Email Marketing News

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Tips to Master Your First Video Email Campaign

There is no one way to go about using video email marketing campaigns – but there is only one way to do it right … and that’s with the right tool that serves all your email marketing needs.Related Articles

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How Email Works, Part Four: Measurement and Tracking

In the fourth installment of "How Email Works," Derek Harding analyzes email measurement and tracking systems. Marketers can use these insights to take full advantage of their email data.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Five Things to Consider Before Undergoing a Website Redesign

Chances are, you probably put a lot of time and effort into launching your website. At some point, after you’ve been up and running for a while, you’ll contemplate whether you’re in need of a redesign. To help make this decision, we’ve put together five questions to ask yourself. Your answers will help you evaluate if an update to your website is necessary. These questions will also ensure you’re getting what you need out of out your site — like desired traffic, sales, repeat customers, newsletter subscribers, etc.

1. Is your website responsive?

Responsive means that your site will look great whether visitors are viewing it from a smartphone, tablet or desktop PC. Sixty-four percent of American adults own a smartphone, and 42% own a tablet (from an October 2014 Pew Internet Project research study).

This most likely means that you’ve got people that will visit your website on one of these devices. If your current website design is not mobile-friendly, your visitors will quickly get frustrated by trying to pinch, stretch or scroll their way through your PC-based website on their mobile phone. If you don’t have a mobile-friendly site, it’s time to start planning for a website redesign.

2. Are you getting enough sales or leads from your website?

One of the key indicators to let you know you need to redesign your site is if your traffic is declining.

Are fewer people visiting your site? Or, are they getting to your homepage and bouncing–leaving the page almost immediately? These kinds of metrics can show you quantitatively that your website just isn’t working for you anymore. Here are some areas to explore if you are concerned about a high bounce rate:

Does your website’s design match the brand personality that you want to convey to customers? Customers should see a site that reflects your company’s image.
Is your main call-to-action obvious to your visitors? Measure the clicks over time to find out.
Is it clear to your visitors what products or services you offer? Organize your site in a way that visitors can quickly discern who you are, what you offer, and how they can buy it.

3. How does your website look compared to your competitors?

It’s always a good idea to check out the competition. Review your direct competitors’ websites on a regular basis. Look at not only the design but also notice their voice and how they position their product or service. Avoid plagiarizing, but you are free to use any inspiration to update your website.

Keep an eye on how they rank on search engines compared to your site. If you own a nail salon in Annapolis, Maryland, type in “nail salon Annapolis” into Google and see where you show up and how you compare to your direct competitors. If they are ranking higher, you need to look at doing a redesign that focuses on incorporating best SEO practices.

4. Does it have all the bells and whistles you need?

Besides the actual design, a website can include lots of extras that make the day-to-day management of business easier. Here are a few examples of the types of tools or apps that can be added to a website to streamline business operations:

An online appointment scheduler is a much more efficient way for both you and your clients manage appointments.
An email sign up form is a quick way to collect email addresses from your site visitors. It boosts the size of your email contact list so you can increase your outreach.
Social media icons make it easier for your site visitors to share and engage with your site via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more.
A photo or video gallery can help you display imagery or videos in an appealing and enticing way.

These are just a few examples. There are many tools you can use to create a better experience for the visitor and you.

5. Are you just tired of it?

If you feel like your website would win an award for the ‘Ugliest Website of The Year’, then it’s just time to bite the bullet. Your website is the conduit for many people to get a first impression. If it’s not projecting the image you want for your business, then it’s time to invest in a redesign.

If you answered yes to a few of the questions above, you should consider redesigning your website. There are many design services available. Deluxe Websites offers a complete end-to-end solution for website design, getting your website found, making sure it’s mobile-friendly and ensuring it’s SEO-optimized.

Found this helpful? Get more tips and how-tos by subscribing to the weekly VR Buzz newsletter.

© 2015, VerticalResponse Blog. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

The post Five Things to Consider Before Undergoing a Website Redesign appeared first on VerticalResponse Blog.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Quick Tips Video: 3 Tips for Building a Sign Up Form that Gets Subscribers

While there are many ways to grow your email list, it’s important to make sure you’ve optimized the basics.

The sign up form, for example, is often your final chance to persuade people to subscribe to your list – and the details, such as your call to action and what information you request, do matter.

Not sure where to start?

In the latest episode of Quick Tips, we took a look at a few simple ways in which you can create a sign up form that gets subscribers. Check it out:

Missed a tip? Read the transcript here:

Monica (M): Hi everyone! Welcome to this week’s episode of Quick Tips. I’m Monica.

Olivia (O): And I’m Olivia. Today we’ll be talking about some of the ways you can improve your email sign up forms so they get you even more subscribers than ever before.

M: Whether you run an online boutique or a blog about pizza, once you get your sign up form right, you’ll be well on your way to growing your email list as well as your business. Here are three tips to get started.

O: Our first tip is to keep it simple.

M: When it comes to creating a signup form, less is more. People these days often browse websites when they’re on the go or in a time crunch. They may only have about 5 minutes to look around your website before they need to run and pick their kids up from school or jet off to a business meeting.

