A Tool to Help Planning for Next Year
Consider this approach to vetting new digital marketing ideas based on business goals, technical complexity, and ROI. Oct 31, 2008
Heat Maps: Clicking More Than Links
A tool helps digital marketers track clicks on a Web page, so site shortcomings can be shored up. Oct 17, 2008
Three Reasons Your Site Sucks
Does it look like a 12-year-old designed your Web site? The Web site design doctor is in with some tips to improve your navigation and design. Oct 3, 2008
Seven Deadly Sins of Site Design
Confession is good for the soul. Even better is eliminating design sins from your site for better results. Aug 22, 2008
Personalization: A Multi-algorithmic Approach
Personalization companies are finally realizing they can't bank their entire company on one magic technology. A smart collection of algorithms working together to deliver product recommendations and other personalized experiences is a much better approach for marketers. Jul 11, 2008
A Widget World?
Widgets, widgets, widgets. What do these little apps mean for business as we know it? And how do they help customer reach grow? Jun 27, 2008
Geotargeting Comes of Age in E-commerce
It's finally happening. Geotargeting is melding with e-commerce. How can you harness the power of geotargeted campaigns? May 30, 2008
Benchmarking Your Site With No-Cost Tools
How is your site performing compared to your competition's? If you're on a tight budget, consider using these free resources. May 16, 2008
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Gets Customer Loyalty Right
Having a company loyalty program isn't enough. Your employees must completely understand their role in it, and how it works. Here's why. May 2, 2008
Focus Groups 2.0
Social networks can be a more modern, more interesting, and less expensive way to conduct focus groups. Apr 18, 2008
Top Five E-mail Marketing Best Practices
Tips for handling registration, creating an effective promotional strategy, and other approaches for online marketing success. Apr 4, 2008
Brand vs. Usability
Strike the right balance between an innovative, immersive brand experience and online best practices. Mar 21, 2008
Don't Waste Q4
How online retailers customers can win more business and avoid alienating customers after the holiday shopping season. Oct 19, 2007
Business Rules for All
Document business rules in a central place, including their origin and when and how they're used. When change comes, your job will be a lot easier. Oct 5, 2007
Walking in a Widget Wonderland
What does Amazon's entry into the widget storm mean for e-commerce and online marketing? Don't wait to find out. Sep 21, 2007
E-mail Marketing Without E-mail
Use acquisition-based e-mail marketing campaign techniques for anonymous Web site visitors. Sep 7, 2007
Personalization Technologies: A Primer
A brief rundown of the most common personalization technologies, what they're normally used for, and the pros and cons associated with them. Aug 24, 2007
Widget Analytics
The general categories of analytics when using widgets. Jul 27, 2007
A Widget World?
Widgets, widgets, widgets. What do these little apps mean for business as we know it? And how do they help customer reach grow? Jul 13, 2007
Devolving Your Web Site
As much as sites must more advanced for broadband users, they must also be greatly simplified for use with other devices. Jun 29, 2007
Beyond Analytics: Session Instant Reply
Services that track and dissect customer behavior on your Web site can increase sales and head off usability problems. Jun 15, 2007
Decentralized Commerce
A few companies are beginning to use Web 2.0 technologies in ways that may profoundly change the nature of online commerce. Jun 1, 2007
Contingency Planning: Best Practices
Revenue's lost all the time due to unexpected problems during users' online experience. Some best practices for bad scenarios. Mar 23, 2007
Building a B2B Home Page
A step-by-step guide to building a B2B Web site home page -- and a better site in the process. Mar 9, 2007
Building Loyalty in the Off Season
Instead of just focusing on retaining customers after Q4, find ways to jumpstart buying now. Aug 25, 2006
Finally, Merchandising Tools for Metadata
Finally! New tools mean marketers and merchandisers can quickly, easily, and inexpensively harness the power of metadata. Aug 11, 2006
Timeliness: Set Expectations
Timeliness is extremely important when it comes to setting expectations and conducting business online. A look at two companies: one that gets this and one that doesn't. Jul 28, 2006
A Unified Virgin
Every customer touch point needs to reinforce your brand and your voice. It takes just one employee who doesn't understand this to dissolve your brand. Jun 16, 2006
Effective Cross-Selling Online
The different types of online cross-and up-selling, and how, when, and where to employ each tactic. Jun 2, 2006
Loyalty Is Not Annual
Why do companies wipe the loyalty slate clean at the end of the year? May 19, 2006
Creating Value
Testing reveals online conversion is more than "make 'em want it." Apr 21, 2006
Smothering Me With Customer Service
You can kill them with kindness. Some companies drive away customers because of their customer service. Apr 7, 2006
Gaining Trust Online
With information everywhere, becoming a trusted advisor is a critical step to gaining market share -- and share of wallet. Mar 10, 2006
I Don't Know You: CRM for the Anonymous Browser
Even your best friend was once a stranger. The bulk of your site's visitors aren't registered users, but anonymous browsers. How to make them want to get to know you. Nov 18, 2005
Embrace Multichannel Shopping
Many companies still silo their different shopping channels. But embracing multichannel shopping is good for the bottom line. Sep 23, 2005
The ROI of Usability Analysis
How one company improved its site's usability, thereby increasing its ROI and customer loyalty. Sep 9, 2005
Error? It Wasn't My Fault!
