Here are six key questions to help you identify improvements to make your website more effective: 1. Is your website more than just an online brochure? Many people make the mistake of simply creating a website that is nothing more than a company brochure online. If consumers happen to stumble on it, they may stay less than 1 minute, then leave with no desire to ever come back. These types of sites kill your online efforts. They lack engagement and...

Blogging is a powerful way to connect with your target audience and establish your company as a “thought leader ." The essence of thought leadership “is to show, rather than tell what a company can do, and to do so in a way that positions and differentiates that company's offering for the chosen target audience. By so doing, you give prospects and customers a chance to sample your expertise." (Rolf Jester, VP, Analyst Gartner ) I saw a great article...

I recently had the great honor of interviewing spa industry icon Blanca Caballero, founder of AvantGard Spa in San Carlos--recipient of the 2010 SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Award for top ten favorite day spas worldwide. Blanca and I were discussing her recent addition of Demandforce —a turn-key guest communications and marketing solution—and how it has helped her business stay connected to her customers while growing revenue and reducing costs. For more than 22 years, AvantGard Spa has stayed on the cutting...

Most spa owners and directors I know will bend over backwards to resolve a customer complaint. But there's a startling exception--somehow, many of us have decided to ignore complaints that are made in online reviews. Mention the word "Yelp" to just about any small business owner and you might even need to duck. Fast. Why do we treat the online complainer differently? Many spa operators believe that negative reviews are largely bogus. It's true they do skew to the negative...

Your email list is one of the most important assets you have, and a high-quality list is worth its weight in gold. What exactly is a quality list? It's made up of valid email addresses to which you have clear permission to send specific content. Why does the quality of your list matter? For starters, it can have a direct impact on the deliverability of your emails. When you continue to mail to addresses that have bounced, ISPs take notice...

Do you have a list of e-mail addresses for either your spa business or salon business of clients or prospects? Do you have a list of e-newsletter subscribers? If you have their permission, send them an e-mail survey to conduct some under the radar market research. See if clients are satisfied with your products or services, or see if they enjoyed their visit to your spa or salon? You can learn things you didn't know about your business by surveying...

So, as you prepare for another year of email marketing, what do you want to do better or differently? How will you increase your effectiveness so you can look back and say "2008 was a great year for my email marketing efforts"? Here are 10 ideas you can draw from to make your email marketing program better than ever. 1. Develop a communications calendar - This year, plan ahead. Sit down with a calendar each quarter and look at everything...

There are widespread ways to promote your spa business, medi spa, massage practice or salon website for free online. Here are 10 highly productive strategies you can use right now. 1. Write articles or free reports for other websites to publish and put your spa website address in the signature bio box. If you write useful content, your articles will be published and many readers who like your article will go on to visit your website. 2. Plot a Joint...