The 411 on 404 Pages: Taking the Ugly Out of Errors

If prospects and customers make the effort to visit your website, the last thing you want them to do is experience a frustrating dead-end “404 error” message that discourages them from continuing. These messages commonly occur when a page has been renamed, removed, or moved from its previous location. Instead of losing potential business over a faulty link, here are a few ways to give an ugly error page a marketing makeover:

  • Customize your 404 page so it is recognizable as part of your website. Feature your web banner, logo, or a similar color scheme.
  • Provide the basic structure of your website’s navigation tools, so users can navigate elsewhere within your site without closing the webpage in frustration. Also consider including a home link as a convenient way to start over.
  • Include a friendly message that apologizes for the inconvenience.
  • Encourage users to continue searching by offering a “site search” box. Some users who are frustrated with an error message may be more likely to type in a keyword than spend time sorting through your website’s navigation.
  • Consider adding a lighthearted quote or humorous graphic to your 404 page that allows your website’s personality to shine through.
  • Provide an easy way for users to report broken links, such as including an automated “report this link” button that users can click to report the broken link to your web support team. Be sure to follow-up if broken links are reported.

Of course, the best way to avoid error messages is by frequently visiting your own website and clicking through pages and links to be sure everything is in working order. Websites are visited more often than many storefronts, so be sure to keep your site presentable and ready for business.

7 Secrets to Customer-Focused Marketing

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.”

While many businesses like to focus promotional materials on their company story, business accomplishments, and products, they should instead focus on the customer — their wants, their needs, and solutions to solve their problems. Here are a few ways to show your customers you truly care about their needs:

  • Educate your customers about industry trends, product training, upgrade options, and product releases.
  • Provide resources that are focused on helping your customer, such as product and/or price comparisons, product reviews, customer testimonials, and customer references.
  • Listen to your customers’ needs, then recommend products and services that are the best fit for them, not your pocketbook. If a customer truly feels like you helped him with a buying decision, he will likely return for more advice and sales.
  • Promote a solid guarantee that shows your commitment to quality and gives customers confidence in your products. Then stand behind your warranty should a customer need to use it.
  • Customize marketing messages based on your target audience. Thrill seekers often respond better to upbeat, urban electronic messaging. Older audiences often prefer traditional print messaging with larger fonts.
  • When customers give you the opportunity to serve them, make the extra effort to ensure every experience with your business is positive.
  • And finally, be sure to reward customers for their loyalty. Throw down the red carpet occasionally by offering exclusive discounts, loyalty incentives, and free bonus gifts to your top customers.

Got any other customer-focused marketing secrets you’d like to share? Add them in the comments below.

Tips to Convey Quality

While the quality of your products and services is ultimately measured by customer satisfaction, here are a few tips on how to convey quality in everything your business does:

  • Provide a no-hassle satisfaction guarantee…and stand behind it.
  • Offer a longer or more inclusive warranty than your competition does. This will show customers how committed you are to your products.
  • Post customer reviews and testimonials to encourage readers to see what others are saying about your products and services.
  • Offer a risk-free evaluation of your products to allow customers to experience your outstanding products and customer support firsthand.
  • Create a customer referral program that encourages and rewards customers to do the selling for you.
  • Distribute professional marketing materials such as letterhead, envelopes, business cards, brochures, flyers, and product catalogs.
  • Use only high-resolution, quality images. If an image isn’t up to par, don’t use it.
  • Include your contact information on all materials, including your physical address, phone numbers, and email address. This will show customers you are easily accessible.
  • Choose words carefully when marketing your products. Instead of using the word “quality,” use words that imply quality, such as “premium.” Instead of “inexpensive,” use the word “value.”

One of the easiest ways to show customers your dedication to customer satisfaction is by following Henry Ford’s famous words of advice: “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”

Does Print Still Have a Role to Play in the Online World?

