By Michelle Johnson
michellej@ebizinsider.com
Archive for 2008
Confessions of a Social Media Addict
So I’m not really the “social” guy you may think I am. I’m eccentric (some say loud and obnoxious but I usually ignore them), my views are liberal conservative (if there is such a thing) and I’m not so quick to embrace new technology as I was when I was younger. Although I just got an iPhone and if I could marry it, I would.
Recently, I have become what one may consider an addict to the social networking site, Facebook.com. According to its website, Facebook allows people “to keep up with friends, upload photos, share links and videos and learn more about the people they meet.” It is just one of many that have become very popular over the last few years.
In addition to the Facebook website, I have the app for the iPhone that lets me log in and see what’s going on no matter where I am. I find myself laying in bed at night with the remote in one hand and the phone in another seeing what my fellow Facebook friends are up to. Sometimes I feel like a stalker as some tend to share too much information about their lives!
Since being addicted to Facebook, I thought I filled my quota for social networking until someone asked me if I “twittered.” I really didn’t know how to answer the question so I laughed it off and pretended my phone rang and I had to take the call. I found by asking some of the younger, more ‘connected’ people around here what “twittering” was and I quickly felt like I was the ugly kid at the dance that nobody would do the Mambo with.
“Dude, you never heard of Twitter?”
Ah, Twitter. Another social networking site where you post what you’re currently doing in 140 characters or less. People, presumably your friends but it can be anyone, then “follow” you and you can “follow” others. Honestly, the most challenging thing about Twitter is getting what you want to say down to 140 characters! It’s meant for short updates like “gone to the gym” or “new blog entry at myblog.com – check it out”.
After twittering for only a few days, I have doubled my social media addiction.
Sites like Facebook and Twitter aren’t just fun and games. You have the opportunity to network with customers and peers and spread your message across channels your regular marketing wouldn’t reach. It’s new media, it’s important and it’s something to consider. Once you’re setup, link to me on Facebook by searching my name and follow me on Twitter with username “scottsanfilippo”.
Finally, this issue of eBiz Insider ushers in our new bi-monthly publication schedule. It’s part of our “going green” initiative where we’re doing our part to cut down on the use of paper while still delivering you a product that’s timely and informative. As always, ebizinsider.com is chock full of information and articles and is updated on a continual basis, so I encourage you to visit often. One of the most popular features of the site is our interactive forums where you can talk with other e-commerce store owners and share tips and tricks.
Co-Founder, President & COO of Solid Cactus
All posts by Scott Sanfilippo | E-Mail the author
CAN-SPAM Act of 2003
If you’re currently doing e-mail marketing (and you should be), you should be well-versed in the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act, better known as the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.
If you’ve found yourself asking the question, “Can-Spam what?!” immediately step away from the SEND button. Before you send another e-mail blast, you should be well-informed on the topic, and be practicing according to guidelines, because the alternative can be costly.
The Act establishes requirements for sending commercial e-mail, spells out penalties for spammers and companies whose products are advertised in spam and gives consumers the right to opt out of receiving commercial e-mail.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, is authorized to enforce the CAN-SPAM Act. CAN-SPAM also gives the Department of Justice (DOJ) the authority to enforce criminal sanctions. Other federal and state agencies can enforce the law against organizations under their jurisdiction, and companies that provide Internet access may sue violators as well.
The law covers e-mail whose primary purpose is advertising or promoting a commercial product or service, including content on a website. A “transactional or relationship message” that facilitates an agreed-upon transaction or updates a customer in an existing business relationship is typically exempt from most provisions of the CAN-SPAM Act.
What CAN-SPAM Does
- It bans false or misleading header information – Your e-mails “To” and “From” address, domain name and e-mail address must be accurate and identify whoever sent the e-mail.
- It prohibits deceptive subject lines – Your subject line can not mislead about the content or subject matter. So, yes, “FREE VACATION” as a subject line of an e-mail marketing pet products is SPAM.
