I got this question from Quora and here’s the answer I submitted.
How can e-commerce companies encourage customers to submit reviews?
There are ethical methods and less ethical methods of getting client testimonials for ecommerce.
A bribe is not ethical – but people do it. Give us a review and get a coupon / discount / freebie.
Tools for encouraging reviews
There are paid services that encourage customers to submit reviews, or you can set up an automation inside your ecommerce shop (integrating with AgileCRM, MailChimp, TrustPilot or similar).
My preference is this: two weeks after the purchase, set up an automation in your email sending out a message. Sample messages are below.
The links are very important. The three below are for a client and setting these up correctly is key. Get in touch if you’d like this set up for your shop.
Note that at the time of writing, Facebook’s terms of service expressly forbid asking for comments, reviews or tagging friends in exchange for free product.
Amazon also forbids offering free or discounted product in exchange for reviews.
Thank you for buying XYZ PRODUCT – we hope it’s arrived and everything is in order. Your experience is very important to us and we learn a lot from your feedback. Please tell us how we did by leaving feedback on one of the links below.
Your experience with XYZ SERVICE is very important to us and we learn how to improve our service from your feedback. Please tell us how we did on your recent job. We would love to hear your feedback.
Can you take a few moments to follow one of the links below and give us a review:
Blowing our Creative Agency Secrets trumpet
I’m inordinately proud of my team. This is what they’ve achieved for our brand when you search for creative agency Auckland.
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https://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/CAS-SEO-map-results.png14022612Rebecca Caroehttps://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CAS_Logo_1line_RGB.jpgRebecca Caroe2018-03-26 10:30:432018-03-26 10:30:43Customer Feedback and Reviews template email
For any business using its website as a lead generation tool, traffic is essential. The more visitors you get, the more chances you have to make your product or service known, gain connections and promote your brand. This is why an unexpected decline in organic traffic is a terrifying idea, as it might result in fewer business opportunities and less income.
Whether it’s a technical problem, a new Google algorithm implementation or lack of content optimisation, there are several possible motives why your company’s website traffic numbers have been sinking lately.
For example, older websites have higher risks of being penalised by Google’s algorithm updates because of potential coding errors and obsolete practices still applied to some of the pages. That ‘keyword stuffed’ article you wrote in 2010 that brought a lot of traffic seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, it is definitely hurting your website on an apocalyptic scale.
Content is (a mad) king
We recently had a meeting with a group of young entrepreneurs who run MI6-HQ.com, a fansite dedicated to Bond, James Bond. (cue the music)
They expressed their concern with the MI6-HQ website traffic dropping like a stone over the past months and wanted our help to:
Assess the possible reasons for the decline in visits;
Come up with a few creative ideas to solve the problem, like a marketing version of Q.
Even though they offer really good articles (many visitors had lots of nice things to say on their Facebook comments), their search engine rankings and organic reach keep decreasing. There are multiple marketers that repeatedly state just writing “epic content” will drive traffic to any website, period. Unfortunately, that’s not the truth.
Don’t get me wrong, I agree that good content is essential. But if you publish it in a flawed website, you’ll have your king residing in a crumbling castle. That inspires no recognition at all and the results are totally unpredictable.
We believe part of the decline in the MI6-HQ search rankings is that their website has been running for over 20 years (!!!) and most of their ‘ancient’ content might not have been updated regularly. A quick search (on Google, of course) shows that MI6-HQ.com has 15,500 indexed pages. It’s probably really hard to keep tabs on all of them individually.
Optimising websites is not a one-size-fits-all process. When it comes to web content that is already published, you have the option to improve or kill pages forever. In this specific case, deleting some of the older articles might be an alternative. Having fewer discoverable pages to increase your website findability can sound very counterintuitive, but I assure you, it works wonders for some people. Learning to let go is necessary sometimes.
Analysing your website performance is a laborious but rewarding task
There’s a lot of work involved in optimising your website. You might even say it’s a never-ending task, depending on your level of perfectionism. Nowadays, the competition online is cutthroat, so any edge you have over your competitors is worth the effort.
You asked us about Trade Marketing. This is when you sell something to another business and they sell it to the ultimate customer. Fundamentally it’s just selling but because it’s restricted to selling within a single industry or “trade” it gets another name…. the key thing for you to know is that the principles of B2B marketing still hold true.
