1. Does your business marketing plan include “online marketing”?
A business plan is a road map on getting where you want to go. If you don’t have a clear destination in mind, then you’re sure to get lost along the way. If online marketing is not a part of your business plan yet, then you will definitely want to ask yourself these questions…
2. What do you want to achieve with your online marketing program?
What are your Primary Goals?
– Generate leads & sales
– Increase brand awareness
– Grow your database
– Cultivate business relationships
What are your key Action Items?
– Build / improve your website
– Send out email marketing campaigns
– Improve your search engine optimization (SEO)
– Develop a social media presence
3. Who are your ideal customers?
In a perfect world, who is your ideal client? What are the demographics of this person? You must target your marketing messages and online tools to reach the specific type of person you’re hoping to connect with.
4. What keywords would these ideal customers use to find you?
If you want to be successful in business today, your business needs to be found on Google. If you’re not sure where to start, an SEO specialist can help you optimize your SEO strategy.
5. What can you afford in both time and money?
Take a fair assessment of the time and money you are able to invest in online marketing and make sure your action plan is realistic.
You Know Your Business Best!
No-one knows your business dreams and goals better than you do. If online marketing is not a part of your business plan yet, then you will definitely want to call an expert consultant like eXtra Contact to help you with the technical hurdles. However it’s critical that you first ask yourself these key questions, so that you can come to us fully prepared with clear and specific goals.
~ Crystal Catudal – Marketing Director, Senior Graphic Designer
LinkedIn is “the” professional’s social network. Recent reports reveal that there are over 332 million users and one in three professionals are already members. The question isn’t whether you should be on it but “how” you should use it.
#1. Media
Gaining media exposure on a consistent basis is a powerful way to boost your credibility in the marketplace, get your message in front of thousands of people and position you as an authority figure within the industry. This will ultimately drive the bottom line if effectively used.
Thanks to LinkedIn you can now start connecting and building relationships with hundreds of journalists and editors from around the world. Over the past few years this network has helped me and the companies I’ve been involved in get free media exposure across 50+ media publications including: Forbes, Inc, Entrepreneur, NBC News and the Huffington Post.
#2. Lead Generation
With over 332 million members across 110 different industries and 200 countries it’s never been easier to search, find and connect with thousands of potential clients without burning a hole in your marketing budget.
Here are some interesting stats you may not know about LinkedIn:
- More then 61% of people use it as their primary professional network
- It generates more leads for B2B companies than any other social network
- It is the biggest professional networking site growing by 2 new members per second.
In my opinion LinkedIn is the most powerful marketing tool of the 21st century. It gets our message in front of decision makers quickly and effectively.
#3. Joint Venture Partnerships
If you study the corporate strategy of some of the biggest brands in the world over the past few decades, you will see one thing they all have in common: the implementation of joint venture partnerships with key industry players.
This is the process of finding complimentary businesses that your clients are currently using before, during and after your service/product and partnering with those businesses to get your message in front of their clients, database or community.
If you would like professional advice on how to increase your sales, with strategic social media marketing, contact eXtra Contact today. ~ Author Credit: Jeff Bullas
You’re an innovative business owner who wants to get more sales via your online shopping cart. You’ve spent a good amount of time, effort and money on digital marketing and advertising to drive visitors to your website. Online Shopping Carts are a great marketing way to make money fast! It also saves you the hassle of chasing people down for payment, the effort of entering credit card transactions by hand and the frustration of waiting for cheques to arrive in the mail. However, your website analytic report indicates that even with huge website traffic, an alarming number of customers suddenly abandon the shopping cart and leave. What’s going on here?
Here are 10 of the most common reasons customers decide to abandon their online shopping carts and leave your online store without spending any money:
1. Annoyed at Complicated Checkout Process:
Keep the process simple and confined to 1 page.
2. High Shipping Costs or Slow Shipping:
High shipping rates and slow delivery decreases motivation.
