Monday, February 28, 2011

Frustrated with SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?...

It is important to realize that SEO is often times a long term goal and it is important to pace yourself and be realistic with the goals of your website. There can be many reasons why things take a great deal of time to work for each website and it is important to understand all of them. SEO requires time and patience and a thorough review of every search engine optimization ingredient...

Bottom line... It might be wise to have a professional look at it.


Friday, February 25, 2011

QR Codes continuted...

QR codes can be anything from product information to coupons and coupon codes. Expect QR codes to expand even more over the next few years as smartphones, tablets and other portable devices become even smarter.


Thursday, February 24, 2011

QR codes... What are they?...

QR Codes also known as 2D Barcodes consist of a small square of black and white blocks that can be read by a decoding application or a smartphone. They can contain over 7,000 pieces of data, and are generally used to link to content on a mobile website.

More on QR codes tomorrow.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A few key steps on how to avoid the spam filter...

1, Understand and respond to complaints. (It’s all about setting expectations).
2, Ensure email database is up to date. (Avoid sending emails to dormant addresses. Keep the list clean).
3, Infrastructure and Authentication. (Home-Grown systems are more susceptible to this. ESP’s manages this daily).
4, Avoid switching your IP address (ISP's are aware of this practice and may mistake you for a spammer)



Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Is each page on your website engaging?...

Know that your homepage is not the center of your online universe anymore. Search engines and email links makes each page more important then ever. With many points of entry to consider each page must be engaging.... Consider this when designing or updating your website.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Republish email content on your blog....

Do you have a great newsletter? Don’t hide it - publish newsletter articles and other information, and be sure to include a link to sign up for future emails.


Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Develop effective subject lines...

Open rates is a key indicator of a successful email. Use the following tactics to improve your open rates.

1, Get to the point (Use 60 characters or less. You risk the chance of having the text being cut off by the recipient's email screen, or ignored altogether).

2, Speak to the Reader (The words you choose to use must instantly engage them. Be straightforward, respectful and honest).

3, Don't be a pest (Don’t use all CAPS, Don’t use hard sales pitches and Don’t be overly humorous).

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Clicks to Bricks..... It works!

Recent research carried out by Lightspeed Research found almost 6 out of 10 people worldwide would be more likely to make an in-store purchase after receiving a marketing email.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Shopping cart abandonment rates average around 52%...

All online retailers experience shopping cart abandonment. According to MarketingSherpa, shopping cart abandonment rates average around 52% for e-commerce sites. That's over half of your shoppers that disengage throughout the checkout process. Mine that data and take advantage of it!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Time-Limited offers generate quick responses...

Time-limited offers generate quick responses in email marketing. Show the offer in the subject line to get the quickest response.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Make Your Emails More Readable...

Increasing font sizes is becoming vital as more email and websites are viewed on mobile devices

Limit the use of:
  • Reverse type, with a lighter text on a darker background.
  • Low-contrast pages, with little difference between colors used for text and background.
  • Background images with a text overlay.


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Leave Your Landing Pages Up Longer...

Users may not click on an offer until many months after the time of transmission. This means you should look at the response rates long after transmission. No need to obsessively watch them daily or weekly if the message went out months prior. But, do check in to see the increased number.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Effective Marketing = Customer Loyalty...

Effective marketing is in large part about building trust and developing customer loyalty. The purpose of marketing is to create and maintain a strong feeling with customers so they continually choose and recommend you.