Trade marketing is a sub-type of B2B
What I love about any B2B is that the audience is individually identifiable. You can get or build a list of actual individuals who you can sell to. The best way to start that is through identifying these things
industry type
sub-type of industry
job title of decision makers and decision-influencers
Then you are within reach of a clearly identified audience. List broker will sell you lists, you can research and build your own too. If you choose the latter, please start with the trade association or professional body for the industry. That’s a great way to short-cut list building.
After the list, how to approach
Getting a list is only the beginning. You need to brand build with specific campaigns so that prospects recognise your business name or your product name (or both). Trade shows can be useful here because people who are interested are all gathered into a single location on a single day and you can meet many face to face.
Getting your strategy aligned with the prospect’s need is critical. Because it’s so easy to mess up an approach and build bad feeling against your brand. For this reason we always create a hypothesis and we test this out before a general launch.
Today a mailing list of 100 names is being tested for a client. When we see how it’s received [Good so far, thanks for asking 54% open rate 4% click through] then we can make decisions about whether to adapt / improve or just to roll it out to the rest of the prospect list.
Top 10 tips for trade marketing
Automate follow ups – have a pre-set process for capturing and following up
Time is always short – but don’t cut short conversations on the stand. Invest in the people who do come to build relationships
Connect on LinkedIn to everyone you meet if possible
Be very clear about what you are promising to prospects
Have a “cute” offer [fidget spinners are popular now]
If you use scrolling video at a trade show, always sub-title it so people get the message from afar
Put on your best smile. It’s my biggest business success tool – people remember my warm smile
Make eye contact and be the first to break contact after smiling and saying hello. This is un-threatening
Have a ‘golden question‘ or two ready for your prospect discovery questions
Turn up every year – as long as the show brings in prospects, plan to be there. Consistency pays off
Creative Agency Secrets is expert in B2B marketing. We understand how to research trade buyers, how to build a list of possible buyers, how to present your product or service to them and how to get them to buy from you over and over again.
Content marketing nowadays rules a business’s marketing strategy, but good content is still hard to come by. Running a blog can help any business owner capitalize on site visitors and build their brand reputation. The advantages are numerous: an effective blog will appear higher in search engine results pages and keep guests engaged. Regardless of the type of business you own — whether it’s a personal brand aimed at attracting new clients or an e-commerce business — you’ll need a blog to support you. Your blog is the centre of all your content marketing efforts, and not only does it provides fuel for SEO, but increases your potential for customers discovering you online. Therefore make sure you choose a catchy and relevant name when you buy a domain name, and consider using a plagiarism checker to help keep your content original and fresh!
In fact, one HubSpot study from 2015 found that businesses who blog are much more likely to get new customers, and marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to enjoy a positive return on investment. Whether you’ve chosen shared web hosting or a dedicated server for your WordPress blog, your content needs to take centre stage.
We’ve compiled some WordPress tools can help you make the most of your blogging content efforts.
1) ThingLink
With ThingLink, you can turn images into layered content that expands information. There are many use cases for this. In product marketing, users can deconstruct products to demonstrate to consumers how different aspects of its work. This is a great way to show how tech-based products operate; interactive elements allow users to click on different parts for a better understanding of the various parts operate. In e-commerce, you can also use it for creative interactive lookbooks. Take a look at the ThingLink blog to see how other businesses, like Allstate, are using this tool to create interactive media.
2) BuzzSumo
Running a blog is one thing, but ensuring you have the best ideas for every blog post is another. When it comes to your blog, it’s important to stay on topic and maintain a fresh content cycle. BuzzSumo helps you achieve this. Start by entering a topic into the search engine bar, and you’ll receive the most popular posts sorted by social shares. This is a great tool for beginners, who aren’t sure where to start, but it’s equally as good for bloggers who need ideas to add to the editorial calendar. With topics sorted by social shares, you can also glean insight into what’s popular in your industry or niche.
3) Atomic Reach
Atomic Reach offers uses with an AI-based tool that helps users understand what makes their content stick and what’s hurting it. Submit your writing, and the tool grows with you, providing telling information based on your target audience. Based on your topics, it lets you know what the best channels are for social sharing, publishing, and aids the entire content creation process.
The company’s founder, Bradley Silver, summed up the platform in an interview, saying: “Atomic AI enables anyone publishing digital content to pinpoint the readability level of their audience and guides them to write content specifically for that audience. When you match your content readability level with your target audience you see significant increases in overall engagement.”
The content maximization breaks down the reading audience into five different categories based on the subject matter and offers real-time insight into how to better the content and when and where to publish it.
