Archive for August, 2009
Metrics like these allow you to establish a baseline and understand the effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness) of your e-mail campaigns over time. The first step to tracking your e-mail campaigns is to look at the following metrics: open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate and unsubscribe rate. These four measurements allow you to get a good understanding of the effectiveness of your e-mail campaigns, and allow you to understand customers a little bit better. I purposely left out Deliverability Rate because most of you should have a very high deliverability rate. To help ensure that your delivery rate remains high, examine your means of collecting e-mail addresses. If you rent or buy lists, then expect this number to be low. But if you acquired these addresses from a sign-up form on your website or from customers who ordered from you in the past, then you can expect this number to be close to 100%. Here is what these four measurements can tell you:
• Open Rate – This metric will tell you whether or not people found your subject line compelling enough to open the e-mail and see what you have to offer. Pretend someone is walking through the mall and they walk past your store and see what is on display in the window. Was that window display attractive enough to get them in the door?
• Click-through Rates – This metric will tell you whether or not the body of the e-mail was persuasive enough. Did you have a desirable offer, significant savings, universal product that would appeal to a large group, or a strong call to action? This is like getting people in the door of your store. Did they find the offer convincing enough to enter your store, could they find the door easily, and was it easy to open?
• Conversion Rates - This metric will tell you whether or not someone actually purchased after they made it to your store. This is probably the most important metric, so you’ll want to ensure that it is set up properly. This is the metric that you will use to calculate your return-on-investment (ROI). E-mail has been one of the top marketing methods with a high ROI consistently over the years.
• Unsubscribe Rates - This metric tells you how many people signed a petition to get your store out of the mall in the first place. Okay, maybe not that harsh. But, these are the people on your list who do not associate with the e-mails you are sending them. You will experience some people unsubscribing every time you send an e-mail, and you will learn how to be okay with that.
So now, let’s look at some highlights from MailerMailer’s report:
• How soon do people open their e-mail? – 74.5% of opens occur within the first 24 hours and 84.3% occur within the first 48 hours.
• Open rates – The overall unique open rates stand at 12.52%, which is a marginal decline from the 13.20% open rate experienced in the first half of 2008.
• Click rates – Click rates held steady. Subscriber clicks in the second half of 2008 were comparable to those in the previous six months, rising a mere 0.08%, around 2.80%.
• Best days to send – Though weekends and the beginning of the week outperform the other days, Monday is the clear winner having both the highest open rate and click rate.
• Subject lines – Yet again, e-mails with subject lines shorter than 35 characters were opened more than e-mails with subject lines longer than 35 characters.
You, too, can make some sense of your e-mail campaigns when you examine the four core metrics and consider the impact variables which will help you answer the burning question, “Is my e-mail marketing effective or not?”
We see them on just about everything we buy. The logo tells consumers “this is who we are, check us out,” in the nanoseconds our attention-deprived populace craves. Today’s consumer doesn’t have the patience to guess at the value or identity of an item or service and that trend is increasing as our attention spans decrease.
How much of an impact does a logo have? Ask yourself which resonates more strongly: the image of a person running track wearing a pair of Nikes or a visual of the swoosh? For that matter, does seeing someone eat a burger have the same brand identification as a three-second shot of the golden arches? Nothing carries the branding weight of a well-crafted logo.
So, which comes first, the logo or the brand? It’s been said, and rightly so, that a company should define a logo. A logo should not define a company. Still, while a good logo adds credibility to your company, even a well-designed logo will not make up for any of your businesses’ shortcomings.
If you feel you have the artistic ability and branding knowledge to create your company’s logo, more power to you; but, keep in mind that the visual you create will be featured on all of your business cards, marketing materials, packaging, and your website. Your logo is the first impression your prospective customers will have of your company. If they like what they see, you’re that much more likely to earn their business. By the same token, if your logo is off the mark, you can just as easily alienate your target audience.
How do you determine the right visual representation for your brand? Keep the following in mind before you unchain your inner artist:
Brand Identity: Why did you get into the industry you chose? Familiarity, opportunity, passion, or all of the above? Was there a unique or interesting reason why your company came into being? Your logo should capture this.
Objective: Identify your brand’s features and benefits, target market, and competitive advantages. Make a list of all words or phrases that best describe the core value of your brand. This list should emphasize how your brand will resonate with the needs of your prospective customers.
Customer Perception: How do you want your customers to view your company? Is dependability most important? Accessibility? Or, do you want to emphasize attention to customer service?
Target Audience: To whom are you selling? People who feel money is no object or those who clip coupons? Your customers want something new or unique (i.e., the latest fashion or technology), or are they more comfortable following the pack? Different personality types are attracted by different visuals.
