Posts Tagged ‘Web Marketing’

How To Turn Email into a River of Revenues

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

What would you say about a marketing device that returned over $43 for every dollar you spent on it?

Too good to be true, right?

Wrong.

That device is none other than the commercial (HTML-coded) email, a tool that far outstrips all others when it comes to pure return on investment (ROI). So, how on earth does an email garner such grand results?

To understand this, you must realize an effective commercial email is a well conceived, superbly timed, and, above all, expertly designed piece of marketing that is focused on accomplishing one thing: Getting a customer to take action.

Just how good can an email get? According to the Direct Marketing Association’s 2009 study, commercial email returned $43.62 for every dollar spent last year. Compare that to an ROI of $21.85 for Internet search advertising, $15.22 for direct mail and $7.32 for catalogs.

The Perils of Poor Design

“Fantastic!” you say. “Let’s crank out an email right now and blast it to our list. After all, emails are easy and anybody can do them.”

Not so fast. While it’s true that millions of emails are exchanged daily, only a tiny fraction are well enough designed to grab a customer’s attention and get them to make that all important click that results in a purchase.

To begin with, there are essentially two types of commercial emails, ones that mostly depend on text to get results and those that are more visually or image driven (much like a magazine ad). Many of the very best commercial emails contain a balance of both. Whatever the approach, it must be chosen because it has the best chance of making an impact with your audience.

It is important to know quality design is NOT just about a snazzy picture, cute turn of phrase or a colorful graphic (though these might be part of a well-designed email). Rather, good design depends just as much on advance planning and strategy and careful selection of elements to achieve the desired end.

Remember, the competition – and clutter – is fiercer than ever.

Take your own email inbox, for example. Most of what you receive is either deleted immediately or quickly scanned and disposed of. The level of email fatigue and cynicism is high, but that’s because most commercial email solicitations are inadequately thought out, poorly timed and lack quality design.

No wonder people (that’s us, folks!) are so quick to trash emails.

Don’t Waste Your Opportunity!

But there is good news. Most commercial emails arrive with the consent of the customer. At some point, he or she has asked to receive email updates or solicitations from you. This gives you a vital opportunity to impress them.

However, if your email is sloppily designed, annoyed customers will quickly unsubscribe from your list. Don’t waste your chance to enjoy an ROI of $43 to $1 or more simply because you decided to do it yourself.

Instead, hire a capable designer who understands that the following are essential to a successful commercial email: copy that is well formatted and brief (keeping in mind that email readers are in a hurry); a reminder that the customer granted permission to receive email from you; an easy-to-find unsubscribe link; focused content that focuses on one or two ideas rather than many; careful timing; a call to action (a compelling offer that screams: “take action now!”); solid HTML coding; strong copy and headlines; compelling images (but not too many); and, of course, a catchy subject line that demands the email be opened.

Again, remember the subject line is crucial to getting an email opened but after that it’s good design that will determine whether the end-user/customer decides to read on and take you up on your offer.

Good Design Turns Clicks into Profits

Finally, never forget that an effective email is a marketing tool that can deliver convenience and value to your customers while realizing significant dividends for you. If $43 to $1 sounds good to you, the key to success is a creative and expertly designed piece that cuts through the clutter, cements customer loyalty and burnishes your brand.


 written by Scott Wigton

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Don’t Discount the Power of Print

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Tales of Its Imminent Demise Are Exaggerated

In 1897 a journalist reported the demise of that great man of American letters, Mark Twain. The bemused Twain, still very much alive and kicking, responded with a letter to the paper reading: “The report of my death is an exaggeration.”

In a similar way, many “experts” have been loudly trumpeting the imminent downfall of print media as a significant means of communicating with customers. Surely, with the meteoric rise of the Internet, Web marketing is swiftly rendering obsolete all print media.

We have been told time and again that printed brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, annual reports, fliers and other tangible marketing items (even greeting cards and business letters) are destined for the dustbin of history.
But is this really so? Not by a long shot.

