My business is content marketing, but there isn't always a clear line between content marketing and business strategy. In the digital world, the two have become so intertwined that the average shopper isn't always able to distinguish between bad website content and bad business practices. They just know they don't like it. Are these website content errors turning your customers away? So let's take a look at some online practices that keep potential customers scrambling. If you find yourself nodding while reading, don't stop there. Ask yourself if you too are guilty. Not clearly stating who you are, what you do, who your customers are (or not) Don't you hate it when you spend time reading business home pages, their about pages, and some blog posts, but you still don't know what they're doing? There are some companies that don't need to introduce themselves or prove their existence. But unless you're Apple, Twitter, Facebook, etc., you're not one of them. Here is an example. I got here by searching for "accept secure payments". It’s hard to tell from the homepage if a company’s solution is a good fit if you haven’t considered a specific pain point. When I search for this term, I'm looking for a company that can help with PCI compliance, but I can't even find information on whether their own products are PCI compliant.
No need to dig further...I'll go straight to the competition. Content Marketing Mistakes So don't be like those annoying people at social events who just assume everyone in the room knows who they are. Show a little humility, because unless your brand is a global household name, you'll need to do some "explaining." Requires a credit card for a "free" trial Let me just say that I am also a business owner. I love making money as much as anyone, and I know there are costs associated with a free trial. But listen to me about this, okay? Take a moment to think about it from the industry mailing list perspective. Saying, "Hey, it's a free trial! Give me your credit card number and I won't charge you for two weeks!" Sending a few messages won't make you look good. You are taking advantage of someone who forgot to cancel the free trial It's my complete personal responsibility, so I don't deny that those who didn't set the reminder to cancel the free trial were partly at fault. However, when you look at the numbers, it's clear that some subscription-based companies have recognized valuable revenue streams. About 48% of Americans who sign up for "free" trials forget to cancel them before the trial period ends and the charges begin... a combined $6 billion in annual costs. Not a shabby revenue stream from an unused product or service, so support costs are low. That's one hit. A second strike is more than enough to offset any need for a third.
You think your product is so bad that the only way you can make money is from a trial period that never cancels. Seriously, you guys. This may not be the message you intended to send, but it is the message your customers receive. Otherwise why would you use a tactic of continuing to charge people after they stop using your product - and most likely have forgotten about it? Come on, guys. Sure, you may have some valid reasons for deciding to apply for a credit card first, but your clients don't care about that (it's not their job). If your product is really that great, put some skins in the game and offer a trial period that doesn't require a credit card. If people like it, they'll come back with a credit card. Then there's the personal data thing... Governments around the world are tightening controls over the collection and use of personal data. GDPR, in particular, allows businesses to collect customers' personal data only when there is a legitimate business need. I don't know if this particular issue has arisen (the law only went into effect a few weeks ago), but collecting payment information before you know if you need it seems like a risk with no benefit. GDPR compliance aside, if your customer's data is stolen during the trial period, you're responsible for payment data that you never had a chance to use.
Not user friendly I am a nerd. The first thing I do every Tuesday is check Amazon and Audible to see what new books are coming out. And, when it comes to user experience, Audible wins. Audible is an Amazon company, so it's hard to see why their site is more user-friendly than Amazon's. If I hover over my book list on Audible, I see a popup with all the information I need to make a decision. On Amazon, however, I had to click through the book and dive one level to find the deal. Double click to do the same job. Most of the time, I'll "shop" on Audible and just go to Amazon (if I want the Kindle version). I know it's a small thing. The point is that it's a little thing that's easy to fix. Amazon could get away with it, but for the rest of us, choosing not to do something so obvious and simple -- which would make it easier for customers to give us money -- doesn't seem very smart.