In fact, there is nothing new coming around at all-at least not for a while.

What you’ll see a lot of is old ideas, repackaged. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ are some examples, but don’t worry, blink and there will soon be a “better” one for you to try. Reminds me of household cleaners marketed to housewives in the 1950s.

The trends in shared information point clearly to the fact that it is many times easier to improve an existing idea than launch a new one-and that’s exactly what is happening, isn’t it?

While we jade and come to ignore new so-called “innovations” in social media, let’s remember that there will be common denominators in the shakeout. Fundamental elements of each brand’s service will serve as guiding principals for a still-new way of communication. We already recognize them, don’t we? The truth is, no business needs a “social media consultant” to show them what to do because we’re all experts now. However, you may need a consultant to save you time on a social media effort.

How does your business currently allocate it’s resources to cover social media related marketing efforts?

Below you will see our scathing list of reasons why your email marketing sucks.  If this doesn’t apply to you, because you either don’t do email marketing, or you do email marketing in such a way that follows industry best practices, then I’m sure you might be able to forward this post to someone you know.  In any case, feel free to contribute other items to the list in the comments below this post.  We write this more in the hope to see this trend change rather than to complain, but sometimes things need to be brought to light.

As unfortunate as it may be, I must first lead with the fact that the worst offenders tend to be those marketers who insist on breaking rule #1, which prevents emails that suck from being sent in the first place.  Therefore, I will preface this list with the assumption that I’ve already been added to an email list to which I do not wish to be subscribed.

A final word before the list…this will be brash, honest and fueled with the very attitude your subscribers may have toward your email marketing.

Your email marketing sucks because:

1.  You don’t provide double opt-in.

Double opt-in means that after the subscription (whether you subscribe me against my will or I subscribe willingly) I should receive an email confirming my subscription containing a link that I must click on prior to being added to your list.  This process is necessary to prevent you or others from signing me up for your list without my permission.

The next several items relate to being able to unsubscribe.

They are tedious, particular and NECESSARY to discuss.

2.  You don’t provide an unsubscribe option.

This is by far the most arrogant offense in my book!  It works like this:  You decide unilaterally that me and all the other email addresses you could buy, find or steal should hear your marketing message whether we like it or not.  You send your non-targeted, irritatingly long and uninteresting spam with remarkable regularity.  Do you write this drab content yourself or is it purchased from the lowest bidder?

3.  Your unsubscribe link is difficult to find.

You include an unsubscribe link, but it is buried in a large block of text, and without reading the large block of text, it is almost indistinguishable.  This is a very irritating practice as it almost assumes that nobody would ever want to quickly unsubscribe, but rather they should seriously consider it and it if they must leave your mailing list, it should be an afterthought.

4.  You have a “manage your communication preferences” link instead of an unsubscribe link.

This assumes that I want you to continue to communicate with me in some form.  Using this language in the footer of your email is a red flag and a sure way to get me to click the “add to spam” button on your email.  If I don’t want email from you, it is pretty certain I also didn’t bother taking care in creating a username and password for your site that I planned to remember.  In cases like this, I just make it easy on myself: Congratulations, you just made my junk mail list!

5.  Your unsubscribe link takes me to a page that asks me to login to “my account”!

Similar to #4, this one is particularly insidious.  This is a flat out rejection letter from your figurative ‘unsubscribe department’.  This tells me that if I want to unsubscribe, I better work for it.  It puts the burden on me, when you are the problem.  If I don’t want email from you, I certainly don’t want to give you the satisfaction of signing into your website, where I might get distracted from my intent to unsubscribe from your mind-numbing email blasts!

6.  You make me enter my email address instead of removing me immediately.

This is 2011!  If you don’t know exactly who I am when I click your unsubscribe link, you should have never been emailing me in the first place.  When you make me enter my email address when I click the unsubscribe link, it is further validation for my decision.  It provides proof of an unsophisticated email marketing approach.  One-click instant removal is the only acceptable result of clicking the unsubscribe link.  Optionally, I find it completely acceptable to show a confirmation page with language similar to:  “You have been unsubscribed, you will no longer receive our email messages.  Was this a mistake?  You may reenter your email address below to resubscribe instantly!”

