Business Technology Marketing Benchmark Guide 2007-08 – Marketing Sherpa

• 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
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