Archive for Nick Usborne

Showing 222 items

• Respect: Last Word of Advice for Online Copywriters
  The essence of online copywriting. Mar 12, 2003
• Long or Short Copy? Part 2
  Hint: Maybe your visitors should decide. Feb 12, 2003
• Long or Short Copy? Part 1
  It's the eternal question -- how long should online copy be? Nick offers some answers. Jan 15, 2003
• Your Home Page Is a Direct Response Page
  People don't come to your home page to learn more about your company. They want to do something. Dec 18, 2002
• Newsletters Need Someone at the Wheel
  Give someone the authority to ensure your newsletter really speaks to your audience. Nov 20, 2002
• The Single Point Where Copy Becomes Great
  The three constituencies you must please to make copy go from good to extraordinary. Oct 23, 2002
• Who Are You Calling Stupid?
  Don't blame the customer for the failure of your message. Sep 25, 2002
• Why Should I Read Your 'Important' Text?
  The fine print is no place for essential information. Aug 28, 2002
• The Writing, Not the Words
  Great copy is the sum of all the words, not just the power or buzz words. Jul 31, 2002
• How to Get Personal With Your Visitors Online
  Thinking of going one on one with your online customers? Being relevant is much more... relevant. Jul 3, 2002
• How to Add Personality to a Corporate Voice
  A corporation's voice should sound different online -- even if the style guide says otherwise. How to make adjustments (under the radar, if necessary). Jun 5, 2002
• Get More Personal -- by Reading Your Email Aloud
  Do your email messages to customers sound personal or like they've been penned by a faceless corporation? One way to find out is by reading them out loud. May 8, 2002
• How to Write a Clever Headline
  Just because you can use a clever play on words, doesn't mean you should. But if you do, make sure it's not just clever but also clear. Apr 10, 2002
• Feedback That's Really Heard
  When companies don't listen to customers, copywriters' jobs are much tougher. Here's a Web-based company that literally hears what visitors think of their site. Mar 14, 2002
• The Power of Endorsements on the Web
  There's nothing like the word of a trusted source when it comes to selling things online. Feb 28, 2002
• Optimize Your Home Page for New Visitors
  Rather than preaching to the choir, use your home page to evangelize new visitors. Feb 14, 2002
• Not Sure What to Say? Start Writing...
  Stumped by a copywriting project? Confronted by a blank page? Sometimes, the only way to know what you're going to write is by writing. Jan 31, 2002
• Cynics Can't Write Great Copy
  When writing and selling on the Web, nothing works like truth, honesty, and warmth. Jan 17, 2002
• Can Conglomerates Speak in the First Person?
  Speaking to your customers in your own voice adds value. Can global conglomerates such as Ford and Sony pull off the use of "I" and "we"? Jan 3, 2002
• The Power of the First Person
  "I," "we," "me," "us" -- every copywriter avoids these words like the plague. Here's why they could work for you online. Dec 20, 2001
• Good Copywriters Deserve More Money
  You pay big bucks for high-tech delivery methods, but how much do you pay for the messages themselves? Nick says you may want to reconsider your priorities. Dec 6, 2001
• Briefly Speaking
  You may have the raw data, but unless you get a creative brief that provides true insights into your audience, your copywriting inevitably suffers. Nov 15, 2001
• What Kind of Copywriter Are You?
  You're good. You're versatile. But are you as versatile as you think? Even our resident copywriting expert discovered -- after two decades on the job -- that no matter how good you are, you can't necessarily write all things for all people. Nov 1, 2001
• Email in 'Newspaper Style'
  Write like a journalist to get your message in front of your customer. Oct 18, 2001
• The Beauty of Single-Column, Sequential Text
  If you are involved with print -- in publishing or advertising -- you know how important it is to make text on a page look good. Oct 4, 2001
• Add More Value to That Automated Email
  Certain emails, we take a great deal of trouble over. We write them carefully and with a clear purpose in mind. But what about those automated ones -- the welcome and thank-you emails generated in response to customer actions at your site? Sep 20, 2001
• More About Writing Great Newsletters
  More and more companies send out "newsletters" that are simply virtual junk mail in disguise. This is bad news for commerce sites genuinely trying to publish quality newsletters that add real value. Sep 6, 2001
• The Difference Between Newsletters and Emails
  In recent months, with every company online using email and newsletters as a form of promotion, the differences between emails and newsletters are blurring. Sites now ask visitors to sign up for a newsletter and then send them promotional emails. Aug 23, 2001
• Can Copywriters Write Newsletters?
  Is a copywriter, in the traditional, offline sense of the word, the individual best qualified to write a good online newsletter? What exactly is a copywriter in the online environment? What separates a copywriter from a content writer or an editorial writer? Aug 9, 2001
• Don't Box In Your Writers
  Understanding the customer is a key requirement within all sales and marketing environments, including the Web. But there is a small problem: When you listen too hard, you risk losing your own voice. Jul 26, 2001
• Let Them Know What Your Site Is About
  You've heard that tired and trite (and tried and true) line about what you do when you assume... Now think about whether first-time visitors will immediately know what your site is about. You're not assuming that they'll just figure it out, are you...? Jun 28, 2001
• Avoiding the Shadow of White-Collar Spam
  What is white-collar spam? It's that particularly insidious stuff that nice, professional people like us send out. Not at all like blue-collar spam -- that nasty, grimy junk email sent out by get-rich-quick con artists and pornographers. Jun 14, 2001
• Are You Writing to a Female Audience?
  How many in your audience are women? How many of your email or newsletter subscribers are women? How many people who make a purchase or complete some other kind of action at your site are women? Yep, many... May 31, 2001
• Updating Copy on Your Site
  We never completely rewrite and republish our sites. Changes are gradual, and the site evolves. This results in old copy conflicting with updated changes. Dig deep for consistency in evolving information and tone of voice. May 21, 2001
• Got a High-Risk Moment? Use Strong Copy...
  What's a high-risk moment? The point within the customer experience when a decision is made, and that decision can make or break your offer. At times like this, strong copy is critical. May 7, 2001
• Writers Unite: Stand Up to Usability Experts
  Just because usability guru Jakob Nielsen once said it's so doesn't make it gospel. Want to make your site copy effective? Write it to meet the needs of today's site users. Apr 23, 2001
• It's OK to Write Copy That Sells
  Don't hesitate to write copy that sells online, or your visitors will get confused. If they're just browsing, they can filter out the sales patter. If they want to buy, they'll need it. Apr 9, 2001
• How to Handle Longer Copy
  Can Web writers and designers use the power of the written word to increase the likelihood that readers click from one page to the next? Try building momentum by breaking text between pages. Mar 26, 2001
• Just Say No to Dead Fragments
  A dead fragment is what's left after usability experts have their way. But it's words that engage people online, not pictures or voice. A little more text will engage and retain customers. Mar 19, 2001
• Who Says Long Copy Doesn't Work Online?
  Why do usability engineers, information architects, and content managers think short copy rules online? They have their reasons, but Nick still thinks long copy sells. Mar 12, 2001
• Make Your Copy Work Harder: Think Like a Stonemason
  Don't be deceived by the notion that writing for business online is either easy or disposable. Craft every sentence as carefully as if it were to be carved in stone, and you won't go wrong. Mar 5, 2001
• Can a Company Speak With a Sincere Voice?
  You want your customers to know your company is trustworthy. A smart writer can make a real difference by discovering a true voice for the company that engages both the company's customers and employees. Feb 26, 2001
• Write Like a Good Listener
  The way you communicate determines what kind of listener you are. This goes for Web sites, too. Nick gives an example of a site that's interested in customer feedback and one that's not. Feb 19, 2001
• Writing Email: Beware If the Mask Slips
  Email is the most valuable communications tool available to online marketers. It's immediate and one to one, and has a light touch. Therein lies the rub for marketers: It was not created for marketing messages. Feb 12, 2001
• Can Talking Heads Make Your Site More Personal?