7.  You make questions pertaining to why I want to unsubscribe mandatory.

Let’s assume it was a hassle to unsubscribe to your list in the first place.  Not only do I have to click the link to unsubscribe, but I also have to return to the email I unsubscribed to in order to delete it.  It is an unpleasant process to begin with.  Don’t extend it, don’t irritate me further and certainly do not penalize me by requiring a mandatory response prior to accepting my unsubscribe request.

8.  You don’t engage me.

Your email messages do not ask me what I think, they don’t solicit my expertise, my opinion or a response of any kind.  Your messages are one way broadcasts that are all about you.  In today’s world of social dialogue, the end goal is a sale,  conversation or recommendation and you have this power in your hands already!  But rather than engaging me in a conversation via email, which could lead to a phone conversation or an in-person visit you ask me to follow you on Twitter?  Are you kidding me?

9.  You don’t pay the price.

Let’s say you’re one of the lucky few I let come to my inbox monthly, weekly or even daily–and I’ve been subscribed for years.  Am I not your best potential referral source?  Would I not be able to sing your praises louder than anyone else?  If you answered yes, you’re right.  Since that’s true, why not offer something of great value that your longest running subscribers would appreciate.  A free gift, an exclusive of some sort or maybe even an event or party in their honor.  Think outside the email box, make connections and make them count!

10.  Your content sucks!

Finally, if your content is simply no good and you’re emailing me for the sake of consistency alone, please just stop now.  Don’t bother.  We’re not reading it anyway!  Hire a great copywriter, write something yourself from the heart or simply share something new.  Break your vicious cycle of boredom distribution right now.  Send a worthwhile message and we’ll read it.

RULE #2: Make it easy to opt-in and opt-out! Always use double opt-in and one-click unsubscribe.

RULE #3: Use accurate, interesting and attention grabbing subject lines. It should read like a newspaper/magazine heading!

RULE #4: Promote events with ALL details inside your message. Include dates, times, locations and registration information.

RULE #5: Keep it interesting and relevant. Who subscribes to your list? Do you want to keep them? If so, make sure to tailor your content to your audience. Targeting is everything.

RULE #6: Engage your audience. Get them to respond somehow. Include a poll, a question, a promotion, elicit their opinion or position on a topic. Get them involved!

RULE #7: Don’t send pointless emails. Around the holidays, we received hundreds of holiday ecards. Nothing could be more impersonal, annoying and wasteful of your subscribers’ time. Respect their time and deliver only helpful, useful and highly interesting content. The holidays are about coming together, so call your clients then and catch up by phone. Nobody gets any work done the last few weeks of the year anyway!

RULE #8: Remember that permission to email is one of the most sacred rights a marketer can be granted by their audience. Don’t take this for granted. Don’t abuse and lose the privilege.

RULE #9: Use HTML and ensure the design of your email is brilliant, attractive and matches your brand perfectly.  There is almost no excuse not to with today’s email marketing software and services.  Remember to include a plain text option for those who prefer text only on their display.

RULE #10: Optimize your email marketing software and service settings to ensure you are up-to-date and in keeping with today’s email marketing best practices.  Don’t copy/paste the same theme and change the content only.  Be sure to go into the advanced setting options and really make it what it should be.  The smallest detail will be noticed either way, so do it right and make it a practice to stay informed of the new ideas, methods and the laws associated with email marketing.

This is your wake up call to tell you that this thinking is dangerously old-fashioned and detrimental to the overall success of your business.

In short, the solution is a comprehensive website evaluation. This is essentially a thorough audit of every aspect your website.

At Cyentist, we prioritize the website evaluation above all other services, simply because we believe in achieving a high ROI for our clients.  If the client is spending any money on advertising that leads traffic to the site, then the site better be perfect!  If not, you can definitely expect to lose visitors to a site that is more attractive, better organized and strategically planned more effectively than your own.  This does not have to be the case.