Advantages of Web vs. Print
True, print media has taken a hit in recent years as marketers were quick to realize the efficiencies of Web marketing. This fact, combined with an increase in environmental awareness (deforestation and global warming) and a desire be good corporate citizens, has prompted many businesses to cut back on print media and shift much of their marketing efforts toward electronic platforms.

The biggest appeal, at least initially, is cost. An e-newsletter, for example, is cheaper than a print one. The same goes for annual reports, brochures and direct mail. Why mail an expensive print ad or letter to someone’s home when you can hit an email inbox for a lot less?

No wonder there was so much hype for Web marketing and a general decline in respect for traditional print marketing.

People Like Print
Yet one important fact was overlooked in the race to replace print: Web marketing may be cheaper, but it’s not necessarily better. In some cases, it may not be nearly as effective as a well-conceived print piece.

One essential premise remains true: people like print. They like the touch, texture and even smell of print. They also like the portability of printed materials. Unlike a desktop computer, you can take printed materials with you and read them (bathroom anyone?) where you please. Furthermore printed materials can be more easily displayed and shared at meetings, conventions and tradeshows, keeping your brand in the forefront.

And, though you might be able to slip your Web marketing piece past a customer’s spam filter, you still have to face a delete button that is used mercilessly to eliminate anything that is not catchy enough. A print piece, on the other hand, by its tactile nature is more likely to be looked at, saved or filed away for future reference.

Print’s Longer Shelf Life
Let me offer an example: One nonprofit client I know mails quarterly, printed newsletters to its donors with an enclosed envelope for gifts. It is not uncommon for this charity to receive donations a year or two or even more after the newsletter was issued. That means it’s been sitting on someone’s coffee table or desk until they were ready to take action. An email newsletter simply won’t enjoy as long a shelf life.

Printed material offers your clients and customers a literal “high touch” experience that cannot be satisfied by Web marketing alone. Remember a few years ago when e-cards were all the rage? They were quick, easy and creative. Then people began to realize that e-cards carried far less emotional content and impact than a traditional printed card that they opened and held in their hands. There was something personal and powerful about the fact that people actually took the time to pick out a card (at a bricks and mortar location!), inscribe it in their own hand, lick a stamp and then post it. In the Internet age this process might seem quaint, but it works and that’s what matters.

Balance Your Customer Communications
In summary, the main point is not to put all your eggs in the Web marketing basket. Is it a powerful marketing tool? You bet it is. But Web marketing is still just one piece of the pie when it comes to communicating with your customers. Instead of emphasizing only one type of marketing (no matter how cost efficient) make sure all your messaging campaigns are balanced and fully integrated and that may very well mean including print in the mix.

Print dead? Even Mark Twain would have a chuckle at that idea.

written by Scott Wigton

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It’s All About Your Audience

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

6 Tips for Better Website Design Projects

Are you a member of the Lost Generation? You know, the people who think they don’t need a website for their business? Perhaps it’s time to reflect on that incisive question often asked by Dr. Phil: “So how’s that workin’ for ya?”

Today, most consumers insist that companies they patronize (or would consider patronizing) have a web presence. Small Business Magazine writes that “Customers and other people who come in contact with your business expect to find reputable businesses on the web, so don’t risk your credibility by not being present.”

On the other hand, maybe you do have a web presence but you’re still a card-carrying member of Generation 1.0 or 2.0. Guess what? We’re on 8.0 — at least! It’s time to refurbish your website and give your target audience what they really want from you.
Establishing a web presence or re-invigorating an existing one isn’t as daunting as you might think. The following guidelines can help make a website design project a whole lot easier, and, over the longer term, more profitable for you.

1) Answer Some Key Questions First — If you are embarking on your first-ever website, or going for a full redesign, then it’s time for some self-examination. Why do you need a website (see reason above!)? What do you want, or expect, it to accomplish for your business? How does it fit into your overall marketing strategy? Are you prepared to dedicate the time and resources needed to get it done and maintain it properly?

