The Blog

What is your company’s unique selling proposition (USP)? What makes you different from the competition? You need to offer something to customers that no one else can. Are you the fastest? Most customization? Most cost effective? You can’t be all things to all people, but you can be one very important thing to your customers. Chances are that when you think of your favorite brands, you can summarize them in one word. For me, it’s simple. Disney = exceptional customer service, Starbucks = custom made, Nike = cutting-edge. They’ve all effectively marketed their USP and consistently delivered. Clever Mouse strives to provide customers with the best value; the most beautiful website at the most affordable price. We won’t be a fit for everyone. Some companies have a big budget and need something on a scale much larger than we can provide. There are plenty of web design companies that cater to those customers. We want to help the start-ups, the single person LLC’s, and the mom and pop shops that are transitioning into the age of technology. Not everyone can afford a “super fancy” site and not everyone has the knowledge, skill, or time to try and create their own. That’s where Clever Mouse steps in. If you are a small business that wants an effective, affordable website that looks good, we can help. So again, what is your company’s unique selling proposition and is it being marketed effectively? If you need help developing a USP or marketing plan, contact me. Perhaps you already have a plan in place, but aren’t seeing the results you expected. Contact me. Maybe you just have a few basic marketing questions. Contact me. I’m happy to help.

Recently, I’ve seen a surprising number of restaurants close in my area. I know the statistics - roughly 60% of restaurants fail within the first year and 90% fail within the first five years. It’s a tough industry with an enormous amount of competition. However, in this string of recent closures, it’s most surprising that these establishments seem to have nothing in common. Some were chains, others were new concepts. Some started within the last two years and others had been in business for 15+. Some served pizza, others burgers and wings, and others frozen yogurt. Even one of my favorite restaurants fell victim. I can’t say I didn’t see it coming. The place was always empty - any time of day, any day of the week. For me, this was a plus. We always sat at our favorite table, right next to the few arcade games that would keep my three-year-old entertained while I drank my 32-oz. mug of beer for $3.50. The food was delicious! It was fresh and there was a wide variety from which to choose. Even my 11-year-old loved it and she is somewhat particular. She only provides her stamp of approval to a select, lucky few. With all that being said, I always wondered why it was never busy. I didn’t understand. Good food? Check. Wide variety? Check. Good service? Check. Good atmosphere? Check. It was a sports bar, so they had lots of TV’s and entertaining decor. Also, did I mention 32-oz. beers for $3.50!? So, what went wrong? I still don’t have that answer, but it led me to assume that in an industry with lots of competition, maybe having good food at good prices just isn’t enough. I’ve scoured the web researching and gathering information from a variety of sources and other than having terrible food or terrible customer service, I think I’ve narrowed it down to a top five list of reasons restaurants fail. Owner Inexperience - According to Celebrity chef, Robert Irvine, “Potential restaurateurs do not realize or appreciate the specific set of demands that come along with owning and running a restaurant. Once realized, it is often way too late.” Running a restaurant requires managing a diverse group of people with varying skill sets, talents, and personalities. There are so many moving parts. For this reason, an inexperienced owner might start to become too focused on the small picture, which can ruin a restaurant’s chances of staying open. Experienced owners know how to delegate daily tasks and can focus on managing operations and processes for long-term success. Inadequate Accounting Systems - New restaurant owners often fail to educate themselves on the basics of restaurant accounting and have no idea how to properly manage finances. They don't know the specifics regarding food costs, labor costs, and don't closely review their P&Ls (income statements). If you don't know how much money you are spending, you can't properly price your menu, staff the correct number of employees, or create a marketing budget within your means. Location - Having a "bad location" can mean one or more of the following, little to no through traffic, limited visibility or accessibility, limited parking, or neighborhood residents/visitors that are not interested in your offerings or concept. Overspending Prior To Opening - When opening a new restaurant, the urge to splurge for the best of everything, can outweigh common sense. Most restaurants don’t start making money right away and they rely on cash reserves to cover bills and employee salaries for the first few months. If you've already overspent on equipment, upgraded finishes, or decorating, these costs might create debt that is extremely difficult or impossible to eliminate. Inconsistency - Providing delicious food and impeccable customer service once or twice is not enough. You must create an exceptional, customer experience, every-single-time. Every time a customer walks through the door of your restaurant, they are planning to spend their hard-earned money and are choosing your establishment over the competition. In return, they are expecting a memorable experience. If you are unable to consistently, meet or exceed their expectations, they will find another restaurant that is prepared to do so. There it is. The top five reasons restaurants fail, according to my research. But I want to hear from you. Are there others you feel should have made the list? What have you seen or experienced?

