Create More Customers

Boy, talk about a word you hear all the time now. From the Obama administration's issuance of this memorandum on the 2nd day in office to new corporate social media policy to online businesses. Everyone seems to understand that being transparent in your dealings is what's required these day, but a lot of people and companies are still afraid to embrace it.

What does “transparency” mean?

It means being authentic, being real. It means admitting when you don't know or you've made a mistake. It means asking your community, your customers or your employees for ideas and help in formulating better products and services.

It also means taking a risk, realizing that you’re going to get shot down from time to time which is really a good thing. Because if you listen, really listen, your customers will tell you exactly what you need to do to be successful. It’s an opportunity to improve your products or service. And besides, with the quickness that word of mouth spreads these days, you can’t escape compliments or criticisms anyway.

Does transparency apply only to business?

No. When I was in my teens and my 20s, I had friends, who if they liked a girl, debated whether or not they should tell her. I know there were girls who wondered if they should say something if they liked us. Part of it was game playing, part of it was a fear of rejection. What if he/she doesn’t like me?

I’ve always been one to express or be “transparent” about my feelings in this instance. The fact is that one of two things will happen: 1) hopefully the girl feels the same and was just too shy to say anything before and now I’ve made it easier for her: or 2) she doesn’t feel the same, which is information I definitely need to know so I can move on.

Another example is when you might have said or done something that was unintended or misconstrued. Isn’t it better to apologize or explain yourself upfront rather than letting the other person possibly think ill of you? Isn’t it better to at least talk about it and clear the air?

What do personal relationships and business have in common?

By putting yourself or your company “out there” and being willing to accept whatever feedback you receive, you can either learn that you’re doing a good job or a not so good job. Chances are you’ll have customers from both ends of the spectrum. Just like the personal relationship example above, it’s information you definitely need to know.

By apologizing for an action that backfired or explaining why the company is taking the steps that it’s taken, you’ve helped defused the situation and at least opened a dialog.

So, is transparency another word for confidence?

I think so. It’s much easier to hide and not take responsibility for your company’s actions. Easier, but unwise.

It takes confidence and an appreciation that by being transparent, especially in these times of fast communication, you not only enhance your public image, you also stand to benefit from the input received.

That’s confidence, that’s being transparent, that’s stepping up to the plate in this day and age.

Have another word or idea to express the meaning of transparency?- just leave a comment.

Thanks for visiting the Create More Customers blog. If you like this blog, please be sure to add it to your feeds by choosing the RSS button, Google Reader, My Yahoo!, etc. This will allow you to keep up-to-date effortlessly with the latest blog post.

Thanks for visiting the Create More Customers blog. If you like this blog, please be sure to add it to your feeds by choosing the orange RSS icon in the upper right hand of the screen, Google Reader, My Yahoo, etc. This will allow you to keep up-to-date with the latest blog posts effortlessly. Tell a friend!

Is Google "the Man?"

I grew up in the 60's where you weren't supposed to trust anyone over 30 and certainly not big, greedy corporations.  Big corporations and big government represented "the Man," the enemy. And "the Man" was always trying to keep you down while taking all the advantages and profits for himself (well, I guess with respect to some corporations, things haven't changed at all).

I realize that Google is gigantic and that's a scary thing. Because we can't control something that large (AIG), we're at it's mercy (to a point) and we can only hope that it's kind and benevolent. Google's stated mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful, but does that make Google "the Man?"

Perhaps it does in some contexts, or even in a lot of them. But, because the focus of this blog and the purpose of  my company, IncreaseOnlineProfits.com, is about helping online businesses attract more visitors and create more customers, let's just focus on Google's search function and whether or not it's an ally or an enemy to our businesses.

Gaming the system

Many people try to cheat the search engines. They find ways to artificially get their website ranked higher for a short period of time. They load their pages with invisible keywords, where the font color and the background color are the same. Or they purchase multiple domains and post the same content on each and link to each other, or a whole host of other blackhat (as opposed to whitehat) SEO tricks.

The problem with trying to cheat the search engines is that you will be found out. Don't even begin to think that you can outsmart Google or the others. You can't. You might get by for a little while, but once they catch on, you just might see your website completely deleted from their databases and/or be blacklisted without any chance of returning.

You say to yourself, "So what? I'll just get a new domain name and do it again." But what about your customers? What about your personal sense of integrity? If that's how you want to operate, always looking for a new angle because you got caught using the last one, that's up to you. Personally, I like to go to sleep at night not having to look over my shoulder, knowing that I'm right with the world, that I've treated everyone the way I'd like to be treated.