  Nick gives you a heads-up on Facemail, a plug-in that lets you add emoticon expressions to email communications and voice to a Web site. Will it work? Feb 5, 2001
• Get Up Close and Personal With Personalization
  There's a step to getting the best from personalization that most sites are missing. Remember: Cut the cubicle-speak and get up close and personal with a good, honest writer. Jan 29, 2001
• Two Reasons Online Copy Doesn't Sell
  When it comes to the question of why online copy isn't working to close the sale, Nick believes the answers are real simple. Jan 22, 2001
• The Importance of Being Earnest
  How do you train people to write online so they sound honest and real? A few easy tips can help your customer service agents learn how. Jan 15, 2001
• Profit From the Velocity of Words
  Nick says to keep it short. If it takes you more than five words to say, go back and try again. So we'll keep this short... and let Nick's words speak for themselves. Jan 8, 2001
• A Diamond in the Roughage
  As inboxes the world over become inundated with spam, people are less likely to check email. The solution? Become a recognized and trusted voice among the garbage. Dec 18, 2000
• Scattered Attention Loses Sales
  Sometimes words alone, one after the other, are your best choice for getting the job done right. Dec 11, 2000
• Words: The Last, Best Way to Differentiate Yourself Online
  While everyone is so busy mortgaging their futures to raise the cash to buy the technology to look the same, nobody is investing in the words that will help differentiate the tone of their site and make it stand out. Dec 4, 2000
• Good News for Little Dot-Coms
  The fragmentation of audiences online is good news for small business. While marketers can still make big buys across Yahoo! and AOL, it's becoming tougher to target messages to groups that are likely to find them relevant. Nov 27, 2000
• Keep It Simple for Happy Customers
  Why keep your web site simple? A simpler, more creative site is more likely to help your customers achieve their goals. And a happy customer is more likely to give you permission. Nov 20, 2000
• Train Your Customers to Talk Back
  Online customers recognize they have a voice now, but they're not talking to site owners, they're talking to third parties like Epinions.com and eComplaints.com. Encourage customers to talk directly with you, and listen and respond to their concerns. Nov 13, 2000
• How to Freshen up Stale Permission
  How fresh is permission from a year ago? Could be pretty stale. Here's how to get back to your subscribers every six months with an invitation to freshen up their permission. Nov 6, 2000
• Are You at War With Your Customers?
  Traditional marketing is adversarial: the marketer against the customer. Marketers pay big bucks to hammer you with "impressions." The more times it hits you, the deeper the impression becomes. Marketers do it on TV, they do it on billboards, they do it with junk mail. The trouble is, they can get away with this only if their customers are isolated, unconnected, and have no voice. This is not the case online. Nick gives four symptoms of online marketers at war with their customers. Oct 30, 2000
• Trust Flows From the Top Down
  What's the answer to securing long-term permission? One word: trust. This year billions of dollars are being spent on solutions to help customers and prospects interact with dot-coms through live chat, phone, and email. Solutions that provide customer service right on the site. But do they generate trust? Nick believes the only way to get trust is to walk the talk with customers and make real, human connections. Oct 23, 2000
• When Does More Email Become Too Much?
  As the holiday season approaches, thousands of online marketers are asking themselves the same question: "How many times can we email our customers without ticking them off?" Email customers too infrequently, and you're leaving money on the table. Email customers too often, and watch their trust -- and your permission -- erode. How do you make the call? Oct 16, 2000
• The Value of Real Customer Involvement
  Is it possible for e-commerce sites to solicit, manage, and use significant feedback from their customers? How can you reasonably let go of the reins of control enough to open the way for real customer involvement without descending into chaos? Part of the future success of online business lies in opening the doors in this direction to tap into the value that customers can bring to your business. Oct 9, 2000
• When Permission Smells Bad
  The vast majority of permission that comes easily is completely worthless. To quote one of Nick's friends: "It smells bad and has the head of a chicken." So, what's a person to do? First remember that getting permission is only the first step toward building a relationship. If building lasting relationships with your customers is what it's really all about, Nick suggests you institute a visitor advisory board at your site. Oct 2, 2000
• Customer Expectations of Privacy
  Who loves the concept of permission marketing better: online marketers or online customers? The truth is, marketers love it to bits. Because getting permission enables them to be the good guys. But how excited by "permission" are the tens of millions of regular folks out there in cyberland? How many people really recognize a permission-based marketing campaign for what it is and how it protects them? Not too many, according to Nick's investigation of the top sites and their privacy policies. Sep 25, 2000
• Performing Live: Online Marketing
  What separates online marketing from offline marketing? Online marketing is a live performance and, thus, has had to change and adapt quickly. Offline marketers should watch and listen carefully because they need to apply "online marketing thinking" to their brick-and-mortar businesses. Online, you have no protection from your audience. Nick tells you why this is a good thing. Sep 18, 2000
• Tripping Over Permission
  Several points within a web site can be considered "high-risk customer interaction points." These are points at which you want your visitors to do something specific, but they're also the points at which you are most likely to lose them. The most obvious HRCIP is your home page. Nick identifies other HRCIPs and tells you why you don't want to interrupt visitors to ask for permission at them. Sep 11, 2000
• Oops, You Really Believe You Have Permission?
  Getting permission from those to whom you attempt to sell stuff is a great idea. But it's not a new one. It's been a great idea for a very long time. But like many great ideas, it's open to abuse. And like many good things that are open to abuse, the root of that abuse lies in money, greed. So you've got a choice: Honor the permission part of "permission marketing," or let greed destroy the very concept... and your customer relationships with it. Sep 4, 2000
• Oops, I Can't Be Trusted
  Nick takes a look at how trust, or the lack of it, can also have a profound impact on the experience people have at your site. With all the research about consumer concern for privacy, it's smart to make an effort to let your customers and prospects online know that you're trustworthy. This is something you have to demonstrate rather than just articulate. Aug 28, 2000
• Oops, My Site Sucks
  When you get permission from people to send them a newsletter or email from time to time, make sure you're prepared. Because one of the fastest ways to lose permission is by giving these folks a terrible experience once they come to your site. Nick uses his imaginary nicksButtons.com site to show you why it's important to get your site in order before applying the principles of permission marketing to your e-business. Aug 21, 2000
• It's Not About Permission, It's About Trust
  Why has "permission marketing" proved so popular among marketers? Good question. It seems permission marketing has exploded because the phrase itself has become the ultimate defense for the Net's greatest scumbags: marketers who hide their nifty opt-out instructions nine levels deep on their site and then say they do permission marketing. If you really want to practice permission marketing, change its name to "trust marketing." Aug 14, 2000
• When the Money Gets Scarce
  A lot of dot-coms are getting to know what it feels like when the cash runs dry. And all are facing some tough choices. What do you sacrifice first? Who do you fire? What planned developments do you put on the back burner? What survives and what gets shredded? Here's what should go and what should stay, and Nick tells you why. Aug 7, 2000
• Keep an Eye on Flyover Land
  This week, Nick writes a fable about the origin of Flyover Land, the vast expanse between the twin cities of Los Angeles and New York, where the smartest entrepreneurs and the best designers and programmers were to be found. These twin cities also contained the most sophisticated customers. Inevitably, the city entrepreneurs built their businesses to appeal to the audiences they know best: big city folks. But the people who lived in Flyover Land all had dial-up connections and slow modems, and probably used AOL... Jul 31, 2000
• The Three Rules of Permission
  Permission marketing isn't just about "getting" permission. It's not just a box with a check in it or a prospect or customer saying "Yes." These are just moments in time, and you don't own that customer forever. Only for a very brief moment. The key is how you use that moment. Jul 24, 2000
• Everybody Wants to Believe
  Quod volimus credimus libenter. Four words that should be tattooed on the forehead of every online entrepreneur. If your Latin is a mite rusty, the translation runs something like this: "We believe what we want to." And we do. It's our nature. From the cradle to the grave. Nowhere is this siren call stronger than in the dot-com start-up world. We'll believe just about anything. Listen up for Nick's three favorite goofy assumptions. Jul 17, 2000
• The Language of Permission
  In the olden days, before the Net, we used to promote our products and services through mass marketing. We'd dream up a "unique selling proposition," or whatever other jargon was trendy at the time, and then bomb the public repeatedly with that message through the major TV networks. Those days are gone. Most of us have made the switch to a permission-based style of marketing, but a great many of us have not made the accompanying switch to the "language of permission." Jul 10, 2000
• Customer Service: Expense or Opportunity?
