Having a website is essential, but having a website that people love to visit is even better. With so much competition, it’s important to stand out from the crowd and ensure your website visitors have an enjoyable and memorable experience. That’s why we’re here to help you spice up your website and create a better user experience.
Let’s start by listing the main areas of concern on your website:
Good navigation helps users find what they are looking for quickly and easily. It includes clear menus, links, and buttons that are easy to understand and follow. Well-organized and intuitive navigation helps users find what they’re looking for, leading to a better user experience.
A user expects a website to load quickly, and a slow-loading website can be frustrating and may lead to users abandoning the site altogether. A fast-loading website enhances the user experience by keeping users engaged and reducing the likelihood of them leaving before they can explore the site. In fact, a site’s bounce rate probability increases by 32% as the page load time moves from one to three seconds.
Nicholas LaPolla, Web Development Lead
Does it all make sense together? A good page flow guides users through the site’s content and helps them understand how different pages relate to one another. A well-designed page flow ensures that users can easily navigate a site and find the information they need without feeling lost or confused.
Quality content that is informative, engaging, and relevant to the user’s needs can keep users on a site for longer, while poor content can cause users to leave. Readability is also important as it ensures that users can easily understand and engage with the content presented. And of course, whether you’re writing ad copy or organic content for the web, always do your research and use relevant keywords.
An excellent page layout ensures that the content is easy to read and understand and that the most important information is easily visible. A well-designed page layout also provides a professional and visually appealing look and feel.
Rheana Hersey, Director of Creative Services
Colors and contrast are important in creating a visually appealing and engaging website. Using color thoughtfully can draw users’ attention to essential elements and create a visual hierarchy that makes it easy to understand the site’s content.
Did you know that 58.43% of all web traffic comes from mobile users? With an increasing number of people accessing websites via their mobile devices, ensuring a website is optimized for mobile is crucial. A mobile-optimized site is easy to navigate on a smaller screen and loads quickly, ensuring that users have a good experience regardless of their device.
Whoa, still with us? Now that we’ve covered the basics let’s dive deeper into a few areas. We’ll start with site navigation.
Good navigation should explain itself to the user. Here are a few good examples:
We don’t just love this website because it has cookies. Partake, the baking company, has a visually appealing yet straightforward navigation system. As you browse their product offerings, each option is accompanied by a striking visual representation. This feature aids customers in identifying their desired products and locating the corresponding pages while simultaneously adding an interactive element to the navigation by enhancing its visual appeal.
Alrighty, next up on our list is Rothy’s—a sustainable company that designs killer shoes for women and kids. Their navigation system is a perfect example of mobile-friendliness. They’ve nailed it with a hamburger menu that’s super easy to open on mobile devices. Say goodbye to navigation struggles and hello to really cute shoes.
First cookies and then coffee? What can we say, they go great together. But seriously, let’s talk about Verve. This java joint has got it goin’ on (online). They totally nailed the whole “consistent branding” thing. By using the same font style and color scheme throughout, they’ve created a super sleek and modern vibe. And the best part? It’s all seamlessly integrated into their navigation.
It’s all about YOU, the user. Let’s talk about why putting the user first in web design matters. Not only does it make your website more enjoyable to use, but it also helps you achieve your business goals. After all, if users can’t find what they’re looking for, they won’t stick around. So, what can you do?
Research, baby. That’s right. Before you start designing, do your homework. Find out what your users want, what they need, and what they’re looking for. Then, use that information to make informed design choices. Trust us; everybody wins when you design with the user in mind.
It’s time to ponder the secrets of writing for the web. How do you keep your readers engaged, informed, and coming back for more? It’s simple—write for the internet, not for your high school English teacher. That means keeping it concise, relatable, scannable, and SEO-optimized.
Let’s face it; nobody wants to read a giant text block, so break it up with headings, subheadings, and bullet points. If you wouldn’t read the copy, your customer probably won’t either, so use your judgment as a guide.
