How to Waste Money and Annoy Potential Customers
Why do some companies bid on keywords for products they don't even sell? Or fail to provide the basic information people need to make the decision to buy? Here's a cautionary tale-- with a happy ending. Has this ever happened to you? I'm looking online for lamp shades. I go to Google and click on the top Sponsored Link in the right column: Expo.com. I'm taken to their "Lighting and Fans" page. There are 29 links in the left navigation, but no lamp shades.
So I do a keyword search. Products Found = 0. All I can do is wonder why they wasted my time and their money, and move on to the next ad. Close, but no cigar. Clicking on the second ad takes me to a home page with a "Shades" tab.
I click on that and arrive on a page with information about sizes and a link to the lamp shade collection. I start browsing and find one I'm interested in. The text instructs me to "Click on lamp image for detail." I guess they mean lamp shade image. I click, and to my surprise, I see the exact same thumbnail I was looking at, but now I have four color choices and an "ad to cart" button. OK, I'm a designer.
I can appreciate subtlety. But what's the difference between White, Off-White, Beige and Coffee? All this site shows me is a little grey photo-- but "Dirty" isn't one of the color choices. I see the toll-free phone number at the top of the page. I call (during their normal business hours) and get voicemail. They say my call is very important to them, but I'm not so sure...
Third time's the charm? Back to Google, click on another ad which takes me to a page with lamp shades (YAY!). I can sort by nine different criteria, but even so, I don't see exactly what I want. There's a link to talk to a lighting consultant. I'm skeptical, but I call. Someone answers the phone! I explain what I want and I'm told I need a custom shade.
This company doesn't make them, but the consultant refers me to two other sites where I can order custom-made shades. Even though I didn't find what I was searching for, I really appreciate this experience. I'd be happy to return to this site and do business with this company in the future. The moral of this story. Have some respect for your customers.
Think about their needs and do everything you can to meet them. If you're advertising a product for sale it should be available on your site. If you expect people to make a choice, provide the information and pictures they need to feel comfortable making a decision. And even if you can't make the sale today, you can and should offer a good customer experience because there's always tomorrow..
Barry Harrison is the author of "REDiTIPS" eMarketing Newsletter and a partner in Resolve Digital, Web Strategy for the Real World.Engaging Web designEffective Internet MarketingEssential Content Management ToolsVisit his site at http://www.resolvedigital.com or mailto:barry@resolvedigital.com.Romantic Safety NET: How to Look for Love Online
(ContentDesk) April 22, 2004 -- With 50 million singles in the US jumping online to find their soul mate, let Liz H. Kelly, Dating Coach and Author of SMART Man Hunting, share advice tips for how to be smart, safe and romantic when looking for love online. (As featured in a USA TODAY cover story this week - Liz's 5 internet dating safety tips and Dating Coaching client, Bill Logue, who had a LookBetterOnline.com Photo Makeover, were in the story called, "Truth in Advertising hits Internet Dating" on 04/20/04).Let Liz help daters find love online with advice tips for how to1. Make Great First Online Impressions2. Put Your Best Face Online3.
Use a KISS Strategy for First Dates4. How to Identify "The One"5. Leave Room for RomanceWhy Liz? - Based on interviews with hundreds of active internet daters for her dating book, SMART Man Hunting, Liz developed these Romantic Safety Net guidelines to help singles be successful online. In addition to these interviews, she personally tested...
Romantic Safety NET: How to Look for Love Online
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Decorating for the Holidays When Short on Time & Money
Lucky you if you live in the north (of the US). Lucky all of us that nature is plentiful in providing free supplies for decorating our homes for Thanksgiving no matter where we live.
Even in South Texas at this time of year I can wander outside and clip off some branches from my yellow-berried pyracantha (I planted some with yellow berries as well as red just for this occasion), and grab a handful of at least brown leaves. If you live in the north and can garner pine cones, seed pods, pine branches and fallen leaves in all their glorious colors, use these as the basis for your color scheme.I'm also lucky to have a garden full of chrysanthemums in bloom ready to be put around in vases in the house. Since they're perennials (down here), I can always count on having them come back this time of year.
Check your yard and garden for blooms in keeping with your color scheme (and next year, consider planting accordingly).
You also have an array of decorating materials...
Photo printers > Decorating for the Holidays When Short on Time & Money
My Printer Died - An Epitaph
My printer just died. My Epson C60 that I've had for almost 2 years was my buddy. I loved that printer. It was there for me through thick and thin. Sure it had it's quirks and idiosyncrasies like not printing when my office temperature dropped to 17 degrees because I forgot to turn the thermostat up one bitterly cold morning.