2) Think Like a Customer/Client — Now that you’ve considered your strategic reasons for a website, you’ve got to think about the single most important thing — your audience. If your website makes you happy, but doesn’t connect with your customers, then you — and your web designer — have failed. Try to think like a customer when you and your designer sit down to plan your project. What are the BENEFITS to the customer/client who visits your website? How will you get them what they want, whether its products or simply contact information.

3) What Makes You So Special? — Hopefully something does, because on the worldwide web, you’ve got to do something to distinguish your presence.  Have you done an adequate job of researching your likely competition (although you conceivably could be competing on a global level, most people prefer a trusted, local company). Your web designer should help you study the competition, noting what works and what doesn’t. Colors, typefaces, layout and page titles, are just a few of things that are important in design.

4) Go Pro — OK, so your nephew is pretty good at “computer stuff” but that doesn’t mean he is qualified to design and maintain your website. In the early days of the Internet (all right, even today), there was a proliferation of learn-as-you-go web designers cobbling together ham-handed websites. This resulted in lots of small companies whose good brands or local reputations suffered because they projected a lackluster image.  Hiring a professional to work with you on your website design, while more expensive than your nephew, is worth it. Additionally you’ll want to employ people who are expert at writing the clean, punchy copy that keeps customer eyeballs glued to a screen. Photos should also be handled by a pro, especially if you’re going to be selling items on your site. Remember, the costs are largely one time and their value can’t be overestimated when it comes to establishing a credible web presence.

5) Forget Fancy Schmancy — Hiring a professional designer is key, but avoid those offering the latest and “greatest” technology or ostentatious design. Going with the latest website wizardry is likely to frustrate many potential customers because they don’t share the necessary software and hardware platforms. Sure, your website looks great on your screen, but is less than dazzling on theirs. Also, eschew the flashy intro pages that irritate and test patience. Most people instantly look for ways to bypass them. Plus, don’t assault their senses with brash or cloying music. Unless you’re in the music business, people won’t be visiting your website to get an earful.

6) Focus on the Big “E” — Remember, you and your web designer should make everything easy for your customers when they come to your site. It should be easy to navigate, easy to search, easy to take action, and easy to provide feedback.  Most website visitors are coming to you for information of some kind (even just to get your street address, store hours, email address or telephone number). Some will want to take a specific action (make a purchase, for example). If your site is too clumsy, too flamboyant, too unprofessional, you erode your credibility to some degree.

Finally, after you’ve got your site up and running, don’t let it go stale. Customers won’t be impressed if the information you provide is months or years out of date. Remember, a website is one of today’s cheapest and most effective ways to leave a positive impression and build trust with your target audience. Don’t waste the opportunity.

written by Scott Wigton

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Time To Hit The Dance Floor

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Don’t Be Shy When it Comes to Social Media

Five years ago, tweeting was something only birds did and the words “face” and “book” didn’t go together unless you fell asleep reading a particularly dull tome. Today, these words have taken on new and powerful meanings as social media platforms exert an ever-growing influence on the way business is done.

Remember your first high school dance? There were those who stood along the wall, desperately trying to summon up the courage to cut a rug. Then there were the ones who hit the dance floor without a second thought about boogying the night away.

Today’s social media environment, at least from a marketing perspective, is not too different from this classic scenario. On the one hand, you’ve got some companies that already are gung-ho about social media, jumping headlong into the latest developments. On the other hand, there are those that are the equivalent of cyber wallflowers. They remain uncertain, and even skeptical of the value social media offers.

But Does It Work?

The big question on everyone’s mind is: Does social media participation lead to more business? Some argue yes, but there are no hard numbers yet to corroborate a growing chorus of anecdotal claims. One thing, however, cannot be denied — the huge phenomenon that social media has become. Over the last five years, various social media platforms have lured half a billion people into this brave new world.

