Last week I received an email, which read: "Yo bra, wassup? can you hook me up with da vinyls dat I heard up in da club, they’re da bomb" ...
This message had nothing to do with underwear (bra), plastic tupperware (vinyls) or even a threat to national security (bomb), but it was a request for records.
Whilst this slang MAY be understood by customers and staff in a record store, to the average person, it sounds like foreign language. And herein lies a lesson that needs to be learnt. When designing your website or any promotional material, make sure you use language that all your customers understand.
If you are a web designer, forget about impressing your customers by using big words such as URL, Search Engines, Domain Name, HTML, etc. To you it may be everyday language but to your potential customers they are jargon. Some may even be intimidated by it and rather than trying to work out what you mean, they will leave your website.
"But if I am a web designer, how do I write my copy without using these words?" The answer is simple. Use the words, but explain what they mean. You can either provide a simple explanation or include a Dictionary/Encyclopaedia link on your site, such as:
http://www.webopedia.com
http://whatis.techtarget.com/
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/computer
http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/index.html
To find out whether the information contained on your website can easily be understood, show it to your grandmother or the owner of a small business, such as your local fruit shop, deli or laundromat. If you see a blank look on their faces, you may need to rework some of the copy. And don’t think just because you are working for mid size businesses or large corporations that the staff understand what you are talking about. Many executives will run a mile at the mention of the latest technology. So for their sakes and yours, keep it simple.
Whilst, the majority of newspapers and magazines write information so that it is understood by 10 year olds, giving your web copy to a young nephew for revision will not work. He will most likely understand the terms and may even teach you a thing or two, but he is not your potential customer (not yet).
Below is a list of words/phrases that you may use in everyday language, but which may baffle some of your customers. As an extra service for your customers, you may find it worthwhile to include these on your website:
Applet: A small but useful application often serving just a single purpose.
Compression: Technology for minimising the space a file occupies, to make it easier to store and faster to transmit.
Client: Describes the receiving computer, which calls information from a server or information storage computer. A client is anything that receives information - a desktop, notebook, handheld or even a mobile phone.
Cookie: An applet sent by a website to your computer to gather data about you, such as your log-on details and where you surfed immediately prior to coming to that site.
Cracker: Someone who taps into other people’s computers in order to steal information or do damage.
Cyberspace: Another word for the world of the internet.
Domain name: A domain name locates an entity on the net and has three parts:
(a) the www (the location of the host server),
(b) the organization identity and a suffix, which indicates the purpose of the entity, such as ".com" for a company or commercial enterprise, ".gov" for a government body, ".edu" for an education institution or ".org" for a non-profit body.
(c) other extensions identify the country in which the domain is located, such as ".au" or ".nz". Simple .com extensions signify that the domain was registered in the US.
Download: Bring information from the net to your computer
HTML (HyperText Markup Language): The code used to create web pages. HTML tells the user’s browser what the page should look like and how to present the content.
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): used by a browser to seek web pages from a server.
Hyperlinks: Underlined links found in web pages that will transport you to a related page simply by clicking on them.
MP3: File format that will compress, store and play music
Metatag: Keywords which describe the content of a website, designed as hooks for a search engine to bring people to that website.
Netizen: A citizen of the net.
Off-line: Not connected to the internet.
On-line: Connected to the internet.
POP (Point of Presence): The ISP (Internet Service Provider) connection dial-in point.
POP-based Mail: Mail that is stored on the ISP’s server until you download it. You can keep a copy on your hard drive and view e-mails even when you’re not connected.
Search Engine: Software tool for helping you find useful, relevant information on-line.
Server: Computer that stores information and forwards it on request to the “client”.
Shareware: Software issued on try-before-you-buy basis.
TCP/IP: The protocol or set of instructions used to ferry traffic across the internet.
Upload: Send information from your computer to the internet.
USB (Universal Serial Bus): a new connection technology for adding peripherals, such as a printer to your computer.
URL (Universal Resource Locator): a website’s address.
Keep in mind, this rule does not only apply to web designers, but every other business. So if you are designing a website for a client and are confused by the terminology, you may want to bring it to their attention and help them rework the copy so ALL their customers understand it.
--------------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
How do I get my small business on the internet? How do I promote my website on a shoestring budget? Who can help me with my home based business? If you are asking yourself these questions, then read on ... you will find plenty of useful marketing tips for your small or home-based business.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
7 Easy Ways to Grow and Manage Your Customer List
In order for your business to succeed on the internet, you need to convince your visitors that you are reliable, trustworthy and that you care about them. The best way to do this is to build a relationship with them. Provide your customers with lots of valuable information and they’ll never look at your competitor again!