Our website evaluations are typically offered as a billable service; however, anyone who submits their information through the form above will receive a complimentary website evaluation.  We look forward to working with you.

Let me illustrate the message, personally.

A long time ago, I realized that as the front man of a business, I will probably want to show up in search results if someone is looking for me, so I registered my domain name and those of my family.

Apparently the author, Jack Higgins has written a number of books which include a spy character that shares my name.  In terms of Search Engine Optimization, this is bad news for me and great news for Jack, because he has lots of Internet users talking about his books.

So what happens when you have thousands of links pointing to the pages on the first page of Google results?  You differentiate.  I decided to finally build a site for SeanDillon.com but in real life and on social networks, I always use Sean P. Dillon to identify myself.

I always took for granted that SeanPDillon.com would be available and never registered it.  Turns out, someone else registered the .com years ago.  Now what?  I can wait to see if it expires-then register it, or concede that I lost it and deal with the problem with a slightly elevated level of complication.  Bottom line: hesitation is expensive!

The point is, if I was going to register one domain but use another name all over the Internet, I should have registered both names at the same time.

If you don’t already own your domain name, I recommend registering it and those of your children today.  Do it now.  If you don’t, I can promise you that someday you’ll need it and you won’t have it.
If you’re already there and own your domains, your next step is to register your name as a username on every major social network possible.  You’ll thank us later.

Let’s look at cost per lead.  Here’s how to calculate it:

Dollars Spent / Inquiries Resulting From Those Dollars = Cost Per Lead

This calculation should be performed on all lead generation activities until you determine what your lowest cost per lead is.  This is where you should be spending the majority of your marketing budget.
Once you identify your lowest cost per lead, it is wise to begin researching and testing other opportunities to drive this cost down still further.  There are two tracks one may take at this juncture:

1.  Research opportunities to save money.

2.  Research opportunities to increase the number of leads generated by the same investment amount.

If you’re a local business, I recommend looking in your own backyard first.  If you’re not yet dominating your local market, ask yourself why.  Local customers are cheap!  If you consider the massive search volume associated with local business inquiries and the lack of tactful business participants currently showing in these results, the opportunity becomes crystal clear.  A Google places profile is one step forward.  It’s cheap, effective and professional.  However, if you’re really looking to dominate your local market, consider getting in touch with us to discuss local directory marketing.  With a minimal investment, you could capture the local search volume for your business category in over 100 online directories at once.  Learn more about local directory marketing and call us to learn more and sign up!  212.845.9910

We give things away all the time. Usually the giveaway comes in the form of advice or specific services that our clients desperately need. We could charge them; and they would almost always be willing to pay. Some have even offered to do so. The thing is, sometimes the service or advice is absolutely no big deal for us, but the impact it makes on the client is so great, it literally assures our long-term business relationship.

If your business is high-service and you’re able to go the extra mile for your clients, then just do it. The rewards will far outweigh the few minutes it takes to change their world. Try it and let us know what happens.

I’m writing this to the entrepreneurs of ten years ago.  If you started your company more than a decade ago, you no doubt had to adapt and change in order to survive this long.  However, have you given any thought lately to the new entrepreneurs entering your space today?  What rules are they playing by?  Do their rules differ from your own?

Any entrepreneur starting a new business today is planning their business around their website and how they will ensure that website is found by their potential clients.  In fact, new entrepreneurs will likely be so oblivious to your rules and how you started your company that they may consider your entire business model obsolete.

We all have seen countless examples of companies new to the game achieving staggering success purely from their Internet marketing efforts.  This doesn’t just happen.  It is not the result of trying SEO or running a simple pay-per-click ad campaign.  This is timing, positioning, targeting and full execution of a solid comprehensive marketing plan.

Imagine this:  What would your wisdom coupled with today’s successfully proven Internet marketing techniques look like if integrated into a customized plan for your business?  Staggeringly successful?