Is it possible that you and Google want the same things for your website?

Google is a business. It only remains in business for as long as it returns search results that you and I find relevant to our search. If we search for information or pricing for a Flip camera and Google's search page results just returns a listing of electronic stores, is that relevant? Does that help us out?

No, it doesn't.  If we continued to received results that didn't save us time and didn't match our query, would we continue to use Google? No, we wouldn't. So, it's in Google's best interest to give it's searchers the most relevant information it can based on the  search terms used.

How does this relate to your website?

Google has created a Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide as well as Webmaster guidelines to help improve your site's interaction with users and search engines. Within those guides are suggestions such as:

• Offer quality content and services- write easy-to-read text, stay organized around the topic, use relevant language, create fresh, unique content and create content primarily for your users, not search engines
• Make your site easier to navigate- create a naturally flowing hierarchy, use mostly text for navigation and use "breadcrumb" navigation
• Think about the words users would type to find your pages, and make sure that your site actually includes those words within it
• Offer a site map that points to important parts of your site
• Write better anchor text- that's the clickable text that tells users and Google something about the page it's linked to
• Optimize your use of images- use brief, but descriptive filenames and alt text, supply alt text when using images as links, store images in a directory of their own
• Try to use text instead of images to display important names, content or links. The Google crawler doesn't recognize text contained in images
• Check for broken links and correct HTML

While these suggestions (and there are many more) not only  help your website to be found in the search engines, they also help those users who actually click through to your site.

Don't you want to attract more visitors by being more easily found in the search engine result pages? Don't you want to create more customers by having better quality and content, a site that's easy to navigate, easy-to-read text, etc.  Aren't these all things that make for a website that people want to visit, stay on, link to?

Is it possible that you and Google are on the same page in this respect? Doesn't it benefit them if you have a quality website with valuable content? Isn't that what they need for their search results? Remember, if Google can't return relevant search results, they lose customers.

Perhaps, they are an ally or can at least be seen as an ally and not the enemy.

Comments...

Have a comment about Google, a different point of view? Please, let me know.

Thank you for visiting the Create More Customers blog. If you like this blog, please be sure to add to your feeds by choosing the RSS button (the orange icon in the upper-right of the screen).  This will allow you to keep up-to-date with the lastest blogs effortlessly.

Rick

Tell a friend!

We've all heard that "content is king." Good content or hopefully, great content is what separates you from the rest of the pack. You can design the most beautiful website in the world, but without good content,  it won't really matter how cool your website looks.

What is good content?

It's very simple- good content is "valuable" content. If you can enhance your reader's life with the knowledge you bring to them, that's valuable content.

It doesn't have to be about making more money (although that's a good thing and probably the first thing that came to mind). It can be as simple as a new perspective on something your readers deal with in their daily lives, a new way of looking at things. It can be about a hobby, a passion you have for something, a zillion other things.

The benefits to you of valuable content

Let's look at the benefits of having valuable content on your website:

• It engages your readers
• It gives your readers a reason to keep coming back
• It gives your readers a reason to stay longer
• It gives your site credibility
• It can establish you as an authority in your area of expertise
• The media may come to see you as an expert in your field
• Quality content will be ranked higher in search engine results
• More websites are likely to link to your site which will place you higher in search engine rankings
• Conversion rates increase which equals more revenue

 

What do you think are some additional benefits of valuable content? Leave a comment.

Wishing you the best,

Rick

Tell a friend!

I just read in the Los Angeles Times today about the new "in-your-face Web ad formats." According to the article, these new formats are "designed to be both more obtrusive and interactive."

There are 3 types of these new supersize ads

1. Fixed panel- which looks like part of the page but scrolls up and down with the user
2. XXL box- which allows users to turn pages within the ad
3. Pushdown- which opens to display a larger ad

The reason for these new type of ads?

The reason is because all of us have learned to tune out banner ads. We've all developed "banner blindness."  In fact, we've become so good at it, that according to usability expert, Jakob Nielsen, in his 2006 book, Prioritizing Web Usability (VOICES) - "Banner blindness has expanded beyond the deliberate act of not looking at banners to encompass avoidance of anything that usually signals irrelevant information or advertisements...In fact, anything that's overly large or colorful risks being ignored, particularly if it includes animation." We must have had a good reason for becoming so skillful at ignoring ads. Perhaps, it was because we're more interested in the content of the page and learning something of value to us? I realize that print advertising is falling by the wayside, and you have to find some way to attract the attention of your intended audience.  We all do, even if we're not purposely trying to monetize our audience.

