What Vanity URLs Can Tell You

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

If you’re a not-for-profit using canvassing techniques – whether it is traditional door-to-door tactics, presence at a community event, or some other form of human connection – it can be difficult to track your success if you don’t capture donations on the spot.

How do you know if the pitch you gave sunk in and if the person who said they were going to think about it, really did decide to follow through and donate? One of the easiest and most cost effective things you can do would be to create a vanity url to help you track the success of these face-to-face campaign efforts.

A vanity url can be either a memorable web address redirecting to a specific page on your company’s website, or an extension of the current domain (e.g 123.com/xyz).

You might already create vanity urls for your DRTV or direct mail pieces, but have you thought of taking them that one step further? What about creating vanity urls for your canvassers to use that are separated by region, province, city or even events?

If you could track which teams, areas or events ended up providing web traffic, you could begin to increase your response rates and cost per donor acquisition for these tactics.

By simply creating either a ‘calling’ card for each url (team) or by inserting the urls as part of the dynamic copy changes (i.e showing regional office contact information) for your brochures and leaflets, you might suddenly begin to know whether or not your public outreach campaigns are generating awareness, and better yet, donations. Many times canvassers simply leave information behind, or speak to someone who is busy, or in today’s society, simply untrusting. A vanity url provides you an opportunity to know which potential donors decided to check out your website on their own time and terms.

By having multiple vanity urls, you would be able to review your analytics data to not only see how many people visited your site by specific group (url), but what they did while there and how that behaviour compares to other website visitors (eg donors vs. online ads vs search engine visitors etc). Is there a specific page people from the vanity urls looked at? How does that compare across the urls? You could provide this information to your canvassers so they know what topics or types of information they might need to cover in certain areas – perhaps it’s different region by region. Is there one url that provides you with a high conversion rate? If so, this data then becomes a great way for you to connect with your teams on the ground and provide them positive feedback, or have them mentor those teams that seem to have lower conversion (close) rates.

Of course vanity urls are only good if people use them and this tends to be a highly controversial topic since recent studies show that more people may recall a vanity 800-number easier than a vanity url (if listening to or watching an ad). But considering how cost effective they are (especially if you use an extension of your site), why not take a chance? You may or may not get oodles of data, but you’ll definitely get more than you have now, and enough to get a better understanding of what’s happening after your canvassers have gone away.

23.09.2009 Branding and Marketing, Direct Marketing, Integrated marketing, Web analytics 2 Comments

Get Cracking at Adding Tools for Sharing to your Campaigns

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

I saw this great TV commercial the other day that reminded me of a Twitter conversation taking place about mismatched socks spawned from blog posts by so you wannabe a Domestik Goddess and Bargainista.

What was the commercial? It was an ad for the Egg Farmers of Ontario. You can view it here. I loved the ad, even though I’m not the target market (moms). I immediately wanted to share it with my Twitter pals having the sock discussion but realized that the ad didn’t have a url, which meant I could only share it, if I could find it.

I was quickly able to guess that it was probably from the Get Cracking website, which is some good branding by the way — don’t change your url.

Once I arrived at the site, I was able to see that the ad was there and learned that they were trying to engage mothers by asking them to share their thoughts: “As a mom, what does ‘it’s okay to be real’ mean to you?” and to provide their favourite “real” moments.

What a great campaign with legs for a fabulous viral aspect. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been set up for success.

Sure there are some boxes where you can forward the pages to friends. But where was the url in the TV ad? Relying on people’s memories is not the best thing to do. Why didn’t the TV ad engage and excite viewers to visit the website and share their stories? That’s such a great drive to get traffic to the site — and continue the momentum of a great commercial. Talk about a missed opportunity.

The other major things lacking from this campaign are social media tools. The video should have links right in it to embed into popular applications like Facebook YouTube and even book-marking sites like Digg. You should be able to forward the video from the video player/page itself rather than from a link further down the page once you’ve answered the other questions.