- It requires that e-mail recipients have a chance to opt-out of mailings. If you send marketing e-mails, you must offer an easy opt-out method in every e-mail. Once a recipient opts out, the Act gives you 10 days to remove those who have opted out and to stop mailing to them.
- It requires that commercial e-mail be identified as an advertisement and include the sender’s valid physical postal address.
Penalties
Each violation of CAN-SPAM is subject to fines of up to $11,000. Deceptive commercial e-mails are also subject to laws banning false or misleading advertising. If you fail to include an opt-out link, forget to add a physical address, or don’t get around to removing a person’s e-mail address from your list within 10 days, you can be fined severely.
Don’t take a chance on sending spam e-mails, thinking that all those spammers in your junk folder are safe from prosecution. Not only are you risking a steep fine by sending non-compliant e-mails, but you are tarnishing your reputation and ruining the relationship you have with your customer.
Solid Cactus, Inc. has designed or redesigned more than 3,000 e-commerce sites. Solid Cactus is an Inc. 500 company and was named one of the "Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania" in 2006 and 2007.
All posts by ebiz Insider Staff | E-Mail the author
Reuniting with Your Customer: The Power of Listening
The great and powerful customer has spoken.
Have you listened?
Everyone knows listening is an extremely effective tool, but why is it so we’re often caught not paying attention? In order to deliver the best service possible, listening to customer praises and gripes is essential. Without feedback, messages fall into the abyss of misinformation. How many times have you been frustrated by incorrect data surrounding your site or services? Does it bother you when you have a disgruntled customer that hasn’t spoken up and abandons your site instead?
Here are some ways that you can get back to
basics and start improving service for your customers by lending an open ear to increase
your e-commerce success:
Defined by Wikipedia as “the act of hearing something with thoughtful attention and the giving of consideration”. Listening is the foundation upon which both public relations and customer satisfaction are built. Listening isn’t just hearing; it’s an active mental and physical process, one that takes practice to master.
Open your ears, clear your mind, and start developing e-commerce strategies that will work. Utilize a strategy known as R-O-P-E (Research, Objectives, Programming, Evaluation) to get the best outcome when it comes down to the sending and receiving of messages. Our approach will be slightly different, but still keep with the same theme – the idea of planning out a strategy utilizing your listening skills. Merchants, time to learn R-M-E-E (Research, Message, Execution, Evaluation).
Research
The first step in creating a powerful message that will reach your customers is research. Research provides the building blocks you need to construct a clear, concise, and creative message that customers can relate to and appreciate. Start out by researching your customers. Find out what they need and what you can offer them. Research their likes and dislikes. Talk to them. Watch the movies they like. Read the books, blogs, or magazines they enjoy. Maybe even try the food they like to eat. Find out what they value and what they prioritize when it comes to doing business. The best way to get a feel for you target audience is to assimilate. Start examining your audience under a microscope and you can then begin to evaluate how your messages will be received. After all, listening is a two-way street.
Message
Next, make your message memorable. With the research that you’ve gathered, make educated decisions about building your message, but also be mindful of the mass of data that is already out there. Study your competitors and see what information they are already presenting. Can you convey it better? Do you have something more to offer? By taking a closer look at what is already out there, you can sort through the grit and grime and produce a sparkling message that will draw customers to your site.
Execution
It’s all about the medium. Whether your message gets sent out through a press release, a social network, a blog post, a forum comment, SEO content, a PPC ad, or even your site design – listening plays a vital role. Recognize which forms of communication will best suit your target market. If you’ve done your research, you’ll already have a good idea of what method could work best, but it is always a good idea to test different mediums. Integrate different avenues of communication into your strategic marketing plan in order to see what will work best for your business. Trial and error can be a valuable tool, so remember to listen to the feedback you receive from both business professionals and customers. Don’t ignore a form of communication with which you’re unfamiliar. It could be your key to success.
