Design and Inspiration

5 Ways to Pass the Shopping Test!

At one time I had a brief stint as a Mystery Shopper for a large grocery store. I had to evaluate all aspects of the shopping experience including the freshness of the stores products,  friendliness and customer service and evaluate the overall store appearance.  At the end of each evaluation I would submit a report consisting of multiple choice answers and comments. Using the information from Mystery Shoppers, the store management would try to make improvements.

So let’s be the mystery shopper for a minute and take a look at your online store.

1. Looking good. Just like a grocery store, fresh is important. Does your site invite the shopper in? Your site should be esthetically pleasing and look professional. Don’t have a home grown site or your potential customers will go elsewhere. The only thing good about home grown is home grown veggies!  You won’t look legit and your customers will flee.

2. Be on the visitor’s side. Customers visiting your site are looking for signs of trustworthiness when browsing your site – a lack of trust is a guaranteed deal-breaker. The very first things your visitors will look for is verification. Are you legit? Secure? Are credit card transactions safe? This is foundational before anyone will open their wallet. Also, have your contact info easy to find and a phone number for support or questions.

3. Clean and orderly. Are your products clearly organized into the navigation of your site? Just like a actual store your products need to go into categories. Your product/services categories should be the heart of the navigation of your site. Guide your customers through the isles by eliminating clutter and have the check out stand (cart) easy to maneuver and move through.

4. Why you? What makes your product different? Do  you offer a superior service/better quality goods than your competitors?  The value of what you sell,  whether it be price, quality, uniqueness, etc., should be evident and promoted!

Don’t only present your value on your site, but also present it in Blogs, social sites,  forums and more.  Spread the word. And even better,  have others spread the word.

Tip– Be sure and look into Affiliate programs.

5. After-sales care. Are you neglecting your customer once they leave your store? Out of mind out of sight?

I recently bought some gourmet BBQ sauce from a website (which by the way broke all the rules–however, I had tasted the stuff and knew it was good). Big Bob Gibson might make good sauce but there was no customer care or followup after I got the wrong stuff. I received a auto responder receipt which I replied to a few times before someone informed me (via email) that there was nothing they could do–even after I asked for help with the order.

I felt like I got ‘sauced’ and I won’t be a raving fan of this product.

Your website and online store needs to create a memorable and positive experience for your customers. For starters it should be customer care. At the very least, your website should have ease of use.

Want to do even more? Look at the extras. Take a look at the awesome packaging Apple does with their products. The anticipation starts as you unwrap the product. Even the smallest of touches can make it special and the details can set you apart from your competitors. Get creative and find inexpensive ways to ship and wrap your products. Bring on the oohs and aahhs!

Pass the shopping test and make more money on your website  by paying attention to the details!

In Email Marketing!

Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective and inexpensive means that small businesses can use to promote their products or services.

But before you jump on the bandwagon and hit the send button make sure that you follow the  ground rules.

1. Do you have permission?
   Don’t be an uninvited guest—or rather pest:  I like how Seth Godin puts it in his Blog “Permission is like dating. You don’t start by asking for the sale at first impression. You earn the right, over time, bit by bit.” He goes on to say “In order to get permission, you make a promise. You say, “I will do x, y and z, I hope you will give me permission by listening.” And then, this is the hard part, that’s all you do. You don’t assume you can do more. You don’t sell the list or rent the list or demand more attention.”
2. Keep it relevant and provide value.
   First, don’t be annoying and email your list every day. When you do send your emails ensure your message is simple, clear, and informative.  If it is not simple, nor understood, and doesn’t give a clear action or value, then it will be passed over.
3. Avoid SPAMMY Phrased:
   Pay attention to the subject lines. There are does and don’t in subject lines. Below are a few subject lines* NOT to use.

You might be wondering, just HOW do  you get the ‘first date?’
Onsite registration. This continues to be the most effective strategy. The visitor makes the first move and chooses to sign up.

Keep in mind that it is during this process, the very first email customer touchpoint, that your  business  has a chance to stand out from your competitors by communicating value proposition, establishing sincere concern for subscriber privacy, and showing respect for your audience by providing control over the type and frequency of the emails received.

Following  best practices in your email marketing  will result in higher opt-in rates and a list of subscribers who are listening (and actually like you).  As your list grows, you’ll have numerous opportunities to optimize your email campaigns through list segmentation, personalization, and targeted messaging.

Dating really is one of the best analogies for email marketing. The process of getting to know each other, making it exciting and respecting the boundaries!

