How to Make Buying Easier for Your Customers

Today's question: Is your stuff too hard to buy?

Making it hard for customers to do business with you can drive them away faster than you can say “record low profits.” Retail sales are rebounding, but we’re not out of the woods just yet.

Shopping. From Flickr user Markles55.

If you want this year to be better than last year, then it’s time to take another look at each aspect of your business, which is why I’m asking you…

…Is your buying process easy enough? 

First, let’s look at your web site. 

How long does it take a customer to buy your product once they’ve decided what they want? Could it be faster? How many steps do they need to take?

Do you save purchasing information (contact info, shipping info, secure credit card info) for return customers? If not, why not? If you don’t have customer accounts and purchase data saved for one or few-click buying, now is a time to think about an upgrade.

Investments you make now will pay off big-time when the holidays roll around, and customers can easily buy whatever they see with one click. Price out your options (namely, with or without credit card data) and see what's really feasible. If it seems like too much, price it against the potential for missed sales (a financial pro can help you with that), and decide what's right for you.

Pro tip: Don't forget that you may also be able to ease the buying experience without some of the expense with tools like Paypal and Google checkout.

Remember, customer accounts drive loyalty - customers will return where it’s easiest to buy, especially when they’re on their mobile devices. No one wants to key in their data over and over again on a small screen when they can save it once on their bigger screen and buy anytime.

Let's take a look at your stores, too: 

Now is a great time to have your wisest friends mystery shop your store and report back. Could they find what they needed? Did anyone offer to help? Was it a consultative experience, with your salespeople offering expertise and recommendations?

How long did it take to check out? Are there places where you can streamline things without making people feel hurried? When your stores are busy, do you have the right systems and staffing in place to keep lines from getting too long?

And finally, are you capturing customers' phone numbers or email addresses, so you can communicate with customers again and track purchasing history?

Again, now is the time to upgrade, change, and rejigger anything that needs fine tuning, so your staff is used to performing at their best when busy times roll around.

Another pro tip:  Direct Mail isn’t dead yet. This recent Forbes article claims that physical marketing still leaves a deeper impression than online marketing. Time to mail your loyal fans a postcard, perhaps?

Need help getting to all systems go? Let me know. I can help.


Related Posts

Don't Rickroll Your Audience - Try This Instead!

How Can You Help Your Customers Today?

Starting Your Marketing Plan

So you you've been updating your Twitter account like a good kid, posting to Facebook often, but not too often, you make sure your blog and your web site always have fresh content, and you may finally get that press release done this week. For some reason, though, you feel like none of this is helping. The traffic just isn't coming.

Planning Essentials: Photo: Flicker user JacQueLyne

Why?

Because it's not part of a larger marketing strategy. Twitter, Facebook, blogs, web site, and PR are tactics, not strategies.  These tools play their part to support a larger plan. If you don't have a larger plan, then won't realize their true potential to grow your business.

OK, so now what?


I like to lay out an annual plan, mapping out the year and determining some major themes. Marketing events might include promotions around holidays, the launch of a catalog, a major web site update, and a quarterly PR push. This is also a good time to think about new product that will be launching in the next year, where that goes on your marketing calendar and what you'll be doing around it.

"But, I can't possibly think of every single tweet, Facebook update, or blog post I'm going to do for the next year!" you say.

And you're right. You'll plan those things out on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, depending on how you prefer to work. It's important, now, though, to lay out your year so you can see what needs to be done in advance. For example, if you're launching a major new product line in the next year, you'll need to build in time to update your web site, put together a new catalog, write a press release, and make sure the rest of your online properties are updated.

Your Takeaway?

Set a goal to put together a marketing plan for 2012 by the end of October. Think about what your major campaigns will be, and what you'll need to do to execute them. I'm happy to review what you've put together and offer my feedback. You can connect to me on twitter at @leahibraheem or on LinkedIn here.

Related Posts

Seven Ways to Beat the Creative Block

Why Marketing is not Sales

News this Week: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

What should you be paying attention to this week?

Whether you agree with his politics or not, I hope you watched Thursday's speech by President Obama.

Photo: Flickr user Buggolo

There are a number of things to think about.

1) If you're a small employer, there's a proposed tax cut for hiring anyone who's been unemployed for six months or more.

2) For manufacturers, the President has proposed making it easier to export your products all over the world.

3) If you're a visionary, Obama wants to make getting patents quicker and simpler.

