3 Things For October 3rd, 2023
Every Nook & Cranny; Why Social Proof; Colors & Feelings
The Marketing & Sales Butterfly Effect
Marketing is so much more than a website and some online ads. I will go so far as to say it’s almost everything that you do in your business. So many things have to go right to make a sale, but only one thing needs to go wrong to lose a sale. A referral goes right, but the subsequent Google search goes wrong. A Google search goes right, but the website goes wrong. The website goes right, but the phone call goes wrong. The sale gets made, but the experience goes wrong and there is no repeat or referral business from it.
If a potential customer can’t find you on Google search, you never know about it. If your website doesn’t do a good job, you almost never hear about it. If the phone isn’t answered, you never know and that person never calls back. As much as we don’t like negative news or heaven forbid a negative online review, when someone doesn’t love the experience they get from our business, we usually never find out. Our business isn’t important enough to them to have that uncomfortable conversation. They will just go elsewhere next time.
I call all of this the marketing and sales butterfly effect. These little things can have a huge impact on our business. But often, we’re completely in the dark. All we know is that business isn’t as good as it could be. So what do we do? We dig deep, we investigate and we look at every nook and cranny of our business and the customer journey. How quickly do we answer the phone? How quickly do we answer emails? Does the customer feel that they matter or do they feel like a burden? How well does our website convert visitors into leads? How does it feel? Does it represent our brand? Does it answer the visitors’ questions? Is the contact information easy to find? And on and on and on….every nook and cranny.
Every nook and cranny of your business is marketing. Every action, every reaction, every little thing, every flap of a wing starts something. That something leads to business gained, or business lost.
If you’re ready to dig deep and look at every nook and cranny, I encourage you to click the link below to book a Whiteboard Session.
Harnessing Social Proof: A Must for Your Website in 2023
In an era swarming with digital presences, establishing trust is paramount for any business online. One potent tool in your trust-building arsenal is social proof. As the bridge between your brand and prospective customers, social proof serves as a testament to your credibility and the value you provide. In 2023, its importance has only magnified, aligning with the evolving consumer expectations, and intensifying online competition. Here’s a deep dive into why social proof is indispensable for your website:
Consumer Trust:
– In a digital world, people rely heavily on the experiences and endorsements of others. Displaying reviews, testimonials, or social shares on your website fosters a sense of trust and authenticity that is invaluable.
Enhanced Decision-Making:
– With lots of options available online, decision fatigue is real. Social proof simplifies decision-making for your visitors by providing tangible evidence of your products or services’ quality.
SEO Benefits:
– Search engines value fresh, engaging content. User-generated content like reviews and testimonials are a form of social proof that can positively impact your website’s SEO.
Increased Conversions:
– A well-placed testimonial or a batch of positive reviews can significantly boost conversion rates. By showcasing satisfied customers, you’re helping prospects envision the benefits they’ll gain.
Competitive Edge:
– In a saturated market, standing out is crucial. Social proof gives you a leg up, demonstrating a track record of satisfied customers which competitors might not have.
Implementing social proof isn’t merely a trend; it’s a fundamental aspect of building and maintaining an online presence in 2023. By strategically incorporating social proof elements on your website, you’re not just narrating your brand’s story; you’re letting satisfied customers do the talking, and in the most convincing way possible.
Colors and The Feelings They Evoke
My Grandfather was a grocery-man, he owned a small grocery store in Plano, TX. He was the one who painted the windows with the advertising of the week’s sales. I never saw any of these, I was too little to remember. But I do have his old paint brushes tucked away. And that brings us to color – the basics of colors haven’t changed much over the years, but the spectrum has certainly expanded.
Color and Logos: When we pick colors for logos, I like to look at what’s happening in the industry. If you are a fire related business, you’re probably going to have red and black in your logo, it would be weird to have a teal logo, and talk about fire. But, if you are a dentist or doctor, red is he last color you want. Realtors, they have the full spectrum going on! From red to teal to brown and yellow, you really have your preference.
What does color evoke in advertising:
Blue: is typically used in signage as information. It also tends to be noted to be more masculine. A few other associations:
- Calmness | Tranquility | Relaxation | Refreshing | Peace
- Stability | Responsibility (lawyers pull on this often)
- It also can evoke sadness… “feeling blue.”
Green: we see a lot of green with the uptick in eco-friendly and organic focused business. Associations include:
- Finances | Wealth
- Environment | Health | Wellness | Harmony
- Good luck (4 leaf clover)
- Growth | Balance
- Soothing | Renewal
Purple: is a great color, it is similar to black, in that it matches so many other colors brilliantly, while giving a sense of mystic, luxury, class. Common associations:
- Royalty | Luxury | Wealth
- Intrigue| Magical | Mystery
- Imagination | Spirituality
Red: A drive by Tacoma Boys and their great, old school, hand painted signs: red is sale! It is also action, emergency, do it now! But it has some other associations too!
- Passion | Love | Warmth
- Fire | Danger | Anger
- High Energy | Confidence
Orange: such a great color, friendly and cheerful. It somewhat shares traits of red, but it is more welcoming than danger.
- Youth | Vitality
- Affordable | Friendly | Humorous
- And of course, fall season change!
Yellow, also goes along with red – cautionary, but also can be a happy cheerful sunny color:
- Energy | Happiness | Cheerful | Warmth
- Danger (Maybe this should be Caution – Dewalt tools are perfect example – handle with care, but strong and gets the job done)
Pink: this is such a stereotyped color that we don’t get to use it very often. I’m sure someone has done massive research on how pink became so “girly” but for us let’s think about it as:
- Fun | Upbeat
- Sweet | Delicate
- Romantic | Peaceful
We’re not going to be able to break the stereotype, but I sure enjoy a good pink cupcake!
Gray: has become so much more a part of the color lineup the last few years. Dark gray and white is easier to read than black and white. But it has really become a part of our color use:
- It’s a great neutral – when you don’t want to be black, but you want the richness.
- Professional | Efficient
- Formal | Businesslike
Black: powerful and bold, but also very much a utility color we use it everywhere, similar to purple, we see similar associations:
- Luxury | Mystique | Power
- Elegance | Sexuality
- Darkness | Control
Black was so fitting for Batman!
White: clean, simple and fresh… but can also be too stark and we’re afraid to get it dirty!
- Cleanliness | Blankness
- Cold (snow) | Simple | Modern
And finally, Brown: its richness, the trust it evokes. We are also seeing more browns with the eco-friendly push, because of its closeness to our ground/dirt and trees.
- Reliable | Dependable
- Earthy | Natural | Warm
It does lean toward masculine, but looking at salons, such as Foxfire, I think that has changed over the years.
Much like my grandfather and his paintbrushes, we go on autopilot to select colors, they are ingrained in us. But, when we look around, we really do see and feel how these colors impact us.