  To retain permission you've got to keep your customers happy. And keeping your customers happy is, in large part, a factor of how effective you are at providing quality customer service. We all agree it's important, but how you get there can make the difference between customer service that's adequate and customer service that's excellent. Nick maps out two roads your company can take. So, which one are you on? Jul 3, 2000
• Permissions Are Not All Created Equal
  Permission is a particularly dangerous label. It gives the impression of a depth of consent and relationship that rarely exists except in the mind of the hopeful marketer. Worse still, overusage of the term has given the impression that there is somehowa constant attached to the term, as if all "permissions" are created equal. They are not. Don't kid yourself into believing you have a "constant level of permission" that's more valuable than it really is. Jun 26, 2000
• Permission to Yap Cuts Both Ways
  It makes sense to facilitate and encourage customer feedback. Nick's not talking about chat or toll-free call centers, he's talking about stuff to make, save or grow sales today. Like giving your visitors permission to yap at you with a no-response-required feedback option on your site. Jun 19, 2000
• Beware My Propensity to Browse
  One-to-one marketing. It's been around for a long, long time. As has the concept of permission marketing, personalization, customer relationship management and every other hot phrase you care to mention. The difference online is that we're using the latest technology. A good thing, right? Well, it may be good for the software vendors... Jun 12, 2000
• Give Them Words, Not Pictures
  You all read the Poynter Institute eyetracking study mentioned in Cliff Allen's column, right? Seems folks online are drawn more to text than they are to photos or other graphics. Conversely, when people read print, their eyes are drawn to the pictures first. The timing of this study couldn't be better, because more and more e-commerce sites are drawn to the glamour of looking like beautiful print ads and catalogs. What they need are Nick's tips on the best use of text. Jun 5, 2000
• How to Make Me Feel Good
  Using emotion to sell can have your customers going "oo-la-la" when they visit your site. Nick gives you three great sites that show you how to make people feel good. You'll not only create smiles, but success! May 29, 2000
• Make Me Feel Good and I'll Buy More
  Emotions sell. Making people feel good definitely sells. And the better you make them feel, the more likely they'll remain loyal customers. And the more permission they'll give you. So how come nobody out there is building their sites to make us feel good? May 22, 2000
• Earn Permission to Sell by Serving
  Marketers may solicit permission with the best of intentions. But then the math (or CFO) kicks in, and permission granted just becomes an excuse to suck as many sales as you can out of each customer and as quickly as possible. It's like depositing a small amount of "permission" in the bank and then spending it all at once. Trouble is, once you've done that, the permission is gone. The account's overdrawn. Nick shows you how to protect the permission you've received... and maybe even grow it. May 15, 2000
• Talk to Me Like I'm a Person
  One of the ways you can increase the lifespan of the permission you receive from your customers is to choose your tone of voice and writing style carefully. But companies are still using ad-speak, a language and style developed for traditional media. Rush, rush. Hurry, hurry. Special offer ends soon. Don't treat your online customers like a small crumb in a mass market. Nick tells you how to talk to your online audience to maintain that fragile permission sent your way. May 8, 2000
• Permission Is Dead - Long Live Permission
  Ask permission first, then everything's cool. Right? Suddenly, 'permission' is being used as a justification to turn on the marketing faucet wide open. Not quite. Permission is step one in creating a relationship. It's just step one. And that first level of permission will last you a very short period of time. Permission expires. Nick tells you why permission, as perceived by many, is dead. May 1, 2000
• Now's the Time to Build Something Great
  It's been predicted by industry pundits that thousands of dot-com companies will crash and burn over the coming months. But these folks aren't the ones taking the risks to build a remarkable new economy. If you're building an online business, don't listen to the journalists, pundits and analysts as they spread doom and gloom among investors. If you want to listen to anyone, listen to the folks who are really driving the Internet economy online customers. Apr 24, 2000
• Wake Up and Smell Your Customers
  Nick has written before about customers being annoyed over receiving too many emails. On the other side of the coin is the merchant who buys an opt-in list to promote his business. Sure, there are a zillion scammers out there. And yes, when it comes to opt-in lists, there are many shades of gray. If you really want to learn the new rules of selling online, listen closely to the clicking of over a hundred million keyboards worldwide. Apr 17, 2000
• Fill Your Own Communication Gap
  Over the last year, a bunch of consumer product review sites have sprung up to fulfill a need that had long been felt by consumers... and ignored by online retailers. Sites like ePinions.com, ConsumerReview.com and Shopserve.com all enable consumers to post raves and rants about their experiences atstores, both on- and offline. Clearly customers have a lot to say. Isn't it time you gave those customers an opportunity to speak where their voices will be valued the most? Apr 10, 2000
• Web Site Parenting 101: Letting Go
  Any similarities between raising kids and creating a new web site? You bet. At birth, a web site will often be a reflection of its creators. In their image. The fruit of their neural pathways. The site reflects the vision and mission of its founders. It's about them and what they want the site to do. But when the site goes live, it moves away from its creators' control. Nick tells you how to capitalize on this... in other words, how to let your site grow up. Apr 7, 2000
• The Better You Know Me...
  Many merchants in cyberland are constantly making assumptions about customer preferences based on incomplete knowledge. And this incomplete knowledge usually offers just a very small slice of a person's actual interests and preferences. You don't really know your customers based just on what they buy at your site. To build long-term relationships with customers, you need to find out who they really are. Nick tells you how to build a profile that looks both at what customers buy and what they say interests them. Apr 3, 2000
• Surprise Me and Sell More
  Nick argued last week that web sites share a numbing, vanilla blandness. But his mail says: "Hey, it's the same offline. So what's your point?" Well, it really isn't the same offline. Real stores contain people. Assistants and checkout people. Guys and girls, big and small, tall and short, grumpy and happy. It's the people behind the counters that make it different. People can surprise you. People make the shopping experience more personable and enjoyable. Nick tells you how to transfer this element of surprise onto your site. Mar 31, 2000
• Selling in Silence
  As a customer, do you find the Internet noisy, claustrophobic and potentially threatening? Wherever you go, banner ads are served, pop-ups intrude, and you're subscribed to something simply because you can't figure out how to opt out. Nick's got an idea: ShopInSilence.com. It offers everything from sporting goods to flowers, lobsters to books and CDs. But it's a very different online shopping experience. No noise. No intrusion. How would such a site survive? The Internet is a network. The voices of grateful shoppers would travel fast. Mar 27, 2000
• Buying Online Is Boring
  Shopping in the real world is not a linear experience; it's filled with little unexpected moments. By contrast, buying online is boring. One reason is that every store is held captive within the same fifteen inches or so of computer screen. Another is due to similar software and database programs. While the big players rush blindly to serve up the same old vanilla, smaller businesses online have a great opportunity to offer chocolate fudge, strawberry and bubble-gum varieties of the online shopping experience. Mar 24, 2000
• Who Hears the Inbound Mail?