Also, remember to add some personality to your writing. Whether it’s punny or a pop culture reference, injecting humor into your content can go a long way if it aligns with your brand voice.
If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you are missing out on a massive piece of the pie. And we love pie. So, it’s time to step up your game to create a better user experience. Your users aren’t all sitting at a desk with a giant monitor in front of them anymore.
That’s a big nope. Our websites need to be optimized for mobile, with clear and easy-to-tap buttons, fonts that are big enough to read, and a layout that makes sense on a smaller screen. So, the next time you design a website, remember to put yourself in your user’s pocket.
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]]>The post Popular rebranding projects we’re obsessed with appeared first on Outsource Marketing.
]]>We’ve handled countless rebrands over the last 25 years, so yeah, we love a good branding project. There’s a certain level of risk involved when you rebrand a prominent brand because, over the years, they’ve developed an identity and audience with their existing branding. Change isn’t always a good thing (believe it or not, we’ve urged clients not to rebrand), so every rebranding project must be well thought-out and executed. (Don’t get us started on NBC’s logo rebrand.) Now, let’s get into it.
If you grew up with Dunkin’ Donuts, it might sting to see them switch up their name and branding. But once you get past the initial shock of the name change to “Dunkin’,” along with their fresh and bold design elements, it makes sense. For the same reason, Starbucks dropped “Coffee” from their name: now they aren’t associated with just their signature product. One of the more humorous parts of this rebrand was the advertisements stating, “just call us Dunkin’,” like a kid changing their name in high school. But hey, it worked.
Is this our favorite rebranding project? We like the simplicity of the new mark, but no. Has it gotten everyone talking? Yes. When Facebook announced the surprising move to the Metaverse, it was the turning point many stakeholders had been waiting for. The Metaverse creates a 3D virtual world that can do everything from playing VR games to hosting meetings while giving Facebook a futuristic makeover. (Look out, TikTok?) This rethink of the Facebook model and brand also brought on thousands of new employees to inspire and revamp beyond its one-dimensional social media offering.
MasterCard is one of those iconic brands that we all recognize. While there’s something timeless about not touching a tried-and-true logo, a subtle refresh can do wonders. MasterCard did a great job of keeping its recognizable red and yellow circles but giving it a clean, modern feel that competes with the newer brands, and we love it.
Even kings need to keep up with the times, right? After 20 whopping years (get it?), Burger King was finally ready to serve up some branding updates. Burger King ditched its 1999 flashy design for a retro design that was revamped from the ’70s. Are they pulling on our nostalgia heartstrings? We think so.
Out of all the rebranding projects, this one made the most sense. For a company that hinges on creativity, a red and white logo was just ‘blah.’ Wanting to encompass all the different products in the Adobe Creative Cloud, the new rainbow gradient logo represents bringing all their programs together.
When it comes to rebranding, you need to know what to keep and what to change. Unless you’re walking away from a branding dumpster fire, you need to understand:
Once all those details are clearly defined, you can break into the rebranding process.
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]]>The post Five critical considerations for effective company branding appeared first on Outsource Marketing.
]]>As the legendary anchorman, Ron Burgundy once said, “I’m kind of a big deal. People know me. I’m very important.” You may ask yourself, what does this have to do with company branding? The answer is nothing and everything. The thing is, your company’s brand is a big deal. It’s much more than slapping a logo together and choosing a color palette. Your brand is important because it’s the identity and personality of your business.
In today’s digital age, branding is an even bigger deal than before because customers are interacting with your brand everywhere they turn or scroll online. Your website, social media, video content, radio promotions, print advertising, and more are all opportunities to build brand recognition and reputation with consumers. So yeah, it is kind of a big deal to get it right.
With a foundation of strategic positioning, your brand helps communicate who your company is and can help reinforce your competitive advantage.