Value Proposition: How do you plan to market your products or services in comparison to your competitors? Are you charging more or less than they are, or are you mirroring their pricing, but offering added value in some way? How is your brand better? What is your competitive advantage? How does it create value for your customers?
Tagline: A tagline is the slogan or phrase that best captures a company’s vision in a condensed fashion. Come up with a short, catchy (when possible) phrase that will effectively conjure a positive image of your company for your prospective customer.
Keep it Simple: A logo should capture your company’s identity neatly and uniquely. Avoid too much detail. Simple designs attract more attention, period. Also, strong lines and characters reduce and enlarge easily. Try to picture how it will reproduce on an acrylic award, for example. Still, don’t sacrifice originality for simplicity. You need to include something compelling. Think along the lines of the aforementioned golden arches or the Nike swoosh.
Having a well-designed logo is a great way to establish or improve your company’s credibility. Remember, your logo is the first impression your customers will have of your brand. Make sure it’s a great one
By Olga Gikas
olga.gikas@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.
The economy may be on the ropes, but research shows e-commerce popularity is growing and many consumers are choosing to spend their money online. With online shopping becoming universal, wi-fi access available virtually everywhere, and the recent boom of social networking sites being utilized for mass marketing, more than ever, business owners are expanding their brick-and-mortar stores into web-based businesses. The average Joe is finding out that he, too, has the opportunity to create an additional revenue source with a website and a merchant account.
Now before you go out and venture into the virtual world of online retailing, let me start by saying that every field has its share of widespread, but mistaken beliefs, and e-commerce is undoubtedly one of them. Personally, I’m finding that one of the biggest (and common) misconceptions among webmasters today is that the more complex the site design, the better. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Take a look at the world (wide web) around you and you’ll notice that the top retailers such as Apple, OfficeMax, and Best Buy maintain clean and organized sites that have a lot of breathing room. My favorite example is Google. Here is a website to be exact, the most visited website in the world, which contains nothing more than a logo, search box, and a few text links on their homepage. Although it is not an e-commerce site, it is still a major example showing how simplistic websites prove to be the most successful. What’s their trick? They cut the clutter!
To start, let me say that cleanliness in design is not limited to one certain characteristic on a homepage. In fact, to create a crisp looking design, several aspects must be taken into consideration: typography, color, photography, and which I personally believe to be the two most important factors, the layout and the use of white space. Let’s discuss the KISS principal for a moment. No, I’m not talking about makeup application techniques pertaining to four musicians from Detroit Rock City. KISS is a commonly-used, modern acronym for “Keep it Simple, Stupid” (though, if you want to be more polite, “Keep it Sweet and Simple” works just as well). KISS states that simplicity should be a key design goal and one should avoid dabbling into a mess of unnecessary complexities. It’s been stated that the origins of KISS have been traced back to similar concepts practiced by Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci. With that known, if the great minds that helped shape the 15th and 20th centuries are on board with this theory, it may prove to be a wise decision to hop on this design bandwagon.
Layout
The first step towards cutting the clutter is to make sure you start with an orderly layout that is not only properly aligned, but also makes good use of white space. Let me be clear: white space refers to the blank areas, or negative space, between the graphics, columns, and margins on your page. It’s the unmarked portions of your page, not the actual color, so don’t feel like every page you design has to look like it’s lost in a snowstorm. Let your website breathe. Utilize space appropriately and determine how you will align the elements on your page. Page navigation is usually found at the top and/or left of the site, while headlines, photographs, products, and textual content are found in the body. Though screen sizes can vary between users, attempt to keep your important information above the fold; that is, make sure anything appealing is placed on the top half of the page. Alignment creates connections between your visuals, and helps develop a balanced relationship between objects. A page that is overcrowded with graphics or text, has little to no white space, and is poorly aligned will run the risk of appearing muddled, difficult to navigate, and difficult to read.
Typeface
Use simple and traditional typefaces whenever possible. When it comes to the Internet, to increase the chance that your content will be properly displayed on multiple platforms and systems, a web-safe font should always be used. If you have failed to use a web-safe font, more than likely your customer’s browser will select a substitute font that you may not have intended to appear on your page. This can often result in text that is not easy to read and your homepage turning into an ugly mess. Fonts such as Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, and Times New Roman are safe choices, have great letter spacing, and won’t appear awkward or unbalanced on your site. You want your type to be pleasing to the eye. Present everything in a fluid manner to the reader and let him or her easily obtain the information you are providing. This is the exact reason they are visiting your site in the first place. Don’t be distracting! Make sure your important elements get top billing. You only have a few seconds to grab a customer’s attention, so make sure your welcome/sale messages are minimal and to the point. Littering your page with paragraphs of text is a complete turn-off. Your goal is to sell a product, not to bore your readers with an overabundance of incoherent drivel.