  If your site is generating traffic, it's generating inbound emails. Inbound from your customers and prospects. And if you have a 1-800 number, you're getting inbound from there too. Same for your live help, if you have it. Inbound knowledge, often in the form of questions and complaints, is invaluable information. How do you make it available to your managers, VPs and CEO? The bottom line: Create a culture within your company that obsesses over inbound information. Mar 20, 2000
• Get Rid of Fear and Sell More
  Fear has been central to the seller/buyer relationship for a long time. The salesperson who never calls back after the sale in case the customer is dissatisfied. The customer who fears fighting to get something returned. Fear comes from isolation. Lack of communication. Misunderstanding. Poor relationships. All this can change online because the divide in the marketplace between buyer and seller is closing up. Put aside the fear that for decades created a wall between consumers and vendors by changing the way you do business online. Mar 17, 2000
• Why It's Hard to Choose a CRM Solution
  The customer relationship management area is hot. There are about 450 vendors out there clamoring for your business. That alone makes it hard to choose the right partner. Nick attended the CRM Support Services Conference and Expo in Washington, D.C., recently - quite an eye-opener. Now he knows why it's tough to figure out who's doing what and which CRM solution provider to select. Mar 13, 2000
• Making Money Behind the Hype-Curve
  There are a couple of routes you can take when starting your new Internet business. First, you could try to become the first mover in a new category and become a billionaire. This is tempting. It's in. It's hot. It's hard to do. But there's another way to grow rich online. Build a business that has a longer-term plan, makes money and could be worth a few million in three or four years. You don't need to be at the leading edge to build a decent company online. Mar 10, 2000
• Not So Smart
  The hype on personalized service seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of the reality. Survey says only 60 percent of the top 50 e-merchants respond to inquiries, 53 percent cross-sell, 25 percent recognize repeat buyers, and a mere four percent personalize email! If you're not one of the top 50, take heart. They're doing such an indifferent job at building relationships with their customers, that you've got the opportunity to kick their bloated butts. Mar 6, 2000
• Designing Your Web Site Interface
  When designing a web site interface, think ahead a bit. If you can anticipate some things that are likely to change or develop over the months to come, let your designers, programmers and writers know well in advance. So they can build an interface that is ready to accept those extras. Be realistic. If you're thinking of a major change in direction, maybe it can't be done within the confines of your current interface. Maybe it's time for a full redesign. Mar 3, 2000
• Selling Stuff to Friends
  When you get really good at cross-selling and upselling to your online customers, you're beginning to develop a bit of a conflicted relationship. On one hand, you're trying to build a relationship that serves the needs of the customer. You're trying to make a friend. On the other hand, you're trying to increase the lifetime value of that customer by selling him or her other items and services. Nick's advice? Blend active selling with passive selling. And avoid over-selling. Feb 28, 2000
• Times to Be Unreasonable
  Some of the most effective entrepreneurs are very unreasonable. They use being unreasonable as a tool. These are the people who get stuff done. They break new ground. Because they aren't distracted by claims like "It can't be done." True, these people are also the biggest SOBs you'll ever have to work with. But if you want to build a hugely successful business online, Nick gives you a few key points in which being unreasonable could help. Feb 25, 2000
• BrokenPromise.com
  Know what a "gray promise" is? One that can't be kept, like the 30-day refund that can't be given because an item is used or damaged. Enter BrokenPromise.com, a business profiting from broken promises on e-commerce sites. Pick up dissatisfied customers by paying for a $20 BrokenPromise Gift Certificate. Promises are subjective, and you rarely know when customers are disappointed. That's when you lose them. Learn how to recognize and retain unhappy customers. Before someone really does launch a catch-them-on-the-rebound service like BrokenPromise.com. Feb 21, 2000
• Promoting With the Right Sort of Passion
  Nick wants to look at the role of passion in building and promoting your business. It's well known that passion sells. The more breathless, the more excited, the more passionate... the more sales. It works great in direct mail, on radio and TV. But online, beware. People react differently to email, where your message can sound crass, pushy, spammy and irritating. Feb 18, 2000
• Billionaire in Waiting
  Nick has another cunning plan. A whole new breed of email management program: emailYouNeed.com. Sign up for this service, and it will list and manage all your opt-in email subscriptions, tracking actual activity within your email inbox. What you read, at what time and for how long. What you delete or leave unread. Automatic unsubscription management. It's cool. And it's free. Why? Because once he's got his grubby little hands on your behavior, he's a billionaire in waiting. Without too long to wait. Feb 14, 2000
• Leveraging the Network
  Truck-loads of VC cash have financed the arrival of hundreds of new start-ups online. With all this well-heeled competition, what are the options for someone who wants to boot-strap their business from the ground up? Grow your business the smart way, by taking advantage of the networking potential of the online business environment. Feb 11, 2000
• My Inbox is Mine - Not Yours
  Spam aside, it's getting harder and harder to wade through your inbox and find some nugget of value in the stuff to which you've actually subscribed. Before the year is out, "permission" could become a dirty word. As soon as you start to feel overwhelmed, those opt-in emails cease to have permission. You don't like it anymore because there's a limit to the number of emails you want to find in your inbox each day. Feb 7, 2000
• Adapting to Change
  These are challenging times for small online businesses. With the advent of price-comparison agents and competition between big players like Wal-Mart and Amazon, prices are coming down. Customers want to get their stuff faster, and they'd like free delivery, as well. The growth of big-time e-commerce over the last 12 months has changed the landscape for small business online. Nick tells you what questions to ask, and promises to figure out the answers next week. Feb 4, 2000
• Selling Online Means Always Having to Say You're Sorry
  Nick tells you about a customer who experienced a shipping screw-up. The company didn't acknowledge making a mistake because its computer said it hadn't. The customer wasn't complaining about not receiving her order, but because the company never apologized. How can saying that you're sorry make such a difference? Because being sorry is a uniquely human thing to do. Computers don't say they're sorry. Customer Relationship Management Solutions don't say they're sorry. But humans can and do. A company seeking an unhappy customer's forgiveness should. Jan 31, 2000
• What's Your Marketing Model?
  What's your marketing model? That process by which you get your message out to the folks you want to attract, in a way that makes them want to buy from your site, at a cost that makes sense. Do you have a single, fundamental point from which all your marketing activities spring? Nick gives you an exercise to do on a regular basis. To ensure that all your marketing efforts pull in the same direction and that your plan is still viable today. Jan 28, 2000
• It's All Free...
  Nick had a bad dream. He woke up and found that his home was full of free stuff. Free appliances. Free food for the dog. Free clothing. Even a free entertainment center. Not too shabby for a bad dream. Trouble is, nothing is free. Not even in a dream. Jan 24, 2000
• Talking to Yourself in an Elevator
  The elevator pitch is something most small-business folk only get to dream about - it's those few precious words that can unlock big bucks from a VC group. In just 20 or so seconds, you've got to paint a compelling picture of your business model and its potential. But what if you're unlikely to ever make that kind of pitch? Learn to do it anyway. Because the process of compressing a description of your business into 20 seconds can be very revealing. Jan 21, 2000
• Feedback, Manure and a Book
  Feedback about your site is a key component in building a relationship with your customers. If you're inclined to say, "We don't need no stinking feedback," Nick's got a word of warning for you: Beware. Because the Internet is to feedback what manure is to mushrooms: a very fertile growing environment. Jan 17, 2000
• No, They're Not Stupid
  It's a hard thing for a proud small-biz web site owner to do, but Nick wants you to get a total stranger to come and look at your site. Find a friend of a friend who falls within your target demographic. Sit her down in front of your computer and have her log on to your web site. Set her some tasks that require going through a few levels into the site, and don't tell her how to get there; let her figure it out. But you're the real student in this exercise and you might be in store for some hard lessons. But very valuable ones. Jan 14, 2000
• It's Their Network, Not Yours
  Nick's made this point before, but he thinks it's worth making again. For online marketers, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that the Internet provides you with the largest and most connected network of prospective customers imaginable. It's a dream. Tens of millions of people with money, connected within one, wonderful World Wide Web. The bad news is that it's not your network. Not yours to own. Not yours to mine. Not yours to control, sell, swap or manipulate. Jan 10, 2000
• Is Your Business Model Perfect?
