Thursday, July 22, 2010

List Building: Email Addresses - Making the Most of Your Collection

Here's a partial definition of the word collect from Dictionary.com = to gather together; assemble; accumulate. OK, so you've starting collecting email addresses from your customers, but have you done anything with the list? Don't stop there.

Here's the definition of build = to engage in the art, practice, to form or construct a plan, system of thought, to mold, form, or create.

So let's get going and create something out of that list! Here are a few ways to use your email address list to keep the conversation going and keep you top of mind with your customers. It can fit nicely into your customer relationship strategies. Think of it as the electronic version of picking up the phone to thank customers or ask for a follow-up purchase.

Trigger Emails:
Real-time messages (singular message or a series of messages) that are automatically generated based on a subscriber's action.
  • A transactional message can trigger after a purchase to send a confirmation or special offer, or after a sign-up. 
  • An event-based message can be used to offer birthday or anniversary greetings, or send alerts.
  • An activity-based message can be set up in response to a click in an email, a visit to a Web page or a change in buying pattern.
Autoresponse Emails:
Email messages sent to subscribers on a scheduled basis. They can
  • be an extension of your "welcome" message,
  • answer questions,
  • provide instruction,
  • provide valuable information about a product,
  • provide brand awareness
  • make a special offer, or
  • encourage a sign-up.
They are particularly helpful for setting up a series of training or "how to" emails or for marketing a high-value product that has a long sell cycle.

All your email conversations should help build credibility and trust with your customers and bring them closer or back to doing business with you.

Many email marketing programs have direct marketing options built-in such as postcard marketing. This is a "one-two punch" way of mixing up how you stay in touch with your customers by sending both direct mail and electronic mail affordably.

If you don't have an email marketing program, there are a bunch of great tools out there for small businesses. Below is a link to one of my sites where I've listed a few programs I've used over the years. There are MANY others. The key is to find one that is easy to use for your purposes and get started now. DIY Email Marketing
[FYI: I have a strategic relationship with the companies listed. Should you purchase or use their programs as a result of my referral, I will receive a small referral fee.]


Ciao for now, Paula

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Interesting Trends and Data

I was reading my Internet Retailer publication today and came across these interesting trends. I wanted to share them with you to ponder and consider as you grow and market your business.

Trends:

  • Online retail sales have grown an average of 20% each year from 2000 to 2007. (Source: US Dept of Commerce)
  • Retail Chain vs. Web-Only - Web-only merchants outpaced Chains online by 4.15% (Source: Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide)
  • In 2010, 84% of households access the Internet with a broadband connection (Source: Edison Research)
  • The largest online shopper age group? 32-44 - 80% shop online (Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project)
  • Top online holiday shopping retail day in 2009 was Tuesday, December 15 (Source: comScore)
  • In 2008, 51 million people owned smartphones; from 2008-2009, consumers who owned a smartphone increased by 34%; consumers that own smartphones will double by quarter 3 of 2011 (Source: eMarketer Inc.) 
Wow - that's quite a lot to digest! 

Take aways:
  • If you aren't using your Web site to sell - think again and do it now! 
  • If you aren't poised to be able to sell to consumers using their mobile devices - start preparing now. 
  • If your customer demographic is age 32-44 - figure out how to sell to them online.
  • Start preparing your strategy for online holiday shoppers 
Food for thought :)
Ciao for now, Paula

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Is Your Site Ready For Mobile?

I recently read a stat in DMNews that took me by surprise. E-commerce revenues via mobile devices (in billions) more than doubled from 1,200 in 2009 to 2,420 in 2010.* I knew that mobile devices were increasing in popularity but I didn't realize the rate at which we're adapting to them. The revenue from mobile devices is expected to reach 23,831 by 2015.* That's astonishing!

Is your site mobile ready for viewing? How about selling?
If not, it's time to put it on your radar and begin thinking about how you can accommodate your customers that are viewing your site from their mobile device. Then, how you might sell to them from your mobile site.

Mobile Site Design
You'll want to have a mobile site that is super simple with mostly text links or very small images so that load time is kept to a minimum. If you have a bricks-and-mortar store, dont' worry, you don't have to sell everything. Just start with popular items or easy items. It's OK to sell just a portion of your total inventory. Make sure the shopping experience is catered to mobile shoppers - no need to replicate every single Web feature.

You can make mobile sales fun by offering special deals - 48 hours to buy X brand product before they sell out. Offer your mobile users exclusive offers that can't be found on your site. Do you have weekly specials? Make it easy for your busy customers to order items quickly while they are waiting to pick up a child or sitting in a doctor's office.

See more examples and read the full article about m-comm (Mobile-commerce) at the DMNews Web site.

See these site examples for user-friendly, mobile design. Take a look at them on both your desktop and mobile device:
mobile.Dominos.com
Sears2Go.com

*Source: Coda Research Company via DMNews print article and Web site.


Think mobile! :-)
Ciao for now, Paula

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Crawl, Walk, Run

I was talking with a prospective client recently and he used a "Crawl, Walk, Run" analogy for how he approaches new ideas and technology for his business. I connected with it - it's the way I look at the "latest and greatest" opportunities in online marketing - for myself as well as my clients.

Making Connections With Social Media
Today, it made me think about that approach for Social Media Marketing. Although I leap into some of these new technologies early - I do so to find out what they are all about so I can make solid recommendations to my clients, if and when they are appropriate.

Social media is all about the conversation. Think of it like a coffee shop - everyone's relaxed, enjoying the company, enjoying the conversation and connecting with each other. How can you participate?

Crawl - Approach Slowly
Whether you are a small business, home business or a solopreneur, my guess is that you don't ever really stop thinking about your business! You are always testing, researching, looking for new ways to do business. For me, I like to see what others are doing and then see if I can apply it to my business.

This is where the crawl, walk, run approach happens for me - testing, researching, analyzing results, and making updates or changes based on the results - if they are positive and have improved my reach.

Walk - Stay Focused
While the best approach is to fine tune your marketing for one audience, you should continuously be looking for new opportunities. When it comes to playing in the social media market, staying focused on your business goals and objectives will help you make decisions. This will be important for making budget and time decisions. Most things can look like a good investment, but if they don't fit with your overall business goals, you'll end up wasting time and getting distracted from your real mission.

Run - Have a Plan
Once you are ready and have a plan, let your Analytics (results) guide your decisions. It's important when you make a decision, to commit to it. It won't do any good to have a presence in the social media market if you aren't there joining the conversation. It will be evident if you're absent. So be sure you or someone on your staff can make participating a regular part of your marketing mix. And part of your plan should include reviewing your results every couple of months so you can adjust your approach.

Lastly, keep these things in mind when you've decided to participate in the social media arena:

  • Be part of the conversation.
  • Listen to others.
  • Encourage with transparency and sincerity.
It's not so much about you, but what you can offer your audience. You can add your brand to the conversation if or when you think it will add value.

Ciao for now, Paula