thestudiosource.com » Creative marketing online

Online selling – how to figure out your prospects without going crazy

Stacey Cornelius — Tue, 18 May 2010 11:35:22 +0000

I want to get the words, “There’s no such thing as everybody” printed on a t-shirt. I’ve been thinking lately about the alleged necessity to sell online. Some creatives are doing it and getting great results. Others, not so much. And there are plenty more who haven’t yet jumped on board.

I’m not much into bandwagons or one-size-fits-all thinking. Not with t-shirts, and definitely not in business.

Here’s a little anecdote: recently I had a conversation with a couple of women about online shopping. Specifically, artisan-made jewellery. They were both 40-ish, and neither was too thrilled with the idea of buying jewellery online.

“I want to see it, touch it, try it on,” said one of them, “It’s our generation. And we’re the ones with money.”

I thought that was an interesting response, so I asked someone else the same question and got an entirely different answer. The second person in my highly scientific poll said he and his wife had no problem buying jewellery online. They’re probably in their early to mid-30′s.

I wouldn’t bet the farm, or a business, on this extremely small, very subjective sampling. But it got me to thinking about ideal customers, their buying habits, and how tough it can be to decide whether or not to make the leap into selling online.

Playing the numbers game
Let’s look at the flip side: statistics. As I started writing this, I did a quick search on “online jewelry sales statistics” (used the American spelling to get more results) and among the top results, got a nicely written article about how sales were on the increase—dated 2002.

Take out the word “jewelry” and you can get stats that say online sales of jewelry in January 2010 were up 6% in the US from January of 2009.

Yes, I know. Take out the word you want stats on and you get stats on the thing you were looking for. This is why doing statistical research online drives me half crazy.

I got that figure from the International Diamond Exchange website, but I didn’t bookmark the page and now (five minutes later) I can’t find the blasted thing. So, okay, a 6% increase is promising. But the figures don’t specify what kind of jewellery. They make mention of bridal jewellery sales being on an upswing, but again—are we talking major retailers and artisan made jewellery, or just factory-made items? It’s probably the latter.

If you’re curious, I tried finding numbers on artisan-made jewellery. I didn’t have all night to slog past the sites that tell you how to turn your hobby into cash or that you should sell online.

It’s no wonder people who run micro businesses don’t want to go down this road. It’s frustrating and time consuming and doesn’t necessarily give you good results. At least not without some serious digging.

And even if I did find numbers, they wouldn’t break down into categories that will be of any help to you if you’re a silversmith, lampwork bead maker, or off-loom bead weaver. You can’t get there from here.

Real people, real opinions
If you want good information on who’s buying what and where they’re buying it, you’d be wise to go to the source—the customers themselves. Preferably your customers.

If you have a mailing list, send out a survey with specific questions. Offer an incentive to people who respond—a gift certificate, or a coupon for a small amount of design or consulting time. It doesn’t have to be something big, just something to let your people know you value their time and input.

You should also ask very nicely, and make the introduction very warm and personal. And the questions shouldn’t be corporate. Be real, be gracious, and exercise good humour. That way your survey won’t seem so much like a survey. Approach your readers like they’re respected colleagues and collaborators on your fact-finding mission. And keep it short. You don’t want to abuse your mailing list.

If you have the opportunity to see some of your customers in person, you can get immediate information. Ask their opinion about trends—in general, and if they’re going along for the ride, or if they’d rather let the bandwagon roll on by.

You can ask other people in your field. Don’t limit yourself to your own medium. Somebody will know someone who can tell you more.

Throw a question out on social media, or on your blog. Say please and thank you, and ask away. Responses will vary depending on your question and the size and nature of your audience.

Combine your resources to get a comprehensive picture
When you’ve gathered all the information you can, from the generalities of published statistics to face-to-face feedback, you’ll have a reasonable view of the online landscape.

If your customers are online shoppers, you’re in business. But remember you still have to do the marketing. There’s no gallery owner or show organizer to spread the word. That should be obvious, but if you’re not used to doing all your own marketing, it’s easy to forget that little detail.

If it’s not yet time, or if you just can’t wrap your head around the whole online enterprise thing, my best advice to you is to watch carefully. Social media numbers continue to grow at a wild pace, particularly among people 35 years of age and older. Online shopping numbers continue to grow.

And there are still plenty of businesses that don’t need online buying to be profitable. Smart entrepreneurs know where their customers are, what they want, and how to deliver, and are always mindful of the evolving marketplace.