3. Shipping Costs Listed at the End:
Customers hate surprises at the end of the billing process.
4. Forced to Register or Create an Account:
Most people just want to buy and leave.
5. Lack of Payment Options:
Ensure you support PayPal and a variety of credit card options.
6. Unsure of Security Features:
People are fearful of fraud, ensure you support secure shopping.
7. No Coupon Codes and Promotional Offers:
Offer discounts as incentives to repeat buyers.
8. Lack of Product Information:
Be detailed in product descriptions to help buyers make a decision.
9. The High Cost of Products:
Price competitively, if they can get a better deal elsewhere, they will.
10. They Just Want to Look Around:
Some shoppers are just browsing. Make sure there is a “Sign Up for Our Mailing List” field available on every page of your website. This will increase the chances of a future sale by creating an ongoing email relationship.
If you are concerned about a high rate of shopping cart abandonment, it might be worth having the checkout process tested by an expert to ensure it’s easy and user friendly.
It’s heartbreaking to think that people are making snap judgements about whether or not to read your emails, based on a quick glance. So, how can you keep your email out of the trash? The secret is “Good Design”…
TOP 6 DESIGN MISTAKES
1. Missing Banner
All your professional emails should feature an instantly-recognizable, consistent header image. Over time, your header image will be associated with the high-quality information you share.
2. Hard-to-Read Fonts
Your email newsletter’s main goal is to communicate, but what if the words are hard to read? Be sure to avoid using fonts that are too small. Also, avoid combining too many different fonts as this makes your email look messy.
3. Color Catastrophes
For your email to look professional and inviting, you have to master color. Don’t use too many colors as this creates confusion and overwhelms the reader.
4. Confusing Information
When a reader glances at your email, they should know right away which information is the most important. Make this obvious by using a large, bold headlines for newsletter’s main topics.
5. Awful Images
There’s nothing that says “an amateur designed this email” like low resolution images or cheap clip art.
6. No Standard Footer
Featuring your contact information, your company mission, and your social media profiles in a consistent footer area in every email makes you look professional.
Make your emails ‘keepers’! Use these tips to create a recognizable and high quality brand experience with every message you send. It’s the best way to ensure that the great information you share doesn’t end up in the virtual trash heap.
Insight provided by Constant Contact KnowHow
Smartphone usage is sky-rocketing, and with it, so is the number of people that are reading email on a mobile device.
According to Litmus, 43% of email is now opened on a mobile device. That number is up 138% from 2010, and I think it’s a pretty safe bet that it’s going to continue to grow.
This means that you need to be creating emails that are mobile friendly. A mobile-friendly email is an email that displays optimally between a desktop/laptop and a mobile device, ensuring that it will look great regardless of where your customers and prospects read it.
1. Be as concise as possible in both design and content
Having a clear and concise message should be a staple of any email, but it’s even more important when designing for mobile. Screen real estate is very valuable on mobile (this is going to be a common theme), so keep the design very clean and simple and focus on the essentials.
2. Use a single column template
Because of the limited real estate you get with a mobile device, it’s generally better to use simple layouts. Often times with multi-column layouts (2 columns and more) your readers will have to zoom or scroll on their smartphone to see everything. Using a single column template will make your content much more flexible for all screen sizes.
3. Use a single, clear call to action
Make sure to include a clear call to action, and put it near the top of your email. Tell your readers what you want them to do, and make it really easy for them to do so. Whatever the action you want them to take, just make sure it’s loud and clear. And remember — with mobile, the finger is the new mouse, so make sure it’s really easy to click.
4. Avoid tiny fonts
Make sure your text can be read easily. Use a minimum of size 11pt font for body text and 22pt for headlines. We also recommend using a strong contrast of colors, like dark text on a light background. Many people turn down the brightness level on the mobile device to help conserve battery—and they are often reading on the go outside in the sunlight—so a strong contrast of colors will be easier to read.