Color
Also avoid littering the page with multiple colors. Color is extremely critical to the overall design, and a poor palette could possibly drive visitors away, ultimately resulting in less business. It’s best to always start with one major color in mind and then vary the lightness and saturation of that color to see the optional tones it can provide. If you are incorporating a pre-existing logo into your design that must be adhered to, separate the colors used, and explore all the possible tones that can be created. Try to design your page using that one main color. Then introduce one or two complementary colors to enhance the rest of the page. This will help draw attention to places of importance, such as the navigation bar, section headings, or a sales headline. Choosing a sensible color scheme depends upon what mood you want to portray and what will fit your customers’ needs. Keep in mind who your target audience is. Research what colors appeal to women and men. Make sure everything is easy to see and that your text is not placed upon a conflicting, hard-to-read background. Your page doesn’t have to have a beautiful color scheme; it has to have a successful color scheme.
Images
Along with color choices, it is also important to choose the right images and to use them carefully. In some situations, not only can images increase load times (think of your target audience), but they can clutter up a page in no time. Display your product images in a uniform manner and stick to using one or two prominent images to advertise what you are selling, help balance the page, and fill in the empty spots with some weight. Stay away from distracting backgrounds and don’t go overboard with flash animations. You want customers to immediately understand what your site is about, and in the process, refrain from going blind. Make sure all your visuals are being placed in the right spot and aren’t solely being used to add decoration to the page or its background. Just don’t give your visitors “stuff” to view. Utilize images to properly clarify content, features, and navigation. A good, clean website is one that will not get in the way of the visitor’s shopping agenda. Your customers should be able to reach the checkout with only a few clicks, so avoid building roadblocks by overwhelming users with distracting banners and animations.
Simplicity can be a very complex issue, but it’s not impossible to achieve. Your website makes a big impression on your viewers, so take the time to educate yourself about the latest trends in design, presentation, and functionality. How you portray your website is how visitors will think you portray your business in general. You want to show them you are structured, professional, and here to help. It might take some time before you manage to find the perfect mix between details and appearance, but that’s okay; Rome wasn’t built in a day (actually it took about 850 years to build, but you don’t have that much time and that’s not really the point). Again, stay up-to-date on web development and constantly pay attention to how you are laying out the elements on your page. Remember, your website is not for you, it’s for your visitors – so cut the clutter and keep it sweet and simple!
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.
There is something special about the sights and sounds of holiday shopping. Garland and lights are hung, seasonal music is pumping, maybe the smell of pine is in the air; but most importantly, careful merchandising by retailers is a call-to-action to entice customers to buy. Online retailers can also make seasonal changes to put more emphasis on what’s hot for the season, beef up holiday sales numbers, and even get a little festive.
Here are five must-have five features for Yahoo! Stores to woo holiday shoppers:
1. Give Holiday Shoppers a Peek Inside with Flash Sequence Banner
There’s something nostalgic about walking down the sidewalks of a festive, decorated, snowy Main Street during the holidays, with all the store fronts giving shoppers a glimpse at what’s featured and on sale inside. Flash sequence banners can be your virtual window display case. While useful year-round, the holiday season is a prime time to consider adding flash sequence banners to your homepage. Boost sales by rotating through promotional messages for sales, special shipping and gift wrap offers, featured products/sections and then, after-holiday clearance sales! Aside from increasing conversions, flash sequence banners keep your homepage fresh.
2. Attract Bargain Shoppers with Dynamic Sales Page
Ever walk right toward the clearance rack or value bins at your local department store? Bargain shoppers sure do, especially around the holidays. Dynamic Sales Page, one of Solid Cactus’ newest features, makes deals and steals easier to find. Working in tandem with Dynamic Paging, the new Dynamic Sales Page feature automatically populates with all items listed ‘on sale’ in your store. Not only will customers easily find your best deals of the season, but this feature also saves valuable time for store owners like you because no longer will you have to manually create and reorganize pages each time items go on or off sale.
3. Increase Order Size with Multiple-Add-to-Cart
It’s all about the accessories and coordinating items when it comes to gift-giving. Video game systems need controllers and games. Necklaces need matching earrings. Baseball bats need balls and balls need gloves. You get the idea. No matter what products you offer, chances are other items in your store are a perfect complement. Item Page Multiple Add-to-Cart puts coordinating items smack dab in the forefront, thus suggesting add-ons the user may not have initially thought of purchasing. Plus, customers can effortlessly add those multiple items to the cart with just one click. Multiple-Add-to-Cart can eliminate the need for users to search for accessories, and more importantly, increase order size by prompting customers to buy more with that one click.