On the one hand, you have brand assets like your name, logo, tagline, and design. While the logo may be your company’s face, other things identify your brand. Like a person, their face is the most recognizable, but it isn’t their only defining quality. If you look at a person from the back, you can see how they carry themselves, their walk, hair, and how they dress to understand what this person looks like without ever seeing their face.
On the other hand, you have the brand’s attributes that communicate its personality to the consumers. These characteristics include your credibility, emotional connection, brand awareness, and purchase motivation. All pieces of the puzzle must harmonize to create a solid brand identity that aligns with consumer behaviors, actions, and communications.
Now it’s time to find the method to the madness. The experience of your brand is how people will feel interacting with it. To get the most out of your company branding experience, everything you do should relate back to your target demographic. Ask yourself, with every touchpoint or marketing material created, how does it make your target audience feel in their gut?
For example, if you were starting a yoga studio, you would want your customer to feel calm and refreshed when they experience your brand. Take a moment to think of some of the businesses you frequent. What feeling do they give you, and do you think it impacts how you view their brand?
So you made it past the first two steps, and now it’s time to strategize. For a brand’s strategy to be great, you must polish up your most vital attributes and get them camera-ready.
A good brand strategy considers your:
Remember, your brand is an expression of your business strategy, so you need an in-depth understanding of the consumer and your competition. When your strategy is well researched and consistent, showcasing your value propositions to the market has a higher success rate.
Every great news anchor has a killer co-anchor, and the chemistry between your brand and its value propositions should follow suit. But how do you communicate your value propositions effectively? Everything hinges on answering, “why would a customer choose your business over the other options?” You can unlock your target market’s deciding factors from that question and tailor your messaging to be authentic. When your communication is original, it creates a connection with the consumer that resonates on a personal level.
For example, let’s say you’re opening a small coffee shop. A common mistake would be to see what large competitors are doing and try to compete with them. But you’re not Starbucks, and when people go to an independent coffee shop, they are looking for a change of pace. Sure, Starbucks has an extensive and ever-changing menu and is accessible everywhere.
But a small shop can perfect its menu, create eye-catching latte art, introduce specials on a whim, host events, sell items from local vendors, and maintain a more relaxed and comfortable space. If a customer walked into your shop and you were mirroring the Starbucks model, ugh, cue the disappointment. There are a million Starbucks locations out there. Your target market is looking for a new experience.
Once everything is ironed out with your company branding, you must ensure everyone handling your marketing and sales is on the same page. After all, what is the point of working so hard to create a brand and custom messaging if it isn’t used consistently?
Consider this. Is it McDonald’s without the golden arches? Is it Gatorade without the athletic sports commercials? Is it Apple without the Genius Bar? What makes your brand unique is what builds a relationship with consumers. Whether your brand makes customers feel safe, relaxed, motivated, or stylish, that feeling is why they come back repeatedly.
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]]>Color psychology comes heavily into play during the process of developing brand color palettes. Its core concept is that different feelings, emotions, and ideas are associated with different colors. But have you ever wondered why you feel calm when you look at the color blue, or a sense of danger when seeing red? What’s behind this?
When we get to the basics of neurobiology, color is simply wavelengths transmitted from the eye, through the optic nerve, and registered in our brain. It has no intrinsic meaning in the brain, nothing more than distinguishing between wavelengths of light.
So why do we feel such different emotions towards various colors? Why does yellow make us feel joy and energy, blue tranquility and peace, red urgency and energy? To get that answer, we move away from neurobiology and toward another branch of psychology—behaviorism. Therein lies a piece of the answer with something called “classical conditioning.“
Classical conditioning is a basic component of behaviorism, a branch of psychology that emphasizes that behavior is influenced by experience. You probably encountered a famous example of classical conditioning in Psych 101 known as Pavlov’s Dogs. Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov discovered that when he rang a bell tone during a dog’s mealtime, eventually the dog would start salivating at the sound of the bell even if there was no food present. The dogs had learned—subconsciously—to associate the sound with food.
