A recent survey showed that almost two-thirds of customers have ended a relationship with a business due solely to bad service.  In the U.S. alone, those defections add up to a total cost of $83 billion every year.  And that’s for poor service – a preventable disease!  It gets worse on the web.  Over 90%…

Outdoor apparel retailer North Face is reaching out to customers in a new way.  Using technology called geo-fencing, a virtual electronic perimeter is created around certain stores.  Come within a half mile of one of those stores (a mile if it’s a suburban location), and you’ll get a text message inviting you to stop by. …

One of the circumstances that most easily undermines effective marketing is also one of the most commonplace.  At most companies of any size, people who have no training in either marketing or design have final approval over marketing messages, including the ability to make changes based solely on  personal preferences rather than on what makes…

If you think a content-rich website, social media and blogs don’t impact your marketing, here’s something to ponder.  The vast majority of journalist report using all three for story ideas and to gather information for stories they’re working on.  Does that make it a little more relevant for your business?  If you’d like to be…

If you want to be known for service, you have to answer a couple questions.  First, what do customers expect?  As fast as things change today, expectations change just as quickly, and your business has to meet those changing expectations.  Second question: what would surprise your customers?  Think of two or three ways you could…

The following is from the actual order confirmation sent out via e-mail by CD Baby, an online distributor of independent music. “Your CDs have been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.  A team of 50 employees inspected your CDs and polished them to make…

Moms make the majority of decisions when it comes to areas like banking and health care, and the lion’s share of consumer purchases, too.  Since more than 80% of Moms have a daily Facebook habit, it makes sense to try to meet them there, especially since 75% say they’re fans of at least one company. …

When was the last time you checked out a competitor’s website?  Now that it’s incredibly easy to check in on your competition, it’s astonishing how few companies actually do.  So take a look.  How is their site organized?  Is it easy to navigate?  User friendly?  Intuitive?  Does it include content that makes it easier for…

In the digital age, it may turn out that one of the key determinants of success will be fast reflexes.  How quickly can your marketing change in response to either an opportunity or a threat?  How fast can you revise product or service features – or the delivery process – to reflect changes in the…

A lot of energy is spent on the right way to reach your audience with targeted web ads.   But getting your ad in the right spot is only half the battle.  The ad itself has to make its point in a persuasive way – in about three seconds.  So think of digital ads as…