With the constant drumbeat of articles and posts discussing how the Internet has affected so many aspects of businesses large and small, it’s been hard to argue any other points of view and make a real dent in the conversation. However, it’s important to look objectively at all sides in order to come to the best conclusion of what works best for your particular business model.

There’s no arguing that the Internet and social media have an important role to play for most businesses that rely on engaging with their customers to drive sales and revenue. The danger is believing that a purely online strategy is the only way forward for business success. That is simply not the case. Customers prefer to receive messages in ways that they enjoy and find most useful. Some prefer the physical piece in their hand while others consume messages on their computer screen or mobile device.

The wise business will not guess and force feed their audience in ways that might alienate them. The smartest businesses will use all available media in practical ways to educate their target audience. What is the best way to do this? You need to cross-promote.

Cross-promotion involves finding a balance between your online and print campaigns. For example, when you send out a postcard or other printed item, make sure to include information about your website and how it can help make a customer’s life easier.

When running a marketing campaign, utilize both print and online media to get the most powerful effect. Don’t neglect either if you want successful results. When you use consistent messages across all media, you will create a consistent front to deliver your audience to the exact place you want them to be, whether a physical storefront or your online portals.

There are many ways to marry the online world with the physical world. Here are two examples:

Mobile Barcodes or QR Codes – These funny-looking codes are becoming more mainstream and accepted in North America with each passing month. QR codes (or Quick Response codes) allow instant access to information via smart phones (iPhones, Droids, etc.). That information may include videos, contact information, product brochures…the possibilities are endless. The QR codes can be printed on postcards, brochures, business cards, signs, posters, vehicles, and even billboards.

PURLs – Another creative way to marry the two worlds is through PURLs. PURLs are personalized URLs that can deliver highly targeted messages to each recipient. The recipient receives a unique web address, typically with their name as part of the URL, delivered via a printed item like a postcard. The destination website can be used to collect information and deliver incentives for the recipient to further engage with your business on a much more direct level.

Breaking through all the clutter (whether in the online world or in the physical mailbox of your targeted recipient) requires the same strategy: creativity. Your marketing messages must be a little unique in order to stand out. Using print to drive your online and social media presence ensures that your messages will reach your customers and prospects in ways they want to be reached. It is said that only 50% of all advertising is effective; the problem is figuring out which 50%! When you cross-promote, you take some of this guesswork out of the equation.

Turn Customers into Salespeople

One of the most cost effective ways to grow your business is by letting your customers do the selling for you via referrals. Here are a few tips on how to grow your business through customer referrals:

  • Create a customer referral program. For example, provide custom printed referral cards that provide an exclusive discount to new customers. Also reward existing customers based on how many new customers they recruit.
  • Educate your customers with the information they need to market your products. Make sure your customers have access to adequate print literature, website links, blogs, newsletters, and other materials relevant to your company.
  • Differentiate your business based on a key feature or benefit you offer that your competition doesn’t, such as free shipping or low-price guarantees. These differentiators make great selling points to entice new customers.
  • Ask for referrals. If you’ve just talked to a happy customer who complimented your business, ask if they would be willing to refer others on your behalf.
  • Popularity sells. If your business has a very high number of referrals, promote the fact on your marketing materials and website. For example, “More than half of our new customers are derived from customer referrals” would make a great tagline somewhere on your website or in your product literature.
  • Ask new customers how they learned about your business. It’s always exciting to see real-world results from your marketing efforts, especially from word-of-mouth.
  • Include a statement on the back of your brochures, business cards, and other collateral that encourages customer referrals. “A customer referral is the finest compliment we can receive” would be a good example.

Don’t forget to show your sincere appreciation to customers who refer others to your business. A handwritten thank you note is a great way to follow-up, and that one extra step will reinforce the reasons why they recommended you in the first place.