Evaluation
Finally, take a look at your results. Measure the success of your message by reading product reviews, offering a place for customers to leave their feedback, or by simply asking. Conducting a survey could be a great way to get a feel for how your customers are receiving your messages. Also, measure your listening and sending abilities by looking at your growth in sales, your site traffic, or even that one e-mail from a satisfied customer. Everything matters when it comes to evaluation. If you’ve helped at least one person understand your message, you’ve met your goal.
Avoiding Pitfalls
While listening may seem like common sense, many people put up barriers that will prevent them from getting the most out of their communication experience. Remember that your customer is not you. He or she may not have the same values or point of view on a given situation. Use your listening abilities to gain a different perspective. Don’t get hung up by distractions like the manner of delivery, uninteresting information, or your own personal values. Take listening as an opportunity to take a walk in your customer’s shoes. With this insight, you’ll be better equipped to understand the customer’s needs, wants, and expectations for your business.
So Why Be a Good Listener?
Because your customer wants to be recognized and remembered. He or she wants to feel valued and appreciated. He or she wants to feel respected, understood, and has a desire to feel comfortable about conveying a want or a need. Listening is the most powerful form of acknowledgement. It helps you build stronger relationships, both personal and professional. In addition, it also promotes acceptance, learning, and resolution of important issues. Listening is that secret key to providing the best service possible to your customers.
In our chaotic economy, the best way to keep your site afloat is to deliver unparalleled customer service. A satisfied customer is a valuable resource. After all, word-of-mouth can be the most effective way to promote your business. Make yourself an asset to your customers and start sending the right messages out about your website. Remember, listening is a two-way street. If you open your mind to the perspective of your customers, they will be more receptive to the messages you send – a surefire way to get them paying attention to what you have to offer. As poet Percy Bysse Shelley said in his poem To A Skylark, “the world should listen then/as I am listening now.”
By Mandy Boyle
mandy.boyle@ebizinsider.com
mandy.boyle@ebizinsider.com
Solid Cactus, Inc. has designed or redesigned more than 3,000 e-commerce sites. Solid Cactus is an Inc. 500 company and was named one of the "Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania" in 2006 and 2007.
All posts by ebiz Insider Staff | E-Mail the author
Creating & Cultivating Customer Confidence: The Power of Testimonials
Every store owner loves testimonials, right? It gives your new customers the warm and fuzzy feeling that anything they buy from you is going to be shipped to them quickly and the transaction will go smoothly. So, in most cases, this is something store owners want to show their customers right away.
A pretty good technique, that allows a customer to browse through your available items without fear is to add Randomly Displayed Testimonials. A lot of advice I?ve given out over the years as a project manager at Solid Cactus was to put these in an area that would maximize the amount of testimonials a customer saw while browsing. For example, if the testimonials are placed in the navigation, it gives your customers a chance to see more testimonials from other happy customers and keeps that warm and fuzzy feeling going throughout the whole process.
While this was good advice as far as maximizing the use of the feature, it?s probably not the best advice I could have given as far as effectively using the idea behind the feature. After digging into the psychology of the buying process a little deeper, I have some even better advice about using randomly displayed testimonials.
It all starts with buying anxiety. Think of it this way: You?re in a retail store and you have $20 in your pocket. You see an item for $30 that you REALLY like, and want to buy. You know you have a credit card in your pocket, and you could just buy it, but for that one second, you automatically stop and think: ?Should I actually do this now, or put it down and get it another time?? Shopping online is no different? In fact, it?s the same thing, just in a much quicker fashion. Everything about being online is about grabbing someone?s attention quickly and at just the right time. Every time buyers hover over your add-to-cart button, they have that same reaction, whether it?s conscious or not. In many cases, the best place to show a testimonial is right in that product information table, directly below that add-to-cart button (although we wouldn?t want a long testimonial pushing that button below the fold). This helps alleviate any anxiety a customer may feel about clicking it.