But first things first. To start communicating with your potential customers on a regular basis, you need to know who they are. Most people are reluctant to give you more than their first name and email address, so initially that’s all you should be focussing on.
Collecting names and email addresses
There are several ways you can do this.
1. Subscribe form on your website
Include a “subscribe” form on your website, preferably on the homepage and on as many other pages as possible. Remember not all your visitors will come to your website via the homepage. Explain exactly what your visitors will receive and how often. You also need to assure them you will never sell their contact details.
2. Add a survey to your website.
Find out what people think about your products, services and your website. At the end of the survey ask for their name and email address, again reassuring them their details will remain confidential.
3. Run a contest.
Contests are a great way to collect details, as visitors will have to give you the right information in order to be notified if they’ve won.
4. Offer a giveaway.
The best things you can give away are free reports, ebooks or information that your customers will find helpful. If you don’t have anything to give away, you can easily find something on the internet. Visit the following websites:
http://www.free-ebooks.net/
http://www.planetpdf.com
5. Pop-ups or Hover Ads
These are the little windows that pop up, when you arrive on somebody’s website or when you are leaving. Unfortunately many people now have pop-up blockers on their computers, so you may find hover ads much more effective. For more information about hover ads, go to:
http://www.marketingtips.com/hover/
To find out more about pop-ups, visit:
http://www.nowsell.com/pop-ups/
6. Ask in your offline correspondence.
Next time you are sending a postcard, letter, invoice or any other correspondence to your customers, ask them for their email address. Explain why you would like it and even offer them a bonus, such as a free report.
7. Purchase Leads
There are many companies who will provide leads or prospects for your business. For a fee, they will display your advertisement (similar to a classified ad) and when someone clicks on it, they will be taken to your website, where they can be encouraged to subscribe to your newsletter. Alternatively, instead of advertising your website, advertise your autoresponder address. This way you will capture everyone’s email addresses. You can then set up your autoresponder to automatically deliver your promotion to people that request it.
The great thing about these targeted leads is that you are only paying for the people who want to know about your business and products. If you work out the cost of a lead versus regular advertising, you will no doubt come out on top. Generally the cost per lead is between $0.50 - $1.00. If on the other hand you advertise in a newspaper or a magazine and pay $200 for the advertisement from which you get 20 enquiries, the cost per lead is $10.
Check out:
http://leadfactory.com/leads/
www.getresponse.com
WARNING: NEVER, EVER BUY EMAIL ADDRESSES UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE THE SUBSCRIBERS HAVE REQUESTED TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM BUSINESSES SUCH AS YOURS.
Managing Your Email List
There are 2 ways to manage your mailing list – manually and automatically.
1. Manually.
Whenever you receive a customer email address you can add it to your email program, such Outlook Express. Most email programs allow you to create mailing lists.
If you use Outlook Express, you can use your Address Book, where you can create groups of contacts to make it easy to send e-mail to a set of people, such as business associates, prospects or customers. Any time you want to send e-mail to everyone in the group, just use the group name instead of entering each contact individually. Creating groups is also a good way to organize a large Address Book.
First, you need add your contacts
(a) On the Outlook Express toolbar, click Tools, and then click Address Book.
(b) In the Address Book, select the folder to which you want to add a contact.
(c) On the Address Book toolbar, click New, and then click New Contact.
(d) On the Name tab, type at least the first and last name of the contact. This is the display name.
(e) A display name is required for each contact. If you enter a first, middle, or last name, it will automatically appear in the Display box. You can change the display name by typing in a different name or by selecting from the drop-down list. The drop-down list will contain variations of the first, middle, and last name, as well as anything you typed in the Nickname box or the Company box on the Business tab. On each of the other tabs, add any information you would like to include.
Second, create Groups or mailing categories
You can create a single group name (or alias) to use when sending a message to several contacts at once. Simply create a group name and add individual contacts to the group. Then, just type the group name in the To box when you send e-mail.
(a) In the Address Book, select the folder in which you want to create a group. Click New on the toolbar, and then click New Group.
(b) The Properties dialog box opens. In the Group Name box, type the name of the group.
(c) There are several ways to add people to the group:
- To add a person from your Address Book list, click Select Members, and then click a name from the Address Book list.
