Keep Your Customers No Matter How Bad the Economy Gets

•Internet Marketing For a Recession
If for no other reason than I am a persistent observer of life I saw examples of recession marketing in the spring of 2008. In other articles I have shared some of the reasons for recession marketing and how this form of marketing is different. To bring this into perspective let me just say that when the economy is good you will find that advertising (marketing) appeals to your sense of personal taste and desires. When the economy is poor marketing needs to center on quality and value. One of...

•Product Creation in a Down Economy
Creating and introducing new products in the present economy may be a significant challenge. Finding the perfect product the consumer may be looking for may seem like trying to find a needle in the haystack. Can it be done? Yes. A few questions to consider. Is it a necessity? Many items purchased in an economic downturn will be items that are considered a need. Wants may still be considered, but for the most part those will be items already familiar to the consumer. Where does your product...

•Internet Marketing For a Weak Economy
Prosperity marketing can leave response a bit flat in a weak economy. What is prosperity marketing? It is marketing that focuses on filling the personal longing for something new and exciting. This approach works when consumers have extra cash and few inhibitions to purchase the things that please them. It is a very materialistic based marketing and in good times it works well. In bad times, well let’s say it just makes people feel badly. It can also cause them to focus within and, in many...

•Make Their Next Purchase a Feel Good Experience
The title above may have you thinking this article is all about impulse buying. While I can understand the confusion I am actually focusing on a different kind of 'feel good'. Some may call it corporate giving or corporate responsibility. However, there are plenty of businesses that feel the term corporate seems a term too large for their small business. For these smaller businesses I'd like to offer an idea that may allow you to give back and make your customer base feel good. One of the big...

•When Online Business Strategies Require Change
If your online business was started before an economic downturn it can be daunting to look at the economic pressures a recession can bring to your business venture. The good news is there are some common sense ideas that can help you through. One of the best is something I’ve put into practice that comes from the role of manager. Whether it’s filling a position, restructuring your marketing strategy, revising product offerings or reimagining your blog postings there is one primary thing that...

•Doing More For Less in Your Online Business
When the economy is depressed there is a trigger that sets in that causes business owners to look for ways to save nickels and dimes as well as encourage potential customers to release a few. Then, if that doesn’t work the business owner simply looks for ways to bring in more nickels and dimes. Of course “nickels and dimes” is a euphemism for extra cash. In a climate of recession business owners might opt to reduce prices hoping it will increase the overall number of sales. The premise is...

•Ecommerce and Customer Service
I want life to be better for my family – I am an entrepreneur. I like to dream big dreams and follow them – I am a maverick. I care about other people and their needs – I am a humanitarian. I want to be responsible to those who place their trust in me – I believe in customer support. I believe in the power of the virtual world – I’m sold on ecommerce. I love to make money – who doesn’t? The world of ecommerce beings together people who share a common goal. That ambition stems from the...

•Blogs And Forums A Two Pronged Approach
When discussing online marketing there is the inevitable comparison between a Business Blog (b-blog) and an online forum. The feeling is that the two serve essentially the same purpose and it is a simple matter of defining which approach may be best for your company. The comparison between these two approaches is something like comparing apples and oranges. They are both fruit, but that’s about the sum total of their similarities. B-Blogs A b-blog is designed to allow you a controlling...

•Providing a Positive Presentation in Online Business
Talapia is often a farm-raised fish that is related to the carp. It grows best in water temperatures that exceed 82 degrees (F). For consumer purposes Talapia is generally fed a vegetarian diet high in corn products. Because Talapia is so prolific the fish can be sold cheaply. Consumers who want a healthier food choice will view this fish as a solid alternative. The warning is that this fish is low in Omega 3 fatty acids and high in Omega 6. Health professionals view this as potentially...

•Is Design or Message More Important to a Successful Website
So you’ve decided on a new business website. You want the site to stand out – be different. You love the idea of interactivity, and flash design seems to be the thing that you notice most when you visit sites around the web. “Oh, this is going to be big,” you tell yourself. But is it? Website design can be about one of two things – design or message. Knowing the difference and how it could affect your business is important. Let’s take a look at the compelling differences between the two in...