Behaviorists apply this mostly to the way we respond to stimuli, but the concept can also generalize to feelings and associations.
Color theory studies our associations between colors, feelings, mood, and experiences we’ve had with color, along with the greater sociological context around color meanings.
Imagine as a young child your parents told you that the weather was nice, so you could go outside and play instead of staying inside. Joyfully, you went outside and saw the yellow sun, the yellow flowers. It is possible that you paired this association as: yellow sun = nice weather = time to go outside = time to have fun.
Quickly the color yellow—along with sunshine, spring flowers, bright light—became paired with the experiences of joy and happiness. This may be why we often see the color yellow used in logos, brands, and paintings to evoke a sense of joy and lightness.
Another example: you went to the gardens with your family, you went on a hike, you played in the forest. You saw the color green and life growing all around you. The color green was paired with the sense of regeneration, growth, life. Logos, brands, paintings, and art using this color to evoke a sense of growth, change, hope, and regeneration, drawing directly into a collective experience and association.
These colors can be used in a brand to evoke familiar sentiments and experiences we’ve all had with color.
However, other factors can change the story and the feeling that you were going for.
Colors can change their story when paired with symbols, creating an entirely new meaning. For example, the color red.
When you were a kid, you saw a firetruck, red flashing lights, you fell and scraped your knee and saw blood, you received corrections on your spelling quiz in red ink. You started to pair the color red with the sense of correction, urgency, warning, and danger.
But what if you add a heart or a flower into the picture? Instead, red within these shapes symbolizes romance and passion.
Now, how about a circle with a slash through the middle? Suddenly, the color red once again signals a feeling of warning and danger.
Pairing colors with certain shapes tells a more complex and specific story.
Classical conditioning has been occurring not only on an individual level, but on a societal and cultural level over thousands of years in different places in the world with unique landscapes, religions, and life experiences. Thus, color connotations vary in different cultures. Although we may assume that a color’s meaning is universal, it usually isn’t. Color psychology is influenced by context, culture, and subjective experience. When trying to communicate a story cross-culturally, explore that culture’s color associations in order to communicate effectively.
Color is a crucial piece of branding. With it, you can reach into your audience’s past experience to evoke an idea, tone, or emotion. It tells a story through color, sending a message about your brand.
For example, Whole Foods’ circular green logo evokes a story about regeneration and healthy food options, connecting to familiar experiences with green produce, plants, and trees.
Because culture, context, and individual experience affect our perception of color, use it as a guide rather than a scientific reference. It is contextual, but so is your brand and your own story.
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
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]]>The first in a two-part series on copywriting. Find the second part here.
You’ve heard the phrase. And you might have taken it to heart. After all, words—spoken and written—have enfranchised genders, established nation-states, and both started and ended global wars.
Words may just be words. And as Gloria Estefan suggests, they can “get in the way.” After all, “actions speak louder than words.” Right?
Not always.
Words have meaning. Words have impact. Words do matter. And in that vein, words have power.
That’s another phrase you might have come across, especially if you speak American or British English on the regular. I’ve been thinking a lot about that particular phrase lately. It’s actually what brought me to this table, right now, typing these words on my laptop.
I’ve been wondering about the word “power” too. It gets thrown around, all the time, in just about every context: race, gender, the body politic, finance, military, industry, alternative, advertising, and, of course, superhero. Just about every aspect of civilization and identity can have some sort of “power” attributed to them, from bars to brokers.
So what does “power” actually mean? And how is it humanly possible for a mere word to have power?
When you look at the etymology of the word “power,” most authoritative sources agree that it has Anglo-French origins, and martial connotations. It most likely emerged in the Middle English lexicon around 1300, uttered as “poer,” or “pouer,” meaning “to be able,” especially in the context of conquest.
So back in the day, if you had power, you most likely were a boss on the battlefield. You possessed the ability to dominate in battle, and by extension, bands of warriors with power were essentially good at war.