- To add a person directly to the group without adding the name to your Address Book, type the person's name and e-mail address in the lower half of the Properties dialog box, and then click Add.
- To add a person to both the group and your Address Book, click New Contact and fill in the appropriate information.
You can also store your contacts in a table in Microsoft Word, in a spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel or in a database, such as Microsoft Access. Then when you are ready to send out your message, you simply “merge” the addresses with your newsletter and send the result to your email program. This is slightly more complex, but allows you to easily personalise your newsletter.
The advantage of managing your mailing list manually is that it won’t cost you anything, except for your time.
The disadvantage is that you may have to spend a lot of time maintaining your mailing list – managing the subscriptions, unsubscriptions, bounced messages etc
2. Automatically
Web-based software
There are many online services that allow you to manage your mailing list automatically. They handle the subscriptions, unsubscriptions and bounced emails without you having to lift a finger. When you wish to send out a message, it’s as simple as typing your message and pressing a “Send” button.
One of the best services I’ve come across is GetResponse – www.getresponse.com GetResponse is a complete email marketing service. It provides you with unlimited autoresponders, follow-ups, messages, lists, broadcasts and email marketing campaigns, 150+ professionally designed HTML templates, powerful, cost-effective newsletter hosting, unparalleled email deliverability, click-through, sales and revenue tracking, top-notch support and training. The cost of this service is less than a dollar a day and saves you hours of work each week.
Other reputable services include:
Constant Contact - http://www.constantcontact.com
Email Manager Pro - http://www.email-manager-pro.com
Software on your computer
You can also purchase software that will help you send out personalised email. The software works similarly to the web-based software, but the main difference is that it is installed on your computer.
So if you find:
- sending e-mail campaigns and newsletters,
- replying to HUNDREDS of e-mails, filled with questions from potential buyers,
- sending "customer service" e-mails to NEW customers and subscribers and
- keeping your e-mail list "clean"
a real challenge, this may be the ideal solution for you. One software that comes highly recommended to handle all of these tasks is Mailloop. To check it out visit: http://www.marketingtips.com/mailloop/t.x/875347
Remember staying in touch with your prospects and customers should be a number one priority in your marketing efforts. If you have a website and are not collecting visitor details and building relationships with them, you are committing online suicide. It’s that simple.
-----------------------------------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
But first things first. To start communicating with your potential customers on a regular basis, you need to know who they are. Most people are reluctant to give you more than their first name and email address, so initially that’s all you should be focussing on.
Collecting names and email addresses
There are several ways you can do this.
1. Subscribe form on your website
Include a “subscribe” form on your website, preferably on the homepage and on as many other pages as possible. Remember not all your visitors will come to your website via the homepage. Explain exactly what your visitors will receive and how often. You also need to assure them you will never sell their contact details.
2. Add a survey to your website.
Find out what people think about your products, services and your website. At the end of the survey ask for their name and email address, again reassuring them their details will remain confidential.
3. Run a contest.
Contests are a great way to collect details, as visitors will have to give you the right information in order to be notified if they’ve won.
4. Offer a giveaway.
The best things you can give away are free reports, ebooks or information that your customers will find helpful. If you don’t have anything to give away, you can easily find something on the internet. Visit the following websites:
http://www.free-ebooks.net/
http://www.planetpdf.com
5. Pop-ups or Hover Ads
These are the little windows that pop up, when you arrive on somebody’s website or when you are leaving. Unfortunately many people now have pop-up blockers on their computers, so you may find hover ads much more effective. For more information about hover ads, go to:
http://www.marketingtips.com/hover/
To find out more about pop-ups, visit:
http://www.nowsell.com/pop-ups/
6. Ask in your offline correspondence.
Next time you are sending a postcard, letter, invoice or any other correspondence to your customers, ask them for their email address. Explain why you would like it and even offer them a bonus, such as a free report.
7. Purchase Leads
There are many companies who will provide leads or prospects for your business. For a fee, they will display your advertisement (similar to a classified ad) and when someone clicks on it, they will be taken to your website, where they can be encouraged to subscribe to your newsletter. Alternatively, instead of advertising your website, advertise your autoresponder address. This way you will capture everyone’s email addresses. You can then set up your autoresponder to automatically deliver your promotion to people that request it.