You can’t make something viral (as many of my industry peers and I say over and over again). But it makes it a lot easier for something to passed along if you provide the tools that make the sharing experience seamless and integrated.

Oh, and my favourite line from the commercial? “Mom, you don’t have to fold the napkin fancy; I just roll it into a ball.”

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18.03.2008 Bargainista, Facebook, Integrated marketing, Twitter, viral marketing No Comments

Listening To Your Audience

Friday, March 14th, 2008

All too often marketers and agencies tell people what they should think or who they should target. It’s not often that you find marketers and agencies who listen to what the people say and then create something based on what’s happening on the Internet. Which in this day and age of social media is something we should all be doing more of.

Recently Mediapost highlighted a company and agency that did just that though.

In December DogCars, a site dedicated to reviewing cars from a pet-friendly angle, announced that Honda’s Element was DogCar of the Year.

Honda and their agency took that bit of information and created an ad campaign that shows the car’s features from the perspective of a dog (and it’s owner). The multimedia campaign includes print, online, tv and video . A massive undertaking to spend on what some might see as a small percentage of the population (which being a dog owner myself I think is actually larger than most imagine).

They’ve even created an interactive website targeted to Pet lovers of every kind to showcase the car’s features. Unfortunately it doesn’t work so well in Firefox, but that’s a whole other can of worms.

It’s about time companies and their agencies really started scouring the web (among other places) to see what is being said about their brand and learn when to jump on a great opportunity band-wagon when they see one.

Well done Honda.

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14.03.2008 Integrated marketing, agencies, interactive marketing, online advertising, web marketing No Comments

The Canadian Tire Saga Continues

Friday, March 14th, 2008

UPDATE March 14/08: A $100 gift card arrived today via registered mail. Am I still disappointed? Yes at the overall experience. Am I going to look a gift horse in the mouth? No. This shall be the last post on this subject. I am appreciative of the gift card, just not as appreciative of the service received to get to this point. I am curious though if everyone received this card, which if so – I must say is a nice show of goodwill. Or perhaps I was one of the loudest complainers. Who knows. If anyone else experienced this, I’d love to get an update – or even a comment/response from someone on the CT team.
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March 12/08
I think everyone must be getting sick of this – I know I’m starting to be, but I promised an update and as much as I’d like to say this story has a happy ending, I’ve been unfortunately disappointed yet again.

For those of you following me on Twitter you’ll know that I received an email from a business analyst at Canadian Tire who came across my blog posts and wanted to help. I was pleasantly surprised, it was obvious he cared about my experience with the brand and wanted to try and change it, even though he didn’t have anything to do with the gift registry program.

We exchanged a few emails and he even went so far as personally contacting the gift registry manager to send them the original emails I’d sent along with my blog posts. He told me someone would be getting back in touch with me shortly. I was starting to think that perhaps the world was good again and that there had been some sort of little glitch somewhere that was going to be fixed. Most importantly, I was starting to feel valued as a customer again. Companies need more employees like this guy who contacted me. I applaud him. He’s been the best experience I’ve had with the brand to date.

I then waited, and waited some more. Then late Friday afternoon(more than 24 hours after my initial conversation with the business analyst), I received in my inbox two automated emails that thanked me for each of my original emails and advised that due to a high volume of emails someone would be in touch with me soon. I was then provided a tracking number, a 1800 number and it was signed “Canadian Tire Customer Service Representative.” Underneath that, they had included the special coding for what type of automated message to send me…

2-English – Auto Response Message (From Jan 4th and beyond)

Those who understand email marketing know you should either turn that notification off, bury it by using multiple hard returns, or put it in white text or something so your reader doesn’t see it. Sure deflated my earlier feelings of being a valued customer to know that everyone who sent a note after January 4th got this message.

I then immediately got a third email that was from the Associate Marketing Manager for the gift registry. It again thanked me for my emails, said my comments were forwarded to the team and indicated that it was a difficult decision for them to make, but they felt it was no longer feasible to continue the registry program. It then told me my gift was being mailed and it would arrive by the end of this coming week.