That brings us back to the phrase: “The power of words.” Words can do stuff. Words are able. And if we layer in the original meaning of our Middle Age brethren, words slay.
I thought it would be useful to examine the power of words through the lens of my particular milieu, copywriting. Shall we get our Don Draper on and take a stroll down Madison Avenue?
The slogan, or “brief attention-getting phrase used in advertising or promotion” according to Merriam-Webster, has a paramount position in the sultry and seductive history of advertising. Especially in America, where great advertising agencies regularly introduce major visual artists and designers to the public—think Andy Warhol illustrating ads for Glamour—the simple slogan has also had a lot to say about advertisement, marketing, and promotion.
Advertising history is littered with famous slogans. “Just do it.” “M’m! M’m! Good!” “Got milk?” The list goes on. One famous slogan was actually mined for an episode of Mad Men, when Volkswagen’s “Think small” and “Lemon” print ads created a mini-revolution on Madison Avenue.
But beyond the catchy, fun enticement of a well conceived slogan is a real and legitimate potential for power. Namely, the power to sell. And as slogans—and their lesser-known cousins, taglines—became must-haves for big American business in the 1960s and 1970s, they also started to climb to an even more prominent plateau in the 1980s and 1990s: the brand.
Today, the brand is the thing. No longer reserved for massive global corporations, brands are now sought by corner shops, mom-and-pops, athletes, celebrities, YouTubers, your great uncle Jack, your precocious niece Jill, and almighty influencers. And though some of the best-known brands are almost entirely visual, many are often backed by an evolving slogan or tagline. Brands like Nike, Target, FedEx, IBM, Walmart, McDonald’s, and UPS come to mind.
Even with immediately recognizable brand logos from the likes of Starbucks, Apple, Google, and Amazon, there is often a concept or direction that is advocated through words. IBM may “put smart to work.” UPS “(hearts) Logistics.” At Target, one of the most recognizable brand logos, you “expect more,” and “pay less.” More often than not, the biggest brands have a natural, comfortable alignment between visual design and tagline. They fit together, and work off each other.
Words’ power goes below the fold, to use an obsolete phrase, in advertising. The slogan gets all the attention, and deservedly so. But the meat of an advertising campaign often emerges in all the copy that comes after the header. Things like calls-to-action, call-outs, and factoids are pure products of words, and they have a major impact on how a campaign performs.
Actually, quite a few people, according to my latest count.
We may read differently, for different durations, through different mediums than we have before. And the act of reading will continue to evolve, once we all get our own set of smartglass contact lenses with virtualized readers that flash on in front of our irises the moment we think them to appear.
And when we read, on a virtual screen on Mars or on a Kindle on a couch, we read words. And there’s some power in that.
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]]>Your brand is your logo. Right? No, no, your brand is just part of your corporate identity? Hold the phone. Let’s take a vote…
a) Your brand is your logo
b) Your brand is part of your corporate identity
If you answered c) none of the above, you’re the big winner. And much like the answer to that question, your brand is what you can’t see. (More on that later.)
Confused? You’re not alone.
The words logo, identity, and brand get tossed around in the creative world like confetti. And they’re often used interchangeably, forming one big brandlogoidentity conundrum. What is a brand identity? How is it different from your logo? And what is branding anyway?
Your brand is something you can’t see. It’s there, it’s real, but it’s intangible. Your brand is not your logo. It’s not your business card, nor your website or social media accounts.
Your brand is the relationship formed between your company and the world experiencing your company. How do people perceive your company based on their indirect and direct experiences with you? What are their reactions? It all comes down to the “gut feeling” your company evokes in your audience.
You can’t completely control your brand. You can do your best to tell your story, dress the part, and do the right things, but at the end of the day it’s up to your audience to decide how they feel about you. Your challenge then becomes acknowledging these perceptions and responding accordingly.