It’s never too late, so what are you waiting for?  The competitors will never cease and they’re only becoming more sophisticated.  You need an ally on your team who can help you navigate the often-confusing Internet marketing landscape.  We would love to help you determine your next steps to relevance on the Internet.  If you’re not receiving a steady stream of leads generated online, we can help you.

I started Cyentist to provide entrepreneurs and small businesses a real solution to their biggest marketing problems.  I knew nobody else could deliver what I can with as much passion and obsession for relevance than I could.  With so many competitors, Cyentist’s point of differentiation is the successful integration of social, search and design as well as my personal drive to stay ahead of the most relevant and timely Internet marketing information affecting our clients.

What about you?  Use the comment space below to share with me your reasons for starting your business and what you’re doing to stay relevant, despite new competition.  Why did you start your business?

Well, this might be a good place and let me tell you why:

As a WordPress design company, we’ve heard all sorts of stories from clients and potentials about their self-guided attempts to successfully implement their own WordPress website.  Most of them gave up shortly after taking the first few steps.  Let me break down some of the reasons behind this in the interest of saving you some trouble:

1.  WordPress design is simple, but it’s not easy or quick.  It is a time consuming commitment.  Often, those who venture into the realm of website design without proper training and experience find themselves in unfamiliar territory.  Once there, the options are usually, press forward or retreat and get help from a WordPress design company.  Unfortunately, this is often realized after their old site has already been replaced by a fresh, empty version of the platform.

2.  Once WordPress is installed, finding the right theme is a daunting task.  With more recorded Google searches for keywords pertaining to WordPress-specific designs than the generic website design, there is no shortage of options available to the new or seasoned designer.  This step takes the longest–especially when there is no design plan in place.  A good WordPress design company will work with you to determine what your goals are for the website, what pages should be included, functionality of the site, color, layout and more. Often a custom theme is the best option.

3.  If they get this far, it is now a matter of customizing the theme to match brand colors, plugins, widgets, social media elements, and other components.  This is all prior to implementing a single character of text-based content, let alone photos or videos.  Those who get this far need razor sharp attention to detail in order not to miss ultra-subtle design, layout and formatting flaws that inevitably appear when pages of the site are published.  It would be appropriate to mention here that as a WordPress design company, we have never worked on a site that didn’t need coding modifications in order to be 100% complete.  This first and foremost implies that the designer should be able to read, interpret and modify CSS coding and have familiarity with HTML at the very least.

If this sounds like it would make you want to give up too, connect with us using the form at the right.  We will schedule a website evaluation for you and help you build the best website you’ve ever had!

If you feel it would challenge you to learn it all and move ahead on your own, I would ask you the following questions:

1.  Don’t you have a business to run?

2.  Do you have a lot of free time to devote to building a website?

3.  How much money would you really save attempting to do this yourself? (What is your time worth?)

4.  What if you couldn’t figure it out after investing the time and energy into this project?

5.  Wouldn’t it be easier to simply invest a small amount of money to have a WordPress design company handle this for you?

Hopefully I put a fine enough point on that.  If you know you want a WordPress website, then call the experts at Cyentist and have a professional WordPress design company build your new website.  You’ll be glad you did.  Call us for a free no-obligation consultation.  212.845.9910

Clients of your business may know the answer to this all-important question, but what about everyone else? The potential for new business is virtually unlimited and untapped for the average business. If you can articulate your company’s major definite purpose to the masses, you will begin to attract the very best opportunities to you.

The challenge is that most companies don’t have a carefully articulated brand statement and so they fall short of this attractive power for generating new business. In reality, many of their best prospects may visit their websites or see their posts and updates across the Internet, but because those updates are not well-designed the opportunity is lost.

Spend a few minutes today-right now thinking about what you do best. What are you known for? Why do your current clients work with you? If you don’t know, ask them! Once you have your answers to these questions, begin creating a short concise brand statement that anyone will understand. We’ve done it by creating the message “Cyentist is social, search and design. Share your brand statement in the comments below.