4) More controversially, the President has called upon the richest of the rich and the largest, most profitable corporations to "do their part" and pay more taxes.

5) For the rest of us, a proposed income tax cut should save most families about $1500 next year.

6) There was also a great marketing angle to this speech. Obama repeated the words "Pass this jobs bill" many times. "Pass this bill now," he said again and again. He clearly messaged what he wanted and why. We can all take a cue from that.

What does this mean for your business?

It's hard to say. Certainly, the Republicans will oppose the plan, but Obama has also employed some strong rhetorical strategy - according to the President, people who are against the American Jobs Act are against building infrastructure, supporting products that are made in the USA by Americans, business tax cuts, and shoring up our educational system so we can be more globally competitive. Watch for a Republican alternative plan building on the prebuttal they already released, coming ASAP.

It will be interesting to see what the American Jobs Act looks like in the end, and how it will be paid for.

What do you think?

We can't end this week without considering how September 11th has affected all of us, our families, our lives, and our businesses. We all have our own memories of that day, and this is a good time to reflect on how we can value each other more and appreciate each other's differences.

Seven Ways to Beat the Creative Block

It's hard to get up every day and be 100% creative.

Sometimes I get up and I'm just not inspired. Here's what I do when I'm all out of great ideas.

1) Check my Twitter account. This is where I connect to other people who do what I do, so I can see what they are thinking about today. It's also a great source of overall news and interesting ideas.

2) Login to LinkedIn and see what my connections are doing. Is anyone working on anything interesting? Did anyone post anything thought-provoking in one of my groups? The answer to this is almost always yes.

photo © 2008 Cornelia Kopp | more info (via: Wylio)
3) LinkedIn has also recently launched a feature called LinkedIn Today, which displays headlines based on your chosen news sources and what's being shared by the most people. This is another great way to find out what people find relevant right now.

4) Checking google trends tells me what the most popular google searches are right now. While this usually just confirms for me that I'm way behind on my pop culture, it can be a great way to find out what's top of mind out there.

5) Sometimes I visit Wikipedia's main page. Wikipedia will tell you what happened on this day in history (which is always of interest), provide the latest news, and showcase a few other interesting things I didn't know.

6) It's usually worthwhile to take a 10-minute break to watch a TED talk. Some of the most inspiring people around are on TED and there's always the opportunity to learn something new.

7) If I'm still not inspired, maybe today's not a day for creative work. Maybe it's time to take a break and do something else. It really can help to just give myself permission not to be creative today. I can work on many other things - accounting, reporting, customer service, or other project work. Sometimes getting organized is all I need to get unblocked.

How do you cope when you feel blocked? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Group Discount Sites- My Two Cents

Unless you've been doing your marketing under a rock lately, you've heard all about the exponential growth of group discounting sites like LivingSocial, Groupon, Facebook Deals, Google Offers. Now Amazon, AT&T, and your credit cards are getting in on the action, too.

The idea is that if enough people join a deal, the customers get a discount, and the merchant gets enough new customers to make it worthwhile, and the discount site gets a cut. Everyone wins!

But does it really work that way?

Not always.

photo © 2008 Benjamin Reed | more info (via: Wylio) But doesn't this kind of thing generate customer loyalty? I'll get lots of new customers who return to my business, right?

Actually, the loyalty these discounts generate is to the discount site. That's right - LivingSocial is generating loyal LivingSocial customers, not customers loyal to your business.

But the good news is that you'll get a list of customers who purchased your deal, and now that they are your customers, you can continue to market to them and entice them to return to try your other products.

Isn't it going to be super-profitable for my business to get tons and tons of new customers?

Actually, this is heavily dependent on the nature of your product, the cost of serving your customers, and which deal site you choose - they all work differently. Carefully evaluate how much this will cost you and how much you will have to pay for this exposure. Make sure you understand exactly how many customers will see your deal. Some businesses create special products or services just for the deal sites - things that are less expensive to provide to customers so they don't take such a bite out of profits.

But the good news is that the deal sites are always looking for new businesses (and types of businesses) to try, and they are happy to talk to you about what kind of arrangement might work best. Don't be discouraged if you aren't a restaurant or salon- I've seen deal offers recently for solar panels, scuba lessons, and museum passes.

I can just post my deal on any deal site and it will bring in tons of qualified new customers, right?

Actually, no. Not all deal sites work alike and not all cater to the same clientele. Before you begin this odyssey, be sure you have an understanding of who your customers are and which customer segments you'd like to attract with your deal.