Your brand identity is what you can see. It’s the colors, fonts, messaging and voice your company uses. It is all the unique visual aspects your company uses to tell your story. Things like:
You want these visual devices to be coherent and memorable, so consistency is key. Every time your audience comes in contact with your brand, these identity pieces should help them recognize you.
Your logo is just one piece of the brand identity pie. At its simplest form, a logo is a graphic, a typographic mark, or a combination of the two that is used to identify your company. But it’s far more than just a pretty font, and much more than just a cool design.
The meaning behind your logo should be harmonious with the feelings people have about your brand. Your logo takes your brand identity and brand, ties them together in a pretty little bow, and presents them to the world. That tiny little mark does a ton of heavy lifting.
If your brand is the set of perceptions your audience has about your company, then what is branding? What happens when you add the “-ing”? Well a lot, actually. Branding your business is all the actions you take to nourish and protect that brand, to cultivate that gut feeling.
Branding is when you create an email campaign. It’s when you write a blog post or design a poster. It’s all the little and big things executed with the greater intention of building an impactful and lasting brand.
Marty Neumeier
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]]>The post “Dads and Grads” Ads Give Us the Sads About Cliches in Ads appeared first on Outsource Marketing.
]]>
It’s that time of year again. That time where we know we’re going to be hit over the head with a slew of ads aimed at selling merchandise for “dads and grads.”
The fact that advertisers mash up these two events – Father’s Day and graduation – isn’t surprising given where they fall on the calendar. But what is extra annoying is that the annual coupling of these two distinct occasions is reinforced simply because advertisers can make two words rhyme.
It becomes an annual reminder of how advertising and marketing can devolve into lazy use of clichéd expressions.
“Dads and grads” is just one example of what some would call “default copywriting.” These are the kind of phrases that advertisers use a lot because they seem natural, but in reality, they are simply the result of doing the least amount of creative thinking possible.
A few other examples of this include:
Locally Owned and Operated – as opposed to the locally owned company that operates in North Korea. Can’t we just say “a local company” or a “locally owned company”?
Huge Savings – this is one of the worst, and most common examples. How much is “huge”? Give us a number.
Experience the Difference – if you do a Google search on “Experience the difference” you will see that every company that uses that phrasing has something in common. And not in a good way. If you are asking people to experience the difference, there is nothing different about that approach.
Going back to the broader observation about unoriginal advertising, a devastating video was posted to YouTube recently. It shines a light on how laziness and lack of creativity has made so many commercials about so many different products and services look exactly the same. It’s 3 minutes of “experience of the difference”.
What it comes down to is this. If an advertiser wants me to pay attention, they have to stop using clichés. I’m sure that most dads and grads probably feel the same way. And if you feel the same way, then call on Outsource Marketing for a fresh take on how you present your products and your company to the world.
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]]>The post Shifting from reactive to proactive customer service that sells appeared first on Outsource Marketing.
]]>“Competition is now just a click away. Customers are interested in marketing, but they don’t believe what your company says about itself unless it matches what they and their friends experience,” professional keynote speaker and best-selling author Micah Solomon said during the online debate.
Creating a standout customer service experience, however, doesn’t mean simply waiting for the customer to call you when they have a problem. You should create a strategy that enables your team to proactively reach out to customers and remind them why they purchased your product in the first place. In “The Seven Keys of Responsible Marketing,” Patrick Byers puts it this way: “Quit talking at your customers and prospects; begin a conversation with them instead.” This will increase your customer loyalty and retention.
Here are five tips for shifting from reactive support, to proactive customer service that sells.
ForeSee CEO Larry Freed recently published a Harvard Business Review article that explored the difference between voluntary customer feedback and random measurement. He postulated that reactively garnering feedback from customers only gives your part of the picture.
“The [proactive customer feedback] does a better job of measuring the wider range of customer experiences, rather than just the very happy and very unhappy customers that often respond to an opt-in feedback button,” he wrote.
