What is a QR code and how do they work?

qr code What is a QR code and how do they work?You might have noticed the increased chat about QR codes lately in New Zealand with them starting to appear in all sorts of media here. Yes, we’re finally catching up to countries like Japan, the US and UK, with kiwi companies starting to show an interest in how to use QR codes in their marketing.

In part 2 of this article (coming soon) we’ll be taking a look at how other companies are using QR codes for ideas and inspiration for your business. Before you get started with QR codes, let’s take a look at what a QR code is, the most popular QR code reader apps for your phone, how to generate QR codes for your business and the latest QR code statistics and research. (more…)

The Psychology of Price

sale balloons The Psychology of PriceHave you noticed how the petrol pumps in Auckland seem to have stopped temporarily at $1.999 per litre—just .001 cents off crossing the $2.00 mark?

That  .001 cents means that if petrol went up to $2 per litre, and you purchased 100 litres, it would cost you ten cents more.  A mere ten cents!

So why bother pricing to the third decimal place?

Psychology.

Studies have shown that consumers perceive prices to be cheaper if they end in odd numbers such as 95 or 99 cents. (more…)

Would you like fries with that? How to Use Cross Sell & Upsell

fries Would you like fries with that? How to Use Cross Sell & UpsellThe most famous cross-sell comes courtesy of McDonalds: “Would you like fries with that?”. The next time you go to any fast food restaurant I’d be shocked if they didn’t try cross-sell or upsell techniques on you. Others you’ve probably heard countless times include “Would you like to make that into a combo?” (cross sell) and “Would you like to upsize your meal?” (upsell). But what’s the difference and how can you put them to use on your website to increase your profits? (more…)

21 Ways to Get More Followers on Twitter

cranes 21 Ways to Get More Followers on TwitterThe title says it all really, so let’s just get straight to the tips! Some of these you can do the moment you finish this article, some will take you a little more time or effort, but all of them are free to implement yourself.

Oh, and just before you get started, please click here to follow me on Twitter and I’ll follow you back :) (more…)

5 easy ways to build your email marketing database

HomerSoh 5 easy ways to build your email marketing databaseYou know how you sometimes read a business article or watch a ‘how to’ video and you get one of those Homer Simpson ‘doh’ moments because the advice is so simple you kick yourself for not thinking of it before now? Well this video is one of those.

I found this clip a while ago of the enthusiastic David Garland talking about The Art of The List. David’s tips for building your email database are ones we’re always sharing with our clients, so I figured, why not share the video with absolutely everyone?! So here you go … (more…)

Choosing the right Social Media tools for your target market

bob the builder tools Choosing the right Social Media tools for your target marketWith so many social media tools out there, how do you choose the right ones for your business?

Start by working backwards. Define your target market then use their favourite social media tools.

When it comes to target markets, 3 of the biggest groups who are the easiest to reach via social media are baby boomers, mums and teenagers.

Let’s take a look at the tools favoured by these 3 groups. (more…)

Trust Me. 
Buy Now!

ecommerce trust Trust Me. <br />Buy Now!We humans sometimes have trouble with trusting strangers. Its no surprise. The web is full of eCommerce merchants peddling their wares, forcing features and benefits down our throats and then calling us to action (“Buy Now! Or are you stupid?“). How do we tell which ones we should ignore and which ones we should trust?

We would typically trust the ones who present themselves well, who have nothing to hide, who make it easy for us, who prove their worth before the money is in their pockets. Generally, we trust those who treat us as human beings. Why not look after your visitor in their quest to decide whose customer they will be? (more…)

The 4 people your website needs to speak to

Copywriting for the 4 customer types The 4 people your website needs to speak toYou can probably name a few different personality profiling systems. One example is the popular Myers Briggs that many businesses use to evaluate potential employees.

The way you go about making your buying decisions online also relates to your personality.

Most of us fall into 1 or 2 of the following 4 groups when it comes to the methods we use to evaluate products, services and suppliers before we make our decision.

So which one are you? (more…)

Your customer’s 3 brains and how to sell to them

Spock2 Your customers 3 brains and how to sell to themYou don’t have a brain. You have 3 …

Spock’s constant frustration over the Star Trek crew’s inability to act logically, is because logical thinking happens in our 3rd brain.

Someone needs to sit Spock down and break the bad news gently, because it’s apparently our illogical 1st and 2nd brains where the decision-making power resides.

Understanding our 3 brains and how they control our buying decisions can have a major impact on how well your website persuades your visitors to do what you want them to. (more…)

The #1 mistake that’s losing you customers

Talk to the hand2 The #1 mistake thats losing you customersAre you the sales guru in your company? The one who knows the most about your products and services? Do you employ staff who look after customers’ endless queries? Do you have a stand-out salesperson? You know the one, that employee who way outperforms the rest of your team?

If you, or anyone you employ, is engaged in selling or dealing with customer queries, then you NEED to do one simple exercise. (more…)