  Nick wants you to compare your business model to those of other, more established sites within your category. Business model? It's what you do, how you do it, and how it makes money. If you think about it, business models have never been so transparent as they are online. You can learn a huge amount about your competitors' businesses just by studying their sites in detail. Jan 7, 2000
• Do You Really Need a CRM Solution?
  Imagine it's your job to develop relationships with your web site's customers and prospects online. Prevailing wisdom would have you developing an extensive Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution. Nick tells you why it's more important to improve your web site first. Because it's all about the customer's experience at the site. Not about the "after-experience" solutions. By then, it's too late. Jan 3, 2000
• Judged by Your Looks
  It's sometimes all too easy to spot a small business online. The design and architecture of the site give it away. An important issue for any small business hoping to generate significant income online is trust. Doing business with your company over the Internet is going to require a leap of faith for every first-time customer. They'll judge you, in large part, by how you look. What better time to rebuild the look and structure of your site than the beginning of the new millennium? Dec 31, 1999
• Help Me With My Groceries
  Why doesn't the Net make it easier to buy groceries? Sure, in some large cities you can use Peapod.com and Webvan.com. But how come we can't order groceries online direct from local supermarkets? It's not as if there isn't a need. Just check out the faces of shoppers next time you go to a supermarket. You never saw so many glum, depressed-looking faces, did you? People just don't want to be there. So here's what a local supermarket might do. Dec 24, 1999
• Better Than Business-to-Business
  It's all the rage. Everyone's talking about it. The media loves it. VC folks won't listen unless you do it. Do what? Do 'business-to-business' online. If you can believe what you hear, only stupid money goes into business-to-consumer these days. The smart money goes into business-to-business. Let's fast-forward a few months to when the really, really smart money will go to those sites that combine business-to-business with business-to-consumer. Both at once. A hybrid. Dec 17, 1999
• Back Off
  In the rush to maximize sales during the holiday season, a lot of e-commerce companies appear to be sending out promotional emails much more frequently than usual. Based on testing, two or three emails a month work well, but if you go to once a week, you'll experience some serious unsubscribing. Trouble is, too much volume from some companies spoils the inbox for everyone. Nick advises some serious restraint. Dec 13, 1999
• Something Worth Talking About
  Over the last twelve months, some things have become easier for small business online. And some things have become harder. 'What's easier' is all the technology that enables you to build mailing lists, add shopping carts, handle credit cards, create chat areas, automate content updates, etc. Much of that technology was once available only to larger sites. But not everything is easier. 'What's harder' begins and ends with the problem of attracting qualified new traffic to your site. Dec 10, 1999
• Buyer Power
  Looking into the online future is a dangerous thing to do. But sometimes Nick feels the need to stick his neck out and open his big mouth. Here's his rash prediction of the day. He thinks this is the last Christmas season in which we'll see 'traditional' online retailers dominating the online marketplace. Because of a shift in power. Buyers are slowly waking up to the fact that they don't have to play by the retailers' rules any more. Dec 6, 1999
• Where Are All The Testimonials?
  Here's a weird thing. How come there are so few sites that use testimonials? In the print world, testimonials have been used for decades. They provide a great way to add credibility to your promotional message. Here's the mystery. Creating trust online is a big, big thing. So why don't we see more sites using testimonials? Nick gives you a model that works best for small business sites. Dec 3, 1999
• How To Be Human 101
  Nick explores the limitations of technological solutions to creating customer relationships. It's a tough one. Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) solutions are a big thing right now. There are tons of software and outsourced 'solutions,' and it's hard to figure out which are doing the best job. Trouble is, the term 'solutions' is a little misleading. It may give you the impression that these packages somehow look after the entire relationship with your users and customers. Not so. They are simply tools. Nov 29, 1999
• Final Two Of Six For Christmas, Not
  Nick was going to talk about 'two ideas' this week, but there's something else going on that merits a little attention. Thousands of dot-com companies are going insane this Christmas season with offline spending. The big online players are spending hundreds of millions on advertising - much of it offline - in order to capture all our holiday dollars. There is some logic to all this. But it may not work with all the noise out there. Nov 26, 1999
• Watch Their Eyes
  You're a girl in a bar on a first date with a promising new guy. The guy says, "I want to know all about you. Tell me everything." Hey, nice guy. Sounds promising. But as you begin to tell him all about yourself, watch his eyes. There's a number of things he could find more interesting than you... Same thing online. You can't automate a human process and expect a positive result. Your average e-commerce site says it's customer-centric, but watch their eyes. Nov 22, 1999
• Second Two Of Six For Christmas
  This is second in a mini series Nick started last week on how small business online can take advantage of the Christmas holiday season. Idea #1 is all about giving your site a seasonal look, offering some seasonal products and publishing a Christmas newsletter. Idea #2 is to extend your relationship with non-competing companies to do some Christmas co-promotions, which can work for services and B2B as well. Nov 19, 1999
• Time To Slow Down
  It's a nasty ailment. It's deceptive, too. The worse you get it, the less you think you have it. Then one day, you wake up and realize what's happening. The ailment? Working too fast. There's a seductive appeal to writing at speed. It fits so nicely with the culture of the Internet. Email is such a 'light,' throw-away medium. Easy come, easy go. Trouble is, when emails from your site are written quickly, without sufficient thought and care, you miss a great opportunity. Nov 15, 1999
• First Two Of Six For Christmas
  The Christmas selling season is upon us, and Nick doesn't know whether to smile or run for the hills. While considering his options, he decided to write a series of three articles, each with two tips or ideas for small business online at this special time of year. These aren't the usual hype that guarantee to "quintuple your sales." Just good, solid advice that will likely encourage your customers buy more stuff. Nov 12, 1999
• ExcessVoice.com
  Our lives are drowning in the excess voice of others. TV, radio, billboards, catalogues and, of course, that most excessive of all voice-generators the Internet. The Internet has given voice to everyone with a computer and telephone line. Nick's not suggesting that we shouldn't all have the opportunity to have our voices heard. It's just the excess that gets to him. He gets a feeling that excess voice is going to start depressing responses to just about any online marketing effort. Nov 8, 1999
• Talk To Me
  If you don't send out an email newsletter from your site, you should. A web site resides at 'your place' -- and is seen only if and when customers and prospects choose to visit. A newsletter goes out to 'their place' -- and arrives in the subscriber's in-box with a frequency determined by you. But most importantly, a newsletter gives you the opportunity to speak one-to-one in a more relaxed voice -- and within a more relaxed atmosphere. Nov 5, 1999
• Speed Sells
  Baseball's declining in popularity because it doesn't happen fast enough. Hockey and wrestling, however, give you quick bursts of activity. And the same thing's happening with TV soaps. Sports and TV are becoming more like the breaks that support them. If you think that's bad, try customer expectations on the Internet. They want it now, at the best price, and they don't want to lift a finger to make it happen. That's why you need one-click shopping. Nov 1, 1999
• If You Can Dream It - Proceed With Caution
  A thousand pundits will tell you that the journey to small business success is powered by passion and vision. That's true. In part. However, passion and vision can also drive your business into oblivion in very short order, unless you have a few other elements in place. One element is: Make sure that what you're trying to sell is something that people actually want. Sounds obvious, but it's not. Nick gives you a real business example - from his past. Oct 29, 1999
• Moi -- Customer From Hell
  Nick thinks it's a miracle that anyone ever buys anything online. As the months pass by, some e-commerce sites will win simply because they make shopping online easier. Shopping online is a pain. It's hard. It takes too long. New Internet users have to learn a whole new way of doing things. They're too lazy for that. Really. Here's what the shopper from hell wants from every e-commerce site. Oct 25, 1999
• Your Bucks -- My Voice
  Here's a difference between big business and small business online. And an opportunity. Online buyers like the idea of connecting with a real person when they buy online. But, the bigger an online business grows, the less interactive and personal it becomes. If you're a small business and you have a strong voice and a proven track record, look for a large, 'friendly competitor' to collaborate with. Oct 22, 1999
