the difference is in the service. not the price.

The other day I went into Saks. Now, I'm not a Saks kind of woman, more like the Gap, but I wanted to check something out in the makeup department. Now keep in mind, they sell the same stuff at Macys. But I don't like Macys. The last time I was in there, the store felt empty, dirty, and had a sign that said price check for you to look up a price or something. Very Kmart of them. And I expect that from KMart. But this was Macys. And if I'm spending that kind of money, I want to also enjoy the experience. Isn't that part of why we go shopping?

So in the end, we have the same product. Same price. The difference is the level of customer service and environment between the two stores. It just makes me wonder, will there be self checkouts next at Macys? If so, why would you want to shop there at all? It's the little things (and big) that bring value to your businesses. It can also take it away.

Crass naming: Thanks for introducing my kid to new words

I heard an ad today for potato chips. What was normally something I would tune out, I found myself listening harder. That wasn't what I just heard was it? Sure enough it was. The product was called Heluva Good. And while I'm not shy when it comes to using certain words, I don't use them in business. In fact I shouldn't use them at all, but that's another story.

Isn't there more creative names for a company that don't need to use the word Hell? So I don't have my 6 year old asking for Hell chips or something to that nature. I'd like to think we as creatives can be a little more sophisticated than that.

Don't market your website if you don't have one

Now that title, as my husband would say, screams "Captain Obvious". Yet I'm still amazed at how many business owners promote their website with social media such as facebook, with a link to their website that says nothing more than "parked courtesy of godaddy.com".

That says one of three things to me:
1. That you are new. Very new.
2. That you don't know how to market. Or market very well.
3. That you rushed into promoting something that wasn't ready to be promoted.

You realized the importance of social media, and you are driving people to your site. But once there, nothing. No phone, email address or even a contact name. A missed opportunity. And also the possibility of turning people off.  It's like handing someone a blank brochure.

And you never get a second chance to make a first impression.