Have your say
Are you an avid online shopper, or are there things you just don’t want to buy online? Are you an online seller, contrarian, or sitting on the fence? Do you have any tips of your own to share about gathering online intelligence?

Email marketing gone wrong, and why size matters

Stacey Cornelius — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:55:40 +0000

Do you ever want to unplug from the 21st Century and send messages by carrier pigeon? Do you ever have one of those days where you just want to give up and live in a nice, comfortable, media-free bunker?

Friday, 5:15 pm. I receive an unsolicited email about a business opportunity. Over 100 other people received the very same message. I know this because the sender neglected to create a proper email list, so I can see the address of every recipient.

Do I need to explain why I don’t enjoy having my email address broadcast that way? Do I need to tell you, dear reader, the hazards of exposing your mailing list to dozens of people in one fell swoop?

(Note: if you don’t know already, there is legislation governing direct marketing. There are also best practices, and national marketing associations where you can learn how to do it, online and offline, legally and properly.)

Things just get better from there.

How to (not) win friends and influence customers
So I’m instantly annoyed, and wondering what kind of yahoos I’m dealing with. To give the benefit of the doubt, these people might be thoughtful, kind, and wildly enthusiastic about creating a mutually beneficial business relationship, but if you call yourself a marketing professional and can’t create an email list, you don’t exactly make a stellar first impression.

Next comes the body of the email.

The pitch doesn’t sell me the benefits of participation. It doesn’t really sell anything at all. It’s mostly an introduction to attached documents. I get a sense of “if we build it, they will come,” plus the hope that just jumping on a hot trend will be sufficient to ensure success.

Strike two. I’ve seen too many failed ventures that start with that exact mindset. Plus a lame pitch doesn’t encourage me to bother clicking through to the attachments.

(Another note: the quote is, “If you build it, he will come.” Not they. Different idea entirely. Despite what many people seem to think about business, creating a venue isn’t enough.)

It really is in the details
There are two small images at the bottom of the message, jammed together side by side, but the image files aren’t the same size, so they’re misaligned.

Small detail, yes?

Not really.

If you want to present a professional image, get the visuals right. Two mismatched images at the end of a short email stand out. Since I’m already unhappy, I notice it more than I would if I were eagerly looking for the rest of the information.

There was no unsubscribe option in the email. See above note on best practices.

Say it like you mean it
The first attachment is an overview of the event. It’s a scanned document. And it’s crooked. The title begins with “Re:”

It’s a memo. They’re trying to sell me on an untried business opportunity with a crooked freaking memo.

I give up counting grammatical errors. I gnash my teeth and decide copywriting should be an adjunct to English classes in high school (replace “English” with your language of choice). Both should be mandatory. And anyone assuming a job title with Marketing or Communications in it should be required to pass a writing test and then required to obtain a license to use words, dammit, or sent packing.

Stay with me here. I’ve worked my way into a fit of righteous indignation. Hyperbole is a fringe benefit, and I get to enjoy every infuriating minute of it.

Robotic writing is for robots
The last paragraph begins with “We thank you for your interest…”

Yes, I know. Everybody closes cover letters that way. Except there’s no such thing as everybody, and it’s way past time we stopped acting like pod-dwelling, hairless, follow-the-herd robots and got a little more, I don’t know, animated, when we talk to each other. Like real humans, not the holograms in glossy magazines who wear more botox, silicone and Photoshopping than you can shake a virtual stick at.

Okay, fine. Maybe the person who wrote the letter hates her job and would rather be a chef. And I suppose it’s not fair to chastise someone for following conventions.

So I should yell about conventions that have largely outlived their usefulness. At least where copywriting is concerned.

Well, then. If you’re stoked about your new project, tell me about it. If you want me involved, tell me that, too. Sincerely. The way you’d tell a real person, because I am a real person. Form letters are dead air, and if the best you can do is go through the motions, don’t expect me to believe you have the imagination—or the guts—to make this thing happen.

Two days later I revisit the email to see if I was being unfairly critical. I realize there’s a PowerPoint presentation.

Let’s not go there.

Set your standards and stick to them
You might think I’ve gone over the top with this. But we’re not talking about somebody hacking together a tiny seat-of-the-pants business with no experience or training. These people aren’t absolute beginners. One of the organizations involved in this little shindig is an international company. They have resources.

And this is where they have chosen to set the bar.

These are also the people who will take care of marketing and promoting the event.

