Online Shoppers Send a Clear Message

Posted on October 20, 2005 by Tom O'Leary

ONLINE SHOPPERS have made it clear that they expect free shipping when shopping online this holiday season.

“According to results of the 2005 Shop.org/BizRate Research Online Holiday Mood Study, this year’s most popular online promotion will be free shipping, which 79 percent of online retailers plan to offer during the holiday season. This promotion is in line with consumers’ desires, as almost four out of five online shoppers said that free shipping offers are an important factor when deciding where to buy.”

  • 56 percent of consumers surveyed begin shopping for a particular item or gift at a specific merchant’s website
  • 37 percent of shoppers will start with a search engine
  • 18 percent start at a comparison shopping site
  • 19 percent at an auction site/shopping portal
  • 29 percent of consumers plan to start their online shopping via stores or catalogs

Many online retailers expect online sales to double from last year. For that reason, many are advertising early.

  • 63 percent of online retailers will use catalog mailings
  • 61 percent include in-store materials
  • 59 percent will use direct mail to drive traffic to their websites
  • 54 percent will also be investing in magazine advertising
  • 41 percent in newspaper
  • 35 percent in television
  • 32 percent in radio advertising

For more information about the Online Holiday Mood Study, read: Shop.org: Gas Prices Not Affecting Free Shipping Promotions

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Collaboration: The Small Business Vaccine for Loneliness

Posted on October 20, 2005 by Tom O'Leary

ACCORDING TO A RECENT POLL, small business leaders feel that they are [on their own] when making important business decisions; with 43 percent confessing to loneliness and two-fifths reporting feelings of detachment. With my history of of start-ups and small business experiences over the years, this doesn’t necessarily surprise me. At the same time, the solution seems clear. As small business operators, it is essential to collaborate with other professionals with similar agendas to ours.

Perhaps this is a perfect time to invite everyone to visit The Messaging Times website, which will be launched in the not-too-distant future. At the moment, you can provide your e-mail address on the site and will be notified when the community goes live. The Messaging Times will be a collaborative online community for small business professionals and anyone else who communicates online.

Don’t be lonely. Collaborate, communicate and innovate!

For more about the study, read: Clearly Business: Small Firms Crave Advice

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MTV Rocks the Internet

Posted on October 19, 2005 by Tom O'Leary

LAST WEEK, MTV parlayed its cool image by acquiring IFilm.com. I just took a look at the site and must say that the potential is huge with MTV at the helm as exploitation of the digital video market has only begun. At IFilm, members can submit their own digital videos and get them in front of MTV’s estimated 10 million users of the site each month. That sort of traffic makes the site a rich resource for independent film and video producers who want their work to be seen.

To read more about the acquisition and MTVs plans, go to Forbes.com: MTV’s Internet-Hungry Freston Buys Video Web Site

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Gmail is Googled

Posted on October 19, 2005 by Tom O'Leary

GOOGLES WEB-BASED E-MAIL SERVICE, Gmail, skidded into a trademark dispute in Europe. It turns out that the London-based Independent International Investment Research (IIR) started using the name Gmail for their own web mail purposes a couple of years before the search engine giant did. As a result, users of Google’s service in the UK will now have a googlemail.com extension rather than the gmail.com brand. The price tag to settle the trademark dispute was too rich according to Google. How much do you think the Gmail brand is worth?

For more, read:
BBC News: Google Drops Gmail Address in UK, and
IIR: Google Negotiations Status Report

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5 Email Writing Tips

Posted on October 17, 2005 by Tom O'Leary

HERE ARE FIVE E-MAIL WRITING TIPS that will significantly improve your click-through rates:

1. Be consistent with your “From” field. Use your company name, website name, product name, or newsletter name; but be consistent. Don’t use your own name, unless you are a widely recognized authority or unless your name is your brand. Consistency will strengthen customer awareness and recognition of your brand.

2. Wow recipients with a short, relevant and meaningful subject line. As e-mail readers, we scan the headlines to determine what stays in our inbox. If a headline speaks to me, I’ll open it. Otehrwise, it’s off to the trash. Be consistent with the structure of your subject line. A newsletter, for example, might be sent out monthly in this format:

From: The Messaging Times
Subj: Newsletter, Issue 19: E-mail Writing 101

3. Announce your call-to-action immediately. Your lead sentence should direct action. For an example of a call to action, see E-mail Writing 101

4. Make links clear, accessible and direct. Readers should immediately see the link that you want them to click. Don’t bury the link in a beautiful script. Offer it generously at the beginning, middle and end. Links should take the customer directly to where they want to go. If they want to purchase, link them directly to the check-out line. We love efficiency.

5. Close your message professionally. Don’t hide behind a dark curtain. Make your signiture lines descriptive and interactive. Put your stamp on every message you send and solicit feedback. Provide clearly marked opt-out links and don’t make opting out a chore.

Implementing these 5 email writing tips will significantly improve your click-through rates. Try it, and let me know if you notice a difference.

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