Hot Summer Marketing Ideas to Think About This Spring

For many businesses, the weather may heat up, but sales cool off in the summer. While summer may be a few months away, it’s never too early to start thinking about a summer marketing plan. Here are a few creative ways to stay on the minds of your customers this summer:

  • Plan a customer appreciation lunch or ice cream social to stay in touch with customers and prospects during your slow season. Fire up the grill, set up some tents, and get ready to greet some new and familiar faces.
  • Encourage customers to sign up to win something related to summer fun (ranging from something as simple as a large cooler filled with goodies for a picnic to something as extravagant as a boat or paid getaway to a fun summer destination).
  • Offer value add-ons to summer purchases, such as “Receive XYZ free with a $40+ purchase!”
  • Surprise loyal customers with a summer-related lumpy mailer campaign that includes a promotional gift such as a sleeve of branded golf balls, a reusable water bottle, a frisbee, sunscreen, lip balm, or a can coolie with a creative note.
  • Plan a sidewalk sale to draw attention to your storefront and encourage people to check out your sales.
  • Keep in touch with social media. Offer prizes and discounts for customers who provide input, participate in quizzes, or sign up for contests.
  • Organize a community-driven goodwill event, such as hosting a toy drive, a blood drive, etc.
  • Create a forum for customers to share their favorite summer recipes or grilling tips.
  • Offer free lemonade and cookies daily during the month of July to those who visit your store.

Talent vs. Teamwork

Babe Ruth once said, “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.”

This quote is true in all types of organizations. Talent is undoubtedly important, but depending on the type of career, teamwork can be far more valuable to a business. A group of the most highly talented individuals who don’t work together efficiently are unreliable, waste resources, and often have competing agendas. Without teamwork, talent is wasted.

In comparison, a strong, cohesive team can often make up for weaker talent because they form a strong alliance and are committed to reaching the same goals. Successful teams benefit from a blend of various skills and can-do attitudes. They also share resources, learn from one another, and offer invaluable encouragement and support.

If your organization is struggling to find top-notch talent, try focusing on building a top-notch team instead. The winning results may surprise you.

The Challenges of Marketing an Intangible

Marketing a product that customers can see, touch, and try before they buy is challenging enough. So how can you market something customers can’t see or feel? How do you turn an intangible idea into something that will connect with people in a hands-on, real-world way? That is often the challenge involved with marketing a service. Here are five tips to help you get started:

  • Focus on answering the question, “What’s in it for me?” Feature lists are all well and good, but for most people the bottom line (THEIR bottom line) is what really matters. If you can show a prospect how your service will benefit them (by saving time, reducing costs, providing security, or eliminating frustration, worry, or doubt), that will go far in convincing them to give you a try.
  • Make it real. Just telling someone how much your service will benefit them isn’t always enough. Back up your claims with tangible, real-world proof. Use testimonials, case studies, and verified statistics whenever you can to help bolster your case. Few things sell confidence better than a success story from a satisfied customer. A testimonial or case study outlining the positive results your service has provided will go a long way toward putting a prospect’s mind at ease about doing business with your firm.
  • Create a strong, positive identity. While your service may be intangible, the words and imagery you use to represent your brand can help you make a positive impression in prospective buyers’ minds. Consider Prudential’s Rock of Gibraltar logo or Allstate’s “good hands.” Each conveys a message of security and dependability — traits important when you’re talking about insurance and investing. Try to create a similar feel with the images and words you use to promote your company.
  • Avoid the temptation to under-price your services. Under-pricing undermines profitability and sends the message that you don’t value your own services as highly as your competitors value theirs. Customers will see this as a sign that your service is inferior in quality or that you lack the experience necessary to help them. If you’re uncomfortable pricing your service competitively, consider a tiered approach, where customers can pay higher premiums for added benefits.
  • Treat yourself — and your company — as the product. In many ways, you are. When customers buy a service, they’re really buying into a company and its people. They’re trusting your knowledge, your skill, your experience, and your integrity to do right by them. Keep that in mind. Use every interaction as an opportunity to reinforce, renew, and reward that trust…and encourage your staff to do the same.