But it’s a small event, so none of this should matter, right? Plus if a big company does it that way, you should be able to do the bare minimum, too, and all the mistakes and ignored details in your initial contact with potential customers won’t matter one bit. Will they?

Consider this: everywhere you choose to conduct business, it’s you. Your brand. Your image. Your profession.

There are no small events.

What kinds of marketing drives you crazy? Have you seen something lately that was so good you want to tell people about it? Leave a comment below.

How to find the right audience online

Stacey Cornelius — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:45:44 +0000

I got an email in response to my call for your burning questions: how do you get the right people (curators, dealers, buyers) to find you on the web?

That’s the big one. How to find them, get their attention, and make them love you, plus conduct this apparent feat of magic without ever looking them in the eye.

Piece of cake. Throw a few pictures on Flickr, sign up for an Etsy shop, sit back and wait for the cash to roll in and the lovesick groupies to shower you with fan mail.

If you’re reading this, you already know that doesn’t cut it. When you set out to establish an online audience, you take the same basic steps as you would to build an audience offline. It requires time, energy, and smart decisions.

Find the right audience—do some detective work
You are not selling to anyone who spends money on art (or craft, or design). You sell to the people who love what you do. If you make raku sushi sets, you don’t go looking for thrift store treasure hunters. You look for the people who have the money to spend on handmade dinnerware as well as people who eat sushi.

That may sound painfully obvious, but there are countless numbers of people running businesses who don’t realize they shouldn’t try to please everyone.

So how do you find the right audience? Pretend you’re a customer. Where would you go to find yourself? Would you search on Google? An online shopping site like Etsy or Artful Home? Would you check out the arts or design organizations in your city to see work online and then buy it in person?

Test the theory. Do some searches on Google. Check online shopping sites to see who’s out there. If you’re a raku sushi set maker, look for blogs about Japanese cooking. Do a search on Twitter, Facebook, or Linkedin for potters, ceramics or ceramic artists. You will find other artists, but you might also find people who are looking for artists.

If you’re still having trouble, or if you’re freaking out, back up and kick it old school.

Start local, go global
Never underestimate the power of starting small and starting where you live. Join your local arts organization. As in, the official, non-profit association that puts on shows, workshops, publishes newsletters and is under constant threat of having its meagre public funding slashed into nonexistence. Take advantage of any online member services they have (a curator from the UK found me that way. She planned most of the exhibition remotely and put the show together in person shortly before it opened).

Now that local news is online and small towns have their own websites, a small show, review, or article has the potential to help you connect with people half a world away. It’s often easier to get local press coverage, so use those opportunities to help you gain exposure and build your reputation. Don’t dismiss the little things—they can add up to big things, or garner some high quality attention.

Tell your friends and clients you’re online. Most people are happy to help spread the word, particularly if you’ve done a good job establishing a professional online presence. That way they feel smart about bragging you up, because their friends will be impressed by their good taste. Then their friends mention you to someone else. Word of mouth starts anywhere and can spread anywhere. Don’t limit your thinking or your marketing—good buzz knows no boundaries.

Show them your best stuff
Give your audience something they’ll love: high quality images, good copy, clean layout. Write a solid artist’s statement. Get a grammar geek to proofread it. Hire a designer if you can swing it (rumor has it Flash sites aren’t search engine-friendly, so be forewarned). If you have to go with a template, your content becomes even more important.

Make sure your site is easy to navigate and easy to read. Just an FYI—some people have trouble viewing websites that use black backgrounds. It is physically uncomfortable. I’m one of those people. If I really want to read the copy, I highlight it, but usually I just click away. I’ve found a few exceptions, and all have been designed by pros who know how to use type extremely well.

You don’t have to put your whole portfolio online. Sometimes less is more. That’s particularly true in the online world, where people are so overloaded with information they can’t take it all in. Be your own curator and show a good body of work.

Connect with your people
The easiest thing to do when networking online is to find people in your field and hang out with them. While it’s true that artists buy art, and that existing clients are more likely to buy from you again, limiting yourself to that audience isn’t the smartest way to do business. Artists have notoriously small budgets, and there’s only so much wall and shelf space in anyone’s home. Business cards and websites generally don’t need a twice-yearly redesign. There might be a long gap before that client buys from you again, so you need to reach a little further.

If you’re still fretting about finding potential buyers, connect with professional organizations and publications on social media. See who they’re following and who’s following them. You might be surprised at who you find on those lists.