Disappointment set in. No phone call, no explanation as to why it took so long for auto-responder emails to arrive, and nothing that really addressed what I’ve expressed in my posts. And then to make matters worse, the email was signed with a first initial and last name only and that was it. There was no, please call me if you want to discuss or here’s how to reach me. It was cold. It wasn’t warm and friendly or personal. I now realize it too came from a generic email address. Big mistake. You’re telling me the Associate Marketing Manager doesn’t have a real email address and responds to me from a generic registry email? By not including their actual first name, or contact details I have to wonder if it was actually written by someone else instead just pretending to be a more senior person.

I responded to the email (not having realized I was simply sending to another generic email addy) asking questions about why there was a delay in the emails and if there was a glitch in the system or what it might have been so I could explain this to my blog readers and hopefully make good of the situation. I sent this email on Monday. I’ve yet to hear back and there’s no other contact information in the email for me to reach this first initial, last name manager.

Given the fact that the emails came one after another within minutes of each other – I have to wonder what the problem actually was? A broken email deployment system that hadn’t been checked? Or perhaps it’s a manual deployment every time someone responds. If so – it certainly isn’t checked on a regular basis.

At the end of the day, they (Canadian Tire) just don’t get it – it’s not about the gift anymore (though I really wouldn’t be averse to that snowblower). It’s about making me feel like a valued customer. I may be a homeowner and consequently started forming my brand opinions years ago, but there are many others who at this important life-event stage are just forming relationships with brands and companies. Relationships that could last a lifetime. People who are the future of Canadian Tire’s business and to treat us with cold, impersonal emails that don’t actually explain or address our concerns in a timely fashion is just plain wrong.

As a proud Canadian I try to support Canadian companies when I can, however, I like most others, enjoy being treated like a valued customer who matters to a company. In this case, I feel like nothing but a number and outside of this business analyst, don’t feel like the company cares whether I give them my business or not. So if you really feel that way Canadian Tire, I’m happy to shop elsewhere.

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14.03.2008 Integrated marketing, online marketing No Comments

Canadian Tire Keeps Losing Points in the Customer Service Department

Monday, February 25th, 2008

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about my experience with Wedding Registries, specifically how Canadian Tire has closed theirs down and what a royal pain that was to me (and I’m sure so many others).

As a consolation, they were to send me a “gift” within two to four weeks of me confirming my address with them in their system.

I’ve been eagerly waiting to see if they read my post and I will magically have a snowblower delivered to my front door. However, it’s been five weeks now and I’ve not seen hide-nor-hair of a gift, let alone any communication about said gift.

It’s not about the gift anymore, but now about how I’ve been disappointed yet again. First I spend hours of my time creating the registry only to find out within a week that it was all for naught. Then they tell me they are going to send me something for my troubles within two to four weeks and don’t deliver.

If you set expectations for your customers, it’s important to ensure that you can actually follow through on your promises.

I’m not sure whether they had more registries than they realized, or whether everyone immediately confirmed and they can’t handle the demand. Either way, they have my email address and could send a note to me just to let me know.

Keeping your customer apprised of any delays or changes in the expectations you’ve set for them is as important as anything else you’ll do. It will stop people like me from posting about my bad customer experiences with your brand.

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25.02.2008 Integrated marketing 4 Comments

All I Really Wanted was a Snowblower

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

Of all the newsletters and blogs I read, it’s amazing that the one thing giving me the most fodder for my blog posts is my wedding. Perhaps I’m just self absorbed :)

With five and a half months to go, my fiance and I have been creating our registries (as those who have been reading my posts know). We settled on The Bay and were debating Home Outfitters when that decision was made for us based on a bad experience.

One thing you have to realize if you haven’t created a registry before, is that (at the Bay) they give you a scanner and you get to run around the store and zap everything you want; which was fun for all of five minutes and then completely overwhelming. On another tangent, the Bay really needs to work on their online registry system. I wish I could add or delete items online, unfortunately all you can do is change quantities. After that you either have to go in store, or email the registry consultants and ask them to do this for you.

