1. Product reminders.

Some shopping carts come equipped with this feature, such as Zen Cart.  After the checkout process is complete, the confirmation page can display a “would you like to receive update about this product?”  If the user selects yes, they are subscribed to a basic newsletter or email reminder system that sends them an alert when you update the price or information on that product.

This is especially great for products that fit that high volume benefit – or that come in different sizes and colors.  Maybe I bought the red scarf and if I get a product reminder that the scarf just reduced in price, I will come back and buy the blue one, too.

2. Thank you deals.

Ever have one of those moments when you come back from a shopping trip with your new shirt and as you are unpacking it you think, Man, I should have bought those earrings, too….?  Give your customers a little incentive right after their purchase, and help satisfy that left over craving for your product.

Staple a coupon to their receipt, drop a coupon in their email box, or display a simple discount offer on the thank you page of your website’s checkout confirmation page.  (Thanks for your order!  Use this coupon code next time you shop with us….)  WEBii has been practicing this for many years on it’s web hosting order pages; the final “thank you” page ends with a 10% coupon toward their next account.  Sometimes customers hang onto this and think about that other website they have been planning to start up; they prompt themselves to order web hosting just a little sooner than they might have.

3. Referral programs.

The best compliment your customer can give you is the referral of another customer.  And they probably already do that, right?  But wouldn’t it be nice if everyone else – even someone who hasn’t purchased from you directly in a while – was referring people to your website and your business?

I am a believer of tapping your current customer base.  A great way to do this (and simple) is to drop a referral incentive in their shipment (if you are shipping physical product to them).  If you aren’t shipping anything, try this in your receipt emails.  A simple straight-forward program like “Refer a friend and get a $10 gift card”.  Who wouldn’t like ten bucks?  Set some basic rules, like the gift card is awarded after their friend makes an actual purchase.  Maybe you have other rules, but try to keep it simple (easy is key).

You could run the same kind of program with “outsiders” also – people who are not in your active customer database.  Just invite them to fill out an email form (again, very simple with few fields) to sign up for the free program.

Another route is joining an established affiliate program service, such as Commission Junction.  These types of programs are web-based and manage a network of various company affiliate programs that pay small commissions for referred business.  Companies can go through a review process to offer a program and individuals can sign up to become an affiliate and market those businesses.  The affiliate’s benefit is basically generating cash by sending traffic to your website that result in sales.  There are thousands of these types of programs, so you are in a sort of competition to gain affiliates, but depending on the gain your business receives from a few new purchases, it could be well worth the effort.

4. Sister company offers.

Do you have a related supplemental service or business that compliments your customer?

Instead of offering a coupon toward a purchase on your primary website, try offering a reward for trying out the new service. Or how about sending them a flyer or follow up email asking if they would like to subscribe to newsletter updates about your other new service?  For example, companies like Red Envelope often market their existing online customers with specials from their sister company Sherri’s Berries.

I have always thought that it seems wasteful to print out so many paper receipts at retail stores.

Especially the longer than necessary receipts I get from the pharmacy or grocery store which is filled with 10,000 leagues of coupons and reward incentives.   (Why not save that paper by moving the rewards and coupons to an electronic card or online program?)

It looks like the Gap corporation has recognized this opportunity.

During my recent checkout in one of their stores, the cashier asked me if I would prefer an email receipt.  My eyes perked up and I replied, “Yes!”.  She confirmed my email address on the payment pad and we were set.

I love this new method for customer receipts not only because it saves paper, but it also gives me the opportunity to easily access that information on my computer, and potentially archive it for my accounting records.   An excellent example of using Internet technology to make a better world.

The list is vast – Groupon, Morgan’s Deals, Living Social, Facebook Deals, along with an array of small targeted groups and local organizations starting their own daily coupon offers.

This platform has proved effective for many small merchants, especially in retail and food service businesses.

So, what are the pros and cons of participating in social / daily deal website?

We have a few customers who have successfully participated in Groupon and similar sites to promote their businesses.  I have observed a few things so far.

Pros – Instant exposure. One of our clients, RockBody, has participated in Groupon and other deal websites several times to offer significant discounts on their fitness bootcamps in Austin.  They continue to participate because it has worked well for them, increasing their new customer base by hundreds and allowing them to quickly spread good word about their business and grow to over 20 locations.  This is a success story for social deal sites.