I had to open the lid and point a ceramic space heater inside to thaw it out. There were times that it drove me crazy. Sometimes when I asked it to print something for me it would sit there and clean itself for what seemed like an eternity. Whirr - click- pop - pop - whirr - click etc, etc, etc. I could pull my hair out sometimes.
Why does it always do that when I'm in a hurry?My old Epson and me became pretty good friends though. It always treated me good with sharp, detailed prints. I never had to worry about going broke with ink cartridges because the generics I used in her were really cheap and since I bought them from myself I got the VIP discount....
My Printer Died - An Epitaph
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Dr. Joe Webb Printing and Publishing Economic Update on WhatTheyThink Garners International Attention
In a free Webinar hosted by WhatTheyThink.com, the printing industry's leading source of news and information, Dr. Joe Webb, one of the industry's best-known consultants and a 26-year veteran of the graphic arts industries, shared his insight on the state of the industry at the end of the first half of 2004, and his views about how 2005 would shape up. Nearly 400 senior printing executives from around the world registered for this event, which was sponsored by EFI (NASDAQ: EFII). While most of the attendees were from North America, viewers tuned in from Austrialia, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, Europe and Asia. The audio of the Webinar and PDF of the presentation are available online:http://members.whattheythink.com/home/webinar062304.cfmAmong the non-economic topics covered by Dr.
Webb were: -- The print business owner's "to do" list (imperative things that must be done in the new print economy),...
Dr. Joe Webb Printing and Publishing Economic Update on WhatTheyThink Garners International Attention
Photo printers > Dr. Joe Webb Printing and Publishing Economic Update on WhatTheyThink Garners International Attention
Dr. Joe Webb Printing and Publishing Economic Update on WhatTheyThink Garners International Attention
In a free Webinar hosted by WhatTheyThink.com, the printing industry's leading source of news and information, Dr. Joe Webb, one of the industry's best-known consultants and a 26-year veteran of the graphic arts industries, shared his insight on the state of the industry at the end of the first half of 2004, and his views about how 2005 would shape up. Nearly 400 senior printing executives from around the world registered for this event, which was sponsored by EFI (NASDAQ: EFII). While most of the attendees were from North America, viewers tuned in from Austrialia, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, Europe and Asia. The audio of the Webinar and PDF of the presentation are available online:http://members.whattheythink.com/home/webinar062304.cfmAmong the non-economic topics covered by Dr.
Webb were: -- The print business owner's "to do" list (imperative things that must be done in the new print economy),...
Dr. Joe Webb Printing and Publishing Economic Update on WhatTheyThink Garners International Attention
Photo printers > Dr. Joe Webb Printing and Publishing Economic Update on WhatTheyThink Garners International Attention
FOCUS2005 Offers Virtual Christmas Reunions
(ContentDesk) November 27, 2005 -- Paul Tingley, President of FOCUS2005 announced today that virtual conference rooms are an extremely cost effective way to have an online get-together over the holiday season.
It is a great time for families, friends, and office branches to take advantage of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) conferencing technology. Tingley says.
It is at this time of the year that communication increases and long distance charges are higher with telephone or cell phone calling.
With the VoIP technology available through FOCUS2005 these long distance charges can be eliminated totally. FOCUS2005s global communications solutions offer unlimited attendance, high security, video feed, desktop and photo sharing, a chat area and so much more.
With a click on a link you will be connected to family or friends around the world with no long distance charges whatsoever.Connect with FOCUS2005 today to find out how to enjoy a virtual Christmas...
Photo printers > FOCUS2005 Offers Virtual Christmas Reunions
ArtiFunk.com Announces Agreement to Represent British Art Photographer, Tina Maas
Artifunk Inc. announced an agreement with British art photographer, Tina Maas, to offer her work through their online art gallery, http://www.artifunk.com.Tina Maas earned her Bachelor of Arts from Camberwell College of Arts in London. During her studies Tina took part in an exchange program to Parsons School of Design in New York where she was introduced to experimental photography and had the opportunity to work with fine art photographer, Jill Enfield.Upon graduation, Tina traveled for one year throughout Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and South East Asia before settling in Israel for the following year. Her travels provided Tina with much of her inspiration.Tina moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2003 where she worked for the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. She returned to England in 2004 and currently resides in London where she had her first solo exhibition at Islington Arts Factory in March.ArtiFunk.com to Represent Tina...
ArtiFunk.com Announces Agreement to Represent British Art Photographer, Tina Maas
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