Web design, like most digital marketing, is really more of an art than an exact science. You can look at the metrics and analyze the data, but it requires some trial and error, minor adjustments, and a few practice drafts. However, there are techniques you can utilize that have proven effective to create your website plan and outline. Here are some tried and true tips to help you begin the process. 1. Make it user-friendly - In a world that is driven by technology, it's only natural to assume that the majority of the population is tech-savvy. This is surprisingly untrue. Some consumers are not familiar with typical website layouts (menu bar is typically in the top right corner, contact information is typically in the footer) and tend to panic when they don't immediately find the information they need. According to the Nielsen Norman Group, consumers will leave your website within 10 to 20 seconds if they don't find what they are looking for or if you don't capture their attention. Create a clear and concise navigation process that leads viewers effortlessly through your site. Keep navigation buttons clearly identifiable and obvious, while using appropriate links that allow them to quickly "read more" when they find information that interests them. 2. Write with your target market in mind - When writing any type of communication, you must consider your audience. It may be tempting to showcase your knowledge by using lots of technical jargon, but unless you are targeting other industry professionals, your readers will be lost. Use language that is clear, concise, and provides your audience with pertinent information. 3. Have a clear message - What do you want viewers to remember about your business? What is your unique selling point? As I mentioned, you only have 10-20 seconds to capture them, so what will you highlight? Are you the largest, fastest, or most cost-effective in your industry? Focus on what it is that you do best and keep the message consistent. 4. Implement Calls To Action - Now that your visitors know who you are and what you offer, what is it that you want them to do? Call to action buttons will provide them with information about next steps. Some example call-to-actions are: click for more information, download our resources, sign up for our webinar, watch the video, see pricing, call us and email us. 5. Focus on Mobile Optimization - All too often I encounter websites that look amazing on my laptop, but look terrible on my phone. So many businesses forget how important mobile optimization has become. With 95% of smart phone users searching for products and services on their phones, having a site that is fully-responsive is an absolute must. The mobile experience should greatly influence your overall design. If you need help building a website, contact me! I am happy to provide you with advice or answer any questions. If you are not the DIY-type, I would love to assist you with your site. I offer a complimentary consultation and website preview, so you can try it before you buy it!

When I was in college, one of my absolute favorite classes was International Marketing. It's a big world out there and when marketing a product globally, companies must consider differences in culture, social structure, language and education. These differences have important implications for marketing strategy. Unfortunately, marketing mistakes happen more often than you might think. Most brands can overcome their mistakes with a bit of damage control and good PR, however it can take time to rebuild your image. Let's look at some international marketing blunders by companies that had to learn the hard way. Pepsi When Pepsi entered the Chinese Market, they launched their campaign with the slogan, "Pepsi Brings You Back to Life". Unfortunately, they had a BIG language issue. They didn't realize this translated to "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Grave". The bright side is that it certainly got people's attention! That wasn't Pepsi's only blunder. They lost a lot of market share to Coke in Southeast Asia when they changed their vending machine colors from dark blue to light blue. If they would have done their research, they would have discovered light blue was associated with death and mourning in that region. Gerber When Gerber started selling their baby food in Africa, they continued to market with the same packaging used in the U.S. You know, the one with the cute baby on the front? What they didn't know is that it's frequent practice for companies in Africa to put pictures on the label of what is actually inside the packages, due to a large population of illiterate consumers. Yikes! Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "So cute, I could eat you up". Proctor & Gamble The company used a popular European commercial in Japan and it was not well-received. The commercial featured a woman bathing, when her husband enters the bathroom and touches/hugs her. Japanese consumers thought the commercial was an invasion of privacy and quite inappropriate. Coors When Coors entered the market in Spain, they saw no issue with using their slogan, "Turn it Loose". Consumers however, were not thrilled that in Spanish the advertisement read, "Suffer from Diarrhea". Perhaps they could have re-marketed as a competitor to Ex-lax? Kentucky Fried Chicken When their famous tagline "Finger-lickin Good" was translated into Chinese, it read, "Eat Your Fingers Off". Needless to say, this wasn't a hit. Further, KFC used chickens that were raised in China for their local stores. Since it's customary to raise chickens on a diet of fish in China, the taste was much different than the chicken served in the U.S. KFC actually exited the market and did not return for about a decade. Pampers When Pampers entered the market in Japan, they didn't bother to research Japanese folklore. When trying to discover why sales were so low, they found that Japanese parents were very confused by the stork on their packaging. It turns out their version of the story includes babies being delivered by giant, floating peaches. Sounds comfortable and delicious! Pepsodent When Pepsodent tried to sell their toothpaste, that promised white teeth, in Southeast Asia, they were surprised to learn that consumers weren't remotely interested. It was quite the opposite, in fact. People in this part of the world actually chew betel nuts to attempt to blacken their teeth. This habit is viewed as a high-status symbol. American Motors When the company launched a new car named "The Matador", they were confident it would be a success. Research showed the word means virility and excitement to English-speaking consumers. However, they ran into a bit of trouble when they introduced the car to Puerto Rico. They quickly learned that "Matador" was translated to "killer" in Spanish. Apparently, no one wanted to drive a car named "The Killer". Who knew? Sadly, these are just a handful of blunders from some of our favorite brands. It illustrates the importance of research, research, research! Consider all aspects of marketing your product or service, such as packaging, colors, logo, translation, and benefits to local consumers. It will be time-consuming on the front end, but will save countless dollars, unspeakable humiliation, and possible damage to brand reputation. Any other famous, marketing mistakes come to mind? Please share below!