O:And remember to keep it simple. Ask for their name, email, and possibly one other important piece of information.

M: That important piece of info could be their birthday, for example, so you can send a coupon that month.

O: Or, ask for their favorite product so you can send them relevant information about it. If you’re a dessert blogger, asking for their favorite ice cream flavor would be a great idea. Whatever it may be, make sure it’s simple enough and relevant to your business.

M: For our second tip, let’s talk about offering incentives.

O: One of the best ways to get subscribers is to give them a good reason to sign up. Who doesn’t love a good 20% off coupon code or free sample?

M: Since your potential subscribers don’t know you or your content well enough, it’s a good idea to entice them with something valuable so they can get a taste of what your business offers. Plus, it’ll encourage them to read emails from you in the future.

O: Whether it’s a free download or a discount off their first purchase, adding this incentive into your signup form will definitely help you bring value and get new subscribers.

M: And that brings us to our final tip: be transparent.

O: What you’re providing in your email newsletter shouldn’t be a mystery. People want to know exactly what they’re going to get in return for providing you with their personal information.

M: In your sign up form, include a short overview of the kind of content you’ll be emailing them. This way, subscribers will know what you’ll be sending them and how often.

O: But don’t forget to keep things simple and keep your explanation short and sweet. Make sure that people can digest the information. Remember, less is more!

M: So let’s quickly go over what we learned.

O: First things first, don’t overpopulate your sign up form with too many fields. You’re busy, and so is everyone else. Keep it simple.

M: Next? Offer cool stuff to your subscribers. Everyone loves to feel like they’re getting a special offer or great deal.

O: Last tip? Be open and honest. Tell people what you plan to send. If the content interests them, you’ll have a better chance of securing this person as a long-time subscriber and customer. It’s a win-win!

M: Alright everyone, that’s all the time we have for today. Make sure you’re subscribed to our YouTube channel to catch all the latest episodes.

O: Thanks for joining us – we’ll see you next time!

The post Quick Tips Video: 3 Tips for Building a Sign Up Form that Gets Subscribers appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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Aspiration: Top Notch Investing for the Middle Class

Andrei Cherney and Aspiration understand the importance of getting an early start with financial planning and investing. With they pay what you want (or can) approach, they're targeting an under-represented corner of the market: millennials. Add to that their approach of donating a dime for every dollar earned by their company, we knew we had to have Andrei on the Heart of Business podcast to talk about Aspiration.Related Articles

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3 Auto-Responders Every Retailer Should Consider

Delivering a relevant buyer experience is virtually impossible to manage without the right blend of touch points and messages. No doubt you use transactional messages through printed receipts, email confirmations and delivery update notifications. Maybe you’ve even added a seasonal promotional email or direct mail campaign.

Retailers can also save time and keep customers engaged by setting up auto-responders. These types of emails are triggered once an event occurs. Let’s look at three types of events and example emails.

1. Surprise and Delight

The “Surprise and Delight” auto-responder is one that many retailers include in their communication plan. Simply put, it’s an out-of-the-ordinary email that a retailer sends to a customer that elicits an emotional “ahhhh” moment.

An appropriate event that might trigger this email is a customer anniversary. Knowing when a customer became a customer, and acknowledging that special day, is always a welcome surprise. More common events might be a customer’s birthday, or wedding anniversary. This special event auto-responder is designed to, well, make them feel special.

Offering a small token of appreciation goes a long way. It keeps your brand top of mind but shows your customers you truly value their business and loyalty. And although providing a gift certificate from your business is nice, offering your customer something unexpected is even better. Consider offering them a nominal gift card from a brand that complements your company or treating them to an exclusive in-store discount.

As Robert Spector, customer service guru and author of The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence: The Handbook For Becoming the “Nordstrom” of Your Industry, says “Don’t reinvent the wheel. Focus on winning one customer at a time. Be honest and sincere. Do what’s right. There’s nothing magical about this. That’s been my guiding principle. To make it work, you have to live it every day. Make it your mind-set.”

Here is a great example of a customer anniversary “Surprise and Delight” email:

3 Auto-Responders Every Retailer Should Consider

2. Countdown

The “Countdown Event” auto-responder email builds awareness and excitement. It also creates a sense of urgency around a sale, special promotion, new product launch, or any type of event. You can segment your loyal customers and offer them a “sneak peak” using a Countdown. The impact delivered is great customer service to your best customers with exclusivity, but with a limited time element.

Here is a great example of a “Countdown Timer” auto-responder email:

3. Abandoned Cart

Last but not least, the “Abandoned Cart” auto-responder email that is triggered when a shopper leaves before going through the checkout process. You can decide to pair the email with an offer, or not. Either way, the goal is to entice them to complete the sale.

Here is the “no-offer reminder” abandoned cart email:

3 Auto-Responders Every Retailer Should Consider

Here is the “offer reminder” abandoned cart email:

3 Auto-Responders Every Retailer Should Consider

There is truly no one-size-fits-all approach to an auto-responder strategy but one thing is true, you can mix and match different auto-responders by combining the best elements of both.

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The post 3 Auto-Responders Every Retailer Should Consider appeared first on VerticalResponse Blog.