American Express » customers

Target Your Customers by Dayparting

american business — Sat, 29 May 2010 02:19:54 +0000

Staying on top of your campaign performance can benefit your business in more ways than one. When analyzing your traffic logs and PPC conversion ratios, you’ll more than likely notice what time of day and what day of the week users are more apt to click on your ads and when they convert into paying customers. If you notice a significant increase in your click-through rates at a specific time, you can capitalize on this increased visibility. Through understanding this information, you can adjust your PPC strategy to capitalize on this behavior.

This strategy requires in-depth analysis of conversion rates, click-through rates, and general traffic levels. Having said that, the basic premise behind dayparting is that you as an advertiser can increase your conversions during the time of day when users will be most apt to view information on your products or services. During this high-exposure timeframe, you can increase your CPC to ensure that you are maximizing your exposure on the different PPC networks to your target market. By doing so, and ensuring that all of the other tools are in place (e.g., proper ads, landing pages, etc.), you will capitalize on the increased exposure and ultimately will convert more prospects to customers.

Understanding the User

american business — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:23:38 +0000

Understanding your target market also affects “how” you target your customers. It’s one thing to know whom you are targeting, but if you get them to the front door and they are unable to open the door to see what’s inside, what is the point? For example, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 22 percent of American citizens 65 years of age and older use the Internet—a 47 percent increase between 2000 and 2004. This is a significant increase and will only continue to grow as more and more seniors embrace the Internet.

Now if you have a business that is targeting customers who fall into this category, you need to make sure that all of your customer touch points appeal to this market segment. This could be as simple as using appropriate font sizes on advertisements that you place on the Internet so that users with
poor eyesight can easily read your offer and visit your site, but this is just the
beginning. Once the user gets to your site, you have to make sure that everything on the site is accommodating, as many seniors will encounter different usability issues due to disabilities or sheer lack of knowledge of how the Internet works.

Your Different Online Campaigns

american business — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:19:28 +0000

At the same time, your Web site needs to speak to your existing client base. This can include self-service tools and other customer service–oriented Web site components, special offers that are applicable only to clients, and other Web site elements that will keep your brand and your offerings in front of your existing clients. As the old saying goes, it’s much easier to keep an existing client than it is to get a new one! It’s a competitive world out there, and the Internet is one of the most cost-effective ways to communicate with your clients, so make sure you keep this in mind when developing both your Web site and your different online campaigns.

In addition to your current and prospective clients, you also need to step back and think of the big picture. Anyone can visit your site to learn about your organization, so it’s important to think about all of the different market segments that you could touch with your Web site; this extends beyond your customers. For example, if one of your online marketing objectives is to generate increased awareness for your organization, the brand, and your product/service offerings, then the inclusion of a robust media center or press room should be included on the Web site. The content found within this section of your Web site should be framed toward the unique interest of the press and should make it easy for the press to prepare a story on your organization.

Identifying Your Target Market

american business — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:22:28 +0000

As important as it is for you to understand what you are trying to accomplish online, it is equally important to thoroughly understand with whom you are trying to communicate. Who is your target market online? The typical response is “our customers.” Even in today’s connected business environment, people don’t step back to think about the different segments of your target market who could visit your Web site. Of course you’re trying to communicate with your customers—that’s a given.

Like most businesses, you probably have different segments of your customer base. It can be as simple as segmenting existing customers from prospective customers. Once you bring a prospective customer to your Web site, you have to ensure that everything is in line from a branding perspective, that the content on your site speaks to the needs of this customer group, and that you can easily walk them through the buying process—whether it be to buy online or to complete a task of some sort to display their interest in your product or service (e.g., download a white paper on your product).

The Customer is The One With Total Control

american business — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:42:17 +0000

Today’s Internet user is much more savvy than those of years past. People filter out unwanted material and pay attention to only what they care about. People frequently block pop-up ads, block unwanted e-mail, subscribe to niche content that just relates to their interests, and use personalization features on Web sites to weed out content that is irrelevant to them.

Today’s Internet user is much more willing to vocalize his or her opinions, and we have seen the birth of the “prosumer” where people are getting involved in the customization and creation of products unique to their own needs. Again, it’s all about understanding the uniqueness of individuals and giving them what they want—exactly what they want. This relates directly to
Web sites that let customers personalize their experience too.

Did you know there is a community of people who have an affinity for a discontinued line of Pyrex coffee pots? You bet there is. The rapid adoption of peer-to-peer communications such as instant messaging, e-mails, and blogs has spawned all kinds of niche communities based around a shared interest. As a business, your job to market to and communicate with your target audience has become more challenging and at the same time more exciting. Online, the customer is the one with total control. He or she knows you’re not the only game in town and won’t think twice about going elsewhere to get exactly what he or she wants.

