Web Design & Development, Graphics, SEO & SEM

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. How can building a customer database help you become successful online?

This is your second tip of our 5 part series - 5 ways to be successful online. Before we get into it, if you have any questions, please let us know - I'm sure we can be of assistance. Let's get into how building a customer database can help you become successful online.

BUILD A CUSTOMER DATABASE

Garnering awareness and acquiring customers is one of the great challenges or building a business. It is so essential that there is an entire business discipline dedicated to this - which we know as marketing. It's fair to say that any customer that finds your business or website is highly valuable to you, and you want to hold on to them as long as possible.

That's where the idea of a database comes in. A customer database is simply your list of contact information of the customers that you have dealt with in the past. So why keep a list of them? Because they are your best source for future revenue and word of mouth. Who better to announce your newest product line to than the people who loved your last product line? Who better to spread the word about your new service than those who've used it previously?

That's all well and good, but how can you get your customers' contact information? Here's 4 simple strategies.

Give something away. Give every customer who fills in an online form something valuable in exchange for their email address. It could be a discount voucher, or an ebook that you have written, or exclusive VIP content.
A simple "Contact Us" web form. This is a form you can put on your site so that your customers can ask questions and submit their comments. You'll be suprized by how many of your visitors will take the time to ask a question, and in the form, you can ask for their email address.
Run an online discussion forum. People love to chat with other customers and share their knowledge and opinions. You can empower your customers to do the same, and as part of the process, ask them to give their email address to use as a username.
Sell something! When people buy from your online shop, ask them for an email address to send the receipt/confirmation to.
TRY IT OUT!

In our online business system, you can do many of the above with ease. Most importantly, the contact details are all captured in one, central customer database. Why is this important? Because you don't want your customer's details strewn across multiple disconnected tools - you want them centralized and close to hand.


You can implement the above strategies with your online business right now:

Web Forms are automatically set up to capture customer details directly into your customer database. You can build your own under Modules-> Web Forms, either for a 'Contact Us' form or for a competition/give away form.

Forums are found under Website->Forums. You can add one to your website - all the technical bits, like capturing a username and password, are handled automatically as part of your forum.

An Online Shop is built into your online business from the beginning, and all orders processed through your online shop are automatically linked to a customer record with your customer's contact details in it!

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. We are business owners ourselves, therefore we understand the budgetary and time constraints that companies face. We'll help you define your goals in clear, concrete terms and then work with you to deliver a realistic, affordable, business-savvy website solution. At Tag Team Design, we pride ourselves on the level of personal contact we provide our clients.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. The driving force as to why we are in web development is to promote business branding and assist in achieving our clients goals by using our talents and creative skills.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. Challenge

Executive Billiards is a fast-growing all-aluminum billiard products manufacturer trying to reach consumer markets outside billiard industry.

Solution

Create a new website that can speak and promote the brand, automate sales, and generate new customers through social media.

Results

100% increase in visitors, top page Google rankings on multiple industry keywords, and instant sales in the first month following the re-launch.

Q. What is your greatest strength?

A. Our companies greatest strength is exceeding our clients website expectations. We strive to develop and design bold and unique websites that our customers will be proud of.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. What are the elements of a great AD?

I don't know about you, but I read a lot of magazines and they all have at least two things in common: 1) way too many ads and 2) way too many boring ads. When was the last time you looked at an ad, print or video, and thought to yourself "Wow! That was a great ad!" It was probably Superbowl - one of the few times we actually look forward to being bombarded with ads - why? Because they're GREAT ads! A great ad is always appreciated.

Here are several elements, I believe, make an ad great and hopefully can help you achieve an overwhelming response from customers who were just thinking about how they needed your product or service. There are lots of elements that go into a great ad, but these were the first ones that popped into my head and some core principles I apply to every advertisement and website I design.


Keep It Simple: Never add more than is necessary
Just about everyone knows the acronym: KISS. And this time I mean it. Just because you have all that space doesn't mean you need to fill it.

How to Apply It:
Give your customers a visual breath of fresh air. Simplify. Only include the absolute minimum amount of text and images necessary to get your point across. Let the words breathe - your reader will thank you, hopefully with a purchase. If the reader wants more information, they can pull up your website and read to their hearts content (which reinforces the need for a GREAT website - call me if you need help with that: 303-997-5361).


Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should
Yes, your kids and dog are cuter than everyone else's, I'll admit, even mine…. but no, it does not mean you need to include them on your ad. Please see 'Simple' element above.

How to Apply It:
Unless your kids or dog are absolutely necessary in conveying the message you need to get across in your ad, please leave them at home where they belong. Just because you can add a cheap looking starburst, don't. Just because you can apply every cool Photoshop filter for some crazy mind-boggling effects, don't. This goes for a lot of unnecessary 'things' I see on ads all the time. Follow the guideline above - just because you own the company and can do whatever you want, it doesn't mean you should.


Stay Consistent
No need to reinvent the wheel - you already have everything you need to design a great ad and maintain your company's branding (which some of you probably paid a lot of money for).

How to Apply It:
Use the background of your website as a background on your ad. Use your logo icon, in mini-form, as the bullet on lists or as a watermark on printed materials. Use the same color scheme in the same order on everything that you do as a company - business cards, website and of course, any advertising. It's that simple to create a unified and professional presence. Need help creating your company look? Ask your local designer, I'm sure they would love the opportunity to help you become more successful (and earn the extra work in this not so hot economy).


Get Attention
If your ad doesn't get someone's attention… it's not worth running!!! And fire your designer for letting you run a boring ad - they should know better. Make every ad worth every penny! Catch every eye that skims the page and delight the reader with something unexpected. One of the first things I do before designing an ad is review the publication, or similar publication, that the ad will be running in and see what everyone else is doing. No big surprise, it's usually all boring.

How to Apply It:
After reviewing all the other ads, do the complete opposite! Are their ads all dark? Make yours white. Are they all jam-packed with information and pictures? Simplify! Just use a simple graphic and a pointed headline, maybe one or two SHORT sentences, your website address and your logo. No need to go raunchy or gross… Make it funny! I know you have a few good industry jokes up your sleeve - apply your humorous side and win the adoring affection of the masses! A lot of times it's the funny things that get shared between friends, coworkers and even random strangers. Now that's good word of mouth marketing working to your benefit.


Talk In Their Terms
Never expect the customer to know the industry lingo. Behind the scenes, I always use the term "break it down stupid-style" to remind my designing padowans (also known as interns) to talk or write in the simplest terms possible to be able to communicate to the largest audience possible. Someone who may not be in your industry may benefit greatly from your product and introduce you to a new niche for your product… but you'll never know if they can't understand what you're saying. No need to complicate things. See Element number one.

How to Apply It:
Don't use big words. Use common every day language to describe why your service or product is so amazing! Don't say "migrate", say "move". Don't say "analytics", say "reports on website use". Don't say "systemic", say "travels inside". Too many trendy words smashed together makes your ad look desperate and no one likes a desperate ad.


Design It for Your Customer, Not You
Along the same lines as "Talk in Their Terms", you should design your ad for your customer…. not you… or your boss. You already know about your product or service and believe in it (at least, you should - otherwise, find a new job). Everything that is intended for your customer - your website, your ads, your brochures, etc, etc, etc - should be designed for your customer.

How to Apply It:
Talk in their language, as mentioned above. Make the ad appealing to them. Don't know what they like? Maybe you need to actually get out from behind your desk and go talk to them. Customers are generally very willing to tell you what they like and don't like about your company, product or service. Give them what they want! If they're more analytical and scientific types, provide data to support why your product or service is better - give them charts and graphs to drool over. If your customers are more of the artsy type, give them a cool design that uses a breathtaking layout of words and letters to get your message across (also known as 'typography').


Trust Your Designer
When all is said and done, I can't seem to emphasize this one element enough - Trust Your Designer! There's a reason you are in the business you're in… you're good at it, you understand it, you know what works, you know what doesn't. It's the same thing with your designer. They are experts in their field and they're good at it - otherwise they wouldn't be in business any more. Trust them. They are there to help you, not hinder you. They want you to succeed, it means more business for them when you do. If your designer suggests a more subtle layout, background or color… Trust them! They know. Always Trust Your Designer.


I hope you enjoyed this little preview into how much thought and effort goes into designing a great ad. As mentioned, there are hundreds of little elements and details that make an ad great, but these will help get you thinking in the right direction.

I wish you a creative week and if you ever want to chat about your ads, marketing plan or even a new website - give me a call! I'm always more than happy to point you in the right direction or help out myself.