Will bigger and more intrusive work?

But are supersize ads that take up a large portion of your browser screen, the answer? If I visit a particular website to learn more about a subject, will I be likely to have more or less goodwill toward that website and it's owner if my screen real estate is obscured by these giant ads? My guess is less. For now, these in-your-face-advertisments are being used or will be used by publishers such as the New York Times, CNN, CBS, ESPN and the Wall Street Journal.

What's the answer?

I'm not sure what the answers are to the dilemma confronting these online publishers. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. What are your thoughts on this subject?

Tell a friend!

The world has changed.  On a daily basis, we're bombarded with more advertising messages than ever. It's no longer an issue of standing out among your competitors. It's become an issue of standing out at all.

Your customers, my customers, ourselves included, can't possibly deal with the massive amount of information being constantly thrown at us. So, what do we do?

We tune it out. It's really the only way to deal.

Oftentimes, people who are dogmatic, unwilling to listen to new ideas or try something new, don't do it because their belief is that strong. They do it as a way of dealing. It's easier to just say this is who I am and this is what I believe. That way, you don't have to take the time to listen to new ideas, consider them and possibly change your own point of view. You believe in "X" and that's that.

What does this have to do with marketing on the Internet?

I'll tell you.  It's a struggle for attention. You're own website might even be your enemy. It might be so full of "noise" that your visitors turn and run because they can't break through all the clutter.

And even if your website scores high for usability, is clean and intuitive, it may not be enough. You might have the killer content of all time and it might still not be enough.

So, what's the answer?

Aside from the  necessary and important search engine marketing and optimization tips and tricks that will hopefully drive traffic to your website, you have to provide a solution for your intended audience. You have to fix whatever is ailing them.

Be a solution, solve a problem. Just the same as you and me, our visitors want simple, easy to follow, easy to understand answers to their problems.

Organize your content into a method, a process, that shows your prospect how they can get from Point A to Point B. As James Connor wrote in his brilliant book, The Perfection of Marketing,- "...You see, Peter, there is just too much information in the world. Ironic- because the marketplace is primitive. If people can't quickly understand what you stand for, then you won't break through. There is just too much competition. If you tell too many ideas, people will gravitate rapidly to the competitor who makes it simpler for them- who communicates one idea. To win, you have to keep it simple..." 

On my own website, IncreaseOnlineProfits.com, we're going through a re-design right now for this very reason. Our current homepage is too "noisy." And our valuable content needs to be arranged in a simpler fashion for the ease and use of our customers. We should have a new version up in a couple of weeks and you can compare them for yourself.

I suspect our website will be constantly evolving and changing, as it should and as yours should as well.

I welcome your comments

Tell a friend!

In an earlier post,  How Do I Improve My Customer Service?, I suggested that the answer lies in looking at your website from your customer's perspective.  It's the only viewpoint that really matters.

I recently had  an offline experience that's worth describing to you:

A Personal Story

About a year ago, I installed new maple kitchen cabinets in my house. The company was professional, they showed up on time, the workmanship was superior and I was very pleased. The cabinets looked like fine furniture.

In November, I noticed that the finish began developing blemishes in some areas. In California, finishes need to be water-based rather than oil-based to protect the environment, a good thing. Unfortunately, most water-based finishes are just not as durable and long-lasting as the oil-based ones. At the time of installation, it had been raining pretty steadily, and I thought that maybe the finish hadn't dried sufficiently.

I called the company, they sent someone out and agreed that the cabinets needed to be repaired.  The worker took one of the cabinet doors with him to show to his supervisor and told me that I would be called later that day.

By the end of the next day, no one had called, so I called and left a message. After calling each day for 4 days, someone finally returned my call and told me that new cabinet doors were being made.

A week later I called to check on the status of the repair. Guess what? No return call. I waited 3 days and left a voicemail for the owner, thinking surely he would call back and apologize. No dice.

Then I received a call setting up an appointment for installation, which was great. No one showed up.

I then called my sales rep who I hadn't spoken to in a year. He said that he would get to the bottom of it and call me back. He did call and told me that no one was returning his calls either. ( Now, this is a guy who had been with the company for over 10 years and was their top salesman bringing in over $15 million in sales during that time).

A couple of days later, the rep called to say that the company had closed its doors and they still wouldn't talk to him. At this point, all I wanted was my original cabinet door back. He said not to worry, he had contacts and could get another one made if necessary.