(Speaking of publications, writer and painter Lori Woodward recently wrote an article about getting your work published. She has some good tips for painters that can also be applied to other media.)

Be real and well-rounded
If you follow me on Twitter you will quickly realize I don’t just talk about creativity. I’m also into garden design, wildlife preservation, food, and vicarious world travel. I talk about those things because I’m genuinely interested in them, and because constantly yapping about your own work is just as tedious online as it is in person. The online attention span is much shorter, and social media is far less tolerant of people who only show up to sell something, so if you do that, be prepared for the fallout.

Let’s go back to our sushi example. I suggested looking for blogs on Japanese cooking. If you make sushi plates, you might also be into Japanese cooking. Which means it’s entirely appropriate to make comments on a Japanese cooking blog. Not about the fact that you make sushi sets, but about Japanese cooking. Yes, I know. It’s obvious when you read it, but when the online marketing monster has you by the throat, you might be too distracted to notice.

Put the pieces together
I wish there was a magic formula for marketing, offline or online. There isn’t. You do the best work you can, learn what you need to know about promoting it, find the tools that work best for you, and apply them. That’s not magic. It’s thoughtful planning and a process that requires professionalism and persistence at the very least. It can be a creative project in itself, if you approach it the right way. If you think of your website as an evolving art/design exhibition, complete with a bio, descriptions of the pieces, and contact information, you might even start to enjoy it.

Which is the way it should be. It’s definitely a good experience when you come across somebody who’s doing it right.

When I retweet my friend Rachel’s garden design posts or comment on her blog, I do it because I’m into garden design, I think she does great work, and she’s fun to talk to. And now you know about her, too. I met her through an online community. Would I give her a shout out if I thought her work was crap, even though I like her? Nope. Would I tell you how great she is if her work was fabulous but she was an arrogant jerk? Not a chance.

(If you don’t know this already, a lot of artists are also into gardens. Not just looking at them as subject matter, but actually digging in the dirt. Gardeners also seem to be fond of books, both reading them and writing in them. At least, the ones I know. Just tossing that out there for your consideration.)

The power of the message
You may have noticed I flipped the question of how you get the right people to find you to how to find the right audience. There are a couple of reasons for that. One is the obvious problem of the wealth of information lurking on the Web. It’s usually not staring at you. What tends to land in your field of vision are those stupid, annoying ads that clutter your screen when you’re looking for something important. You have to dig a little for the good stuff. A website isn’t like a shop on the busiest street in town. People “just passing by” don’t find you the same way. Someone browsing an online shopping site or professional directory might stumble across you, but your chances are wildly better if you walk up to that person (literally or virtually) and introduce yourself.

(Which, by the way, can be highly effective. You want a curator to think of you when he’s gathering artists for his next exhibition? Send him an email. Tell him how much you liked the show you just saw—the one he curated. Tell him why you liked it. Make sure your contact information is in your email signature line. Is that sleazy or textbooky marketing? Only if you don’t mean it. When you come across something that delights you, take a minute and tell whoever created it. Forget about what connections they might make for you. Those random messages can mean a lot.)

The other reason I flipped the question is more important: marketing is not passive. I’m sure the person who wrote me doesn’t think of her website as an online lottery ticket. It’s well designed, so it’s clear she’s got her head in the right place.

But here’s the thing—words have power. How do I get someone to find me puts you in the wrong frame of mind. It steals your momentum. Don’t wait for them to find you. That will happen naturally through smart marketing, but your goal is to get your work in front of the right people. When you switch the message to match your intention, you put yourself in the right mindset to make that happen.

Over to you: what’s your favourite online marketing tool? What magic marketing solution turned into a pumpkin? What stops you from marketing online?

Rule your online domain – make your website work for you

Stacey Cornelius — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:50:52 +0000

Do you have online digs with your own domain name?

If you’re starting a business, it’s time. If you’re already in business, it’s way past time. Say goodbye to the Blogger account and stake your claim.

Domain registration and hosting plans can be had for very little money (see if you can beat the price at Network Solutions). When you have your own domain name, you show the world you’re an owner, not a renter. You show the world you’re here to stay.

If it comes down to choosing between the electric bill and a domain name, obviously you’ll hold off on the domain. Otherwise, get the vanity license plate, already.

Then put your website to work.