His point is companies need to proactively reach out to customers for feedback to gain the most accurate data, and to glean the kind of actionable insights that will improve the overall experience.
WePay, a company that helps small businesses accept credit card payments via an online platform, makes talking to customers a top priority for staff at all levels. In addition to conducting regular surveys and telephone calls to solicit feedback, Vice President of Marketing Tina Hsaio says, “We also have a goal of every person in the company going to physically visit both current, churned and prospective customers – this includes the executives, engineering, marketing, etc.”
By making regular contact with customers, WePay can identify and address any issues a client has before they become problematic. This commitment pays off: they have a customer satisfaction rating of over 90 percent.
It’s always better for customers to hear about a problem directly from you instead of realizing the product or service doesn’t do what they need it to. Or even worse, if they read about an issue with their product in the headlines. If your company identifies a problem, you can build customer trust and mitigate damaging social media fallout by contacting those affected by the issue (before they have to call you).
First and foremost, apologize. Don’t try to sweep it under the rug. Be specific about the steps you are taking to address the problem, and offer a discount on a future purchase in the mean time.
Barefoot Wines, for example, once discovered a barcode error that led a shipment of wine to ring up for less than it should, which lost the distributor money.
The company was quick to own up to the mistake and informed the distributor about it in person, with a check in hand to cover the loss. The client was grateful, and a potential cause for complaint became a memorable experience of Barefoot’s commitment to serving their customers.
The lesson airlines learned decades ago can be applied to any business: offering tangible rewards for regular business is a powerful loyalty-building tool. Loyalty programs build goodwill by demonstrating a company’s desire to reward a customer and to thank them for their business.
Proactively reaching out to customers with offers in between purchases provides an additional opportunity for positive interaction with customers to strengthen their relationship with the company. It can also solve problems customers didn’t even know they had by alerting them to something they may be missing out on and offering a way to fix this.
If you’re not paying attention to what customers are saying about you online, you’re missing key opportunities. Reaching out to customers who mention your company, be it in a good or bad context, allows you to preemptively address their needs and increase customer satisfaction.
Consider implementing social listening software that will alert you to any mentions of your brand online. Positive mentions can present opportunities to show your gratitude. Or for complaints, respond with an apology, a description of what the company is doing to correct the issue and a gift certificate or discount to make up for any inconvenience, if you think that would be appropriate.
A recent Forrester survey found that 44 percent of respondents believe the ability to get quick answers from a live chat representative during an online purchase is “one of the most important features a website can offer.” Online chat assures website visitors that someone at the company is there to provide any information needed and saves them the trouble of having to search for an answer or call or email the company.
The feature increases interaction with website visitors, helps customers overcome barriers to contacting the company and enables staff to build better relationships with them.
Proactive customer service doesn’t just help you keep the customers you have happy. By turning your customers into advocates for your brand, it becomes a marketing tool that drives new business. Investing a little extra in a proactive customer service approach now is a valuable strategy that can result in considerable dividends down the line.
Ashley Verrill is a CRM software analyst for Software Advice, as well as the managing editor for the Customer Service Investigator. She has spent the last seven years reporting and writing business news and strategy features. Customer Service Investigator writer, Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter), contributed to this report.
Thumbnail image by RichardHolt
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]]>The post Add positioning to your menu—and hold the carbs appeared first on Outsource Marketing.
]]>I miss lunch most days. When I do, I usually end up gnawing on a low-carb Atkins bar—much to the amusement of my colleagues (yes, I’m one of those people).
So, when I actually do get to sit down at a restaurant to eat, I take it all in—the sights, the sounds, the smells. And since I’m a marketing freak, of course I’m constantly critiquing the experience. What’s their brand like? How do they stack up? What are they doing that seems smart? Dumb? What can they do better?