• Flying Carpets
  Once upon a time there were two web sites, each selling genuine Turkish carpets. The first site, PatsCarpets.com does everything right, 'forcing the network effect' of the Internet by pushing its message out. Meanwhile, across the virtual street, NicksCarpets.com opens for business, 'riding the network effect' simply by being worth talking about. In this tale of two carpet merchants, which will make more money? Oct 18, 1999
• StuffLikeMine.com
  It can be hard for someone with a small business idea to find the resources to build it to its full potential. So when you're thinking of your great Internet breakthrough, it makes sense to try to find a model that can be built in stages, one step at a time. Nick gives you a small business idea that starts small, builds slowly and ends up fat and greedy. (The Net does tend to make us a teeny bit greedy, don't you think?) Oct 15, 1999
• Nice Guys Finish Last
  A couple of weeks back Nick wrote an article under the title, "I'll Kiss You Unless You Tell Me Not To." And he got a bit of feedback on that. A few people were a little surprised by the fact that he closed the article by suggesting that e-commerce sites collect as many names as possible through a two-step process. A process that begins with an opt-out opener. Nick wants to add a little meat to that. Oct 11, 1999
• Barriers To Getting Big
  It's easy to start a small business online. Nick means very small. Just you at home, building your business one step at a time. Maybe you have one or two partners, also working out of their own homes, keeping in touch through email and messaging. Plenty of online businesses thrive at this level. But what if you want to get bigger? Leaving home can be hard to do. Oct 8, 1999
• Look... It's Interactive Guy
  Last week, Nick took part in a 'Soap Box' event hosted by the Direct Mail Council of the Canadian Marketing Association in Toronto. It was a great event. But he got the impression that the Canadian direct marketing industry is hopelessly behind the times in understanding direct marketing online and its impact on direct mail. Not only that, it seems that the advertising industry misunderstands the nature of the web. Oct 4, 1999
• Welcome To CheeseAndPickle.com
  Dig deep to figure out what the Internet is built on and you'll find this: It's built on connections between regular people. One thread, one connection at a time. Little threads that one by one, from person to person, build a web that sustains billions of dollars in business. Nick tells small businesses how to extend their reach by never losing site of the threads. Oct 1, 1999
• I'll Kiss You Unless You Tell Me Not To
  This article starts by saying one thing. Then appears to say the opposite. And then attempts to make sense of the conflict. Here goes... If you want your prospects and customers to stay with you for the long haul, to keep responding to your offers, you need to create a relationship that works for them. And if you want to create a relationship, you have to start with an opt-in invitation. It's that permission thing. Sep 27, 1999
• OneClickDelivery.com
  Nick promised to talk about creating a small online business that is based in a local area. And when was the last time you read about a small, local Internet business in any of the fancy web-business magazines? The whole idea of staying local just isn't 'hot.' At this point, a savvy entrepreneur is beginning to smell gold. After all, if nobody is thinking local, there are probably a zillion opportunities just waiting to be discovered. Sep 24, 1999
• Direct Response Or Retail?
  What level of direct response do you practice on your site? Everyone claims their site is heavily into the direct response thing. But there's a lot of so-called direct response happening out there that doesn't even begin to take full advantage of the discipline. Nick takes a look at three different levels of 'response-generation.' Sep 20, 1999
• Go Vertical, Young Man
  As a radio show guest, Nick fielded a question from a caller about selling antique and rare books on structural engineering. Brilliant. This fellow had done what smart small businesses often do. He'd gone vertical in a very narrow niche. And in doing so, he was going to leverage one of the key strengths of online marketing: its ability to be 'local' to a million different people all over the world. Sep 17, 1999
• Is Convergence Good For Privacy?
  We've been hearing about the upcoming convergence of online and offline commerce. Boundaries between online and offline commerce may blur and fade to nothing. Because every company will one day become an off/online hybrid, marketing through multiple channels. Nick fears convergence may very quickly begin to damage some of our online business practices that are refreshingly good. Like the protection of personal privacy. Sep 13, 1999
• I Can't Kill Jake
  There's this thing that generals do when they send regular folk to war. They encourage the de-personalization of the enemy because it's easier to kill them that way. What can this unpleasant little observation possibly have to do with small business online? Nick tells you how to get personal and make it harder for people to sever their relationship with your company if they have to kill their relationship with you first. Sep 10, 1999
• Keep Close To The Future
  The World Wide Web isn't quite the level playing field it used to be. It's still accessible to every business, large and small, but the big guys make too much noise for the little guys to be heard. Does this mean the golden days of the smaller online entrepreneur are over? Nick tells you how to play David to the big-biz Goliath by leveraging your small business advantage. Sep 3, 1999
• Whom Do You Serve: Customers Or Advertisers?
  If your online business depends on relationships with your customers, ask yourself this question: Are the relationships you create built on the needs of your customers? Or are they driven by the demands of your revenue model? If it's the latter, customers will sniff you out. And when that happens, trusts fades, and so does loyalty. Aug 30, 1999
• Marketing Plan or Business Model?
  Nick tells you why you want to build your marketing plan into your online business model. Right from the start. In the bricks-and-mortar world you can get away with starting a business before you have the marketing plan. But when you create that business online, the separation of production and marketing can be the death of you. Because online, the business environment itself - the Internet - is also the marketing medium. Aug 27, 1999
• This Site Is Not For You
  Here's an idea that may run a little against the grain. It's about excluding customers from your site. It's about saying, "Hey, this site may not be for you." Instead of bribing and persuading every single person online to sign up at your site and give you permission to market - how about playing hard to get? What's Nick got up his sleeve this time? Aug 23, 1999
• Why I Love Small Business
  Nick kicks off a new series. He loves small business and spent a lot of time coaching young entrepreneurs and running workshops for small business owners. In fact, he misses all that and still gets a shiver when seeing a new retail business open up. Small business folk have a few things going for them with ecommerce, but there's also plenty of ways to get it wrong online. Aug 20, 1999
• Relationships? Don't Kid Yourself...
  Find yourself dreaming of the perfect relationship? Fantasies of blissful customer relationships may flutter in your mind. But customers will decide for themselves if that relationship is right for them and suits their needs. A scary thought for business owners investing millions to create relationships through online technologies. Feel your feet fly and your heart soar by offering your customers a relationship that's meant to be. Aug 16, 1999
• Don't Automate This
  You just sent 50,000 emails to your in-house opt in list asking them to click on a link. Over the next 48 hours, 2,500 people will click. And, you'll receive 250 emails with a question, comment or complaint. So you employ smart, helpful and knowledgeable people to answer them, right? But what happens next? Nick says there's gold in those questions. Aug 13, 1999
• Promiscuous Customers
  Customers are two-timing us! Worse yet, they're giving permission to just about anyone who comes knocking. Want to ignite that passion and feel the heat in the relationships you form with customers? Quit being naive and acknowledge that customers do in fact "get around," and that you can in fact get above the din. In uttermost candlelight, Nick delivers tips for ending that one-night stand. Aug 9, 1999
• Beware Long 'Brainload' Times
  Until now it's been ok to write your direct response emails any old way. But customers are flooded with email. So you have less of their attention. Nick calls it brainload time - the seconds it takes to decide what it's about, if you care, and what to do about it. You've got 4 seconds max for a pitch. So start thinking above the fold. Because in 'killer-app land' the honeymoon is over. And slow brainload times will kill your response rates. Aug 6, 1999
• It Pays To Listen Dot Com
  Here we go again... Nick has a plan. He says we need to make our web sites good at listening. Trouble is, we only listen to what we want to hear about collecting customer profiles and discerning buying preferences. But this doesn't grow relationships. For that, we need to listen to what customers want and need. Nick envisions a programming tool that enables web sites to listen at times that suit customers best, through email. Aug 2, 1999
• Remember The Math On Chocolates?