* Some of the subject lines to avoid:

100% free

act now

all words that relate to sex or pornography

all words that related to cures or medication

amazing

anything that looks like you are YELLING

as seen on Oprah

buy

click here

contains  $$$ or the word ‘discount’

double your anything

earn extra cash

easy terms

eliminate debt

fast cash

financial freedom

for you

FREE

get out of debt

hidden

home based

instant

life insurance

limited time

lose weight

lower your mortgage rate

lowest insurance rates

mortgage

now only

numerical digits at the end

offer

online degree

open

opportunity

refinance

reverses

satisfaction

search engine listings

serious cash

starting with a dollar amount

stop or stops

teen

undisclosed recipient

work from home

You’re a winner!

We’re number one!

Well it certainly was an attention getter. But in the wrong way…

Above is a example of one of the trade show giveaway goodies that I ordered for Crystal Points annual Vegas show last month. Up to this point (excuse the pun!) I had done fairly well on prior shows. The giveaways have always been crowd pleasers and cool stuff.  Actually, besides giving the customers the finger, we had some neat techie devices for laptops.

But the finger definately was a looser! The guys in the booth had much attention but for the wrong reasons. There was a lot of laughing along with crude jokes. Funny thing was is that there were no leftovers of the finger.

I’ve been watching the demise of  a local ‘new’ pizza restaurant in our neighborhood for the last several months. It seemed to have a lot going for it. First, it was convenient. We could walk to it in the evenings and it had a bistro style, easy relaxed atmosphere.

Second, from a marketing perspective they really rocked! Great branding, a really cool old world feeling. Not only did it appear in all their ads and menus but also in the decor of their restaurant. Really nice and great lighting too.

Seemed like a recipe for success.

The first time we were in there, a few days after opening, they forgot our order. Ok, so they are just starting out.

The second time, the salad was brown. Not too appetizing. And on top of that, the pizza was ‘boring’ (imagine cardboard). They claim ‘old world Italian’ which it wasn’t. And for two people  it was pricey and not satisfying.

So I asked others around the neighborhood what they thought. No one liked it. The pizza had no taste. Kids hated it. The restaurant opened in a family area.

So what did they do wrong?

I watched from a marketing perspective. They had everything going for them at least from the branding perspective. Which by the way, as I said earlier, was awesome.

What they lacked though was understanding what the customer needed. No one that I knew of liked the food. Could they have changed this? After all they spent big money on brick pizza ovens.

Did they care what the customer really wanted?

By then it was too late. Another casualty of the start-up business with big hopes and dreams.

What could they have done different? Would  it really have helped? I believe so, if they would have taken the time and perhaps changed their vision based on the demographics of the area.

• First, I’ve noticed the successful local mom and pop restaurants have a invitation to join their email mailing list. You sign up, you get free stuff. You get free cake or even a free meal on your birthday.
• Second, you refer them, you get rewarded.
• Third, and most important, they SURVEY what your customer wants and likes and adjust their services to please them.

One of the most powerful marketing tools any small business has is to survey their customers.

Ask them what they like, ask them what they don’t like. Listen and implement. Show loyalty to the ones that are your fans. Invite them back. Don’t forget them.

I was sorry to see this place go out of business.  Even though they ‘looked’ good I can’t help but wonder if maybe a bit of marketing could have made the difference.

How hard do you have to work to get your clients?

If you’re like most start-up small businesses in today’s tight economy you are spending a considerable amount of time working on new business leads. You make contacts through networking groups, word of mouth, strategic marketing (you do this, don’t you) and some of you are quite the experts at knocking on doors and cold calling.

I attended a very informative workshop last week given by Mark Miller (Productivity Forum) where he talked about this very thing. How do you get new clients? We discussed the whole concept of farming and cultivating.

Imagine throwing a bunch of seeds out there. Some landed on rocky soil, some on the road, some in weeds and some on fertile ground (does this sound familiar?). To me this sounds like a last ditch effort—just tossing seeds everywhere hoping that something will sprout.

This certainly is not a systematic approach to farming or growing something of value. It isn’t a systematic approach to marketing. Cause this is really what this is about. Putting your offerings out there to your audience over and over and being consistent. You can’t do just one thing, like send out a email every now and then,  and expect your business to grow. You need to incorporate several strategies.

So this discussion resulted in an interesting observation. What about the person who lands the ideal client and it had nothing to do with marketing or all the hard work of cultivating your offerings to that client? Would you still get the client or clients had you done nothing at all except show up?

Now follow this…what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Who knows who really cares? Let’s tie this in to the discussion at hand. Every now and then we all get something extra or unexpected. Sometimes you have to look for it and sometmes  it can be right in front of your nose.

