1. Shifting marketing dollars to performance-based channels – email, paid search, affiliates, & search engine optimization (SEO).  The latter wouldn’t require much of an incremental investment if people simply adhered to the principles of good copywriting & building structurally sound web sites.  SEO is not that simple, but those 2 sure cover a lot.
2. Realizing the rise in average cost-per-click on search engines was up higher than it should have been.
3. Considering investing in things that will improve conversion, user experience, & customer service.
4. Determining how to best reach customers on a more micro level (customized & more personal interactions)
5. Asking you to do more with less.

If none of this is going on, I would say you are either extremely lucky or in big trouble.  The former because you (& your client) are then, somehow, isolated from the current economic factors.  The latter because your client is considering bringing things in-house or are talking to other, cheaper, agencies.  Or it could be because you simply suck…I know a few agencies that fit that bill.

As a Friday bonus, I’ve included a translation of the above for the cynics…

1. The byproduct of performing your necessary due diligence.
2. Digging a bit deeper to understand the cause of rising costs.
3. What you should’ve been doing all along…how dare you treat your existing customers like commodities.
4. Building & maintaining loyalty in an increasingly competitive space.
5. What most like to call Doing Your Job.

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I have been buying my mom these hand-carved wooden Santas over the years (the past couple I actually haven’t because I forgot their name & couldn’t find them…more on that later) from Great American Collectibles.  This is the kind of kitschy stuff you see at the mall in places like Things Remembered.  Only Great American pays fine attention to detail & their variety of Santas is the best I’ve found.  It’s the one gift I know I will nail each time.  Buying is simple (as all online shopping should be) – browse through the collections by year, pick what you want, add it to your cart, & check out.  I received my confirmation email & then nothing else for a couple weeks.  After I contacted them via email, I received the following…

You most certainly cannot control spam filters.  However, you can ask recipients (in the order confirmation email) to add your email address to their trusted sender list or Address Book.  It’s also possible to monitor email blacklists & your email server &/or web site domain are not on them.  Perhaps you should contact someone (like me) to help you with growing your business on the intertubes.  You’re impossible to find in search (unless you search exactly for Great American Collectibles) & don’t seem to get the basics of online customer service.

There is nothing more frustrating than a failure to execute the fundamentals.  This becomes even more important in the face of difficult financial times (R.I.P. Circuit City).  You have to go out of your way to acquire new customers & retain existing.  Now is not the time to blame things you think are out of your control.

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