What are you hiding

When your phone number is not easily found on your website.

It screams DON'T CALL ME! A missed opportunity for acquiring a new customer, fixing a problem or what you are in business for, to make a sale.

Here is a website example you should follow. Zappos does over a billion dollar in sales. I bet you didn't have any problem finding the number.

Tony Mariani

When your advertising campaign is to get your name out there

Check the supermarket aisle for it. RC Cola spent a lot of advertising dollars "to get their name out there".

Sadly, that part of the advertising worked. There name is out there.

But when was the last time you bought RC Cola.

What does your advertising do? Get the name out? Or ring the cash register?

Tony Mariani

How you'd impress your date

If your date where you.

Last line in the latest Burger King TV ad for the "New Steak House XT".

Someone connect the dots for me because I just don't get this ad or the relevance of a (you fill in the descriptor)guy and a (you fill in the descriptor) dressed in drag have and a burger!

Does it make you want to try it, the New Steak House XT or go home and put your sister's dress on?

Tony Mariani

You choose

Would you rather call a supplier and hear,

"that due to higher than normal call volumes we cannot take your call at this time, please call back later" or

a busy signal?

Tony Mariani

Best TV ad of the week

For Evian Water.



Tony Mariani

Websites you may like

Some sites I found very informative this weekend. Thanks to John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing for inspiring the post.

How good is your website? http://unbounce.com/landing-pages/landing-page-rehab/

Who is saying what in social media? http://www.whostalkin.com/

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos delivers happiness to Google.

Can you speak human? Interesting challenge from Daniel Pink.

Tony Mariani

To Laura Ramsay, Director of Marketing, Primus

Just curious about this mailer you sent me. Judging from paper stock and addressed envelope, this mailer was expensive.



Ms Ramsay, I am a Primus customer and you send me my bill electronically. I am not sure why you wouldn't have sent me an email telling me of this offer.

There are some tremendous email marketing programs that would have saved you a lot of trees. And I am betting your redemption for the 25 AIR MILES via email is probably 10 times the industry standard of 2-3% on direct mail.

And regarding the call to action, the phone number should go directly to what you want me to do, not to your main number that I have to now press 1, press 2, press 3. The frustration level rises with each number one has to push.


Tony Mariani