Put your stamp on it
Good design goes a long way to establishing your personal brand. If you can’t afford a designer just yet, you can try a free WordPress blog theme. If you have a small budget, it’s possible to hire a designer to tweak a free theme to make it look like a custom design. Most hosting plans let you set up a WordPress blog, and have a selection of themes available. There are a staggering number of themes available (Google “free WordPress themes”), and there are lots of WordPress tutorials to help you set things up. You can also import a BlogSpot blog into WordPress.

Sell your work under your own banner
If you sell tangible items, you don’t have to spend a fortune on an eCommerce solution to sell through your website. If you sell one piece at a time, PayPal is an easy, low-cost way to do it. It’s also a decent solution if you sell services online. If you need a reasonably priced shopping cart, check out E-junkie. (I have no commercial interest in either, and they’re not the only solutions available, but both are worth investigating.)

Sell it your way
If you and your customers are strictly old school, list your prices with the items you want to sell from your website. Make it as easy as possible for your buyers to say, “I have to have that. How soon can you get it to me?” Have them send you a cheque or money order, and ship when the cheque clears. Old-fashioned mail order still works just fine, even in the 21st Century.

Addressing the elephant in the online selling room
Etsy is inexpensive and relatively easy to use, but you still want your own domain name—you should only send customers there to buy from you, and only if you don’t have a better alternative. The idea is to establish your site as the destination for your customers.

You’re working hard to attract prospective buyers, so you don’t want to sell under someone else’s brand. You’re stuck with their template, which may not allow you to show your work in its best light. All of that has an impact on how your customers perceive your work. Before you go that route, or continue on with it, think carefully. It may not be right for your audience, your medium, or your selling price. If you have to go with an online shopping site, start planning your escape now. Your own presence will be much stronger in the long run.

(Whatever solution you choose, make your purchasing, shipping and return policies crystal clear on your site. And make sure you figured out your shipping costs and capabilities beforehand, particularly if you’re crossing international borders.)

Bring visitors back with good content
If you only want a calling card website with directions to your studio, hours of operation and show dates, at the very least, switch out photographs every few months, and make sure dates are current. If you mostly sell through shops and galleries, a calling card may be all you need—just keep in mind you will attract a bigger audience if you give people a reason to visit more often. Maybe you can only manage to do a monthly newsletter. If you publish on the same date every month, your audience will watch for your updates.

If you sell services, you can do the same. Write short articles showing you’re an authority in your field. Encourage your audience to ask questions and give you their opinions. Web 2.0 is about interactivity. Smart marketing is like that, too—reaching your audience also requires listening.

Consolidate your online position
Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, MySpace, Flickr—they’re all good marketing tools, and all serve to reinforce your personal brand, but you don’t want to send people all over the web to find you. If you use social media, give people a choice about where to follow you, but make your website a place where they’ll want to stay a while. Give them good things to look at, good things to read, good things to listen to—provide the best possible online experience they can have with you and your business.

Don’t be an absentee landlord
Maintain your online presence. A brochure-style website is okay, but people have bigger expectations when it comes to social media. If you have social media outposts, make sure they’re active. If you haven’t tweeted in three weeks, you lose some of the credibility you’ve worked so hard to build. There’s nothing worse than someone seeking you out, only to find your Facebook fan page hasn’t been updated in nearly a year. Are you still in business? How hard will that person work to find out?

Rule your domain like you mean it
If you promise to publish a newsletter on the 15th of the month, do it. If you have a blog, decide how often you publish, and stick to the schedule as closely as you can. Pay attention to your audience, pay attention to your content, be consistent, professional and personable. What more could anyone ask of a benevolent despot?

Over to you: What’s the most important thing about a website? What’s your favourite online artistic stopping place? Are you avoiding claiming your own domain?

Accidental social networking for introverted creatives, otherwise known as Twitter

Stacey Cornelius — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:57:17 +0000

What do you think of when you hear the word “networking?” If you’re even slightly inclined towards introversion, you might experience an involuntary twitch. If you’re a card-carrying hard core introvert, you might find yourself wanting to curl into a fetal position.

I fall somewhere in the middle. In a straight up business situation, I’m fine. If you invite me to a swanky social event, don’t be surprised if you find me in the kitchen, talking about Bugs Bunny cartoons or car repairs with one of the catering guys. Working the room? Not likely. I’m the type who likes to have big conversations and big laughs with very small groups of people. I can talk business. I can’t do social networking.

At least I thought I couldn’t.