Cons – Overwhelming Flood. But I have also seen some businesses struggle with the sudden flood of new customers they need to manage.  If they are not equipped to handle the surge, the customers (both new and former) can get frustrated and even give bad reviews of the business.  One photography company that advertised on a daily deal website for the first time realized it could not handle the hundreds of phone calls coming into their office to book appointments.  Some people who purchased the deal were upset because they could not get through to schedule anything, and the staff at the photography studio spent long hours at night replying to tons of extra email.  Eventually, the merchant had to extend the deadline on the coupon to allow all the customers to book into the following year.

To Be Determined – Business Type Limitations. What I have observed so far is that these “deals” seem to work best for businesses in a retail or food service environment.  They also are popular when new businesses come to town (to get the word out quickly).  I do not see a place for business-to-business services on these sites yet.  Similar to direct mail coupons, the most popular “deals” are business-to-consumer.  But this marketing method is still young, and more variations of these websites are still popping up – I will stay tuned.

By simply typing your business name into the Google search bar, potential customers are likely to come across reviews of your business. From communities on Yelp and Merchant Circle, to more open sites like Google Places, there are many outlets for customers to post information about their experience with your services.

As a business owner, you want all of your reviews to be positive.  After all,  these reviews are seen by potential customers, and positive reviews may influence their decision to work with you. However, you might not always get positive reviews, and some customers may post negative feedback about your business online. So, what do you do when you receive a bad online review? Do you ignore it? Say something mean back? Can you delete the comment?

Before you can even think about handling negative reviews, you first have to be aware that they exist.  It’s important that you keep track of what your customers are saying about you online. If your business has a social networking page, like Facebook or Twitter,  be sure to check it weekly (or daily in some cases) for customer feedback. If you have accounts set up with sites  such as Yelp or Merchant Circle, you can change your email settings so that you are alerted anytime someone posts a review about your business. Once you are aware of the conversation about your business, you can better respond to any negative reviews you may receive.

When you receive a negative review online, the best thing you can do is respond. Ignoring the review shows you are not listening to your customers. Deleting the review shows that you simply do not care about your customers, and that you are more concerned with your reputation. Responding to the negative review shows that you are listening to what your customers have to say, that you care, and that you are striving for excellence in your business and the services you provide. Your response need not be a dispute, it can be a simple acknowledgment that you have received the message and that you will work hard to correct the issue in the future.

Business reviews are not only important in attracting new customers, they are also important for your search engine presence. The more reviews you have, with relevant keywords and links, the higher you can move in the search engine results. So encourage your customers to write reviews of your business online, and be sure to stay up-to-date with what’s being said about you. A simple response to a negative review can go a long way.

“The ability to multitask is a must for the working mom. LinkedIn is one of the tools you can use to maintain your work-life balance while also gleaning key insights from other career minded professionals. The site is also a fantastic way to establish your professional identity online, let other professionals know about your recent career accomplishments and even nab your dream job.”

The Web in general can be used in wise ways to make a professional woman’s life more efficient.  I believe that Linkedin is a strong contender because of its concentration on a business environment; unlike Facebook, Linkedin is solely focused on harboring and maintaining only business contacts.

Your website should also be used as a “top tool” in your work strategy.  Websites are really a multi-tool, and like a Swiss Army knife, they can be a “life saver”.  Your custom website will serve as a marketing device, a reputation manager, a sales generator, and an efficiency tool.  Imagine how much more time a working mother can save by offering information, downloadable forms, and product ordering on your website – rather than being constantly tied down by the telephone.  Plus, make sure your Linkedin and other community profile links are present on the website, so people really get several touch points.

A tip for Linkedin: if you have had an active profile for a while, remember to log in periodically and review your entire list of contacts.  Have you communicated with these people in any other way?  Do you see any opportunities to reach out to someone either in another online medium or offline with a personal note or networking engagement?

I surprised myself one day when reviewing my list of contacts at Linkedin, realizing that I had nearly 100 untapped people in my database who I had not talked with in a long while.  I took the opportunity to locate some of them on Facebook and help boost our profile there.

An October 2010 article published in the Austin American Statesman describes how Austin real estate agents are using blogs, Twitter, and Linkedin:

“…commercial realtor Mark Pustka, of McAllister and Associates, says that having his own blog and website has increased his profile immeasurably. He diligently monitors his LinkedIn account, where past clients and associates have logged kudos about his service.”

