Marketing/Internet

Are My Great Expectations Just Wonky?
by David Cross (05/09/2008)

Studies by experts such as Dr. Jakob Nielsen have shown that when software or websites "break," many users blame themselves. "It must be something I did," customers think. And then they give up on the task in hand, which, if it is spending money on your site, isn't good for you.

Good Cop(y), Bad Cop(y) - Let’s Make the World Safe for…
by Charlie Byrne (05/08/2008)

Take a ride around your town and you'll see it on signs everywhere you turn. Self-absorbed... inner-directed... and completely without benefit to the reader.

What’s More Important Than Your Search Engine Ranking?
by Alexis Siemon (05/07/2008)

Yes, rankings are important for getting your website noticed for targeted keywords and search phrases. But that's only the beginning...

Letting Your Customers Buy - the Way They Want To
by Suzanne Richardson (05/07/2008)

To get your customers to feel this way, make sure you put your marketing message in front of them in as many ways as you possibly can.

Free Online Tools to Make Your Life Easier, Part 1: Web Analytics
by Rick Maggio (05/06/2008)

Regardless of the Web analytics solution you choose, get something going today. Tracking website usage is critical to measuring results, understanding your website visitors, and growing your business.

Make Way for Life Happens
by David Cross (04/28/2008)

Life happens - and it often gets in the way. But how many websites actually take that fact into consideration?

The Price Is Right
by Bob Bly (04/23/2008)

Ask most experienced direct marketers "What's the best price to charge for my product," and the answer will be: whatever the market will bear.

Turn Your Faults into Assets
by Suzanne Richardson (04/22/2008)

Basically, you take a problem with your product - in this case, slow service - and redefine it as a benefit for your customers.

Dear ETR: "No rented list can pass the permission test."
by MaryEllen Tribby (04/22/2008)

"I believe ETR's response to the question about e-mail list brokers was misguided. Yes, one may rent an e-mail list. It is, however, to the best of my knowledge, a federal crime to use such a list.

The Sales Letter Length Debate Rages On
by ETR (04/18/2008)

Michael Masterson tackled in his recent article, "How Long Should a Sales Letter Be?" You may have agreed with him that long copy wins - but not all of your fellow ETR readers did.

Get Off the Internet
by MaryEllen Tribby (04/17/2008)

If you've got an Internet business, I've got a secret to getting your business to leap forward: Get offline.

How to Use Video to Cash In On the Rapidly Changing World Wide Web
by Jim Daniels (04/16/2008)

The rapid growth of high-speed Internet connections has given birth to one technology in particular that you need to be focused on: Video.

Make Mine a Single
by David Cross (04/15/2008)

My friend Brian forwarded me an article espousing the benefits of "double opt-in" versus "single opt-in" for people signing up for e-mail newsletters. Single opt-in requires them to sign up. Double opt-in adds an extra step...

Don’t Trick Your Prospects: A Marketing Lesson From the Movies
by Charlie Byrne (04/15/2008)

The purpose of a great headline is to get your readers' attention. And the purpose of the remainder of your sales letter is to get your readers to buy your product or service. But if there is a disconnect between what the copy promises and what the product delivers, you're going to have dissatisfied customers who feel betrayed.

Proving You’re Not a Spammer
by David Cross (04/11/2008)

Spammers have made life tougher for Internet marketers. Anytime you send an e-mail to a subscriber to your e-newsletter, you have to navigate a maze of spam filters and wary readers.

The Worst Self-Marketing Strategy Ever Devised
by Bob Bly (04/09/2008)

Conclusion: Doing a critique OR work on spec for a potential client who has not asked for it seems, on the surface, a sensible approach to marketing your professional or technical services. But it is not.

A Little Extra Goes a Long Way
by Suzanne Richardson (04/09/2008)

Having top-notch customer service doesn't necessarily mean you cater to your customer's every whim. But it does mean that you should always be thinking about how you can enhance your customer's experience.

ETR’s 7-Minute Guide to Web 3.0 - the Coming Information Revolution
by Charlie Byrne (04/08/2008)

There's a revolution brewing on the Internet, and it doesn't matter whether you are a retailer or a restaurant owner, a service provider or a professional, a hard-goods merchant or an information marketer, or anything and everything in between.

A Classic Case of Under-Promise, Over-Deliver
by Suzanne Richardson (04/07/2008)

Take a cue from Zappos and make "over-delivery" a common practice in your business.

How Boring Search Data Can Bring Life to Your Website
by Rick Maggio (04/05/2008)

If you've got a search box on your website (and you should), you have the opportunity to make your business even stronger than it already is.

Walt Disney Marketers on the Ball
by Charlie Byrne (04/04/2008)

The folks at Disney itself clearly haven't forgotten one of the oldest marketing axioms: The best customer is your current customer.

Linking Best Practices: Beware of Bad Neighborhoods
by Alexis Siemon (04/04/2008)

To a new website owner, that kind of offer can seem irresistible. The idea of all those submissions, all that potential website traffic, and all that potential new business, for a relatively low price, can sound like a great deal.

Dear ETR: “What else can I do to reach buyers?”
by Michael Masterson (04/03/2008)

The long-term future of real estate looks bright, so try to stick with it. In another six months or a year I expect the market to bottom.

When Making Sales, Pricier Is Not Always Better
by David Cross (04/03/2008)

Try out your products at different price points. Then go with the price that brings in the most customers.

7 Commandments for Creating Explosive Growth
by Clayton Makepeace (04/02/2008)

I learned the following principles the hard way: through nearly four decades in the trenches. They have served me very, very well - and if you abide by them, they'll do the same for you...

A Mission Statement That Gets Right Down to Business
by Charlie Byrne (04/01/2008)

Mixing business and charitable objectives in a company's mission statement has always seemed a little goofy to me.

Worth Quoting: Seth Godin on Ideas
by ETR (03/24/2008)

"Ideas are easy, doing stuff is hard....

Creating Your Site’s Personality to Turbo-Charge Sales
by Yanik Silver (03/21/2008)

On my own sites and in my communications with customers/subscribers, I try hard to keep my personality at the forefront.

If You Really Must Have a Design, (Im)Prove It
by David Cross (03/20/2008)

You may feel very strongly that your website should look a certain way. But the fact is, it doesn't matter what you think. It doesn't matter what your designer thinks, either. And it doesn't matter what your webmaster thinks. What matters is what your customers think.

7 Steps to More Profitable Marketing Decisions
by Gary Hennerberg (03/20/2008)

No matter which medium you choose to market your product, the vendors you deal with are going to try to talk you into spending money on various gimmicks - all under the guise of generating a higher response from prospective customers.
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