You don’t have to invest money in any fancy online technologies or vigorous list scrubbing services to see a measurable improvement in your e-mail marketing efforts. Anne Holland, publisher of Marketing Sherpa, a Warren, R.I.-based company that publishes research reports, case studies and e-newsletters on marketing, advertising and public relations, remarked that sometimes the best fixes are the easy ones right in front of your face. At List Vision 2005, held last week in New York City, Holland offered the following solutions to some of marketers’ top e-mail challenges: Challenge: Companies report 20 percent to 40 percent non-delivery of e-mail. Solution: In addition to delivery tracking, implement
Hallie Mummert
While a glowing customer testimonial might not have the power to make or break your catalog or Web site, it certainly can help tip the scales in your favor to convert a few more browsers to buyers. In particular, says Lea Pierce, a consultant and freelance copywriter in Santa Rosa, Calif., and former creative director with catalog and online marketer Windsor Vineyards, many direct marketers find that testimonials influence sales of highly priced products (say, a $1,000 wine cellar). Pierce offers the following advice for collecting testimonials that pack enough punch to boost your sales numbers: 1. Don’t ask for testimonials, ask your customers what they
By Hallie Mummert My Twinn leaves behind the brick-and-mortar call center for a Web-powered model Catalog companies need to be aware of three trends that will shape how business is conducted in the future, says Steve Rockwood, president at Alpine Access, a provider of Web-based customer service solutions, headquartered in Golden, CO. The trends are: • online customer service grows due to customer demand; • the labor market shrinks, and; • the Internet enables communication and a new way to work. For businesses that recognize customer service as a crucial component in customer acquisition and retention, the combination of these trends means
To make the decision, you need to evaluate where you are now and where you want to be By Hallie Mummert Take this to heart: 15 million more people will make a holiday purchase online this season compared to last year, Jupiter Communications reported in November. Other research groups put holiday online spending at nearly double that of last year. With more consumer shopping behavior migrating to the Web, not to mention progress in the b-to-b sector, it's imperative to have a robust e-commerce shopping component. While the bells and whistles of designing a shoppers' online paradise can be fun, it's the back
by Hallie Mummert In continuity marketing, the end game is the take rate, or how many shipments you can get a customer to keep and pay for. The beginning of this tenuous match, however, is all about getting the product in the customer's hands. Positioning of the offer becomes a delicate matter. Since the initial direct mail package is akin to the first step in a lead generation campaign, how much or how little you tell the prospect about the offer can make the difference. Additionally, the words you use to describe that offer can mean the difference between a prospective customer and a
Three, as the Schoolhouse Rock song goes, is a magic number. But there’s no such thing as magic when it comes to cutting postage costs. You can save money in only one of three ways: cut your catalog’s weight; qualify for automation and presort discounts; and get your mailing as close to its final destination as possible. Slimming Down You can reduce the weight of your catalog by attacking two dimensions: paper and size, says Dave Riebe, vice president of distribution at Quad/Graphics, a printing company in Pewaukee, WI. For the most dramatic impact, streamline the trim size of your catalog. Depending on your
With a single phone, an extra-long phone cord and a closet of nature-inspired products, the husband-and-wife team of Dennis and Ann Pence founded the brand known as Coldwater Creek in 1984. Transplants from the East Coast, the Pences fell in love with the slower pace, friendly atmosphere and lush scenery of the Northwest on a trip and later made Sandpoint, Idaho, the location of their home and new business. According to David Gunter, director of investor relations and corporate communications, the first catalog was an 18-page mailer featuring a hodge-podge of nature-themed merchandise, like bird feeders and binoculars. To build the house file, Gunter
Ever get the feeling you keep mailing to the same people over and over again? Don’t worry, you’re not alone—you’re just a catalog marketer at the end of the 20th century. The most profitable names out there have always been multi-buyers who are responsive to catalog offers. So you and your direct, as well as indirect, competitors are bumping into each other by mailing the same names. Uncovering new sources of names or putting a fresh spin on the less obvious prospects requires some elbow grease and creative thinking. Be willing to learn a lot about your current customers and to explore some unusual