There are a variety of factors evaluated during the consumer decision-making process. According to Deborah Sweeney with MyCorporation, “There are lots of reasons a customer could choose your business, but we found it often boiled down to three main options: customer service, competitive pricing, or the product/service itself. Of the entrepreneurs we asked, 50% think their customers choose their business due to their customer service. Product comes in second at 43%, and price was dead last at 6%.” (MyCorporation, September 2015). I agree with the results of the survey, as customer service is extremely important for small business. I believe that if you provide exceptional customer service, you have a competitive advantage, even if your competition has a slightly superior product or service. When consumers visit small businesses vs. large corporations, they are looking for a more personalized and memorable customer experience. To deliver exceptional customer service, consistency is key! Once you have completely amazed your customer, deliver this exact experience every, single time. According to Ross Beard with Client Heartbeat, “A customer might be blown head over heels by one of your team members – exceeding their expectations. The next minute, they might be given adequate service. Although the customer was happy with the adequate service, since the experience wasn’t the same as the first one, they could be left feeling unsatisfied” (Client Heartbeat, March 2014). Customer service is a process that should involve clear procedures, employee training, and management. Effective processes provide the consistency that is required. “Investment in staff is vital, but to be able to offer the best in customer service, you must also invest in the best equipment and systems. If you don't, then you're asking your staff to keep customers satisfied with one hand tied behind their backs” (Gritt, November 2012). How do you greet a customer that walks in the door? Do you offer them a beverage? Do you offer anything special for first-time guests? Each employee should be thoroughly trained on the process. How about personalization? How much do you know about your customers? Do you know their family information? Personal preferences? These are all important details that can be effectively managed by clear processes/procedures and a CRM system. Take the time to learn about your customers and when possible, build personal profiles. Train your employees to use this information to make each customer visit special. Whether it’s greeting the customer by name, remembering their favorite beverage, or suggesting new inventory items based on their individual preferences, these small gestures will quickly add up and build customer loyalty. "Finding the right systems for your business is vital. If you don't have the skills internally, consider outsourcing or recruiting an expert. You'll need to spend time working out exactly what you need for technology to support every aspect of your business and then develop a system that's customized to your needs" (Gritt, November 2012). It is important to remember that outstanding customer service is an effective marketing tool. Your customers will share their experience with friends and family (for better or worse) and if left feeling appreciated, they will encourage their networks to visit your establishment. According to Nielsen, “84% of consumers say they either completely or somewhat trust recommendations from family, colleagues, and friends about products and services – making these recommendations the highest ranked source for trustworthiness” (Nielsen, September 2013). The hardest part of growing a business is getting customers in the door. With remarkable customer service, your current customers will use their influence to do the hard work for you. This leaves you with time to focus on fine-tuning your procedures, so that you can really “wow” new customers when given the opportunity. As they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.