“I am on Twitter, which I started doing about a year and a half ago,” says Pustka, “It’s difficult to measure the effectiveness of it so far but I will say that LinkedIn is really useful. It’s like putting your résumé on the Internet.  I kind of see a correlation between the number of people I’m meeting with each week and those people that have looked me up on LinkedIn. I think that (potential clients) use LinkedIn when they meet somebody and want to know who is this person and want to know his legitimacy, what has he done before.”

Learn more about Mark Pustka.

What better way to spread a press release quickly than through your established email lists?  Since press releases are not necessarily on a consistent recurring schedule, I find it helpful to use a flexible email marketing service like Vertical Response that offers a pay-as-you-go option.

After you announce the release to your email contacts, forward it to the Chamber of Commerce, local trade organizations, and other media outlets.

Incorporating an interview into your blog post is a great way to create a unique, entertaining and informative article. It is ok if you are at a loss for words – just get somebody else to do the talking!

Are you planning on attending a conference related to your business or industry? This is a great opportunity to speak with professionals in your field who can offer their opinions and advice. If you have access to a list of attendees or speakers, take a look through it and pick out several professionals you are interested in speaking with. If you want to secure your interview, try contacting the people you would like to talk to in advance. This way, you can introduce yourself and let them know the nature of the questions you are interested in asking them. You might ask them to meet you for coffee after the event, or meet you between seminars and workshops. If you do not have access to a list of attendees, you are sure to meet some interesting people while you are there, and most professionals are happy to sit down for a quick interview – especially if they know it is going to be featured on a blog. In addition to bringing your pen and paper, bring a small tape recorder with you, so you can capture your interview and review it later. Recording the interview makes it easier for you to engage in the interview, and you won’t have to scribble notes while trying to talk.

You don’t have to go to a conference to meet people to interview. In fact, you most likely already know many interesting professionals in your industry. Consider requesting an interview from your boss, perhaps your readers would like to hear from someone in an executive seat. You could request an interview from your co-worker, perhaps he or she recently completed an interesting project and you could tell his or her story in your blog post. You can even go through your rolodex and contact people you have met and worked with who may have interesting insight into the future of your industry. You can even interview someone outside of your field, someone in a different specialty – you can always find a way to make the information relevant to your readers.

If you have a topic in mind to write about that you are very interested in, but know little about, you can conduct a panel style interview. Do some initial research on the subject of interest. Formulate some questions you would like answered by those who know the subject best. Also consider questions you think would elicit informative answers for your readers. Then, contact people you would consider experts in the subject. Maybe it is a professor at a local college, a government official, or a small business owner – you can ask each individual the same questions and compare and contrast their responses. This type of investigative interviewing lends itself to a very comprehensive blog post.

So, the next time you have a case of blogger’s block, get out your tape recorder. Your interview is likely to inspire an interesting and informative new post.

For many small businesses, summertime translates to a slow business season. So, why not take this extra time to plan ahead?

As much as we might like summer to last forever, we all know how the fall and holiday seasons will quickly approach us, often faster than we expect. The summertime is an ideal time to plan for the upcoming busy seasons, and what better way to prepare than by taking this time to make sure your website reflects your mission, values, and goals. So browse through your website pages – make sure the design and layout still suit your needs, the colors still reflect your brand, and that the site is still easily navigated. You might consider asking some of your customers to fill out a brief survey, to help you better understand the needs of those who visit your website the most. By addressing these issues now, you will have time to focus on other business concerns during the busy season. It may be time to take a vacation, but not from one of your most valuable business assets – your website.

This summer, try adding a new feature to your website. WEBii knows that small businesses face a unique set of challenges when it comes to identifying an audience, capturing that audience’s attention, and converting website visitors to customers. However, by working with new website features, you can begin to overcome these obstacles. From member registration areas to online purchase centers, there are a variety of tools that can help your website flourish.

During your slower summer weeks, consider adding a blog to your site. Prepare 10 to 20 topics to discuss about your industry.  Later, when you need to maintain your blog during busy season, you will have those drafts ready to publish quickly.

Need expert help for your online marketing strategy?  WEBii is available to personally consult with you about your project and offer customized advice. Contact us for a free consultation on your redesign.

What industry related conference did you recently attend?  Write a short commentary on one of the presentations.

What local charity did your company recently sponsor?  Write about your involvement at their fundraiser.

Where did you recently notice some of your products?  Write about the cafe down the street where you saw your lamps hanging.