Thanks to Vail Joy for sharing this.
Author Archives: Jodi Kaplan
How to Increase Email Conversion Rates
cash-register by kareszzz on pixabay, public domain
Have you ever noticed that some emails get more sales than others? Sometimes you get high open rates, and lots of clicks. Other emails seem to fall flat. What’s the difference? Is there anything you can do to increase email conversion rates?
Can you “train” people to buy more? Yes, you can. Well, not train exactly, but check, test, and measure what you’re sending the people on your list. Then adjust your marketing tactics accordingly.
How good is your email list?
The first thing to check is the quality of your list. Are you getting lots of bounces (undeliverable emails)? Check with your email service provider to see why. The best email providers have high deliverability rates. The more emails get through, the better your chances of getting a conversion (or a sale).
Where did the names come from? Did you buy a list from somebody? Exchange lists? Is it a rented list? Or a list you built yourself? Your own subscribers should be more receptive to your offers, and the data should be “cleaner” (meaning fewer bad addresses, fewer bounces, and better deliverability).
Check your message for spam triggers
Run your messages through a spam checker before you send them. You probably know that certain words can trip filters, but so can too many images. People can’t respond to your email if they don’t get it.
Is the email helpful to your audience?
Is the email (and the offers in it) relevant to your subscribers? Are they still interested in what you have to say? If a large portion of your list is ignoring you, send everyone an email asking them to confirm that they still want to get your messages. Cutting your list can be scary, but a smaller, responsive list will earn more (and have a better ROI) than a larger, unfocused one.
Work on your subject lines
Subject lines are like headlines, they’ve got to grab attention. If they’re not interesting, they won’t get opened. The best way to find out is to test them against each other. The best subject lines will get more opens, more clicks, and more conversions (sales or opt-ins).
Check the frequency of your emails
How often do you send emails? Is it more (or less) often than promised? A barrage of email can turn people off (unless it’s extremely relevant). Sending fewer emails may get better results.
Change the wording of your offers
If it’s a sales email, the wording of the offer can change how people respond. Test different ways of saying the same thing. Do you get a better response to your deal of the day if it’s 50% off a $200 product? Or if it’s $100 less? The final cost is the same in both examples, but readers will respond to them differently.
Use multiple links
Spread the links you want readers to click on throughout the email. Some readers are ready to commit right away, but others will need more details and information before pushing the button. When you get the results back from your campaign, see which email link had the most clicks.
How To Get the Best About Page
Your about page is usually one of the most visited pages on your site. People stop, look at your post, or your home page, and then click to find out more. So, how can you get the best possible about page?
Image via Wikipedia
Standard “about” pages have some background about you, when you started your company, maybe awards you won, how long you’ve been in business and so on.
That’s OK, but it’s not really giving your visitors what they really want to see.
What people really want from your about page
They don’t really want to know about you at all
What they do want to know is.. whether you can help them.
So, take a look at your page.
Is it interchangeable with any other about page? Are you cutting edge? A leader? An award-winner?
So are thousands of other firms.
What’s on the best about pages
You’re creative. Stand out. Yes, the work is important, and you should, of course, include samples. Link to examples of your best work. It didn’t have to win awards. Just show the work you enjoyed. And the work that got the best results. Link to testimonials from your page, with whatever details you and the client can share.
The best about page connects with people
Sure, search engine spiders patrol the web, but pages and websites are read by actual people. And businesses (says the Supreme Court) are people too. The court thinks they get a “vote,” but in this case, the businesses are composed of people. People make the decisions about who to work with, and whether firm A is a better fit than Firm B.
There’s no need to share anything embarrassing or get way too personal about what you had for lunch or your favorite brand of toilet paper.
Instead, share a few details about yourself, or your company. Small details that will make your readers smile, or think, “oh yes, that’s happened to me too.”
Like how every Friday is worst music video ever day. Or or a big project that nearly crashed and burned (but turned out to be a triumph).
Include a few favorite quotes, or a great piece of advice your grandmother gave you.
Don’t hide
People like pictures – of real people. Include a picture of yourself (or your staff for a company page). Skip the stock photos (they’re not creative anyway). If your office is in a fun location (right next store to the Brooklyn Bridge), or it’s decorated in mid-century furniture, show photos of it.