So needless to say, I decided to look for a place where we could register online and add to our registry from the comfort of our couch and laptop. Being a good fiancee myself, I thought some place with tools would be good. So I checked out Home Depot, only to find out you can’t create a registry online there. BOO. So my fingers typed in Canadian Tire’s website and you could not only create your registry online but add and delete items as well. YAY.

I had fun adding items and was pleased as punch to tell my fiance how much I’d thought of him, adding a new lawn mower, a snowblower and various other tools for our many home improvement projects on the go.

Once he reviewed and deleted some of the things I’d added – after asking exactly what home reno projects I had in store for him once we were officially hitched – we sent off announcements of our registries through our wedding website (thanks Wedding Bells) to friends and family.

We were quite happy to have checked one more item off our list of things to do. Then, on Friday afternoon (less than five days after I created our registry), I get an email from Canadian Tire, advising me that unfortunately they are doing away with their gift registry program after May 31 and anyone who has an event after May 31 (which mine is) will have to close their registry. But if I confirm my address with them in the next two weeks before closing my registry, they’ll mail me a gift for my understanding.

My understanding? I don’t have any. I spent (read: wasted) hours of my time creating that thing and they are doing away with it just like that? Now I can see if perhaps I had made my registry months ago – but within one week? That’s just bad customer service.

The right thing to do would have been to say that anyone who had registered to this point would have their regsitries honoured and that anyone adding a new event up to May 31 would be allowed to do so. Or maybe a personalized email or phone call apologizing for the fact that they let me create the registry in the first place. I’m pretty sure this wasn’t a snap decision, so it would have been nice to have a little warning, or not be allowed to register period – and couch it in being down site maintenance or something of that nature.

Anyone from Canadian Tire, if you’re reading this, please either rethink this and reinstate all of us who are now put out, or send me a snowblower as my gift…

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22.01.2008 Integrated marketing No Comments

Update: Home Outfitter’s Post

Monday, January 21st, 2008

Okay, so while I am still disgusted and don’t think a used panini grill should have ever made it’s way back onto store shelves. I feel a little better about my experience and have an update on this post

I returned the grill Friday night to the store, where it was obvious that a staff memo had gone out about inspecting product and what had happened. Staff were not sure what to say to me, and called over a manager, who profusely apologized and went to get the new grill they’d set aside for me. They immediately opened the box and checked the product so I could see it hadn’t been used and was satisfied with it. The manager then gave me a little box of Christmas cookies they were trying to sell off.

Not a grand gesture, but a gesture none the less and appreciated. I still don’t think anyone should ever have had that experience, but perhaps I won’t be so hasty in my decision to no longer shop at Home Outfitters. After all, I am now a registry short.. Look out for the post explaining why I am now suddenly down one registry coming soon.

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21.01.2008 Integrated marketing No Comments

Home Outfitters Just Lost One Bridal Registry

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

For Christmas this year, we bought a friend who doesn’t cook much, a panini grill from Home Outfitters.

Due to the business of the holidays and a death in our family, we were not able to deliver the present until just last week. A few days later, I get an email from my friend letting me know that she opened the grill to use it only to find that it had been used, not cleaned and put back in it’s box. And somehow returned and put back on the shelf for me to purchase.

I don’t remember the last time I was so disgusted by something. I don’t necessarily blame Home Outfitters for this, but you would think they might check the merchandise to see if it was all there? Apparently it was quite obvious from the outside of the grill that it had been used, so if they had checked it before putting it back on the shelf surely they would know. Or perhaps they did, and some employee didn’t care enough to let someone know. I don’t know and I’m not making accusations. We don’t even know if the darn thing actually worked.

However, when I called the store I purchased the grill at to find out if I could still exchange it. I wasn’t met with any kind of shock, or apologies. In fact I was transferred around and then finally told that they had one left and could put it aside for 48 hours. I tried to explain that it was a gift for a friend and I would have to see my friend and get the product and then get to the store. My friend lives on the other side of the city in comparison to the store, and I don’t drive.

