According to MarketingProfs, in an article published on 12/22/08:

“Is your website invisible? If it’s not designed to be found by search engine spiders, it might as well be. The key to visibility? Keeping content clear and simple. An untold number of expensive Web sites out there are beautiful to behold, but rarely seen by searchers. To help clarify what works and what doesn’t in SEO site design, Scott Buresh, in a recent MarketingProfs article, provided a list of common Web site elements that search engines can and cannot see.

Three things a search engine spider can see are:

HTML text, which spiders index, making distinctions between differences in how the text is presented (ie, bold vs regular).

Text links that are easily understood by the spider, and tell it what your page is about. However, Buresh warns that a spider can’t see links like those in a pull-down menu that uses scripting language.

Tags, such as “keyword” tags, which should list key phrases that describe the page; “description” tags, which describe the page; and “title” tags, which contain the words you’ll see in the (usually) blue bar at the top of your Web page.

Three things a spider cannot see are: graphical text, images, and text embedded in flash animation. Keep these to a minimum.

The Point: Website bells and whistles? Little more than cloaking devices. “Don’t sacrifice your search engine rankings for the sake of something largely unnecessary,” Buresh advises.”

There are some good points made here, especially the part about industry jargon.  Industry jargon might be ok when working with your B2B counterparts, but customers can find these industry terms confusing or hard to understand.  The key is to think like your customers when they’re searching for the products and/or services your business offers.

Although most retailers are hurting from the lack of holiday sales - Apple, Inc. seems to be doing quite well with the iPhone.  Now the iPhone is scheduled to debut for sale in the 8GB and 16GB versions at WalMart in 2008.   Will this compromise Apple’s brand value by allowing WalMart to sell the iPhone for less money?  Or will it be the perfect opportunity for Apple to expose it’s iPhone, brand and product lines to the masses.  I’m thinking the latter, but the real question is, will WalMart customers be able to afford the iPhone and will its sales be anything more than a small blip on the radar.  

I think the iPhone will do well at WalMart, but it will take some time.  The device started out as an Apple enthusiast and yuppy status symbol.  Once some of WalMart’s customers start to adopt the phone, I think it will become a new status symbol for WalMart clientele.  

Just because people shop at WalMart does not mean that they have a lower income.  However, it has been observed that people with lower incomes will purchase luxury items that they cannot afford, like big screen televisions.  If one were to follow this logic, the iPhone would do quite well, when comparing the price of a phone to a television.

But if you add the mortgage crisis and the evolving credit crisis to the mix, will people have any credit left to buy an IPhone?  I think there will be a short burst of sales for the iPhone at WalMart, due to holiday exchanges and unused gift cards.  Then I think there will be a gradual adoption over time.  If the iPhone is a success at WalMart, it seems sure that other Apple products will follow, much like Best Buy.

How does your business target new and existing customers during the recession?  Now add the fact that we’re in the digital marketing age.  NielsenWire provides some great insight into the growing industry niche.

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/shopper-marketing/e3i726f0f4961487c616de729f6a7141f0c

Couponing in the Digital Age

Dec 2, 2008

According to Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_advertising :

“Shock advertising is a type of advertising generally regarded as one that “deliberately, rather than inadvertently, startles and offends its audience by violating norms for social values and personal ideals.” ^[1] Shock advertising is designed principally to break through the advertising “clutter” to capture attention and create buzz, and also to attract an audience to a certain brand or bring awareness to a certain public service issue, health issue, or cause (e.g., urging drivers to use their seatbelts, promoting STD prevention, bringing awareness of racism and other injustices, or discouraging smoking among teens). ^[2] This form of advertising is often controversial, disturbing, explicit and crass, and may entail bold and provocative political messages that challenge the public’s conventional understanding of the social order. This form of advertising may not only offend but can also frighten as well, using scare tactics and elements of fear to sell a product or deliver a public service message, making a “high impact.” In the advertising business, this combination of frightening, gory and/or offensive advertising material is known as “shockvertising” and is often considered to have been pioneered by Benetton, the Italian clothing retailers which created the line United Colors of Benetton, and its advertisements in the late 1980s (see Benetton below).^[3]