But the good news is that you can scrutinize the different sites to see which would be the best fit for you and your business. You can ask as many questions as you want about who the customers are, what they buy, and at what price.

Am I a total dork if I don't participate in the group buying party?

Actually, no. If you research the issue and determine that it won't be profitable for you, don't do it.

The good news is you can always try it later, if it makes sense another time.

Need help navigating this deal-crazy landscape? Let me know.

Don't Rickroll Your Audience - Try this Instead

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, getting rickrolled means that you've clicked on a link to content that interests you, only to get Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" video.

Why am I talking about this now? Rickrolling is so 2008.

Because thousands of businesses rickroll potential customers every day.

How?

Rick Astley.
Flickr user chinnian

1.  Say you really need to move some polka-dot sweaters this week, so you advertise a great deal on them. Unfortunately, you send users to your home page, where the sweaters aren't promoted. Users have to use your menus to get to apparel, then women's, then sweaters, then polka-dot. Congratulations, you've just annoyed the crap out of your customers, and most have given up.

Don't rickroll - link directly to your deal!

2. Say you've just discovered that your product, baby powder, repels ants like nothing you've ever seen. So you do some promotions targeted to people interested in beating their ant problem. Unfortunately, you send these folks to your regular baby powder page, which is all about beating diaper rash. Is this the same stuff that makes ants go away? Your customers don't know. They leave empty-handed, feeling confused.

Don't rickroll - match your audience to your content with tailored landing pages.

3. Say you've created a great new diet solution. You place an online ad that says "Avoid these five foods, and lose weight today!" Lots of people click on this ad, but these five dastardly foods are nowhere to be seen. Instead, there's a video of indeterminate length (Are the five foods in there? Do I have time to watch this now?) and a exhortation to join your paid diet plan web site.

Don't rickroll - provide the content you've promised and people will want more.

Need help matching your deals, your content, and your audience? Let me know.

How Do You Stay Focused on What You Really Do?

If you’re like a lot of business owners, you spend way too much of your time on answering e-mail, finances, purchasing, logistics, human resources, marketing, your web site, and, and, and...


But what do you REALLY do for a living? If you’re like some of my friends…


photo © 2010 Robbert van der Steeg | more info (via: Wylio)

…You’re a bass player in a local band.


…You’ve written a book about leadership.

…You’re helping a talented musician with an international following get fans in his home country.


…You’re bringing the TLC back to dog grooming services with a personal touch.


…You’re a mommy blogger and seller of children’s books.

…You run an active, vibrant dance studio.

…You’re an expert consultant for government contractors.


…You run a successful landscaping business.


...You help other businesses grow.


Sometimes it’s easy to forget what we really do when we get so bogged down with all the other things that go along with our livelihoods.


The challenge is staying focused on our core expertise without getting bogged down by all the details.


How do you stay on top of things while still doing the fun part?


For me, my e-mail box is the tiger to tame. I’m also reluctant to work on my finances.

So what do I do?

I set aside time every day just to simply read and answer e-mail. Most of my research resources are in there (my RSS feeds, LinkedIn group updates, news, etc.) so this is definitely time well spent.

I also set a regular appointment with myself to catch up on my financial records, pay bills, and send invoices. 


How do make time for your core work?

I hope you'll share your thoughts in the comments.


Find that you’re spending too much time on say, marketing, and not enough on what you really do?

I can help. Drop me a line.

Three Things you can do Today to Drive Sales

It's Monday morning.

You're tired. That second cup of coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet.

You're looking at last week's numbers, and they aren't good. You need to do something today to get those numbers up.

So now what?

photo © 2009 Cliff | more info (via: Wylio)
Should you put a guy on the street with one of those big arrow signs leading to your store? Hire an Elvis impersonator? Get some of those car show models?

All of those are creative ideas, but here are three ideas that will really get things going:

1. Identify a small group of loyal customers.

Create a sale just for them. Call or e-mail them and say thank you. Extend this offer to them. It doesn't have to be much. You can even use a discount you're already doing. What's important is 1) you're thanking them, and 2) you're asking for a sale.

2. Identify the product or service that's selling best right now.

Send our an e-blast promoting that product. If you've got brick-and-mortar locations, put it in the front window. If you're a service, rather than product, business, put that service front-and-center on your web page, your blog, your twitter feed, your LinkedIn page, and anyplace else you can think of.