Enter Twitter. There are highly respected bloggers who have written posts about being late to the game. They say they didn’t get Twitter at first, but figured it out fast. What they say about how great Twitter is makes sense, but social media—still intimidating for an introvert.

I asked a friend if she had a Twitter account. She quipped, “You mean it’s not only about Ashton and Demi?”

Not if you do it right.

My first tweet was October 28, 2009. “Editing is easier than starting from scratch. Not so much writer’s block as the intimidation of the big blank canvas.”

I note with a small amount of pride that I didn’t talk about what I was having for dinner.

The real surprise, 442 tweets later, is it was nearly effortless. Twitter is a giant candy store filled to overflowing with ideas. For many creatives, ideas are like oxygen. It’s hard to resist.

I can’t recall where the connection was made, but Josh Frankel has become my dealer—for design, typography and illustration ideas. Fellow NSCAD alum Terri Robin Vernon gives me a fine art fix. I’ll likely never interact with him (360,000+ followers), but I follow Tim Siedell, a.k.a. Bad Banana, for brilliant one-liners and a master class in sarcasm. His website is pretty great, too.

Some Twitter users track key words in your tweets and auto-follow you. That can be irritating, but sometimes it pays off. You can block the spammy followers, and watch the ones that seem promising.

One of those individuals posted a link to a video at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford. The video is a five-minute intro to a Steampunk exhibition. Go watch it, it’s fascinating.

I emailed the link to a former university roommate who is working on a PhD in Art History. He forwarded it to a colleague, who is writing about Steampunk in her thesis. She hadn’t heard about the exhibition. She was glad to get the information, he enjoyed looking smart, and I was happy someone found it useful.

Over the past two days I helped someone who was having trouble formatting an e-newsletter, and someone gave me a hand with some copy I’m working on. Favours freely offered in both cases.

Welcome to social networking.

If you’re not a social type, it might take you a minute to realize you’re actually doing it. It’s not that it’s happening, it’s the scale. You can interact with a surprising number of people in a very short time.

You don’t need a complicated plan to make the most of Twitter. You don’t need an account to see what people are saying. Visit websites and look for a link to Twitter. You can try a few galleries, museums or arts organizations, people who write blogs you read, or who are on forums or membership sites you belong to. You’ll only see one side of the conversation, but you can read announcements and follow links to websites.

Once you have an account, follow the people and organizations you like, and grow organically from there. Finding people who are doing cool work is not an agonizing process. Go to Listorious and put in a key word (you don’t need a Twitter account for that).

Let people know when you have a new blog post, or new work, or a show, but don’t make it all about you. Tweet and retweet (as in, tell your followers what someone else is up to) what’s interesting or relevant, and sometimes the person who posted the original tweet will check out what you’re doing and follow you—or you’ll follow them. Or you can follow each other.

The speed of the information flow can be astonishing.

Twitter might not be the best place for you to connect with people. Everybody’s a little different. You’ll likely not see me on Facebook anytime soon. But if you think Twitter is just a place for senseless babbling, you might be missing out on something good.

What’s your favourite way to connect? What’s your favourite social networking venue? Is social networking valuable to you?

A cautionary tale about online selling

Stacey Cornelius — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:28:00 +0000

Today’s post is a snark about my attempt at a brilliant Christmas gift for the fella, and the company (which shall remain nameless) that ruined it. I try to avoid writing snarky posts, but I’m pretty disappointed, and there are valuable lessons to be learned, so here goes.

A few months ago, I read a story about entrepreneurs who had a great idea and a tight budget. They turned that idea into a very successful business that sells skin care products. I liked the story, but what really grabbed me was the description of what they sell.

My guy doesn’t like to shave because he has very sensitive skin. As a result, he avoids it. After about four days of beard growth, I want to stand on his chest and hack the mess off with a bread knife. He doesn’t think it’s flattering, either, and I can’t really blame him for avoiding irritated skin, so I wanted to buy him something good for his skin so shaving wouldn’t be unpleasant. I was happy to pay top dollar to do it.

Long story short: a $100 order would have cost $40 to ship. I almost spent the extra cash (I have this odd fondness for my significant other). But nearly half again to get it here, and no other shipping options? I cancelled the order process and looked for the contact page on the website.

This is where everything went into the ditch.

As I was typing a message about the hair-raising shipping cost, I got an email from the company. I set up an account at the start of the order process which automatically generated a welcome message. Imagine my delight at the offer of free shipping for orders of over $100.

No, wait. Check the fine print. Right. The offer is only good for continental USA.

