Whenever good planning or hard work or just plain luck helps you exceed customer expectations, be sure to tell them about it once you know for sure. The only thing nicer than receiving an order faster than expected, or getting more or better items at no extra cost, is to get an email telling you […]

Generally, it’s a smart idea to market a product based on the benefits the buyer gets from purchasing it. Anyone familiar with marketing and consumer behavior should already be aware of that. Similarly, if there’s an unpleasant aspect to the buying process, you probably shouldn’t remind people about it in your advertising. With this in […]

While trying to learn more about a certain type of product, I came to a website that looked promising. I easily located the right category and product name, and ended up with a brief, one page intro to the product. But when I tried to click any of the links, e.g. for the demo, brochure, […]

What makes people unsubscribe from a given mailing list or newsletter? Personally, I get annoyed when a company sends too many messages. In fact, I’d probably stay on the list if they provided a way to get the same type of correspondence, just not as often. But since nobody gives you that choice, the only […]

Some time ago, I came across an information booth for the Clear registered traveler program. In case you’re not familiar with this service, you basically pay a fee to have a background check run on you, after which they issue you a special card that gets you through airport security faster. Anyways, I spoke to […]

It’s amazing how low some websites will stoop to monetize their traffic. Take weather.com, for instance. This site features a fairly incredible amount of untargeted, generic advertising. When I last checked, they were showing ads about “cash for gold” and “psychology degree online”. These offers have virtually nothing to do with the topic of the […]

I really don’t understand businesses that are cash-only, yet charge premium prices for their products. I’ve seen restaurants that sell $12 omelettes but refuse to take credit cards, even though the average meal for two can exceed $30. Who carries that kind of cash around anymore? It’s one thing if you’re a bargain-priced shop with […]

If there’s any offer that should have a conversion rate of 75% or more, it’s the renewal. In other words, the customer has been doing business with you and likes the product, but their existing subscription period or term is almost over. To extend this relationship, all you need to do is get the customer’s […]

I tried a new breakfast place on Sunday. The server was friendly, the food came out quickly, and everything tasted right. But nobody offered a single refill of coffee after the food arrived, so we sat there with empty coffee cups for quite some time. During that span, our server was apparently on break, but […]