However, if you don’t lay the ground work for the unexpected, then you wouldn’t be ready for the unexpected.

You need to lay the ground work for your cultivating. You need to prepare the soil before you even have any seeds/prospects. For many this is an act of faith. You are doing all the work before you even get the work.

So this gets back to the ideal client. I know that when I get an especially awesome client, I at first distrust that it will be as good as it seems. But then I realize it is a result of my cultivating.

Maybe it wasn’t the client that I thought it would be as a result of a particular campaign, but I believe I set something in motion when I have a mindset of faith and when I am consistent in my cultivating.

So what are your best clients a result of?
Experience (you’ve learned to avoid the ‘bad’ ones),
luck or
consistent cultivating?

What’s your passion?

I got a late start on my day, so it is later now in the day! Internet problems, IP address issues…all those frustrating time wasters

So this is the stage for my Tuesday Blog entry…passion. Imagine that after all the frustration!

As I sit here on my computer and get caught up with the day, in the background my daughter (the ‘Tweener’) has played the same measure on the piano over and over trying to perfect a certain sound. She did this last night too. About 3 hours of it, the same measure over and over. Now, just so you know, I am not making her do this.

Piano Practice

She is totally motivated on her own, loves music, loves sound and what else could it be but passion for it. As a mom, I am happy, one less thing I need to ‘nag’ about–practice the piano!

This has me thinking…how do you become great at something…you practice it over and over and over.

I did this in art school back in the day. The same rendering over and over until it was perfect. Airbrush portraiture (without the help of Photoshop), hand drawn typography. It was painful.

But that’s how you learn to perfect your art.

But, you have to love it…you have to have passion for it. Yes, you get sick of it. I have had those days lately, asking myself why I am in this creative field.

It’s a love, hate thing at times.

I was reading one of my favorite LinkedIn discussions earlier this evening from the Communication Arts Group and a ‘newcomer’ is asking for advice on entering the Graphic Design field.

The first thing I say, is have a passion for it. Do it because you love it and you can’t imagine doing anything else.

But you have to be tough too and take the good times (like when you hit a home run on that project) and the bad (when your ideas don’t quite cut it).

But just don’t give up– if it is your passion.

I hope my daughter continues with her passion for the piano. I am almost afraid to say too much to her because I want it to come from within her and not me.

The question of the day after I met with Mark Miller the Founder of God Intersections.

As a Web Designer and Branding/Design Consultant how can I not manage the outcome? Part of my job is creating the outcome…the final result for my clients. The look, the feel, the personality (so to speak) of their company. My clients describe what they want their website or branding materials to communicate or accomplish and it is up to me to find the best solutions to make it happen. Sometimes there is pressure to ‘manage the outcome.’

However, that is what I enjoy the most, the challenge and the results.

So back to…’do you manage the outcome?’

Maybe I don’t have to solely. Perhaps I should go back to the purpose and listen to the calling of what I do. That would free me up to focus on the creative aspect more.

Speaking for myself, I have to remember daily that I have ‘another partner’ at Rosepapa Creative, and anything is possible.

I love marketing. I subscribe to a number of blogs relating to marketing and ways that successful small businesses market their products and services. When I read this info I am always thinking about how I can utilize tips and strategies for my own clients.

Lately though, I realize that I need to market my OWN business more.

I get so focused on my clients that I neglect some of the things I should be doing right now!

So I came across this great article for freelancers and 50 simple things they can do to market their business. Thought I would share it.
You can read up on it here.

For the freelancers and consultants out there how many of these things listed are you doing?

I will be adding new strategies for marketing my own business in the next few weeks. I have some ideas…

Each spring it seems,  I fire up a new Blog program. I have a few personal blogs relating to some of my interests that I don’t share from my business website. I don’t keep them updated these days. I am too busy trying to keep up with all the other social media toys in web land.

As a designer and small business marketing consultant you would think that I would be EXCITED about all this blogging, twittering, linking, profile building and more. Don’t get me wrong, it can be fun and beneficial but it is so time consuming and it has become my second job!

To tell you the truth, I would rather spend my time working on the actual projects for my clients and twittering and blogging for them! My clients are interesting people.

After awhile of reading all the blogs, tweets and posts out there,  I notice that many of us are saying the same things in the social marketing circles.  One of my favorite colleagues  on Facebook recently sent a post out on his profile that he was deactivating his account, that he found it counterproductive in his day.  So tempting.

Bottom line–social marketing is time consuming and business owners need to carefully pick and choose the avenues that will bring them the most success online.