Keep in mind, he had suddenly lost his job, didn't know if he would receive his commision checks and really didn't  have any obligation to me at this point. He had his own problems to worry about.

End of story- a few days later, on his way to file a grievance with the Labor Board, the sales rep stopped by the shuttered business and prevailed upon a security guard to look for my  cabinet door. He found it, called me and I got my door back.

I was so impressed that even after he told me that he was getting out of the remodeling business after 18 years, I told him, "Whatever you get into next, if you think I might be a potential client, please call me."

Sometimes, the only difference between you and your competitor, is customer service. My earlier post on customer service offers several examples of things you can do on your website to separate yourself from the rest of the pack.

What are some of your own experiences of outstanding customer service, both online and offline?  Please comment below.

 
The concept of "above the fold" is still a very important concept although not in the same way as previously thought.

Above the fold is a newspaper term that refers to the headlines and stories that are visible when the newspaper is folded in half as in a news rack. These are what sell the paper. In web terms, above the fold simply means the first full screen that a user sees without scrolling. (We're speaking about vertical scrolling, not horizontal scrolling, which is a complete no-no).

 
Do users scroll?

It used to be thought that most users don't scroll and therefore anything that was important, had to be placed "above the fold", or it wouldn't be seen. It's not as black and white as that. Users still don't like to scroll anymore than they used to but they will scroll, and probably always did as long as there was a reason to continue further.

 
What causes users to scroll?

Great content. That's the bottom line. Users will scroll if you've kept their attention. That initial screen has to let them know what you're offering, what's in it for them, and why they should do business with you. If you can answer those questions to their satisfaction, they'll most likely stay on your page and scroll down for more information.

 
 Should important items still be above the fold?

Yes, critical elements should still appear above the fold. Elements that tell your visitor who you are, what you're offering and why they should do business with you have to be seen on that first screen, or you've lost them.

That doesn't mean you should jam everything possible onto that first screen. That's just as poor an option as not answering the above questions. Don't fill that first screen with all your headlines, body copy, graphics, opt-in boxes, navigation bars, calls-to-action, etc.

Just make sure that the first screen they see conveys exactly what your website is about and what's in it for them,  in as clear and simple language as possible. If they have to scroll to understand what your website is about, they won't. They'll go elsewhere.

 
 Where is the fold?

This is a huge question. A lot of designers will create a page so that portions of images or text will be cut off at the fold, to let visitors know that they have to scroll down further. To do this, they have to know where the fold is, don't they?

The truthful answer is that they have no real idea of where the "fold" is for a specific visitor. It depends on the screen resolution the user has set, as well as the screen size of their monitor. Bigger screens show more content above the fold and require less scrolling. Smaller screens show less content above the fold and require more scrolling.

A study conducted by Onestat.com shows that as of September 30, 2008, 40.28% of all computer screens worldwide were using a screen resolution of 1024 X 768. If you look at just normal screens as opposed to wide screens, that percentage increases to 61.8%. The lowest screen resolution in their study, 640 X 480 accounts for only 0.16% of all screens, while a screen resolution of 800 X 600 accounts for just 4.01% of all screens. This data helps, but you still can't solve"where the fold is" for all users.

 
What do I need to do?

The most important item on your page, both above and below the fold, is your content. If your content is interesting and valuable to the reader, they'll scroll down for more. If it isn't, they're on to the next website.

What you put on that first screen, no matter where the fold falls, is very important because that will probably be your only opportunity to grab your visitor's attention. Make sure it spells out very clearly what your website is all about and what you have to offer. Don't pack it full with a lot of "noise." Just pack it full of valuable and compelling content.

That's how you keep them on your website and eventually turn those visitors into customers.

Your comments are appreciated.

You see the guy to the left with his finger on the mouse? As soon as he comes across something on your website that makes him have to stop and think, doesn't work the way it should, isn't easy to scan, etc., etc., he just clicks on that mouse and he's at your competitor's website. It's that easy. And, he'll probably never come back to your site again.

We all know about testing headlines and advertising copy. Have you ever thought about testing your website from your client's perspective? No matter how easy, simple, and intuitive you think your website is, if your visitors don't, that's all that matters.

 
What is usability?

Usability, with respect to websites, is a quality or measurement of how easily your site allows your users to achieve their goals. These goals might be gathering information, purchasing products, subscribing, and comparing, among other things. You want their experience with your website to be positive and encourage them to return.

 
Why should it matter to me?

You know your website inside out. You either designed it or helped with your input. Every function, every word on the site is crystal clear to you.

