•Five Ways to Prevent Costly Bloopers
Five Ways to Prevent Costly Bloopers by Heather ReimerClassic bloopers: In a cocktail lounge in Norway: "Ladies are requested not to have children at the bar."At a Hong Kong dry cleaner: "Drop your trousers here for best results."In a Nairobi restaurant: "Customers who find our waitress rude ought to see the manager."Bloopers are such a hoot - until, that is, your business promotions wind up saying something you never intended and YOU become a laughing stock. Here's how to prevent those...
•How to Find a Good Content Writer
How to Find a Good Content Writer by Heather ReimerMore and more writers are piling onto the web to offer you their expert writing services. But are they really experts? Here's how to tell if the copywriter or content writer you're considering has the "write" stuff: 1. What credentials do they bring to the job? Find out if they have an appropriate background like journalism, advertising or public relations. 2. How many years of writing experience do they have? Look for someone with a...
•How to Handle Customer E-mails Like a Pro
How to Handle Customer E-mails Like a Pro by Heather ReimerSometimes as part of my work I'm asked to mediate between customers and website owners in dispute. As such, I get to read e-mail correspondence between both parties and I'm often appalled at what I read. One client wrote to company X to find out why it was taking them so long to apply a credit they owed to her credit card. The customer service agent for company X sent this reply:Dear Madam:We received your inquiry. Your refund will...
•How To Seal The Deal By Phone
How To Seal The Deal By Phone by Heather ReimerWe've all read dozens of articles on how to write spicier copy, snappier ads and grabbier banners. But it's often the personal touch that seals a big deal - that clincher phone call. Especially these days, when so many of our clients live in other states or countries and fewer deals are actually closed in person. So the way you address a client through your spoken expression over the phone can be vital to finalizing a sale. Want to learn how to...
•Is Your E-Zine Getting Too Personal?
Is Your E-Zine Getting Too Personal? by Heather ReimerPersonalization has quickly gone from being the hottest new "must-have" for e-content to the most misunderstood and misused e-accessory. Some e-zine writers are particularly guilty of crossing the line between good touch - bad touch. I've noticed a trend lately towards using business newsletters to share the writer's most private, intimate troubles, deviating entirely from the focus of the publication. For example, here are excerpts from...
•LISTEN TO THE RADIO - WRITE BETTER E-CONTENT
LISTEN TO THE RADIO - WRITE BETTER E-CONTENT by Heather ReimerRecently, I was asked to write a radio program for a non-profit organization. I had worked in broadcast journalism for many years before I switched to online communications and really enjoyed getting back to my radio roots. But something interesting happened as I was writing the script. Over and over again, I noticed just how much radio writing and effective web content have in common: =>Both depend on high impact,...
•Making The Dot Compromise: Consider Dot Net
Making The Dot Compromise: Consider Dot Net by Heather ReimerHave you felt the frustration yet? Are you one of the 50,000 new netrepreneurs trying weekly to get your site online only to get caught up in the dot com feeding frenzy? It starts like this: You dream up a list of possible names for your company. You run them through a domain search engine only to find all your dot com selections are already taken. So you face a choice. Do you settle for a domain name that doesn't really turn your...
•Navel Gazing: How to Edit Yourself
Navel Gazing: How to Edit Yourself by Heather ReimerWriters around the world agree... it's nearly impossible to edit your own writing. We tend to fall in love with our words the moment they burst onto the screen and, as you know, love is blind. Obviously a professional proofreader/copy editor is the ideal solution. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a village of helpers to nurture a blockbuster like the one you're writing. But what if you can't afford it or you're under...
•Publishing guidelines: Please feel free to publish this
Publishing guidelines: Please feel free to publish this by Heather ReimerA simple classified ad placed in a highly targeted vehicle can be a great way to kick start your sales, especially if your company is the new kid on the block with low visibility and a small advertising budget. There are two components to this important equation: the ad itself and the vehicle. Choosing the right ezine or website is an art form in itself and a story for another day. For now, let's focus on how to...
•Ten Ways to Foil Credit Card Fraudsters
Ten Ways to Foil Credit Card Fraudsters by Heather ReimerIn the last twelve months, credit card fraud against online companies has exploded as more and more thieves figure out how easy it is. To make matters worse, online and phone orders are not automatically insured against fraud - you are 100% liable for all your losses. So here are some easy ways to protect your e-business from credit card fraudsters: 1. Reject orders sent from free web-based email accounts like Yahoo or Hotmail....
•The Cocktail Wiener Strategy for Online Business
The Cocktail Wiener Strategy for Online Business by Heather ReimerDon't you just love those nice ladies who stand in grocery store aisles handing out tiny food samples? Garlic sausage hot off the griddle... the latest processed cheese food on a cracker... cocktail weenies. I was thinking about those ladies and how popular they are while I pondered the marketing of my web content services. You see, recently I decided to copy the cocktail weiner strategy and give something away for free. I had...
•TURN YOUR BROWSERS INTO BUYERS
TURN YOUR BROWSERS INTO BUYERS by Heather ReimerThe day is coming soon when every web wanderer goes shopping online without a care. A day when nobody hesitates for even a microsecond before entering their credit card information and clicking on "BUY". But at the moment, only 40% of all Internet users are doing so. The other 60% still want to have their purchases firmly in hand at the cash register before opening their wallets. So how do you, as an Internet entrepreneur, overcome the ultimate...
•Writing for Mediocrity
Writing for Mediocrity by Heather ReimerA while back, an Internet wit compiled a list of signs that you're not spending enough time online. One sure sign is that poor spelling and grammar still bother you. Good one!Unfortunately, there are no online grammar police … just you and me, voluntarily dotting our own "i"s and crossing our own "t"s. And since you want to go forth and prosper as an Internet business, you're taking the time to do it, right? After all, as author Virginia Shea pointed...
•WRITING TO SELL: THE LAST DITCH SALES PITCH
WRITING TO SELL: THE LAST DITCH SALES PITCH by Heather ReimerSo, you made your best pitch to a potential client, delivered all the top selling points, answered their follow-up questions, waited by the phone and finally it rang and... they said no. "Thanks, but no thanks." They don't have the budget, they got cold feet, something in your proposal didn't sit right. Whatever the reason, you lost the sale.Or did you? I recently encountered a young web entrepreneur who understands that in...
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