fredsmith.superfinemailing.com. This is where things start getting fun: PURLs can drive 20 to 40% more web visitors than a generic URL.
Where digital printers can deliver a difference
Adding PURLs via the digital printing process allows you to pull personalized information from your client’s marketing database and print tailored information, including addresses and PURLs. You can also use this data to customize the marketing message, imagery and call to action. Even more than with variable data printing, this approach allows you to provide a service that can greatly expand your value as a cross-channel marketing provider.
You’re already handling your client’s direct marketing campaign. Think about how you can integrate customized URLs with QR (Quick Response) codes. Consider how you could use PURLs for data collection and event registration — all trackable for marketing ROI.
Lead by example
When DUKE of Cleveland, Ohio, began offering personalized URLs as a service for their clients, they developed a campaign to demonstrate the process and explain the benefits. The campaign included multiple components, including postcards and follow-up e-mails that showcased how PURLs can be successfully incorporated into a campaign. According to Dan Ellashek, DUKE’s Director of Marketing, the campaign achieved a direct mail response rate of almost 20% — and several new clients. “Our clients have been extremely enthusiastic about adding custom landing pages to their campaigns” said Dan. “Plus, it really adds to the value we can provide to them.”
Retailers offer hot market potential
According to InfoTrends, the retail industry presents opportunities for print service providers who have the ability to produce high quality, customized, personalized marketing collateral … as well as develop and manage customer retention and acquisition programs. Increasingly, retailers are using a variety of media types that include print, online, social conventional advertising, e-mail, the web and print. Retailers are also starting to take advantage of real-time interactive connections offered by QR codes in their advertisements and signage.
On average, 13.6% of retail promotional materials are currently personalized. You might think that sounds low — but think opportunity. Nearly two-thirds of retail businesses (61.1%) agree that personalization improves customer response rate.
Increasingly, retail is developing promotions customized to specific demographics or individuals with known buying patterns. These promotions can also be targeted toward specific retailer needs, such as encouraging increased traffic during slow periods or promoting specialty or seasonal items. As postal rates continue to rise, retailers are increasingly looking to postcards and self-mailer brochures that are linked to personalized URLs to drive customer interest … while keeping postal costs in line.
What to do after the PURL
A PURL may get your prospects in the door, but what you do with them once they’re inside is also important. The beauty of PURLs is that you can see real-time results. You’ll know which prospects are responding, and which ones aren’t.
Think about what your next steps might be: How will you follow-up on the sales leads? What additional marketing touch could push non-respondents to action? What data can you collect to put back into your CRM system? In addition to generating higher response rates, the info you’ll gain from using PURLs can lay the groundwork for your next campaign.
There are numerous companies that can help you create these customized URLs. Mindfire, easyPURL, XMPie, Pageflex, PTI Marketing Technologies, Objectif Lune are just a few. And for more information on database management, see our article “Does you database need a fresh start?” For more information on vertical markets such as retail, see our PowerPoint “Opportunities in the Retail Market”.
TIPS for using PURLs and GURLs
- PURLs and GURLs are customized URLs you can build into your printing services to provide personalized content and drive recipients online for more information.
- Digital printers have a leg up on competitors when it comes to customized URLs because of their ability to personalize printed content.
- Using these tools can also allow you to collect valuable customer response data for fine-tuning and developing new marketing campaigns. And you get to see real-time results!
- Companies that can help you create customized URLs include Mindfire, easyPURL, XMPie, Pageflex, PTI Marketing Technologies, Objectif Lune and others.