Using that same psychology, another great place to display testimonials is right inside the shopping cart. (Are you starting to think the best place would be right next to the continue button like I am?) The anxiety a customer feels increases as the steps to completing the order get closer and closer. We take measures to make sure a checkout is a dead simple process to complete?three steps and your product is on the way to being delivered. However, placing testimonials near the buttons that a customer is going to feel the most anxiety about clicking is something about which to think. It might just stop a few customers from clicking the ?close window? button instead of the ?place order? button.
The other thing to think about regarding testimonials is that most new customers that are going to feel any kind of buying anxiety from you are probably using Google or a Comparison Shopping Engine to search for a product, not necessarily your store. So, your item page is really their first impression of your store. Having a great testimonial close to that add-to-cart button could be the difference between a new customer clicking add-to-cart, or instead, hitting the back button to go back to Google and on to the next merchant in the list selling the same product.
By Brian Emershaw
brian.emershaw@ebizinsider.com
All posts by ebiz Insider Staff | E-Mail the author
Creating & Cultivating Customer Confidence: The Power of Testimonials
Every store owner loves testimonials, right? It gives your new customers the warm and fuzzy feeling that anything they buy from you is going to be shipped to them quickly and the transaction will go smoothly. So, in most cases, this is something store owners want to show their customers right away.
A pretty good technique, that allows a customer to browse through your available items without fear is to add Randomly Displayed Testimonials. A lot of advice I’ve given out over the years as a project manager at Solid Cactus was to put these in an area that would maximize the amount of testimonials a customer saw while browsing. For example, if the testimonials are placed in the navigation, it gives your customers a chance to see more testimonials from other happy customers and keeps that warm and fuzzy feeling going throughout the whole process.
While this was good advice as far as maximizing the use of the feature, it’s probably not the best advice I could have given as far as effectively using the idea behind the feature. After digging into the psychology of the buying process a little deeper, I have some even better advice about using randomly displayed testimonials.
It all starts with buying anxiety. Think of it this way: You’re in a retail store and you have $20 in your pocket. You see an item for $30 that you REALLY like, and want to buy. You know you have a credit card in your pocket, and you could just buy it, but for that one second, you automatically stop and think: “Should I actually do this now, or put it down and get it another time?” Shopping online is no different… In fact, it’s the same thing, just in a much quicker fashion. Everything about being online is about grabbing someone’s attention quickly and at just the right time. Every time buyers hover over your add-to-cart button, they have that same reaction, whether it’s conscious or not. In many cases, the best place to show a testimonial is right in that product information table, directly below that add-to-cart button (although we wouldn’t want a long testimonial pushing that button below the fold). This helps alleviate any anxiety a customer may feel about clicking it.
Using that same psychology, another great place to display testimonials is right inside the shopping cart. (Are you starting to think the best place would be right next to the continue button like I am?) The anxiety a customer feels increases as the steps to completing the order get closer and closer. We take measures to make sure a checkout is a dead simple process to complete—three steps and your product is on the way to being delivered. However, placing testimonials near the buttons that a customer is going to feel the most anxiety about clicking is something about which to think. It might just stop a few customers from clicking the “close window” button instead of the “place order” button.
The other thing to think about regarding testimonials is that most new customers that are going to feel any kind of buying anxiety from you are probably using Google or a Comparison Shopping Engine to search for a product, not necessarily your store. So, your item page is really their first impression of your store. Having a great testimonial close to that add-to-cart button could be the difference between a new customer clicking add-to-cart, or instead, hitting the back button to go back to Google and on to the next merchant in the list selling the same product.
By Brian Emershaw
brian.emershaw@ebizinsider.com
Solid Cactus, Inc. has designed or redesigned more than 3,000 e-commerce sites. Solid Cactus is an Inc. 500 company and was named one of the "Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania" in 2006 and 2007.
All posts by ebiz Insider Staff | E-Mail the author
