Getting To Know Your Online Customers

Whether you are a pure online business, or your business has both on- and off-line components, by learning more about your online customers, you can improve your online sales by better focusing your marketing efforts on their needs.

By offering a feedback form on your website, you provide an opportunity for site visitors to share their comments. Often, the feedback form is combined with a contact form on the “Contact Us” or similar page. Consider, though, having a specific feedback form, either specific to your products, or even for your website. The best feedback form has only a few questions with multiple choice responses, if possible. By limiting the answers to those provided, you can better aggregate the information obtained and apply it as appropriate.

A survey takes the online feedback form one step further. Again, it’s best to include multiple choice style questions, or other types of questions where the possible answers have been pre-determined. Try to make them as concise as possible, and make sure you have an incentive for completing the survey, such as a special survey-only coupon, free products, or a information product, such as a 5-10 page report. Another incentive option is to have a contest. All completed surveys have the chance of winning a $50 gift certificate, for example.

Lastly, hang out online where your customers are. Whether that’s in topic-related forums, on popular blogs, or social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace. Take part in the conversations that are occurring about your topic, and you’ll become better acquainted with the needs and desired of your target online customers.

Keeping Your Email Marketing List Happy

Making Sure Your Email List Doesn’t Get Stale

Email marketing has been found to have such a significant ROI that most businesses, regardless of their size, are either currently capturing emails on their website or landing page, or plan to do so soon. According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the expected ROI on email marketing in 2009 is $43.65. Email marketing’s ROI in 2008 (also per the DMA), was over $45 for every dollar spent.

So there’s little question that email marketing can be an extremely effective strategy. But once you’ve implement an email capture system on your website or landing page, how do you ensure that your list subscribers stay on the list, and open your emails?

Create Value in Every Email

Every email that you send to a subscriber should have some kind of value to them. That value can be found in an informative article that your subscribers would find interesting, links to new articles on your blog or website, a coupon, or news of upcoming sales and specials.

Another way is to increase the value of your mailing list is to include, if appropriate, occasional free gifts. These don’t have to be tangible products. Even something as simple as a 5-10 page report on a topic of interest to your subscribers. For example, an online store that sells wedding favors might compile a 5 page report entitled “10 Things You Should Know Before Choosing Your Wedding Favors”.

Send the Right Number of Emails

You want to find the right balance between staying regularly connected with your customers, and overwhelming them with too many emails. For many businesses, sending a monthly newsletter-style email with information about upcoming events, and including a subscriber-only coupon, is enough to keep their business in the mind of their subscribers. For other businesses, such as those that are seasonal in nature, an appropriate schedule may be once a quarter in the off-season, but then every week leading up to and during their busy time.

The analytic information provided by your email marketing provider can help you to determine the best schedule for your subscribers.

Small Business Marketing

What small business marketing plans has your company had success with? The Internet has new methods of getting small businesses involved with the marketplace. Some you may have heard of and considered, while others may present some new concepts for you to think on. Most are gaining popularity daily and most are free services. Getting your small business more involved can only be a plus, more involved with services like blogging. Blogging requires time, but the end result can mean that your website will rank higher in the search engines. Use keywords that are the most relevant and you will gain free access to Google AdWords which is not normally a free service.

Among tools like blogging and Google AdWords are social networking sites like Twitter and FaceBook which are great for small business marketing. These sites allow you to promote your business at no monetary cost, but you will need to put time into making them effective. On these sites, you will know what your clients are feeling, if they have a problem they need solved, or just general information. You can give advice, let customers know about special events or sales, and connect to a variety of people. One other useful small business strategy is email. One general email can be written and sent out to each customer you have a web address for and you can keep them informed on all the latest news.

Logo Design: Take Action

Are you new to the business world? Or have you been around for a few years, but things seem to be on the slow side? Whichever situation you are in, there are some things you can do to help your business get some much needed attention. People notice colors and eye catching words when they are looking for items they need or desire. Get the attention your business craves with a unique logo design that makes clients take a second look.

If you are beginning a new business, get the wheels turning to come up with a new and different logo that no one has used before. If your business is stale, try updating your logo design. If you are not sure how to get the results you desire, seek help from professionals who make a living promoting other businesses. Whatever logo you choose should be used for all things business related: brochures, business cards, stationary, and your business website. Wear professionalism like a glove because that’s what clients are looking for. If you know your business, they trust you to know what they need. They will come to you with their questions and present you with the opportunity to live out your logo in actions.

Social Media Marketing Benefits

There are many available avenues on the Internet to help your business get more attention. Search engines are set up to increase your site traffic through optimizing key words. Online help is also available to help you make the most out of your business’s website. Another tool to add to your business belt are the benefits of social media marketing. It’s important to be social; to be characterized by friendly companionship or relations. This takes you out of the business world into living rooms, work offices, and conversations between friends. This is an opportunity that allows you to get to know your clients more personally. What interests them? Invite them to leave comments and suggestions online and be faithful to read and consider each one.

This type of advertising offers your business a chance at a relationship that goes beyond the occasional sale. It becomes a give and take between client and business. Your customers will feel like they are connecting with a friend through social media marketing. Take advantage and draw in their curiosity by posting links that will direct them to your official business site. Use a social media site to inform clients of special offers, sales and promotions, and other special events.