What does this mean for companies that already have donned their social media dancing shoes? At the very least, it means they enjoy increased exposure to a customer-rich environment at a very low cost (If you’ve got an Internet connection and a handful of hours to spare each week for maintenance and updates, you’re pretty much looking at your overhead). And, by making a strategic commitment to social media involvement, they could be increasing their actual business volume.Chances are high that your existing customers, and potential ones, are engaged in some form of social media. This translates into new channels through which you can communicate with them. Social media also can offer you priceless insight (business intelligence) into your customers’ tastes, attitudes and behaviors, keep you up to date on trends, provide you with a venue to offer solutions and answer concerns, and allow you to build networks of friends and associates.

Define Your Goals

First, however, you’ll need to devise a social media strategy. Think about business sound reasons for participating in Facebook, or LinkedIn, for example, and the kind of exposure you and your brand can expect through those platforms. Most importantly, think about what it is you want to achieve. What are your main goals? Simple awareness? Building customer/client networks? Responding to customer concerns and feedback (reputation management)? Steering eyeballs to your website, blog or bricks and mortar location? Answering these questions will help you focus your social media participation in the most effective way and keep you from wasting time with platforms that don’t suit your aims.So, if you’re willing to get on the dance floor, where do you start? The following are relatively quick, inexpensive and effective ways to get your social media efforts up and running. But don’t feel obliged to do all of them. Remember to shape your efforts around your time, objectives and audience.

Blogs — Technorati.com, a blog tracking service, has indexed 133 million blogs since 2002. An estimated 70,000 new ones are created each day. You may have hundreds or thousands of blogs in your own community. The problem is finding ones that are active and relevant to you and your business. Once you come across one that fits, begin to participate.Make sure, however, that your contributions are relevant and remember that you are participating in a conversation, not a sales pitch. It is bad form to show up on someone else’s blog and start advertising. Create a list of blogs and monitor them for references to your products and services.  Even better, start your blog, using a service such as www.typepad.com or www.blogger.com.

Through your blog, you can share updated information with your customers and provide them with a forum for feedback. A blog will also allow you to perform reputation management when necessary, responding to false or uninformed claims about your business. Sure, the number of blogs is mind boggling, but, according to Universal McCann research, 73% of online users read blogs. Yours could be one of them. Above all, the key to a successful blog is regularly updating content — and not just any content, but interesting, relevant stuff that keeps people coming back for more!

Facebook – Facebook has truly become a phenomenon. Just three years ago, it was a little known network for college students. Today, Facebook has the world at its feet with nearly 300 million users. Women are the fastest growing group of users, and nearly half of U.S. Facebook users are 26 years or older. Facebook has a more relaxed, conversational format than other platforms, and while primarily social in nature, it does offer easy-to-create fan pages. You can create a fan page for your business, allowing other users to promote it to their own network of Facebook friends. It is important to keep your fan page content fresh and to provide updates that keep people interested. To set up a profile for your business on Facebook, click here.

LinkedIn – This is a more business professional form of social media, connecting more than 35 million businesspeople from around the globe. Although used by some as a place to post a glorified online resume, LinkedIn is actually much more, offering participants the chance to interact with and learn from business professionals in their respective market sectors or industries. It may also help you to network with vendors and consultants who can build your business.

Twitter – As of this writing, Twitter users have “tweeted” more than 5.7 billion times. That number should be well over 6 billion in just a few days time. What is a tweet? It’s a simple 140 character message you can send to a group of friends via your cell phone, computer, instant message or other application. Basically, it’s you telling your friends what you’re doing. So what could be the business application of such a platform? Basically, it gives you a presence in a very large and active community. By building a following (be sure to add as many “friends” as you can), you can give them updates on your activities and point them to other content rich resources that promote your business, such as your own blog.


While social media marketing may seem like a dubious endeavor to some, it is far simpler and less costly than you might imagine. Remember, it’s about initiating relationships, strengthening existing connections and increasing awareness of your brand. With a little courage  — and the commitment to be active, timely, and relevant — you’ll be surprised how quickly you learn the steps to the social media samba.

written by Scott Wigton

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