Customer loyalty in the online world is not the same as offline. Substitutes are just a click away vs. down the street offline. Customers expect you to know everything that’s ever happened between you online, while they accept anonymity offline.
Understanding how these differences impact marketing is crucial to the right approach to developing more customer loyalty in an online world.
rest of article
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Hey dude, where’s my bus?
Great use of real-time reporting....
Moira O’Neil hates waiting on the street corner for a bus. Instead, she sits at home, sipping coffee until just before it arrives at her stop. She doesn’t worry about missing the bus; her cellphone will tell her when it’s about to pull up to the curb.
Boston.com article
Moira O’Neil hates waiting on the street corner for a bus. Instead, she sits at home, sipping coffee until just before it arrives at her stop. She doesn’t worry about missing the bus; her cellphone will tell her when it’s about to pull up to the curb.
Boston.com article
Thursday, August 20, 2009
them dang hackers..... why?
Security firm Trend Micro warned on Wednesday that a handful of rogue Facebook apps are stealing login credentials and spamming victims' friends.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-333193.html?tag=nl.e539
Facebook applications that are really spam. Why are people malicious like this?
Security firm Trend Micro warned on Wednesday that a handful of rogue Facebook apps are stealing login credentials and spamming victims' friends.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-333193.html?tag=nl.e539
Facebook applications that are really spam. Why are people malicious like this?
Mobile apps - the new (must-have) fronteir
Why Mobile Apps are Indispensable
A mobile application is an affordable -- and increasingly indispensable -- way to build your business. They can improve the customer experience, boost profits and actually create revenue. "People nowadays want everything to be at their fingertips, and if companies are not finding ways to provide these tools [they] will soon see drop-off from their customers". Wall Street Journal article.
A mobile application is an affordable -- and increasingly indispensable -- way to build your business. They can improve the customer experience, boost profits and actually create revenue. "People nowadays want everything to be at their fingertips, and if companies are not finding ways to provide these tools [they] will soon see drop-off from their customers". Wall Street Journal article.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Rent Textbooks
Here's a good idea - Rent, rather than buy, those expensive textbooks that college classes require you to have (and many times, don't even get opened!)
New York Times article
New York Times article
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
get feedback on your marketing ideas
wanna ask some people what they think of your marketing ideas? marketers can now get early thoughts on new designs and concepts through a community of peers at Concept Feedback.
Currently in beta, Concept Feedback is designed specifically for marketers, graphic designers and web developers to provide a simple tool for getting free, sincere feedback from like-minded professionals. Website designs, ads, logos, videos, presentations and more can all be uploaded to the site and submitted for review by other members; the person posting the material keeps all rights. Using a standard review template for consistency, professionals participating on the site can then offer their constructive advice, which gets automatically collected and archived for the submitting member. A system of reputation scores, meanwhile, keeps members honest and helps interpret their advice. The result, according to Concept Feedback, can be that any design problems are caught earlier, ensuring that only high-quality ideas make it into launch.
Currently in beta, Concept Feedback is designed specifically for marketers, graphic designers and web developers to provide a simple tool for getting free, sincere feedback from like-minded professionals. Website designs, ads, logos, videos, presentations and more can all be uploaded to the site and submitted for review by other members; the person posting the material keeps all rights. Using a standard review template for consistency, professionals participating on the site can then offer their constructive advice, which gets automatically collected and archived for the submitting member. A system of reputation scores, meanwhile, keeps members honest and helps interpret their advice. The result, according to Concept Feedback, can be that any design problems are caught earlier, ensuring that only high-quality ideas make it into launch.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
JetBlue & United give Twitter users quick notice of fare reductions
Looking for a quick, cheap getaway? A bargain may be just a tweet away.
JetBlue and United airlines are offering their Twitter followers first dibs on some discounted fares, using the uber-trendy form of messaging to quickly connect with customers and fill seats on flights that might otherwise take off less than full.
Like the e-mails that many airlines began to send out in the 1990s, tweets are presenting a new, faster way to promote sales. And in fitting with this latest mode of instant communication, travelers have to decide quickly whether to fly.
JetBlue posted its first "Cheep" on July 6, a $9 one-way trip from JFK to Nantucket. Since then the carrier has generally notified Twitterers about sales on Mondays, giving them about eight hours — or as long as there are available seats — to book a trip for that or the following weekend.