The great thing about these targeted leads is that you are only paying for the people who want to know about your business and products. If you work out the cost of a lead versus regular advertising, you will no doubt come out on top. Generally the cost per lead is between $0.50 - $1.00. If on the other hand you advertise in a newspaper or a magazine and pay $200 for the advertisement from which you get 20 enquiries, the cost per lead is $10.
Check out:
http://leadfactory.com/leads/
www.getresponse.com
WARNING: NEVER, EVER BUY EMAIL ADDRESSES UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE THE SUBSCRIBERS HAVE REQUESTED TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM BUSINESSES SUCH AS YOURS.
Managing Your Email List
There are 2 ways to manage your mailing list – manually and automatically.
1. Manually.
Whenever you receive a customer email address you can add it to your email program, such Outlook Express. Most email programs allow you to create mailing lists.
If you use Outlook Express, you can use your Address Book, where you can create groups of contacts to make it easy to send e-mail to a set of people, such as business associates, prospects or customers. Any time you want to send e-mail to everyone in the group, just use the group name instead of entering each contact individually. Creating groups is also a good way to organize a large Address Book.
First, you need add your contacts
(a) On the Outlook Express toolbar, click Tools, and then click Address Book.
(b) In the Address Book, select the folder to which you want to add a contact.
(c) On the Address Book toolbar, click New, and then click New Contact.
(d) On the Name tab, type at least the first and last name of the contact. This is the display name.
(e) A display name is required for each contact. If you enter a first, middle, or last name, it will automatically appear in the Display box. You can change the display name by typing in a different name or by selecting from the drop-down list. The drop-down list will contain variations of the first, middle, and last name, as well as anything you typed in the Nickname box or the Company box on the Business tab. On each of the other tabs, add any information you would like to include.
Second, create Groups or mailing categories
You can create a single group name (or alias) to use when sending a message to several contacts at once. Simply create a group name and add individual contacts to the group. Then, just type the group name in the To box when you send e-mail.
(a) In the Address Book, select the folder in which you want to create a group. Click New on the toolbar, and then click New Group.
(b) The Properties dialog box opens. In the Group Name box, type the name of the group.
(c) There are several ways to add people to the group:
- To add a person from your Address Book list, click Select Members, and then click a name from the Address Book list.
- To add a person directly to the group without adding the name to your Address Book, type the person's name and e-mail address in the lower half of the Properties dialog box, and then click Add.
- To add a person to both the group and your Address Book, click New Contact and fill in the appropriate information.
You can also store your contacts in a table in Microsoft Word, in a spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel or in a database, such as Microsoft Access. Then when you are ready to send out your message, you simply “merge” the addresses with your newsletter and send the result to your email program. This is slightly more complex, but allows you to easily personalise your newsletter.
The advantage of managing your mailing list manually is that it won’t cost you anything, except for your time.
The disadvantage is that you may have to spend a lot of time maintaining your mailing list – managing the subscriptions, unsubscriptions, bounced messages etc
2. Automatically
Web-based software
There are many online services that allow you to manage your mailing list automatically. They handle the subscriptions, unsubscriptions and bounced emails without you having to lift a finger. When you wish to send out a message, it’s as simple as typing your message and pressing a “Send” button.
One of the best services I’ve come across is GetResponse – www.getresponse.com GetResponse is a complete email marketing service. It provides you with unlimited autoresponders, follow-ups, messages, lists, broadcasts and email marketing campaigns, 150+ professionally designed HTML templates, powerful, cost-effective newsletter hosting, unparalleled email deliverability, click-through, sales and revenue tracking, top-notch support and training. The cost of this service is less than a dollar a day and saves you hours of work each week.
Other reputable services include:
Constant Contact - http://www.constantcontact.com
Email Manager Pro - http://www.email-manager-pro.com
Software on your computer
You can also purchase software that will help you send out personalised email. The software works similarly to the web-based software, but the main difference is that it is installed on your computer.
So if you find:
- sending e-mail campaigns and newsletters,
- replying to HUNDREDS of e-mails, filled with questions from potential buyers,
- sending "customer service" e-mails to NEW customers and subscribers and
- keeping your e-mail list "clean"
a real challenge, this may be the ideal solution for you. One software that comes highly recommended to handle all of these tasks is Mailloop. To check it out visit: http://www.marketingtips.com/mailloop/t.x/875347
Remember staying in touch with your prospects and customers should be a number one priority in your marketing efforts. If you have a website and are not collecting visitor details and building relationships with them, you are committing online suicide. It’s that simple.
-----------------------------------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
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