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Posts by westendmarketing

Jan 9

Creating conversions with your content

Driving traffic to your storefront or website is one thing, but getting those prospects to become paying customers is another. How many times have you stuffed items into your shopping cart, but then walked away before hitting the “Order” button? What converts a prospective customer into a sale? A good part of capturing that transaction comes down to trust. Have you established it with your customers?

How do you build trust? Every detail on your site and every level of contact you make should reinforce that trust with your customers. Of course, foremost you need to deliver on your brand promise.  If your product erases lines and wrinkles within 14 days, you should back that up. But there are other ways to build trust as well. Be sure to include product reviews and testimonials on your website. Word-of-mouth referrals are the primary factor behind 20% to 50% of all purchasing decisions according to a recent article by McKinsey Quarterly. When consumers are buying a product for the first time, they especially tend to seek out more opinions and do more research.

Building trust can also be as simple as including your contact information, photographs of yourself and your storefront, a short company history, as well as seals of secure purchasing technology services such as VeriSign. Ongoing communications with your customers can also help build their loyalty. I like newsletters, either printed or delivered via email, to stay in contact with customers. These have the added benefit of establishing you as an expert in your field by providing relevant content.

In all communications, it’s important to be yourself and be honest. If you’ve received a negative review, address it and show your concern for the customer’s experience. With each interaction, you have an opportunity to build a relationship and, ultimately, trust.

Oct 7

Have some fun with your “About” page.

I read an interesting approach by Seth Godin to the “About” sections of websites. This section of the site is usually a grab bag of information, with bland descriptions of the company’s mission, business philosophy and contacts. Once the page has been written, why revisit it except to update phone numbers or new staff information? That approach misses a smart opportunity to express the personality of your organization and connect with your audience. As Seth Godin explains, be human. Tell a story — one that resonates with your readers. Videos provide a compelling way to do this, whether they capture the good work you do in the community or simply offer up a more personal introduction.

TOMS Shoes has one of my favorite About sections on their site. The page is named “Our Movement” and it inspires and connects through video, photos and compelling copy. Social media links are worked throughout the page, encouraging readers to get involved in the movement. The section isn’t a dead end, but thoroughly connected to other parts of the organization and their blogs.

I’m still waiting for Trader Joe’s to arrive in Austin. This “neighborhood grocery store” has grown much the same way as Whole Foods, but they’ve kept their quirky character and sense of humor. It shows in their About Us section, which shares a brief history of their roots, useful customer updates, humorous FAQs and very easy to find contacts and feedback forms.

Testimonials can add immediate credibility (assuming they are true). I like using them throughout the site, reminding your audience why they are in good hands  when they do business with you. Other useful guidelines — invest in good photography. Stock photos can be an easy, affordable way to improve your marketing materials, but avoid them on your About page. Instead, use authentic, quality photography to introduce your team, show off your personality and put your business in its best light. And those older, embarrassing photos have a use — they can be a great way to liven up a company history or timeline.

While the About page can seem like the junk draw in your home, be careful not to use it as a catch-all for information that doesn’t quite fit elsewhere on the site. Give it some attention to keep the page fresh, interesting and full of personality.

Jul 7

Increase your email click-thru rates with social media links

Looking for a better response rate for your email marketing? A recent study from the email marketing technology firm GetResponse shows that you can improve your click-thru rates by including social media sharing options within your emails. While it’s always a good idea to cross-promote your marketing channels for greater influence, this research shows how effective it can be to let your customers do the talking. Small to mid-sized businesses that added at least one social network sharing link improved click-thru rates (CTRs) by 30% with a 9.4% CTR. In comparison, promotional emails without any social network links generated a 7.2% CTR.  By adding in at least three social sharing icons, the email generated a 55% higher CTR than messages without any sharing options.

The Email Marketing and Social Media Integration Report also identified the most effective channels. Emails that could be shared on Twitter returned a 10.2 CTR, while Facebook returned a 9.1% response rate. It’s worth adding the social sharing links to your arsenal as most small to mid-sized business marketers do not. A mere 18.7% link campaigns to their Twitter accounts, while only 13.5% include links to other social media networks.

Consider the benefits of word-of-mouth marketing and make it easy for your customers and prospects to share your message among their friends and networks.

May 13

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Tips for naming your business

Is there a science to creating a great business name? Wordlab’s Business Name Generator randomly combines words into more than seven million possible outcomes, but then you may end up with a business called Frizzle or Green Meatspace Works. I suppose PigHappy could be ideal depending on your business model, but considering that a business name should usually describe what you actually do, the name generator probably isn’t your best approach.

There are methods to creating a great business name. A certain amount of creativity is also needed to arrive at something truly memorable. It’s good to sit down and capture every idea, because you never know what you may be able to build from or what will inspire you. You can look through books and go online for ideas. But keep in mind your brand and the person that is buying your product or service. What type of image do you want to project? Are you trying to convey trust, adventure, comfort, experience, convenience or other qualities? What will resonate most with your customers? Keeping that in mind, here are some good guidelines to follow when creating a name that will stick. While you’re name likely won’t reflect all of these criteria, I find these are useful to stay true to brand.

1) It’s easy to remember, easy to spell and easy to pronounce. Crate & Barrel and Target are much more memorable and easier to spell on a Google search than Ligne Roset Boutique.

2) It doesn’t require an explanation of its meaning. The pharmaceutical companies may prefer vagueness, but names like Syrgis and Sirtris could also be the latest Toyota car model. Sometimes if you get too clever, people just don’t get it and give up.

3) It describes your business. Lush could be a cosmetics boutique or a wine bar. Would you know that AimClear was an SEO Internet marketing firm? Your name will appear on signage, online and in advertising, so it’s a good idea to use that valuable space to remind people what it is that you sell.

4) It describes the benefit. What does the consumer get out of this relationship? Comfort Inn.  Bliss MedSpa. Or my all-time favorite, ToyJoy.

5) It describes your unique difference in the marketplace. What is the spark that will be noticed by your customers? Look at your competition and determine your top three strengths that set you apart. Perhaps it’s service, cost, prestige, trust, skill, quality or a unique experience. Can you translate these into your name? Meridian Plastic Surgery Center conveys reaching one’s pinnacle in health and vigor, an excellent quality when looking for a surgeon.

6) It isn’t limited it by geography. Think big! If your business expands, you won’t want a name that limits you to a certain area or that implies you only serve a certain region. Also, if you’re planning to expand in a multilingual area, make sure your name translates well into other languages and doesn’t have any negative connotations.

Apr 28

When Spell Check Doesn’t Help

I couldn’t count how many times I’ve written the word there, when I’ve meant their or they’re. That one is pretty obvious. The New York Times has a good column out this week that includes entries for their “sound-alike confusion” file. The After Deadline column is always worth a visit for reminders on grammar, usage and style. The Times’ writers and editors meet up with their readers over correct form and usage from the week’s articles. We can all learn from our mistakes, and getting a peek (or is that peak?) into the newsroom to learn from others is an added bonus.

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