Sighing reluctantly, the clerk indicated she’d put a note on the box and try and hold it until the weekend, but couldn’t guarantee anything.

I hung up the phone feeling quite annoyed. What happened to customer service? Where was the “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry you had that experience, we will do whatever it takes to make this right; of course we’ll hold one for you until you can come in, or we’ll find one at another location for you.”

What Home Outfitter’s doesn’t realize from this experience is this:
1. I’m a blogger and am now telling the world (or at least those who read my blog) about this horrible experience.
2. I’m getting married this summer and was in the process of setting up my registries. If that’s the customer service they are going to give people, I don’t want to have a registry with them as I don’t want my friends and family getting that same kind of experience. Both my fiance and I have agreed, we don’t need anything from Home Outfitters if that’s the kind of products and customer service people receive.

Once I exchange this gift, it will be a long time before I ever step foot in a Home Outfitters again, if I ever do.

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15.01.2008 Integrated marketing No Comments

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of a Good Website

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008

People often talk about the internet as a research tool for comparison shopping of cars and electronics, but I recently went a step further and used it to research private care nursing agencies for people with Alzheimers and was both surprised and somewhat disappointed by what I found.

My fiance’s grandmother was in the final stages of the disease and had been in a nursing home for several years. It became apparent to us and the staff at the home, that she needed more care than what they could provide her. Rather than moving her to a palliative care wing in a hospital, they suggested supplementing her care with that of a private nursing agency to ensure all of her needs were met.

Not having done this before we had no idea of where to turn. After a phonecall to the Alzheimer’s society of Canada, we were pointed in the direction of the Toronto Dementia Network Website. While not pretty, it is was very functional and relatively easy to use and at that, gets a B for its attempt Search Engine Friendliness.

From this site we were able to locate a listing of agencies in Toronto that offer nursing services for people with dementia. Considering the amount of agencies we found, we needed a way to narrow things down. Being a web marketer, the first thing we decided to do was determine if they had a website. Any agency without a website – or with a single splash page was immediately taken off the consideration list.

I look back on that now and think that perhaps that was somewhat cold, but knowing how many people use the internet as a research tool in this day and age, I have a hard time using any service that doesn’t have a website.

Once we culled that down, we ended up going through each site in more detail and kept narrowing things down based on the amount of information on services provided relating to Alzheimers care that each agency offered.

Once we had it down to a couple of choices, then came the phone calls. Two of the three agencies just referred me back to their website for any questions I might have which I thought was pretty bad customer service since I had already mentioned I’d been on the site and had questions.

One agency in particular though Homestead Care Providers not only shone through in terms of the most information on their website, but when I called they took the time to listen to me and answer all of my questions, including many before I even asked them. Within minutes of hanging up the phone with them, I received a personal follow up email thanking me for calling them and providing a recap of the information we talked about for my reference.

First impressions – in terms of websites, customer service, and simple things like follow up emails go a long way and I think too many people forget that. Homestead had all three of those in spades for us. The service we received from them for my fiance’s grandmother was exactly as advertised and all of the personal support workers were absolutely compassionate and caring. It meant a lot for us to know that someone was with her during her final hours, someone that truly wanted to make sure she was as comfortable as she could be and that we were always kept up to date and informed.

Besides this being a glowing recommendation for the people at Homestead Care Providers (in Toronto), this post is about the importance of a website including two key things:

1. Make sure it is set up to be picked up by search engines.
If you don’t know how to take care of that – find companies that provide discounts for not-for-profit or other essential type services. Any web marketer with a heart should offer discounts to help companies like that – especially those they have personal connections to.

2. Remember truly is the web is the number one research tool out there, use it to your advantage.
Put as much information on your site as possible about your services, (and in thise case) your staff training and of course what sets you apart from your competitors.

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09.01.2008 Integrated marketing, websites No Comments

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