Discuss your favorite clients
Talk about your favorite projects (and why you loved them).
Describe who you work for (not just specific companies, but types of companies). Not that they’re industry leaders or innovators. That’s important, but what you really need is a more complete picture of the client.
Which industries are your clients in? What size? What makes them appealing to you? Why did you decide to focus on those companies (and only those companies)?
Who you won’t work for
Face it, there are clients who probably just don’t appeal to you. Maybe they’re too big (and bureaucratic), or maybe they have different corporate values, or maybe they’re in industries you just find plain boring. That’s OK, you don’t have to work for everybody. In fact, you can make more by marketing to fewer people.
Stand for something
Spell out what your philosophy is (and have one). If you’re committed to green technology, or supporting local stores vs. Walmart, then say so.
Spell out who you are, and who you’re not.
Continue the conversation
Give people an incentive to continue the conversation. Include a newsletter signup. Or a link to a free ebook (maybe tips on how to choose a designer or a web developer).
To continue this conversation, add something in the comments.
Tuesday Travels: Do You Know These Email Marketing Secrets?
Getting visitors to your site is great, but if you want them to come back, and if you want them to buy something from you, you’ll need a way to reach them directly.
One great way to do that is with email. Done right, it’s building an asset; done wrong it’s a disaster. Here’s how to do it right.
Email Writing Tips From Spammers
Start Your Email Newsletter Without an Opt-in List
Five Simple Tips for Better Email Marketing
How to Put Your Email Marketing on Automatic Pilot
Free Creative Brief Template
You know how frustrating it can be to do the same project over and over? Or when the creative you hired doesn’t seem to “get” what you want?
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about using a creative brief to turn tough clients into easy ones. This week, I thought I’d share an actual sample of a creative brief template.
Using a creative brief can help eliminate a lot of the frustration on both sides. Whether you are a web developer or a designer, having your client’s wants, needs, and expectations on paper will help smooth the creative and design process and help your project move ahead more quickly.
Seven essential elements of a creative brief
First, you need a quick overview of the project. What product or service are they promoting? What is the goal of this service? What is the situation in the rest of the market? What is the competition doing?
Second, what is the goal of the project? Is it a branding exercise? Or an effort to get more sales? Is the product new, or a relaunch of an existing product?
Third, what makes the service (or the product) special? How does it differ from existing products? What’s the most important thing your audience should know about your product? What are the next three or four most important benefits?
Fourth, who is your target audience? Who are they? Where can you find them? What’s their age, job, interests? Why would your intended audience want to pay for it? What does it do for them? How does it make them feel?
Fifth, what’s the best way to talk to them? Should it be formal? Or more relaxed? Write down everything you know about how they think, who they are, and how to reach them. What design and writing styles would appeal to them the most?
Sixth, where will this be used? Is it for print? For a website? Or a social media campaign? Or will it be used in multiple campaigns/media?
Seventh, what are the due dates for each stage of the project? Who else needs to be involved? Will you need additional resources (designers, printers, web developers) in order to finish the project?
Creatives working with clients
This creative brief is perfect for the initial consultation meeting. Use it to screen your clients (it will help you decide if a prospect is a good fit). Or, send it after the contract is signed. There’s space to outline their strategy, identify their audience, and how they want to separate themselves from the competition.
Businesses hiring a creative
If, on the other hand, you want to hire a creative, use the form to explain more about your business, your competition, and your philosophy. It will help your designer (or your copywriter) to come up with concepts or copy. This will make their jobs easier, and save time (and possibly, money).
For example, if the designer or web developer knows you want a playful, bright, colorful design for your new kids clothing store, they won’t bother developing concepts with dark colors and a formal look more suitable for a law firm. Fewer concepts and fewer changes means fewer charges (or extra charges).
If your designer knows your audience in advance, it will be easier for him or her to choose what fonts to use, decide which colors are appropriate, and how to approach your project.
The same information will help your copywriter. If you know how to find your ideal client, what keeps them up at night, and what your company’s biggest marketing challenges are it will be easier to write copy, and ask pertinent questions.