4) Coschedule’s Headline Analyzer
Every blog post needs a perfect headline. But not everyone can create catchy titles that attract the masses. For some additional help, try the free online Headline Analyzer tool, which factors in several variables like length and word balance, and spews out a score. It will also show you what your headline will look like in search engines and email marketing subject lines. After all, the headline is the key to getting visitors to actually read your content and should be given special attention.
5) Infogram
Infogram is a plugin that allows users to add visually stunning interactive charts and graphs to their posts. The interactivity aspect allows readers to sort the data as they see fit. Whether it’s a financial chart or a geographic map, there are plenty of themes and design options to help creators import versatile creations. This also entices the visitor to stay on your page longer, and the longer a visitor stays on a page before leaving, the more valuable it appears to search engines.
Hope that gives you enough to try out on your own blog.
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https://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Atomic-AI.png10921712Sudip Mutthttps://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CAS_Logo_1line_RGB.jpgSudip Mutt2018-03-09 14:15:302021-06-08 22:14:495 Great Content Tools For Improving Your WordPress Blog
Running a small business brings worries for the owner from time to time. You want to make sure you are doing what is best for the future of your company but you probably have concerns about which options to prioritise. Let us help you.
You are not always going to know how to complete your business goals without outside advice. Marketing your company in the right way can do wonders for public perception. Modern businesses use digital marketing and it really is effective at getting your company to new levels of online sales success.
Digital marketing trends are changing fast and it’s important to stay abreast of the latest ones which are relevant to your business. By taking time to review these simple steps, you are going to give your company the best chance to reach a wider audience and continue to grow
Your website is your central location
Right away, one of the more important aspects of digital marketing for your small business is a modern, mobile friendly website. Business websites have been around for years but a recent survey found that around 50% of all businesses in New Zealand did not have a web presence. They didn’t even have a Google My Business listing! FACT: not having a website works against your business.
If you want to make sure your business has a single, central location where clients, staff and potential customers can visit to learn more about what your company offers, then you absolutely must have a website. There are plenty of straightforward interactive tools you can use to create small business websites. All you need to do to get started is find a system that makes the most sense for your abilities. If you are new to digital marketing, you might find it helpful to work alongside a web designer to get a better idea of how to set everything up.
Social Media Trends
Outside of having a website, there are a number of other important digital marketing tactics. Social media has fast become one of the more powerful aspects of the internet. People use websites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with consumer audiences. Businesses, likewise, take advantage of social media to connect with their customers in authentic ways. This means you definitely want to get on social media. But beware the enthusiastic young adviser. There are traps for the ill-informed. It’s not something you want your 15 year old child to run for you.
Google Trends: Search for Social Media Marketing 2017-8
Social media outlets allow businesses of all sizes the chance to interact with customers in a comfortable environment. Customers can go to your social media page if they are attempting to contact you (using messenger apps) or are looking to learn more information about your products, services, or upcoming special deals you might be offering. Different platforms offer a different set of advantages and disadvantages so you definitely want to take time to learn about each. Understanding your key audience demographic can make a difference in what social media platforms you end up using for your business.
Connect Now
Digital marketing is popular because it’s very cost-effective and the results can be immediate for connecting small businesses with customers. By creating your own website and using social media, you are giving your company a chance to get noticed and get the attention you deserve from potential customers.
Give yourself a bit of time to research the options and get this process started so that you might see the benefits for yourself.
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https://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Social-MEdia-MArketing-trend.png12562394Rebecca Caroehttps://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CAS_Logo_1line_RGB.jpgRebecca Caroe2018-03-07 17:41:592022-12-19 11:57:31How Small Businesses Benefit From Digital Marketing
I checked our bounced emails report. Do you want me to “unsubscribe” or “delete” them? I’ve just “unsubscribed” a couple and then realised “delete” is also an option. What’s the difference?
Also if a contact says “this address has been cleaned” there is no delete of unsubscribe option. Why is that and what does it mean?
Cleaning mail lists
This is a great question because list hygiene is an important (but frequently ignored) part of being a responsible direct marketer. List hygiene is all about keeping your list up to date, as far as this is possible. Now people move jobs all the time and so being 100% up to date is unrealistic – but each time you send out an EDM (electronic direct mail message) there will be people whose emails bounce or they choose to unsubscribe.
The unsubscribe option means they stay on the list as a historic record (they were once subscribed and now are not).