I believe this is what we call “irony.”

For the non-techie types out there, here’s a tip: it’s not rocket science to capture the country code in an online database. It does not require splitting atoms to send US customers a message that includes an offer for free shipping, and a different message to the people who don’t qualify. If a company has enough cash to throw at a top-notch website, they can manage to get their auto-responder message right.

By “right” I mean not telling all your customers that people who live in a certain region get special treatment, while the rest of us can piss off. It’s the Internet. Bigshot businesses have the ability to process data immediately and respond accordingly. They can customize their message. Microbusinesses have ways to do that, too, without trashing the budget. It mostly requires more work, at least at first, but it can be done.

Now let’s put some icing on my cupcake.

When I sent my message about the high shipping cost and how it was unfortunate that no other options were available for Canadian customers, the contact page promised messages would be responded to within 24-48 hours. I sent mine on Sunday, so bump it up to the next business day. It’s not a complicated issue. They can either offer the US Postal Service as an option, or not (and if they can, it should be in the online order process). So far, no response. Do they have a backlog of messages because of the holiday gift buying season? No idea. Was my order too small to bother with? No idea.

The company also promises to send out online orders within 24-48 hours. Should I believe that? Good question.

I got another email this morning offering free shipping. I unsubscribed from the email list and deleted the message.

Here’s the big lesson: when you’re selling online (or by conventional mail-order catalogue, for that matter), take a step back and walk through your entire process, from first contact to delivery, as if you were a customer. Better yet, get a non-techie person to walk through it while you sit beside them and take notes. Every step of the way.

This is also a sound practice for in-person selling, but it’s critical when you don’t have immediate contact with your customer. When you’re face to face, the conversation is fluid. You can address problems, questions and objections in real time. When you get technology to do your talking for you, you’d better make sure you have your message sorted out and be prepared to keep your promises about delivery and response time. If you promise a certain number of days, be prepared to keep your word.

If you don’t, you could get a snarky marketing type writing a blog post about how you messed up her Christmas idea for her squeeze. If you’re really lucky, she won’t name names, because that’s not the way she rolls, but she’ll still be mad at you and won’t recommend you to anyone. She’ll also decide your remarkable story about ordinary people with an extraordinary idea has become nothing more than another faceless corporate monster, and might even decide your allegedly top-quality product is just overpriced. All because of a poorly executed online order process.

I still want to find some good skin care/shaving stuff for my fellow dog-wrangler. In the meantime, we visited our friendly Mountain Equipment Co-op store and bought ourselves new winter hiking boots for Christmas. Not very romantic, but badly needed, and happy feet are a good thing. I also bought a pair of Smartwool socks for my finicky feet. Check out their Woolology page (maybe not good for dialup connections) and play with the balls of wool.

A good cure for snarkiness is finding a company that’s committed to delighting their customers. But I won’t try to order online. At least, not today.

Social media and the Myth of Everybody

Stacey Cornelius — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:35:16 +0000

Editor’s note: I am in a state of what my friend Thea calls “crankass.” Ants are jumping on my head as I write this. I am only exaggerating a little—we are experiencing a small ant invasion, and my desk sits directly below a beam where the little monsters are jumping off to get access to the rest of the house. Mostly I hear a tiny “thwap” as they hit the desk and try to meander off, but occasionally one will land on me. It’s a little disconcerting.

Everybody is on Facebook. Everybody has a website. Everybody loves chocolate.

None of the above statements is true. And aside from the need for food, water and shelter, there is no “everybody.” In fact, latching onto the Myth of Everybody is a great way to put a bullet in your metaphorical foot.

(In case you were wondering, I made that myth up about 10 minutes ago. I’m an aspiring guru. I have a fancy cushion and everything, now I just have to find a mountain to sit on.)

Humans have a tendency to want to follow the herd. When you hear that Facebook has over 300 million users, do you feel like you’re missing something if you’re not a member? With all those people participating, you have to be there, too, right?

Maybe.

Consider your everybody: the core group of people who love what you do, and are willing to give you money for it.

The important thing to consider when making marketing decisions is where your customers are. If they hang out on Facebook, it’s a no-brainer. If they primarily use Facebook for personal contacts, you won’t have an easy time selling to them there, but a presence gives you a way to seep into their consciousness. Marketing is essentially that—not an instant buying connection, but a way to get into someone’s head, or heart, or stomach, if you sell edibles or gourmet cooking lessons.