• But what if it isn't so clear to your users?
• What if they're not sure what you're offering?
• What if they're not sure what they can do on your website?
• What if they get lost?
• What if the words are unfamiliar?
• What if they just don't understand the purpose of your website?

Do you think they're going to email your or call you and ask their questions? No, they're going to leave, just like you and I do. It's too easy not to leave. The next website is just a mouse click away.

 
Okay, I get it. What do I do now?

You need to test and test often. Most likely your website is constantly changing. New features added, old features removed. New content, new copy. It doesn't remain static.

No matter how easy, simple, and intuitive you think your website is, if your visitors don't think that, nothing else matters.

Tell a friend!

We all have our own ideas of what constitutes great customer service. But I think we can each agree that it means taking that extra step, doing something unexpected that makes us feel like a valued person.

 
A Personal Story
A few months ago, my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. I called this very highly rated restaurant in Beverly Hills to make a reservation. The gentleman answered the phone with, "Thank you for calling Mastro's. How may we be of the greatest service to you?" When I told him that I was making reservations for our anniversary, he said, "What a tremendous compliment that you've chosen our restaurant to celebrate this special occasion." My first thought was, "That's nice, but come on, let's get real."

To make a long story short, one of the items we ordered was the "Seafood Tower." You can add lobster tail, shrimp, crab, oysters, etc. to it. Well, they left out one of the items and I pointed it out to the waitress. I didn't think that much about it. I just figured they would bring it out on a separate plate. Well, not only did she apologize, the maitre d' apologized, and the chef came over to apologize.  They brought the missing item (I don't even remember what it was), and deducted it from the final bill. Needless to say, I was impressed and did in fact feel like a very valued person.

How can we translate this attitude, this feeling, to our own website, where we probably have very little personal interaction with our visitor?

 
Look at your website from your client's perspective.
What are their worries, their anxieties? At what point do these concerns present themselves along the purchase path?

 
To a new visitor, your business is a big unknown

• Are you reliable?
• Are there any hidden costs?
• Do you have multiple methods of payment?
• Are my transactions secure?
• Can I contact you?
• How quickly will you respond to my inquiries?
• What are your refund policies?
• What are your shipping policies?
• Can I track my shipment?
• What do other customers think of you?
• Can I purchase without registering first?
• Have you given me enough information to make a decision?
• Is your product description accurate?
• Will your autoresponder confirm my order and let me know when it has shipped?
• Is there an FAQ page that will answer most of questions?
• I s there a picture of you, so I know I'm dealing with a real person?

I'm going to stop here for right now, but I think you get the idea. Put yourself in your customer's shoes.

Your website needs to anticipate as many of their questions as possible, in advance, and then answer them in advance, on your webpages. If you're not sure what those questions might be, do a quick usability test. Pay 3 or 4 people from outside $40 or $50 each to spend a half hour on your website. Give them tasks to do. Ask them to purchase something and record their comments.

I guarantee that you'll be surprised at how many of your visitor's questions and concerns have been overlooked. And if you have answered everything in advance, more power to you.

Tell a friend!

Being judged.
I was watching the Summer Olympics and it struck me that Michael Phelps (swimming), Nastia Liukin (gymnastics) and Lolo Jones (track and field), along with all the other athletes, each spend years and years training and practicing, for that one brief performance, that one shot at gold that may only take a few seconds or a minute, and then it's over.

Can you imagine putting in all that effort and time and then being judged for it in just a matter of seconds?

Guess what? You are.
Every visitor that comes to your site judges what you've created and in a moment decides whether or not to stay and investigate further or click away to your competitors. If you don't satisfy your visitor that they're in the right place, that you have what they want and that it's easy for them to get to, they're gone.

There usually aren't any second chances.
Each visitor that comes to your website is an opportunity for you to score gold - to sign them up, subscribe them, sell them, to make them a customer. If you don't do it the first time out, you probably won't get a second chance. At least the Olympic athletes can try again in four years, your turn is over.

You may have optimized the heck out of your search engine marketing, promoted yourself with all the newest social media techniques, written blogs, recorded podcasts and stuffed your website with the greatest quality content. But if after knocking on your door, no one wants to come inside and check out the rest of the house, does it really matter?

Grab the gold.
Since you don't usually get a second chance to make a first impression, you better make the first one count. You do that by looking at your website from the client's perspective, the only one that really matters

Just as the Olympic athletes try new techniques and change their training regimens in order to improve and optimize their performance, you also need to test and improve every aspect of your website.

The advantage you have over the Olympians, is that you don't have to wait four years to see if your efforts have paid off.