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Marketing mistakes: The five deadly sins of half-baked communication.

incomplete marketing messages don't close as many sales

Marketing mistakes: The five deadly sins of half-baked communication.

Commit any one of these five no-nos of incomplete messages and you’re leaving your visitors adrift in a sea of confusion. You’ll also miss out on a ton of conversions from your website (translation: you’re losing money). Incomplete messaging creates friction for your visitors by failing to continue the logical thought sequence when they peruse your web page. If potential customers can’t understand you, chances are they won’t trust ‒ or buy from ‒ you. So finish your thoughts (and calls to action) completely and clearly. Half-baked communication can happen in headlines, subheads, buttons…frankly anywhere on your website. Want to see some examples? Read More

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In successful marketing, it’s not me…it’s you.

In successful marketing, it’s not me…it’s you.

If your marketing efforts are all about you and what’s important to you, you’re like that kinda-clueless guy on a first date. After a solid hour of talking about himself, he finally comes up for air with: “Well, enough about me. What do you think about me?” Aaannnnnnd there won’t be a second date. Heck, his bored-to-tears companion might not even hang around for the main course. With that in mind, what does your customer/prospect communication style say about your company? It can make (and often break) your business ‒ and here’s how. Read More

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Cracking the code of better-performing websites.

Cracking the code of better-performing websites.

Most people create a site, write its content pages ‒ then give little (or no thought) to the two most important things that not only tell the world what your site’s pages are all about…but draw them directly to you. Nope, it’s not snazzy images or a free donut with every order. The simplest, yet most overlooked aspects of website content are……drumroll please……the META Title and Description tags that describe and promote your online content. Read More

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Got a strategy to keep former customers interested?

Got a strategy to keep former customers interested?

If you answered “Uhhhh…not really…” then you’re clearly missing the boat ‒ and a huge opportunity to nurture past transactions into healthy, viable and ongoing relationships. I’m not talking about awkward weekly phone calls or inviting ’em to your son’s trumpet recital. This is about using your noggin to develop and implement successful, easy-to-execute after marketing* ideas.

*This isn’t the same “after-marketing” as selling razor blades to past razor purchasers. Read More

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Let’s talk business corporatese, empty words and gibberish.

Let’s talk business corporatese, empty words and gibberish.

Do your company’s marketing efforts actually SAY anything unique, noteworthy or memorable about you? If not, you’re just taking up space with meaningless language, pointless puffery and way too much “me too” industry jargon. Read More

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Tell your customers where to go. They’ll thank you for it.

Tell your customers where to go. They’ll thank you for it.

In marketing-speak, this is the Call to Action (CTA). It’s the one thing you want the reader to do after (or while) reading whatever it is you’ve put in front of them. Website, e-mail, brochure, print ad, web banner, postcard or door hanger ‒ it’s gotta have a singular, laser-focused “do this next” takeaway. That’s singular. Read More

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Wonder why your company’s e-mails just aren’t cutting it?

Wonder why your company’s e-mails just aren’t cutting it?

While you may think last quarter’s e-blast was the most fascinating (and best offer) ever, chances are pretty good your customers’ spam filters thought otherwise. And since spam filters rule, make sure you’re toeing their line.
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Have your marketing efforts fallen behind schedule, too?

Have your marketing efforts fallen behind schedule, too?

Yeah, we admit it. We here at The Fowler Group and pet psychics have stumbled a bit. Okay…more than a bit. In spite of our blogged advice about “marketing consistency,” we fell (and landed face first) into the dreaded pit o’ erratic marketing ourselves. Read More

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Is your website too damn clever for its own good?

Is your website too damn clever for its own good?

In the wide wide world of the interwebs, clear and compelling information trumps clever design. Every time. When it comes to any type of online conversion (downloads, e-mail signups, online purchases, etc.), conversion and optimization specialist Jӧrg Dennis Krüger explains, “Information is the most important element of most websites, far ahead of graphic design.”
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How serious are you about monitoring your marketing efforts?

How serious are you about monitoring your marketing efforts?

Most business people who say they’re “doing marketing” are usually shelling out dollars on random projects – and hoping (praying is more like it) that something works. Okay, so they may measure the amount spent against the return or, at the very least, figure out the response rate(s). But for most folks, that’s about as far as it goes. They’ll run an ad, buy some web banners, maybe mail out postcards and then…wait. Look at the calendar. Wait some more. If whatever the heck they put out there winds up bringing in more dough than they spent, they’ll run it again. If not? That’ll be the swan song for that particular effort. Adios. Buh-bye.
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