Is Your Brand Ready for the Web?

Most business owners understand the importance of having a brand identity. With the help of professional graphic designers, they develop a logo and theme for creatives like brochures, letterhead, business cards, etc.

Unfortunately, often that creative process doesn’t consider how the internet is becoming more and more a part of consumers purchasing habits, and that solid offline branding foundation isn’t carried online.

Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your brand is consistent both on and offline.

1. Are your brand graphics web-friendly?

Make sure that you have color versions of your branding (logo, logo with tagline, etc.) that are sized appropriately for the web. Many social networking sites allow for online avatars: pictures that represent your profile, but they are often only 100 x 100 pixels.

2. Is your brand visible online?

Has your website been updated to reflect any changes made to your offline brand image? Do you have other online properties (blog, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) that are used to represent your business online that need to be updated with your brand image?

As an aside, make sure that your online image is not outdated. Consumers are savvy when it comes to identifying a website that hasn’t updated its look in 5 years.

3. Are your advertisements branded?

If you do banner advertising, Adwords image advertising, or any other image style advertising, do those images reflect your current brand image?

By selecting a creative marketing agency that is also in touch with the needs of online advertising, you can ensure that your online and offline brand identity will be in-synch and in touch with your customers.

Leveraging Popular YouTube Videos

Video has become a very effective force in the marketing world. People love to watch videos online. Even some television shows are getting ideas from popular YouTube videos.

While your business can benefit from the popularity of online video to help build links back to your website, it can sometimes be difficult to catch the attention of the online public without a large video budget, or some great creative ideas.

By using Youtube Video responses, you can piggy-back on the success of related videos, by posting your video as a comment. Because popular videos often have many comments, video response comments stand out more. You’ll get more views to your video, and you also will gain a linkback from the popular video page.

You can also create video responses between your own videos, by linking them together through the comments.

A video response can be as simple as a video of you making your comments. Or it can be a video article that relates to the topic.

Using the YouTube video response feature is just another way for you to get the most out of the marketing dollars you allocate to online video.

Using Articles in Online Marketing

Because internet search engines use the volume and quality of links to your site as a key part of their ranking algorithms, it’s important that link building is part of your online marketing strategy.

One way to quickly and easily build quality links is to use article marketing. Online articles can lead to increased online visibility, but you’ll get the most out of well written articles that other webmasters will find value in republishing on their own related sites.

To write an online article that provides as much linking value as possible, there are three things to keep in mind.

1. Keep it Simple

Don’t worry too much about how complex your article is. Try not to use too much industry jargon, or complex sentences with “big words”. Select a basic topic, and explain or discuss it simply and clearly. If you feel the topic truly needs deeper explanation, use the article as a starting point, and direct readers to more in-depth information located on your website.

2. Keep it Valuable

While you don’t want to provide too much information, or make the article to complicated, you do need to make sure that there is value in the information. Make sure that the article effectively displays your expertise in the topic, and builds confidence in you, your product, or your business.

3. Keep it Focused

Search engine ranking and targeted keywords go hand in hand. Choose keywords that your potential customers would use when searching for your product or service, or related topics of interest to your target demographic.

Target 1-2 keywords or key phrases in an article, and use them in both the title and the body of the article. Don’t worry too much about how often you use them. It’s better to write naturally, then to produce an article artificially “stuffed” with your target keywords.

Choosing a Web Design Company

There are many factors to consider when finding the best website design firms to create your businesses’ website. It is not as simple as looking in the phone book or online and choosing the first company that comes along. If you use a method like that, then you will be sure to be unhappy with the results that you get.

Start out by coming up with a list of features and information that you would like included in your website design. Once you have this information, it will be easier to locate a company that is capable of designing the appropriate website. Next, look for a variety of design firms, and review their samples and reputations online. Search for company reviews, or ask for input from friends, associates, and online forums. Checking into the sample websites that a company has created will help you to determine if their style can meet your needs.

Lastly, you need to review the various services and prices that are offered by each company. One company that has a good reputation and prices, may not offer one or more of the services that you need. What you want is a design firm with a good reputation, fair prices, who is capable of creating the type of website that you desire. You should also look for a company that candesign a wide range of websites with key features that can drive your company to the top of the search engine listings.

Creative Services Can Help You Surpass Your Competition

When you are trying to develop a way for your website to stand above the rest in a particular niche, you can use creative services that will surpass the competition. Since many of these methods are cutting edge and new to the marketing world, seeking out the help of a professional marketing company can help you grab the attention of consumers.

Through innovative web and graphic design, you can grab the attention of your visitors as soon as they view your website, which can lead to them delving further into the content found there, and becoming customers. With only a short amount of time to capture a consumer’s attention, it is important to take every necessary step to remain visible and memorable.

With strong logo design and good branding, you can become one of those companies that remain in the minds of consumers. With a memorable logo, motto, or brand image, you can create a fan base that sets you far and above the competition. Other innovative creative services can also help your website stand out. With the help of a good marketing company, you can create a successful business website that is memorable and creative.