5. Take it easy on images
Only use the images that are essential to your email. Here’s why: Apple’s iOS automatically enables images to display by default, but many other mobile device platforms—like Android—turn images off by default. If your email has a bunch of images in it, they might just look like chunks of white space. Because of this, we always recommend including image descriptions (also known as alt text) to let people know what the image is even when it’s not being displayed.
A good tip is to always preview your email and make sure it still looks great, even if none of the images are displayed.
Insight provided by Constant Contact KnowHow
1) STAY HIGHLY COMPETITIVE:
78% of Internet users conduct product research online. This means if you don’t have a highly effective online marketing program, these customers will buy from your competition, instead of from you.
2) SAVE MONEY:
You could save more than 80% in overhead costs by paying for only the marketing services that you really need, rather than maintaining a whole in-house team.
3) SAVE TIME:
Industry experts get the job done quickly and allow you to focus on what you do best, running your company.
4) JUMPSTART GROWTH:
An expert online marketing team can quickly boost your sales by driving new customers to your online products and services; taking your company to the next level of success.
5) CUTTING EDGE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE:
Effective online marketing requires a highly knowledgeable technical team with skills including: market research, advertising strategy, copywriting, brand management, graphic design, SEO and e-commerce. This level of top-notch service requires continuous technical training, upgrading and solid industry experience.
Is Your Business in Compliance?
eXtra Contact has always been an advocate for responsible online communications and we hope that this new legislation reduces the amount of spam which arrives in all of our inboxes.
If you are a business owner who needs assistance upgrading your email marketing program to comply with these new laws, we would be pleased to help. Email [email protected] or give us a call at 604-985-3283.
Many business owners are wondering how this new legislation will affect their business. Here are the essential facts you need to know…
Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)
Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) establishes rules for the sending of Commercial Electronic Messages (CEMs). The rules that apply to CEMs come into force on July 1, 2014.
Who does CASL affect?
CASL applies to everyone, individuals, incorporated and unincorporated businesses, not-for-profit organizations, etc. Anyone who sends electronic messages for commercial purposes.
What is Commercial Electronic Message (CEM)?
CASL defines a CEM as a message that encourages participation in a commercial activity. This includes advertisements and information about promotions, offers, business opportunities, events, etc. Electronic messages can include emails, SMS text messages, instant messages and messages sent through social networks.
What is Express Consent?
Express consent means someone directly gave you permission to send them CEMs. This means that they have knowingly opted in to receiving future CEMs from your business. People may provide express consent by digitally opting on your company website or in written form by signing up at a conference or networking event. (Note: All opt-in records must be kept by the business and provided as proof in the instance of a dispute.)
What is Implied Consent?
Implied consent means it would be reasonable to conclude you have someone’s permission to send him/her a CEM based on prior relationships. This typically means your have had a business relationship with 2-way communication recorded within the past 2 years ago.
What is no longer allowed under CASL?
After July 1, 2014, it is prohibited to send CEMs to anyone who has not given consent to receive them and to whom one had no recent business relationship. This includes the buying of email lists which include people who have not given consent to be contacted.
Furthermore, business can no longer send CEMs to people who have submitted their email another purposes. For example, a business may not add a contact to their general database if they have submitted their email address for the specific purpose of entering a draw, receiving coupons or completing a survey.
What do business owners need to do to comply with the law?
Include an Unsubscribe Link & Contact Information in all CEMs: All electronic communications must contain an unsubscribe link and your full businesses contact information, including your mailing address and phone/email information.
Keep Full Records of all Contacts who have Opted-In: All businesses must do their due diligence by keeping accurate records of who has opted in to their database, including opt-in dates and full contact information. They must also keep records of all communications with clients to prove there has been a two-way business relationship within the past 2 years. Under CASL, business owners must be able to prove that express or implied consent has been given for each email in their database.
Exceptions:
CASL does not apply to internal business email within a company or by affiliated companies. It is limited to commercial purposes and does not affect personal emails sent to friends and family members.
View the CASL Database Checklist
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