It Is Then Very Professional

american business — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:53:53 +0000

Don’t pounce! I have already said that the majority of us have difficulty with pushy sales people, and there is a balance between pouncing and being hard to get. Remember the role in retail selling is not only to help people choose the right product, but it is also to give them an enjoyable experience. It is of course necessary to make some form of greeting – to acknowledge their presence. The classic greeting is ‘Can I help you?’, which easily solicits the response ‘No, thank you, I am just looking.’ The improvement is ‘How can I help you?’ In some instances another polite greeting may be ‘Is there anything that you are looking for?’ Either of the aforementioned gets a better response with the smiling face and the enthusiastic positive tone of voice.

You will of course still get a response from time to time of customers saying ‘I just want to have a look around, thank you.’ It is then very professional to follow that reply with any of the following: ‘Fine’, ‘Great’, ‘You are most welcome’ or ‘My name is… If you would like any information or assistance I would be very pleased to help you.

Most Important Selling Skill

american business — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:43:59 +0000

When customers tell you what they are looking for or how you may help them, introduce yourself. In big-ticket selling (cars, white goods, furniture, etc) it is then correct for you to get your customers’ names and to use those names in conversation. ‘My name is… I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.’ Always address the customer as Mr or Ms but introduce yourself only by your first name. Ask questions. This is the most important selling skill, and I will be continually reminding you throughout the book. The most successful sales people are the ones who master the skills of finding out by asking questions about exactly what the customer is looking for.

Of course, in many cases customers may be unsure of what they are looking for, but nevertheless the good sales person can help the customer by asking the right questions. For example, for a customer looking for a dishwasher, the sales person could ask the question ‘Are you on a water meter?’, because the customer may not be aware that there are some machines that use less water than others. Consider your own experience of having been frustrated by a sales person who has endeavoured to sell you something that you didn’t want. If only the sales person had had the courtesy to ask and get a very clear understanding of your requirements, the sale would have taken place smoothly and pleasurably.

The Customers Best Interests

american business — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:38:27 +0000

Don’t oversell. This is another extremely irritating habit of poor sales people. They talk about the features of a product that are not of interest to you and in many cases get too technical and want to blind you with their knowledge and jargon. I personally am not a petrol head, but unfortunately I have to change my car from time to time and find it so irritating when sales people want to tell me about brake horsepower and engine torque. I am more interested in fuel economy, comfort, appearance and the sound system. But there are numerous car buyers who are deeply interested in
engine torque, brake horsepower and 0 to 60 in five seconds.

So find out by asking the right questions. It is perfectly correct, thoroughly professional and in most cases in the customers’ best interests to offer the add-on. But this must only be offered or suggested when the first sale is complete. What I mean by the add-on is an item that customers often don’t think about, for example the shoe trees and polish that could go with a new pair of shoes, the extended warranty for a white-goods purchase, the paper to go with a new photocopier, or the printer to go with the digital camera. The list here is endless. The good sales person will always think on behalf of the customer. This is not pressurised selling but is giving your customers the chance to make the decision for themselves on items that perhaps they had not thought of or did not know existed.

Telephone Enquiries

american business — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:30:44 +0000

These calls come from a variety of sources. They can be via advertising, recommendations, websites, PR, directories and mailshots. It is therefore important to know that your customers have choice and that their call to you may be one of a number of enquiries that they are making. Statistically, 85 percent of calls coming into a business are customer related. The others are a mixture of personal calls and calls from supply companies. Therefore, it is essential to answer the phone quickly, ideally by the third ring.

The greeting should be welcoming. Answer the phone with your company’s name. Smile when you answer the phone, as this alters your tone of voice. A smile can be heard over the phone. Enquire as to the person’s name, but please don’t say ‘Who’s calling?’ It is far better to say ‘May I have your name, please?’ Best of all, if the call is from an existing customer, is to recognise the voice and use the customer’s name immediately.Once you have the person’s name, introduce yourself. It is so much easier and nicer for customers to have the name of the person that they are talking to. Do listen carefully to the enquiry.

If you are in any doubt, ask again, for example ‘Do I understand correctly? Are you looking for…?’ If you then have to pass callers to someone else, always give the name of the person you are putting them through to and make sure that they are connected. If there is any difficulty in connecting callers, get their telephone number, promise to call back and state when the return call will be made. Now if you are able to handle the enquiry yourself and can complete the sale over the phone it is just as important and in many cases more so to offer the add-on, as described in the previous section on retail selling. In many cases customers can be so focused on the one product that they forget or are not aware of the add-ons. There are of course occasions when there is an opportunity to ‘up-sell’. This basically means offering a better product than the one the customer was enquiring about. There also may be an opportunity to cross-sell by offering a new or different product that you may have available. For example, ‘Mr/Ms Customer, you may or may not be aware that we also do…’