A few months ago, I started frequenting my local Taco Time. The draw: they had recently launched a “low-carb” tortilla option. Finally, a fast-food restaurant responded to my eating habits—and those of my carnivorous brethren. I quickly became a Taco Time convert.
A few weeks ago, I was happy to see shorter lines than usual when I arrived. I zoomed right up to the register and ordered my regular: a chicken soft taco on a low-carb tortilla. “Hot sauce on the side, please.” “The low-carb tortilla has been discontinued,” said the young woman at the counter flatly, not realizing the impact of her words. “Uh . . . huh . . . what?” I responded ever-so eloquently. “Are you sure? You just introduced it a few months ago.” “I’m sure,” she replied.
After furrowing my brow and scanning the entire restaurant for evidence to the contrary, I begrudgingly ordered my taco salad, hold the taco. Hell, hold the fun.
I sat there and nearly worked myself into a dither. Why had they abandoned the good ship Atkins so quickly? Was my low-carb lifestyle just a passing fad with its best days behind it? Why were their marketing materials so . . . well,“Taco Time?” And was their music always this bad?
Now, their chairs . . . their tables . . . the entire experience suddenly seemed flat-footed and uninspired. The rose-colored glasses were knocked off my face.
Back at the office I shared my experience with my colleagues. After poking a little fun, one of our Marketing Integrators asked, “Why do you go there anyway? The lines are short at Taco Time because Chipotle is kicking their butt. You should check ’em out.”
After mispronouncing the name a few times, I decided I liked it. It was short, unique and engaging—and I was anxious for a new experience.
Two days later, one of my partners accompanied me to Chipotle. As I approached the building, I realized I was in for something very different. With funky, rusted metal exterior and signage, Chipotle was poles apart from Taco Time’s plastic, almost generic fast-food feel or even the fun, surf-shack motif at Taco Del Mar.
As I walked in the door, I stepped into a long line. I didn’t mind: the music was pumping with a good mix of world, techno and pop. The energy in the room felt more like a hopping bar than lunchtime in Bellevue. The food smelled great and I asked myself, “What does Taco Time smell like? Does it have a smell?”
The Chipotle branding effort is evident everywhere. The décor is simple, but deliberate. The tables are metal and corrugated aluminum lines some of the walls. The staff wears black T-shirts with clever quotes on the back: “I made the salsa today” and “Spice is the variety of life” are two that immediately come to mind. Clearly, every contact point has been considered. I was impressed even before I ordered. I ordered a “Burrito Bol” with lettuce instead of tortilla and fajitas instead of beans. Not only was it flavorful, I didn’t have to face the ribbing I usually get for ordering something low-carb.
The differences between Chipotle and Taco Time highlight the stark contrast between a thoughtful, relevant brand and something a designer I recently met calls an “anti-brand.” Taco Time doesn’t seem to connect with anyone. It’s a place to buy tacos and burritos. Nothing more. Nothing less.
But just as Starbucks long ago recognized coffee isn’t the only thing its customers buy, Chipotle recognizes people aren’t coming just for the grub.
These differences help illustrate a number of important principles:
God is in the details. Give them the attention they are due.
David Ogilvy was spot on when he said, “You cannot bore someone into buying your product.” That’s never been truer than it is today.
Effective marketing requires you to be brave and bold with your positioning, message strategy, branding and communications.
If your marketing counsel isn’t pushing you—hard—you should talk with someone who will.
Before your competition eats your lunch.
The post Add positioning to your menu—and hold the carbs appeared first on Outsource Marketing.
]]>To commemorate Outsource Marketing’s 15th Anniversary, last fall we decided it might be fun—and a little cathartic—to think about the things we’ve learned since 1997.
We’ve learned a lot, but narrowed it to the following list, in no particular order:
Alfred Sheinwold said “Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” We’ve been paying our dues and trying to learn from our mistakes for over 15 years now. If you can learn from them too, it’s definitely been worth it.
The post 15 things we learned in 15 years – the hard way appeared first on Outsource Marketing.
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