  A couple of weeks back Nick described an imaginary online business selling chocolates. And he asked for help in figuring out how soon to get back to his customers with follow-up, promotional email after that first sale. Well, he asked for it, and he got it! Here's the combined wisdom of the ClickZ readership on the best timing -- and some other great marketing ideas. Jul 30, 1999
• Permission Fades
  Permission marketing is all the rage. It's so cool almost everyone is practicing it. But a lot of people forget how it works. Permission granted once isn't a contract for life. The moment your customer no longer feels you have permission, you don't. Like it or not. In fact, the whole concept of permission marketing could quickly descend into another sneaky way to spam people. Jul 26, 1999
• Don't Be A Weasel
  A couple of weeks back, Nick expressed his fears about a deluge of offline direct marketers hitting the online world all at the same time. That is, if they don't pause to learn that you can't bring all your offline experience to the web unchanged. Take the offline practice of tricking people into thinking what you want them to think. People online are intolerant of this weasely approach, and it can devastate an online list. In fact, we need something like the WeaselFree Award. Jul 23, 1999
• Relationships That Sell
  Nick kicks off a new series exploring the ways in which you can profit from creating relationships with your prospects and customers online. He's talking about real relationships and not just fantasizing as hundreds of online companies do. It's all about that wonderful moment when one human being reaches out and touches another -- at a level that actually means something. So watch this space! Jul 19, 1999
• The Math On Chocolates
  Nick needs your help with some math in creating a pretend online chocolate business. He wants the site to get 'sticky,' but is in a quandary about permission marketing. How soon after that first purchase should he get back to the customer with a promotional email? Don't want to push too fast. Don't want to wait too long. He needs to get the balance just right. Feedback, anyone? Jul 16, 1999
• A Whole New Style of Writing
  In his last article, Nick was rash enough to suggest that, "writing to sell on the web will have a style that is unique to this new environment," without giving examples. Tsk, tsk Here are the examples, bad and good. Bottom line: Effective e-commerce copy is written one-to-one. And not many people write that way. Yet. Jul 12, 1999
• Beware The Short-Term Math
  Making predictionsabout marketing online is a foolish thing to do. So here goes. Nick predicts the hoards of offline direct marketers entering our industry over the next six months will do the short-term math and start spamming. Instant gratification is too attractive to pass up, in spite of what we've learned about permission marketing and respect for customer privacy. A cautionary suggestion: We need to defend our new direct marketing models, morals and attitudes by educating our clients and our colleagues. Jul 9, 1999
• There Are No Email Experts Yet
  Depending on what kind of ears you have, you can hear one of two things. You can hear chaos and conclude that nobody knows what they're talking about. And feel depressed. Or you can hear chaos and conclude that nobody knows what they're talking about. And grin from ear to ear. From IIR's Effective Email Marketing Strategies conference in New York, Nick reports on the chaotic convergence of two of the hottest areas in online marketing - direct marketing and email. Jul 2, 1999
• Rich Words
  A couple of weeks ago Nick hit hard on the 'promise' of rich media. Now he tells you why he thinks people overestimate the power of rich media online and underestimate the power of words. Is this run for rich media all part of a benevolent plan to help us access information online more easily? Not quite. The web needs a style of writing that isn't derivative of offline direct marketing, advertising or editorial writing. It needs a style that is unique to this new environment. Jun 28, 1999
• Let People Choose The Time
  Nick gives you a small thought for the day. Why not take advantage of the fact that you can choose the time at which your email messages are delivered? Better still, see what happens if you let your opt-in email list members choose the time at which they'd like to receive your emails. A strategy unique to online marketing, it can move your relationship up one more notch with another permission granted. Jun 25, 1999
• And Now For Some Bad Grammar
  Nick tells you how to make it easier for people to get through your email copy without losing interest. By breaking lots of perfectly good rules of grammar. Like starting a paragraph with the word 'and.' And ending a paragraph with three periods instead of one... Why butcher the English language like this? Because people's inboxes are becoming fuller and fuller, and their attention spans are becoming shorter and shorter. And breaking some rules can help. Jun 21, 1999
• How I Became A Millionaire At Nicksbuttons.com
  Are you ready for this? Nick explains the hypothetical history of Nicksbuttons.com. He's not talking about the promotional buttons you stick on your lapel, but the buttons that prevent your pants from falling to your ankles and your shirts from flapping in the breeze. His mission was to become the 800-pound orangutan of the direct-to- consumer button world. Find out how to turn something dull and long-lasting like a button into a must-have consumable with the latest direct marketing techniques. Jun 18, 1999
• Pretty Cool, Eh?
  What's it like to be head over heels over your new car and not even have the dealership understand? Forget about technical introductions and get personal Why bother with this soft human stuff? Because it sells. Jun 14, 1999
• Nicksbuttons.com Strikes It Rich
  Last week Nick had some opinionated things to say about online companies that invest $10 a head to acquire new customers -- and spend only about a tenth of a cent to retain them. In fact, 'stupid' was one of the words he used. Now that Nick's had a week to think about this, he's upgrading that to 'dumb and stupid.' Jun 11, 1999
• Rich Media Versus Words
  Nick gives his take on the future of words on the web. Despite the impact of Web TV, broadband, rich media and fancy convergence plans, he's betting on the power of carefully chosen words to create profitable relationships. The skilled use of words will become more and more important for sites that have long-term visions of ecommerce success. Jun 7, 1999
• Invest in Getting Them Back
  Time for some math. This could be tough, because math isn't Nick's strong suit. But he makes the point that while we all invest big bucks in acquiring new customers -- we don't spend nearly enough on retaining them. Jun 4, 1999
• Failing To Meet Expectations
  Creating high expectations is fine. Creating low expectations is okay too. What isn't okay is to create high expectations among your customers and then fail to deliver. AOL's so-called personal reply to a fork-o-gram tells you what not to do in meeting customer expectations. May 28, 1999
• Wag The Web Site
  Everybody believes email is the killer app, the only true way to communicate one-on-one online. But you'd never know it judging from most web sites. Huge sitesbig dogs. But what they do with email is small. A little skinny tail of a thing with almost no wag. It's time that the tail begins to wag the dog. May 24, 1999
• Mistakes And Betrayals
  Be sure that you and everyone you work with fully understand the difference between making a mistake and betraying a trust. Mistakes you can recover from. Betrayals, sooner or later, will lose you everything. Dumb direct marketers online betray the trust of their customers every day. May 21, 1999
• Wanted: Multi-Task Writer
  Copywriting isn't about being a clever writer. It's about understanding how people feel. It's about showing how a product or service will address those feelings. And it's about writing simply and clearly. May 17, 1999
• Can I Buy You A Drink?