Shock advertisements can be shocking and offensive for a variety of reasons, and violation of social, religious, and political norms can occur in many different ways. They can include a disregard for tradition, law or practice (e.g., lewd or tasteless sexual references or obscenity), defiance of the social or moral code (e.g., vulgarity, brutality, nudity, or profanity) or the display of images or words that are horrifying, terrifying, or repulsive (e.g., gruesome or revolting scenes, or violence). ^[4]. Some advertisements may be considered shocking, controversial or offensive not because of the way that the advertisements communicate their messages but because the products themselves are “unmentionables” not to be openly presented or discussed in the public sphere. ^[5] Examples of these “unmentionables” may include cigarettes, feminine hygiene products, or contraceptives. ^[6] However, there are several products, services or messages that could be deemed shocking or offensive to the public. For example, advertisements for weight loss programs, sex/gender related products, clinics that provide AIDS and STD testing, funeral services, groups that advocate for less gun control, casinos which naturally support and promote gambling could all be considered controversial and offensive advertising because of the products or messages that the advertisements are selling. ^[7] Shocking advertising content may also entail improper or indecent language, like French Connection’s “FCUK” campaign.

Advertisers, psychiatrists, and social scientists have long debated the effectiveness of shock advertising. One finding suggests “shocking content in an advertisement significantly increases attention, benefits memory, and positively influences behavior.” ^[8] The same study also shows that consumers are more likely to remember shocking advertising content over advertising content that is not shocking. ^[9] However, there is still little information on whether shock advertising directly leads to an increase in sales revenue or to changes in behavior. There are social scientists, psychiatrists, media scholars, and child and family advocates who fear that overexposure to shock advertising will result in a public that is “desensitized” to advertisements that employ shock tactics, particularly those with overtly sexual and violent images.”

In recessionary times, it seems that businesses would want to grab their customer’s attention with some type of shock.  To “shock” your customers does NOT mean that you have to offend them, or alienate others.  Although it may be pushing the envelope in some respects.  Just look at the advertising associated with the show Dexter or Showtime.  Their are a lot of gory aspects, with their blood references, but it definitely gets one’s attention.  At SHOCK Marketing our goal is jump-start your business with electrifying customer solutions in marketing, design and web.  We create integrated Measurable Marketing (MM) strategies that charge your customers with the power to purchase your products and services.

Have you noticed that businesses are focusing on affordable pleasures this holiday season?  I have noticed two television commercials in particular that keep getting a lot of airtime.  The Dior fragrance “J’adore” featuring Charlize Theron, and the Dolce & Gabana fragrance featuring Matthew McConaughey.  Even during a recession, the marketing message seems to be: you too can be like a celebrity at an affordable price.  And if you’re going to treat yourself to something special, why not try a new fragrance.

According to SEOptimize.com, http://www.seoptimise.com/blog/2008/12/30-web-trends-for-2009.html

“While 2008 was still a year you had to convince people in business to blog in 2009 blogs will be standard and those not having one will simply fall behind. With social media and blogs being even on the forefront of a successful presidential campaign business owners who are just aware of the Internet solely offering storefronts and static pages full of corporate and sales gibberish will lose like McCain did.”

Blogs are a great way to stay on the pulse of your customer interests in the Age Of Information.  Daily entries are the best way to help your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) results.  Find out how SHOCK Marketing can help you build a custom blogging environment.

Want a cost effective way to promote your business during the recession?  Blogging offers a great way to help your business get noticed on the web and it doesn’t cost a lot.  Blogs can help your overall Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts if done correctly.

According to the Blog Herald, in an article by Jason Kaneshirohttp://www.blogherald.com/2008/01/30/blogging-during-a-recession/

“There’s no question that an economic slowdown in 2008 is a real possibility (otherwise, why would the Fed have cut rates for the second time in under two weeks?) Anyhow, even if you’re personally unaffected by a foreclosure a layoff, it doesn’t hurt to put the rose-colored glasses aside and just ponder how a recession would impact your blog.