3. If you have a Facebook page, do a Facebook-only sale.

This is another great way to thank your fans. It also provides value to people for being your Facebook fan. Third, it's a great way to get more fans on Facebook - be sure to put a note on your e-blast and your web site that says "Follow us on Facebook for Facebook only sales." If you don't have a Facebook page, and you're a business-to-consumer (B-to-C) operation, consider starting one today.

So, what are you waiting for?

Get started driving sales now and start your week off right. Need help? Let me know.

Marketing News Roundup - April 15, 2011

What's new in marketing this week?

Canberra, Australia newsagent.
Photo: Tim Malone, www.timmalone.id.au.

Daily deal site LivingSocial has started an Instant Deals product, delivered right to your iPhone or Android. There's $1 lunch on April 15th here in DC.


US search marketing spending expected to grow 15% in 2011 (DM News).

Twitter has reached 155 million daily tweets (The Realtime Report). Here's a shameless plug for my twitter feed.

Twitter has also launched an indigenous tweets site, which collects tweets from more than 70 uncommon languages like Haitian Creole, Basque, and Gaelic (FastCompany).

Campaign results are in - 32% of online adults got most of their campaign news from online sources (Pew Internet).



Hint of the Week:

Thanks to the generous folks from HubSpot, some great insight  - 41% of small businesses surveyed  now have a Facebook page, plus, some great hints on how to drive engagement on Facebook.

What are you working on? Please share.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading!

What Were Your Marketing New Year's Resolutions?

House with snow. Photo: L. Ibraheem

Back when the temps were low and the snow was blowing, we were all making New Year's resolutions. Four months later, how's it going?

Have you:

Lost Weight? It's a great time to get rid of vendors you don't need, products you shouldn't offer, and relationships that aren't working.

Made the Most of What You Have? Your marketing channels should  be synched up so that they work together and support one another. Invest in efficiency and you make the most of what you've already got.

Tried New Things? It's always a good exercise to explore a new marketing channel or enhance one where your presence is minimal. Does Twitter now make sense for you when it didn't before? Is it time to beef up your Facebook presence? Or are all your customers hanging out on LinkedIn?

One thing I've been working on this year is SEO marketing. I've been learning how to edit web copy and keywords to be more search engine friendly. It's tricky, but very interesting, to see how people actually use search engines to find the information they want. It's also helping to drive more traffic to the web sites I work on and informing how we write e-blast, web, blog, press release, and facebook copy.


How have you enhanced your operations this year? I'd love to hear from you. If you need help getting it all done, just let me know.

Why Marketing is not Sales

One endless source of confusion for business owners is the difference between marketing and sales. As I said in my first post:

Marketing is NOT sales. Marketing is your sales strategy. Marketing is a disciplined plan as to how you will identify your audience, assess their unmet needs, and communicate to them how your service or product can meet those needs.

Basically, Marketing is the how of how you sell. It's strategic:

• Determining where your business exists in the competitive space;
• Defining your unique offering;
• Clarifying your brand; and
• Defining your audience...

And it's also tactical:

• Developing lists of contacts;
• Creating or updating your online presence;
• Designing other marketing materials if you need them;
• Creating your marketing calendar; and
• Executing that calendar

To have great sales, you must support your sales activities with a strong marketing strategy.

So here's the first question. Where are you in the competitive space? Who are the other players and what do they offer right now? How are they getting the word out?

OK, that was three questions.

You'll need to figure out the answers to them all (or ask for help).  I'll tell you more about competitive analysis in a future post.

What IS Marketing?

Some of my clients are small businesses - tiny businesses, in fact. My clients in these tiny businesses are experts at what they do - and they do amazing things all the time. They are some of the smartest, most innovative, most creative people I know. But marketing gives them the shakes. What is it about marketing that's so scary? Here are a few common misconceptions people have about marketing and a few hints about how to get started:


1) Marketing is NOT sales. Marketing is your sales strategy. Marketing is a disciplined plan as to how you will identify your audience, assess their unmet needs, and communicate to them how your service or product can meet those needs.


2) Marketing is NOT rocket science. See above. It's about planning, getting organized, and executing. You already know your customers and you already know your product. Now you just have to get the two together.


3) Marketing is NOT impossible! See 1 &2. Be organized, be disciplined, and be action-oriented. Each step you take gets your customers closer to your product.


4) You don't have to go it alone. You can begin with Ad Age's list of 150 best marketing blogs or work with a marketing consultant like me to make a plan and get it done.