  Of all the articles Nick's written, none have gotten as much response as incentives. And he's still not so sure incentives and points have what it takes to create and maintain customer loyalty. Here's how Nick would do it. May 14, 1999
• It's Not How You Say It - It's What You Say
  Copywriting isn't about being a clever writer. It's about understanding how people feel. It's about showing how a product or service will address those feelings. And it's about writing simply and clearly. May 10, 1999
• Goodbye
  A couple of weeks ago Nick stuck his neck out by saying online incentives wouldn't produce customer loyalty. He also predicted he'd get feedback on this by sundown. Well, he did... And here's what he learned about online incentives and outsourced loyalty. May 7, 1999
• Whose Community Is It Anyway?
  A while back, Nick used to get really excited about the concept of community on the Net. But if he had a wad of cash to build a new category or business model on the Internet -- he wouldn't be investing it in the "selling through community" model. Apr 30, 1999
• Think Before You Write
  If you write a sloppy intro to an ad or article in a newspaper, your crime will be at the bottom of the cat's litter tray by the end of the day, anyway. But get sloppy when you write for the web and you could impact the work of many people -- and the long-term success of the whole site. Apr 26, 1999
• Do Incentives Work Online?
  How effectively can online customers be turned into regular customers at ecommerce sites through the use of incentives? Nick sticks his neck out with a guess that loyalty's going to be pretty thin. Apr 23, 1999
• A Stranger In Town
  Nick thinks it's better to put up too many signs on your web site than too few. After the first few visits to your site, visitors won't bother to read them. But for the first one or two visits, it's reassuring to have a little extra hand-holding. Apr 19, 1999
• Test The Experts
  Nick has the best defense against the advice of experts who don't have the faintest idea what they're talking about. Forget their resumes and qualifications. Ignore what they say. Test them. Do the math. Apr 16, 1999
• The Ultimate Guide To Writing Buttons
  Does every button on your site need to be as compelling as a print ad headline? Should every button tease, excite, thrill and delight? Nick doesn't think so. Apr 12, 1999
• Give Them The M.O.S.T.
  Nick proudly introduces the Iinternet's newest acronym: M.O.S.T. -- 'My Outstanding Service Team.' It's really how direct marketers can provide the human touch to improve the online customer experience. Apr 9, 1999
• Making Wrong Assumptions
  Nick highlights some interesting assumptions web site publishers have, in that they create their own online language and often fall into the trap of thinking that their audience speaks the same language. Well...they don't. Apr 5, 1999
• The Compressed Customer Experience
  The desire for speed and convenience is great news for anyone selling on the web, because those are two things it can deliver quite easily. But the delivery of product at breakneck speed to our customers comes with a price. Pull your chair closer as Nick shares his wisdom.... Apr 2, 1999
• How Much Do You Pay For Words?
  So how much of your money do you invest in the written word on your web site? You know, those things that transform your site from being a patchwork of linked pictures to being a place of business, designed to sell. And I'm not talking about leftover cash in the marketing budget. How about a whole new budget line devoted to writing? Mar 29, 1999
• No Brainer Storekeeping
  Nick really believe in the importance of "being there" on your site. His premise was that if visitors don't get a sense that you're there at the "store," behind the "counter" and ready to serve them, they're less likely to buy. To be honest, he didn't have anything to back this up...until now. Mar 26, 1999
• How Do You Talk To A Hot Date?
  Okay, so you don't really want to read about dating on ClickZ. But Nick sure makes sense when he says that dating isn't entirely unlike the wooing you'll do of customers on your site. Let's start with a nice talk to get to know each other. Mar 22, 1999
• New Rules Of The Game - Part I
  Want to be a direct marketer online? Welcome one and all! It's there for the taking. It's a snap. It's a piece of cake! Well, actually... no, it isn't. Mar 19, 1999
• Breathing Lessons
  Nick loves white space, but doesn't see too much of it online. "We're 'painting on a small canvas' anyway, and we're loath to leave any space on that screen unfilled." Big mistake... Mar 15, 1999
• How To Beat Cost-Plus-Zero
  There's a bunch of very aggressive retail sites selling at cost-plus-zero. And the "portailers" have this small advantage known as "reach." Is this the end of smaller and medium-sized, independent ecommerce sites as we know them? No way, says Nick. There's a huge, soft underbelly there. Mar 12, 1999
• Software - The No Brainer
  Anyone can set up, fine tune, customize and deploy the most sophisticated email marketing campaign, even the best junior executive marketing specialists. Not so fast, says Nick. Mar 8, 1999
• Interaction Is Only Step One
  What is direct marketing online, anyway? It's not about responding with a click, it's about starting a relationship. A relationship that could lead to beautiful things. Mar 5, 1999
• Paint A Picture In My Heart
  Nick sold digital cameras by talking about how photographers would never need to buy another roll of film again, and how they could hand out photos of the bride and groom at the end of the wedding. He talked benefits...not features. And the difference is huge. Mar 1, 1999
• Reward The Complainers
  How do you handle the customers who complain? Nick says you should love them up, because they can be among your most loyal customers if you respond to them right. Feb 26, 1999
• More About Writing Email
  Like a good guest, the very best email follows certain expected protocol. Nick underscores the best behavior of email communication, and mixes in a few key examples. Feb 22, 1999
• The Importance Of Being Honest
  You can get away with being a tad less than truthful if you're a telemarketer, write direct mail, or hawk your waves on radio or TV. But if you step one inch away from the straight and narrow online... people will crucify you. And that's a good thing, says Nick. Feb 19, 1999
• Writing Email That Works - Part 1
  What's the key to writing email copy that works? Nick tested several approaches and found one that won hands- down. And what he found might knock your socks off. Feb 15, 1999
• Different Strokes For Different Folks
  When Nick and Marco sit down to create a web site they disagree. Nick sees the site through the eyes of a "newbie." Marco has the perspective of a seasoned user. Yet they work well together -- letting people choose their own route. Feb 11, 1999
• Going The Distance With Go
  Last week, Nick took a look at the Go Network, and he was admittedly a little harsh. This week, he balances his criticism by suggesting some improvements. Feb 8, 1999
• Lessons From An Original
  What's originality worth on the Net? In Nick's mind...a whole lot. Especially if you are one of the biggest portals... which grow blander and less differentiated with each passing day.... Feb 5, 1999
• Ga-Ga Over Go?
  Let he who is without blame cast the first stone. But there goes Nick... armed with a slingshot and a pocket full of rocks. And you can't believe who he has in the cross-hairs. Feb 1, 1999
• The Glue That Binds
  Whats the key to success? Sleek site design, kick-butt marketing, top-shelf ad targeting? Nah -- something FAR less high-tech, says Nick. Jan 29, 1999
• Beware The Subtext
  Subtext is a powerful thing. It's lurking behind every line you publish. You may think you are saying one thing...when what you are actually communicating is quite different. And even the biggest sites fall prey to Subtext Sins, like this very well known retailer... Jan 25, 1999
• The Smell of Success
  Must an offline and online presence be mutually exclusive? Or can they co-exist beautifully, fully integrated and vested in the other's success? Nick Usborne votes for Option 2. Jan 22, 1999
• MORE Setting Your Shop Apart
  This week, Nick Usborne continues his entertaining and informative two-parter on giving your site personality, character, and VOICE. In Nick's view, even the largest, most corporate web sites can benefit from letting users identify with an engaging persona who embodies the spirit of your site. Jan 18, 1999
• Steering Clear Of The Bleeding Edge
  You might say to Nick, "Hey, smarty-pants, if I'm going to back off from the edge, how am I supposed to compete with the big guys?" His recommendation is that you do something that many of the big guys are not doing -- and appear to have forgotten how to do.... Jan 15, 1999
• Setting Your Shop Apart
  There are two schools of thought when it comes to setting up shop. The first is that everything should be about the customer. The second is that the most interesting and unique aspect of your business is you. Can these two conflicting thoughts coexist? Yes, in fact. But only online. Jan 11, 1999
• Sick To Death<