From where I sit (ants notwithstanding), sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are tools—not a way of life. If you have a website or blog that’s updated frequently, or if you sell from it, social media is a way to get people there. Short updates with thoughtful information, questions, or useful links are a way to establish credibility and make meaningful connections with people.

Like any tool, you have to use social media efficiently. Here are a few quick tips:

Make up a list of links, tweets, or posts, in advance.
Keep your target audience in mind—they’ll tell their friends about you.
Limit the amount of time you spend on social media (you don’t have to participate every day).
To help streamline your social media updates, check out Tweetdeck.
Google “schedule tweets in advance” to see how you can free up some time.
You don’t have to play in all the social sandboxes. Pick what’s right for you.

No single mindset or platform or strategy will work for, um, everybody. Focus on your core business and your core customer first.

Your thoughts: are you a social media junkie, or disinterested in the whole thing? What’s your favourite social media tool? How do you connect with your everybody?

15 tips for an effective website

Stacey Cornelius — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:47:39 +0000

I spend far too much time online. I do a ton of research, and I see a lot of websites. Some of them are inspiring, some are cringe-worthy. There are a number of problems I encounter frequently, so rather than rant about poor design, here’s a list of 15 tips.

The golden rule for website design: build for your user. It might be pretty, but if it’s hard to navigate your site, it’s not effective. Ask someone to test it thoroughly, preferably someone who isn’t tech savvy. You want to communicate your message quickly and clearly.
Consistent navigation. There’s a navigation menu at the top of the page. I click on a link and land on a page with no navigation menu. Or a link on the page to go back. Flaky.
Current content. Your site might be a simple calling card, but copyright 2004? Fix it. Is your News page sadly out of date? That tells me you’re not doing much. Update it or ditch it.
Finish before publishing. “Under construction” is not a confidence builder. If part of the site isn’t ready, add it later. There are countless pages with “coming soon” messages that sit idle for months. Or longer.
Watch design trends. There are way too many websites out there with a design sensibility that expired in 1996. If you have your own domain and want to do it yourself, there are lots of WordPress blog themes that are worth a look. (This site uses Redtime, enhanced by professional graphic design). If you don’t have your own domain and are desperate for an online presence, Facebook, MySpace or Blogger are all options to consider.
Beware eye candy. If I have to click on three different pages with some version of your logo before I hit your content (yes, this has happened), I’m not a happy camper.
Use whistles and bells with discretion. Smart designers give users the option to skip the fancy Flash intro. If you use sound, please include the option of lowering the volume or turning it off, even if you’re a musician.
Check links and image files. Links to other pages can disappear without warning. There are link checker services and tools available online. At the very least, make sure images load properly on your own pages.
Take good pictures. If it’s out of focus or muddy, don’t use it. Learn how to use a digital camera, or find someone who’s good at taking photographs. There’s lots of how-to information online.
Proofread. Run a spell check, then read your copy over carefully. If you’re not a spelling champ, get someone else to have a look. If your eyes are square from re-reading what you’ve written, find a fresh set. Speaking from experience, it’s easy to miss mistakes when you’ve been looking at it too long.
Test on more than one browser. Some tricks and hacks are browser-specific. Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer are a good place to start. There are also browser compatibility testing software and services online (try “test site on different browsers” in your favourite search engine.
Guard your domain. Some businesses (and individuals) let their domain names expire, even though it can cost as little as 10 bucks a year to keep it current. Some of these domain names get snapped up by businesses selling “premium domains” at ridiculous prices. Keywords in these names are sometimes used for advertising purposes. Then there’s the old reliable “can’t find the server” error message. Are you still in business? There’s dirt cheap web hosting out there. At least put up a calling card page with contact information.
Make your intentions clear. Are you selling something? If so, where and how? Business to business sites are a little different than business to consumer. If you’re selling to individuals, make sure they know how to find you and how to buy. If you say you accept Visa and Mastercard and don’t list prices or have an online portfolio or shop, how does someone buy from you? If you do mail order through phone inquiries, make it clear. If you sell services, tell your users how to get in touch with you. Make it easy. Your potential customer can be gone in one click.
Be consistent with your brand. Your website or blog is a big part of your presence and makes a strong impression on your visitors. If you can’t afford a professional designer, keep it clean and simple. Have a look at how the bigshots do it and adapt an idea or two for yourself.
Keep your end user in mind. This is worth repeating. Marketing is about engaging with your audience. Your website is part of the plan.