"By promoting the Cheeps through Twitter, we give the already spontaneous audience of Twitter users a chance to grab great last-minute fares," says JetBlue spokesman Morgan Johnston.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United Airlines | Twitter | JetBlue Airways
In addition to filling empty seats, the sales can introduce new customers to the airline, he says. "Those first-time customers trying Cheeps … we know they're going to come back."
United's Twitter-only fares, also known as "twares," started in May. The airline's sales tweets can come at any time for a flight leaving on any day, and fliers have had to pounce quickly because the offers are usually available for only one to two hours.
"Twares are all about surprising our customers with low fares for a very, very limited time," says Robin Urbanski, a United spokeswoman. And, she says, they "sell extremely fast because the prices are unbeatable."
Many airlines continue to offer e-fares, notifying fliers about last-minute sales via e-mail. But travelers usually have a few days rather than a few hours to book their tickets.
With Twitter fares, Johnston says, "You really have to act fast. Because people watch Twitter in a real-time manner, the ability for someone to … come in and immediately act on it is a unique phenomenon to the culture of Twitter."
Twitter is new enough that businesses likely are still trying to grasp who uses it and how that audience can benefit their enterprise, says George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.
"They're experimenting with it to see what the value is," he says. "Is it better to send an e-mail with a $9 fare or better to Twitter it?" Still, he says, "I think absolutely airlines and all travel companies need to get in the game and see how it plays out."
JetBlue and United airlines are offering their Twitter followers first dibs on some discounted fares, using the uber-trendy form of messaging to quickly connect with customers and fill seats on flights that might otherwise take off less than full.
Like the e-mails that many airlines began to send out in the 1990s, tweets are presenting a new, faster way to promote sales. And in fitting with this latest mode of instant communication, travelers have to decide quickly whether to fly.
JetBlue posted its first "Cheep" on July 6, a $9 one-way trip from JFK to Nantucket. Since then the carrier has generally notified Twitterers about sales on Mondays, giving them about eight hours — or as long as there are available seats — to book a trip for that or the following weekend.
"By promoting the Cheeps through Twitter, we give the already spontaneous audience of Twitter users a chance to grab great last-minute fares," says JetBlue spokesman Morgan Johnston.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United Airlines | Twitter | JetBlue Airways
In addition to filling empty seats, the sales can introduce new customers to the airline, he says. "Those first-time customers trying Cheeps … we know they're going to come back."
United's Twitter-only fares, also known as "twares," started in May. The airline's sales tweets can come at any time for a flight leaving on any day, and fliers have had to pounce quickly because the offers are usually available for only one to two hours.
"Twares are all about surprising our customers with low fares for a very, very limited time," says Robin Urbanski, a United spokeswoman. And, she says, they "sell extremely fast because the prices are unbeatable."
Many airlines continue to offer e-fares, notifying fliers about last-minute sales via e-mail. But travelers usually have a few days rather than a few hours to book their tickets.
With Twitter fares, Johnston says, "You really have to act fast. Because people watch Twitter in a real-time manner, the ability for someone to … come in and immediately act on it is a unique phenomenon to the culture of Twitter."
Twitter is new enough that businesses likely are still trying to grasp who uses it and how that audience can benefit their enterprise, says George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.
"They're experimenting with it to see what the value is," he says. "Is it better to send an e-mail with a $9 fare or better to Twitter it?" Still, he says, "I think absolutely airlines and all travel companies need to get in the game and see how it plays out."
Monday, August 3, 2009
twitter tips
Twitter is all the rage now. There are some really useless uses, but there are also some really effective business uses of Twitter. Here's a great article with some tips for those thinking about using Twitter.
Be relevant, be real, be useful.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/31/top-twitter-tips-entrepreneurs-technology-twitter.html
Be relevant, be real, be useful.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/31/top-twitter-tips-entrepreneurs-technology-twitter.html
e-commerce Best Practice - The Gap
I buy a lot of stuff online. I'm always interested to see how various online providers choose to present their wares to us, the consumers. There are some that really get it right, and some that really don't.
The Gap does a nice job : the site is simple, efficient, easy to use, complete, and works correctly and as expected.
Here's a story with some more details.
http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/1215-The-Shopping-Experience-Gap-com
The Gap does a nice job : the site is simple, efficient, easy to use, complete, and works correctly and as expected.
Here's a story with some more details.
http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/1215-The-Shopping-Experience-Gap-com
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