If you rely on your blog for income I would take an objective look at your revenue streams - most likely advertising - and consider what you would do if those revenue streams reduce or disappear completely. For instance, if shoppers are really pulling back and shutting their wallets, I would imagine PPA (Pay Per Action) advertising to suffer. Diversification would also be wise - now may be the time to explore additional income or solidify what you already have. For example, if your blog only brings in money through advertising, explore writing for other blogs or consulting.

Your subject matter may also need some adjustment. Writing about expensive interior decorating, restaurant reviews, day trading, or high-end jewelry may not find a receptive or growing audience. Conversely, there are many subjects that can thrive: frugality, life simplicity, do-it-yourself repairs, and job hunting. I’ve read that movies were popular all throughout the 1930s depression - as people looked to entertainment to distract them from all-too-real troubles.

But generally speaking, I feel that blogging is recession proof. It’s one of the cheapest businesses to start, and many of us could continue writing with nothing more than a working computer, an internet connection, and hosting costs - which is a few hundred dollars a year.

And if money isn’t the primary reason why you’re blogging - you have the luxury of posting persistently through the economic headwinds.”

Jason makes some great points here about the cost-effective nature of blogging.  Consider your options during the recession.  Many businesses unwisely cut back on advertising and marketing during down times, and a blog is a way to allows you personal control, while it helps your SEO efforts.  If you can get some interesting content on your blog that starts to attract a readership, you can also benefit from advertising on your blog.  Irregardless of the recession, blogging is a great way to let your customers know that you care about their education per your industry.  You can also let them know the latest news about your business’ products and services at the same time.  SHOCK offers custom blog packages to meet your needs.  To find out more about our blog solutions, please contact us today.

In a premium article at MarketingProfs published on Friday, December 5, 2008, Jeanette Kocsis argues that paid search should be a mandatory component of your marketing mix.  ”Search is one of the most targeted forms of marketing, since the prospect is already looking for what the marketer is offering,” she explains.  To leverage that built-in connection, she recommends five action points - and here’s a quick overview of the first two:

Set your strategy.  “Like most types of marketing,” she says, “search campaigns without a marketing strategy are doomed to fail.”  Avoid that fate with an exhaustive plan that includes:

• Clear goals and objectives
• Well-defined target audiences
• Relevant offers
• Methods for tracking conversion
• Synergy with natural search efforts
• Timing that complements other marketing campaigns

Customer service is paramount 365 days of the year to keep satisfied customers coming back.  But how does your customer service strategy change during a recession?

If you had problems getting customers to come back to your store before the recession, you’re going to have more serious problems now.  Businesses are all lowering their prices to get any business at all.  But if everyone is doing the same thing, you can use superior customer service as a no-cost tool to distinguish yourself from the competition.

To find out how SHOCK Marketing can turn your business into a customer service standout, please contact us for your free consultation.

According to the article titled, “Staying On Top In A Downturn” listed on Marketing Profs, written by Jon Miller in his  Modern B2B Marketing blog in June 2008:

1. Use lead management to maximize the value of each lead.  When prospects are fearful, Miller says, “you need lead scoring to identify which leads are highly engaged, and lead nurturing to develop relationships.”
2. Focus on your house list.  Spend more time marketing to (and building relationships with) the people you already know. 
3. Build and optimize landing pages.  Jon Miller wisely informs us that “a dedicated” landing page is the single most effective way to turn a click into a prospect”
4. Develop content for later in the buying cycle.  Stick to the surer thing: “focus your offers on content that will appeal to someone who’s actually looking for a solution.”
5. Appeal to the nervous buyer.  Says Miller: “Include customer references, reviews, expert opinions, awards, and other validation as part of your marketing.”
6. Align sales and marketing.  Both team  work together to create a single revenue pipeline.
7. Don’t be a cost center.  Marketing investments must be justified with a rigorous business case and should be amortized over the entire ‘useful life’ of the investment,” says Miller.