Questionable Business Practice by Angie’s List

More than a year ago, I had signed up with Angie’s List for an account because my wife and I were about to move to a new apartment. We had a few referrals on contractors from friends, but having spoken to Angie’s List in a previous company I had worked for, I decided to sign up. While we did not go with any leads from Angie’s List, I saw the value in what they provided at the time.

The thing is, there are a lot of questions about need. People who live in the city generally move once a year (the need for this service is almost always tied to that).

Just this morning, I looked at my Paypal account and noticed that I had received a charge from Angie’s List amounting to $29. When I logged in to see what it was for, I found out that if I had not notified them about my desire to cancel the membership by October 29, that they would charge me automatically. While this is a normal business practice among online subscription sites, I see one big flaw here.
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How can B2B companies address the Canada Anti-Spam Legislation?

If you are a responsible email marketer, you shouldn’t even have to make any big adjustments to your company’s current opt-in policies to address the Canada Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Exact Target did a good job of addressing some of the more pressing questions in their blog posts here and here. Since it is common practice to build business relationships through the exchange of handshakes and calling cards, compliance can get more complicated if you are a B2B company.

When does a business relationship start and end, and how can you change your business practices to reflect to address CASL? While I do not share steps for an actual implementation, and assuming a company is using a CRM, the following suggested fields can point companies in the right direction. Continue reading →

Internet Marketing — When is the Right Time?

In the 20 months that I have been living in New York, it still amazes me how small businesses can manage to hit the jackpot and become overnight sensations. Who needs Internet Marketing right? While I would not attribute all of it to luck, perfect formulas are hard to come by. I guess we are all lucky to live in a city that is full of highly critical people — it just keeps everyone on their toes.

The Internet is a very strong marketing tool. It brings businesses and consumers together. Detailed metrics give you additional insights on how you can improve the way you communicate with your customers. Automated tools give you the power to remarket to existing customers, and double your effort in reaching out to new ones. Though the amount of knowledge can be overwhelming, the rewards or running a well rounded Internet Marketing strategy far outweigh the risks.

Here are a few questions that can provide more direction:
– Are you still use flyers to promote your small business?
– Is your concept of advertising is still limited to print?
– Do you know what a CRM is?
– Are you able to calculate for acquisition costs and lifetime value?

If a lot of these terms are not familiar to you, then I suggest we talk!