10 Simple Ways Make it Easier for Customers to Contact You

A toll-free number is no longer the standard way for customers to contact you. Customers are bombarded with choices in today’s technology-focused world. If your business doesn’t offer a method of communication that suits your customers’ preferences, they may find another company that does.

Here are 10 tips to make it easy for ALL of your customers to get (and stay) in touch with you:

  • Consider offering a live chat support service option on your website that provides real-time, text-based conversation with someone who can quickly answer questions.
  • Use social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate with customers. Post helpful information in your stream, and encourage customers to ask questions and provide product feedback.
  • Provide interactive maps that allow people to customize directions to your location, as well as a photo of your building to make your business easier to find.
  • Include any helpful information that may save customers frustration when they try visiting you. For example: “XYZ Road is currently under construction — please use ABC Street instead.”
  • Create a Google+ page to share updates, promotions, links, and photos. This will make it easy for people to recommend your business, products, or services to friends and contacts, while at the same time helping you measure your followers’ interactions.
  • When posting blogs, be sure to offer an area for comments and feedback, as well as contact information, in case the reader has questions.
  • Build trust with online customers by providing your company’s physical address in addition to email, phone, fax, Skype, and support line info on your website’s contact page. Add links to customer forums, your Facebook page, and your Twitter feed, as well, and consider offering a contact form as a convenience for customers.
  • Include, at minimum, your website info, company email, and toll-free phone number on every marketing piece you create, including letterhead, notepads, brochures, flyers, quotes, surveys, etc. Customers who desire additional information will often seek out your website’s contact page.
  • Consider a mobile website designed for smart phones that makes it easy for users to find information about you, regardless of what device they are using.
  • Provide a clear call to action in direct mail, email messages, and other marketing pieces so readers know how to get in touch with you.

We encourage you to contact us anytime if you have questions or comments. We look forward to hearing from you!

Lessons from a Cracked Pot

I’d like to share a story with you that I heard recently. It may be familiar to you, but I think it bears repeating…

Each morning, a servant would carry water to his master’s house from a nearby stream using two large clay pots, hung on opposite ends of a long pole. One of the pots was in perfect condition, but the other had a crack along its side that caused it to leak water. As a result, the cracked pot was only half full by the time the servant reached the house.

This went on for two years before the cracked pot finally gathered the courage to say something to the servant. Feeling embarrassed by what it perceived to be its shortcomings, the pot said, “I want to apologize to you.”

“Why?” asked the servant, confused by the pot’s sorrow.

“For two years, I’ve watched as my partner delivered a full pot of water to your servant’s home each day. Meanwhile, I’ve struggled to deliver just half my load because of this crack in my side. My flaws have caused you to deliver less water than you would have been able to otherwise, and I’m sorry for that.”

At this, the servant smiled. “As we’re walking back to the house today,” he said, “I want you to take a close look around you, particularly at the road.” So the pot did as the servant instructed and was astonished to see a plethora of flowers lining the path below him as they walked.

When they reached the house, the servant asked, “Did you see those flowers?”

“Yes,” the pot replied, “they’re beautiful.”

“Did you notice that they only appeared on your side of the road?” the servant continued. “That’s not a coincidence. You see, I’ve known about your crack all along. Two years ago, I planted seeds along your side of the path. Each day, as we make our way back from the stream, you water those flowers for me. As a result, I’ve been able to create beautiful centerpieces that bring joy to my master’s home. So, you see, what you consider a failure, I consider a great service to my master and his family.”

Like the pot in this story, many of us feel inadequate at times because of our own cracks and flaws. But finding ways to make the most of those imperfections (in ourselves and in those around us) can make our lives far richer and more rewarding.

So where can you plant seeds in your own life to bear flowers? And what can you do to encourage others around you who may be feeling less than adequate today?