Marketing Tips

Email Rules for the Big Leagues

If you’re a small business that is capable of providing the same services that larger companies provide, there’s no reason you not to go after bigger clients. Once you’ve given your confidence a boost, it’s time to give your professional image a boost.

Many small business owners believe they don’t get bigger contracts because they are small. Not true. In fact, they often don’t land the business because they don’t look professional enough to do the job.

If you want buyers to have confidence in you, ensure your image projects your commitment to doing a professional, quality job.

A great place to start is with email. Here’s the quick list:

Use a proper email address. That means creating an email address that aligns with your website URL, not using GMail, Yahoo or your local cable provider’s email account. My motto: If you use a Yahoo email account for business, you ARE a yahoo!
Use a proper email signature. Include your name, title, company name, and a phone number where you can be reached. After a couple of replies, it’s okay to shorten things but anyone you email should only have to go back to your latest email to find your phone number, not search through countless emails and/or their contact list.
Have a consistent email signature. Everyone in your company should be using the same email signature template, it’s part of your brand. Anything less indicates you may be haphazard in other areas of your business. Is that the impression you want to leave?
Be concise in your communications. We’re all busy people, so no one has time to read to the bottom of the page to find out what you want. Spit it out! And keep it brief — there’s way less room for misunderstanding. If you need action, say so up front and if you need more than one action, use a numbered or bullet list.
Leave the drama at home. We should all know this, but it bears repeating: if you are fussed about something, think twice before sending a heated memo. Nasty emails leave a very long-lasting bitter taste that’s hard to get over, not to mention they are very easily forwarded far beyond the reach intended.
Keep it professional and friendly. But not too friendly. Email IS professional communications these days and it has a less formal, less rigid structure than traditional written correspondence, which is a good thing. Keep in mind, that doesn’t mean that courtesy and decorum are no longer necessary.

Quick and Easy Market Research

I highly recommend (on a regular basis) that companies check in with their customers. It’s important to learn what your customers think and feel and get a sense of how they might be saying about you behind your back — in a good way or bad.

Information is power and can help direct and re-direct your business as time goes on, keeping you fresh and in demand. A good way to check in with customers is with a survey. And all the better when it’s easy and short. Especially short.

There are a few online tools available, but my favourites are Zoomerang and Survey Monkey which both have free versions for small scale data collection. Each has slightly different features and format, but with both you can quickly and easily set up an online survey and gather helpful data.

Here are some basic rules for preparing a survey that gets completed:

No one likes spending a lot of time filling in forms, so keep it short
No one likes spending a lot of time filling in forms, so keep it simple
Make sure your questions are neither leading nor vague, both of which make the data useless
Add an incentive to increase response rate, such as a prize draw or special offer for anyone who responds
Only look for answers on things you can do something about. If you cannot build a blue thing-a-ma-jiggy, then don’t ask people if they would prefer a blue or a red thing-a-ma-jiggy.

Keeping your survey scope small and your questions specific will get you better data and usable insights.

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By liz gaige, April 15, 2010 · Filed under Articles, Marketing Tips, Suppliers & Outsourcing

Tips & Tricks of the Trade: Market Research

The term “market research” can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never done it and don’t know what it really means. What’s worse, it can be a huge waste of time if you focus your energy on gathering information that doesn’t end up being useful.

In addition to doing a market research project, I recommend business owners keep a folder handy in which to capture bits of information as they come across it on an ongoing basis. It’s a great habit to get into, and will help you keep an eye on trends and stay up-to-date on customer feedback.

Here is a summary of a few kinds of market research you can gather.

General Industry Information – Take some time to learn about the industry your business will fit into and what companies with a similar product or service are doing both locally and in other regions. The Internet, newspapers and magazines can all be used to begin your market research project.
Trends & Growth – It’s important to learn about emerging trends, as well as challenges facing your industry. This may include information on pending changes to legislation, recent innovations, market shifts, and financial or economic factors that industry insiders would be aware of.
Industry Statistics – Statistics are valuable in providing a sense of where your business fits in the big picture. They are great for providing perspective, but will not on their own tell you whether or now, or how, to proceed. They do provide a backdrop to the other research you will gather.
Interactive Research – This category encompasses many types of primary research, the kind you get yourself. It can include online or written surveys, focus groups, and even verbal questions, such as “How did you hear about us,” at the checkout counter.

Tips & Tricks of the Trade: Online Stores

A big part of being successful with an online store is having the backend technology and processes to support the business and purchase transactions. There are obvious basics to cover, like online security, but it never ceases to amaze me how often the actual transaction process – the steps a customer goes through to make the purchase – is not evaluated from the customer’s perspective and is a barrier that prevents people from buying. It’s no good getting people to your site if they get frustrated and leave without making a purchase!

I asked Rob Stocks of ideaLEVER, host of the November Ask the Experts, How to Drive Traffic to Your Online Store, to share his top four recommendations for businesses that want to build a successful online store.

Experience – You need to select a development team with e-commerce experience appropriate to your business goals. You don’t want them to be learning or experimenting with your business. Experience makes everything easier.
Multi-Currency – To sell to the US and internationally, you need to be able to sell in US dollars, but you don’t want to alienate local customers so you also need to sell in Canadian dollars. Everyone knows their exchange rate with the USD, while very few international customers know their exchange rate in Canadian dollars.
Taxes – Many US platforms including PayPal don’t support Canadian taxes. You need to charge HST to people in the Maritimes, GST to everyone, and PST for customers in BC…and these rules can change at any time. Avoid the headache and nightmare by choosing a provider who considers these variables. Did I mention the importance of experience?
Transaction Processing – You should not have to change your existing banking relationships for your e-commerce site. A proven platform and an experienced development team should be able to work with any transaction processor.

A little planning ahead and an experienced development team can simplify, streamline and increase your online sales.

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Marketing Tips

Email Rules for the Big Leagues

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Tips & Tricks of the Trade: Market Research

Tips & Tricks of the Trade: Online Stores

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