4. Build Exciting Promos with Scratch and Save
Holiday shopping can be exciting; you never know what bargain you may find or when you will come across an unexpected slashed price on the shelf. Entice your e-commerce shoppers with a secret savings with Solid Cactus’ newest feature, Scratch and Save. This fun, interactive feature gives your customers the chance to scratch off a virtual coupon, revealing a mystery discount code that can be used upon checkout. There are endless promotion ideas for this feature, but to get you started for the holidays, why not call it a “Secret Santa Sale” and couple it with an e-mail marketing blast and featured graphic on your homepage?
5. Build Urgency with Holiday Countdown
How many shopping days are left? Solid Cactus’ Holiday Countdown is a perfect way to build urgency with your online shoppers. Think of it as an Advent calendar for your store– without the chocolate, of course (although we’d offer that if we could). The feature provides a countdown in hours, days, minutes, and seconds to the end of the holiday shopping season, a special sale, a free shipping offer, or other time-sensitive promotion. This feature isn’t just for Christmas, either. Change the graphic and promotional message throughout the year for other seasons or holidays like back to school, Halloween or a general annual sale.
The trees may be green now, but summer is the time to get in holiday mode and make preparations for the busiest shopping season of the year.
Senior Account Mananger at Solid Cactus
With the fun and festivities of the summer season, it’s hard to imagine the holidays are right around the corner. Ask yourself this: As an e-commerce merchant, are you ready?
July through September is crunch time for merchants preparing for the holiday rush.
It’s vital to begin hiring holiday help early so your new team can learn the ways of your store, understand the benefit of each product, and be able to convey that message to potential customers. The all-important fourth quarter is no time for newbies or amateurs. As any HR representative knows, finding the right employee is not an overnight process. Think about all that’s involved: placing help wanted ads, reviewing applications, interviewing applicants. Then it’s on to start the training process.
There are alternatives to the headache of hunting for seasonal help. Why not consider Solid Cactus Call Center to provide top-notch, professional assistance to your shoppers? Whether you are looking for basic sales support or complete customer care, Solid Cactus has customizable solution for you.
In the past few years, Solid Cactus Call Center has grown in leaps and bounds. We are currently fully-staffed for four shifts and our team services hundreds of e-commerce merchants across the United States and abroad. We have a razor-sharp focus on capturing sales and order entry, and we also know the importance of complete customer care, such as tracking shipments, authorizing returns, and handling credit card declines. You decide how much or how little we perform and what tasks we do. Many of our clients capture calls during their traditional business hours and utilize our group for evening, after hours, and weekends. If you prefer, we are ready and able to handle the whole enchilada.
For less than the cost of a good help wanted ad, Solid Cactus Call Center can set up, prepare, and train our savvy team for your specific needs. We post open positions, review applications and hire only the best of the best. We carefully train our staff on your products and procedures, and learn from the best – YOU! All customer service reps (CSRs) are skilled in up-selling and cross-selling, so we’re capturing more sales and increasing the size of your orders. Many clients initially thought of using our call center as an affordable luxury, which it is. However, clients are soon delighted to discover the large increase in sales in the matter of a month or two. Convenience and profitability – what a great combination!
Despite doing your homework and hiring your very best prospect, there’s no guarantee your new employee will be a good fit. With Solid Cactus, that’s no longer your problem. Our team provides you with the ultimate employee. We never call off sick and we don’t complain about working late or on weekends. You never have to worry about bad driving conditions or family emergencies; our crew will man the phones, capture your sales, and delight your shoppers.
One mistake we see is that many merchants believe that e-mail and voice mail are a substitute for customer care. Nothing could be further from the truth. Step into our call center at any time, day or night, and you will hear the phones ring and our CSRs busy taking calls. Why? Consumers have the “I want it when I want it – and I want it NOW” mantra. They will not wait on a voice mail or e-mail to be returned.
We live in the information age; your customer does not have to be inconvenienced by driving and shopping around. Your competitor is simply a mouse click away. A pleasant, professional voice promptly answering your phone is priceless. Not only does it give a personality to your company, but it also shows the customer you truly care and are dedicated to complete customer satisfaction.
Just how easy is it to get started with Solid Cactus Call Center Services? It’s as simple as one, two, three:
1. Contact Solid Cactus Call Center for a free cost analysis.
2. Complete a brief questionnaire and review what tasks and duties you would like our team to perform.
3. Schedule a few brief call or two with your account manager and our team trainer. The rest is up to us.
It really is that simple. In most instances we can have you up and running in under a week. Maybe it’s time you considered giving yourself an early gift: one of a profitable and stress-free holiday season, courtesy of Solid Cactus Call Center Services.
By Cindy Cruikshank
cindy.cruikshank@ebizinsider.com