Delete is only suitable when someone has died
When they change jobs and their email address has moved domains, I don’t delete them, if they re-subscribe, I update their email address so you retain a complete record of their subscription (it’s just a new address for the same person)
Basically, if there’s the possibility that they might re-join your list in the future, it’s better to leave them on the list. Similarly, if they change jobs and get a different email address, it’s best to leave them on the list and at a future date, change their email address.
So by leaving them on the list we have a “more perfect” record of history for that subscriber on your list.
Cleaned email addresses
Now, “Cleaned” means something different (in the language of MailChimp)
Cleaned contacts have addresses that have hard bounced, or repeatedly soft bounced, and are considered invalid.
So they have been permanently deactivated and in order to protect the spam sending record of emails sent through the MailChimp servers, they have chosen to not allow you to send to the ever again. This is a defensive action on the part of MailChimp. They have a lot of mail servers who send out the messages you book through their service. Each time a recipient marks one of your EMDs as ‘spam’ this sends a negative message about that server and MailChimp act to protect their reputation in this way.
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https://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/unsubscribe-or-delete.png284714Rebecca Caroehttps://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CAS_Logo_1line_RGB.jpgRebecca Caroe2018-02-27 10:40:562018-02-27 10:40:56Delete or Unsubscribe for mail list?
Hi, my name is John White and I am currently a university student majoring in Marketing and International Business. This summer, I had the privilege to be the latest intern for Creative Agency Secrets and I am grateful that I chose to do it. The motivation behind working as an intern here was to gain some real-life experience that I had lacked so far in my degree. Even though it was a short amount of time, I can truly say I have fulfilled my goals here with the help of Rebecca, Tabhitha and Conrado.
Different learning experiences
It is quite incredible to think that within a space of a month, I gained more experience and knowledge at Creative Agency Secrets than I have had at university so far. The team set me a lot of tasks for clients right from the start, which meant I was gaining the real-life experiences I craved. I was using email campaign tools such as Campaign Monitor and MailChimp to design campaigns for clients. I created blog posts for various websites, where I learned a lot about writing that I wouldn’t have even thought about. I even got to work on the back end of websites using platforms such as Squarespace, WordPress and Shopify. Other great marketing facets I got to experience included SEO, copywriting and market research.
Besides marketing, I learned a lot of about what is required to have a functional and a well-performing team. I quickly realised how important constant communication was to be efficient as a whole. Using tools such as ‘Teamwork’ and having stand-up meetings every morning, I always knew what my task was and more importantly, what everyone else was doing to make sure we were all on the same page. No matter what I do in the future, these sorts of experiences are invaluable and can be applied to whatever I do.
A big thank you!
All in all, I owe massive thanks once again to Rebecca and the Creative Agency Secrets team for giving me this opportunity. I now feel more confident in pursuing marketing jobs once I have graduated since I have experience working in a team and with various tools. Also, a massive thank you to Tabhitha who walked me through a lot of the different jobs I had to do. With everything being new to me, she showed a lot of patience, expertise and I always felt comfortable asking different questions!
I wish everyone all the best and hopefully, we will cross paths again sometime in the future!
Cheers,
John White
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Rebecca is running two webinars with CCH Learning designed for Business to Business organisations who need to ramp up their website as a marketing tool.
Setting a Website Strategy for Marketing Success: Understand the functionality your website needs & how to avoid common mistakes
The first webinar will help you gain a deep understanding of how to write a website strategy, what to improve on your current website and marketing communications, how to test your website is working well.
The second webinar teaches you the tools you need to assess the effectiveness of your existing website, and helps you to draw up a list of actions to improve its alignment with your business website strategy.
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https://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CAS_Logo_1line_RGB.jpg00Rebecca Caroehttps://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CAS_Logo_1line_RGB.jpgRebecca Caroe2018-02-23 10:00:002018-02-23 11:46:01Kickstart business website user skills
Most cases, you’d want visitors to stay on your site. Hopefully, they’ll explore other pages and, ideally, fulfill your desired conversion – whether it’s signing up for a newsletter or buying a product online.
If a lot of your visitors are ‘bouncing’ away from your website without performing any desired actions, you know it’s time to do something to reduce that percentage.
But where do you start? By signing up for our upcoming seminar, of course!
https://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/bounce-rate-event-cover-image-Eventbrite-V2.jpg10802160Creative Agency Secrets Teamhttps://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CAS_Logo_1line_RGB.jpgCreative Agency Secrets Team2018-02-19 17:00:092018-02-19 17:00:09How to stop visitors from 'bouncing' away from your website