Error messages say a lot about your company and how you view your customers. Aug 26, 2005
Rewarding Profitable Behavior
By rewarding the right behavior changes, you can breed more profitable customers. Aug 12, 2005
Customer Loyalty Versus Self-Service
Can customer loyalty based on human interaction coexist with the trend of self-service technologies that remove humans from the mix? May 6, 2005
Contingency Planning: Best Practices
Revenue's lost all the time due to unexpected problems during users' online experience. Some best practices for bad scenarios. Apr 8, 2005
Audit Before You Redesign
Creating a list of prioritized projects for your Web site? Before you do, audit it! Jan 28, 2005
Interoperability: Play Nice With Others
An isolationist mentality hurts you in the long term. At some point, you have to play nice with others. Oct 28, 2004
The Rebrand Challenge: UPS/ MBE Vs. FedEx/Kinko's
A year ago, UPS acquired and rebranded Mailboxes, Etc. stores. FedEx followed suit with Kinko's. Which company rebranded successfully -- and which didn't? Sep 30, 2004
Making an E-Commerce Checklist
It's that time of year again. A four-point list to get your e-commerce site in shape for the holidays. Sep 16, 2004
CRM Without a Direct Sales Channel
Every industry can benefit from CRM. B2B companies face especially interesting challenges. Aug 5, 2004
Mass Customization With a Personalized Experience
Automation is great -- up to a point. Case study of an online merchant that strikes the right balance between personalization and personalized. Jul 22, 2004
Mass Product Customization, Continued
Custom or customer? Product or process? The discussion continues in a follow-up to 'Personalization, Meet Mass Customization. Oct 30, 2003
Personalization, Meet Mass Customization
Custom or customer? Product or process? Marketers must understand the distinctions -- no matter how well those made-to-order jeans fit! Oct 16, 2003
Personalized Holidays
Crafting personalized offers for personal holidays. Oct 2, 2003
Brand Is in the Details
Seemingly insignificant site design elements can torpedo a brand message. Jack tells you how to stay vigilant. Feb 20, 2003
Desire Data
What information sells a product or service? How much, and in what order? A new, three-point approach to online selling. Feb 6, 2003
Customer Service: Admit You Have a Problem
How companies resolve (or don't resolve) customer complaints can be a strong indicator of why there are complaints in the first place. Jan 23, 2003
Who Had the Worst User Experience?
Big brands, big boo-boos. Lessons learned from user experience shortcomings at Amazon, NBC, and Sony. Jan 9, 2003
Education as a CRM Tool
Shorten sales cycles and create additional revenue streams. What you learn about your customers is often as valuable as what they'll learn from you. Jan 2, 2003
Your Web Site As a Narrative Device: Introduction
Stories are memorable; they increase interest and understanding and leave deep impressions. Here's how to make your Web site tell a story. Aug 22, 2002
Needs-Based Browsing
Customers need needs-based browsing. Your site does, too. Aug 8, 2002
You Say Tomato, I Say T-Shirt
Your customers aren't going to learn your company's language. It's up to you to learn theirs -- and to make your search function usercentric. Jul 25, 2002
Does 'Minority Report' Portray a Scary Future?
Movie critics chatter about the film's depiction of personalization gone too far. Jack's worried, too, but not about that aspect. Jul 11, 2002
I Don't Know You: CRM for the Anonymous Browser
Even your best friend was once a stranger. The bulk of your site's visitors aren't registered users, but anonymous browsers. How to make them want to get to know you. Jun 27, 2002
A Unified Virgin
Every customer touch point needs to reinforce your brand and your voice. It takes just one employee who doesn't understand this to dissolve your brand. Jun 13, 2002
Where Can You Find the Best Couscous?
Where and how does personalization intersect with globalization? Can it help your company do business abroad? Jack got to thinking on a recent trip to Europe and North Africa. May 30, 2002
How Not To Be A Stupid Vendor
Tech vendors: Do your 'solutions' solve anything -- or do they just create more problems? May 16, 2002
Designing a "My" Area
When bringing users into an 'inner sanctum' where they'll be asked to reveal personal information, make sure they feel safe doing so. Mar 7, 2002
Combining Personal and Personalized in Your Email
Personalization isn't good enough -- you need to be personal, too. Jack explains the difference and how to combine the two without breaking your budget. Feb 19, 2002
Personalization With No Budget, Part 2
If your "personalization" projects didn't make the 2002 budget, that doesn't mean you can't incorporate personalization into the projects that DID make cut this year. Feb 5, 2002
Personalization With No Budget, Part 1
Didn't get that budget you requested? Don't despair. There are ways you can achieve your goals without spending a lot of dough. Jan 22, 2002