Dear Broker, here are your updates for this week...

M a r k e t i n g  t i p
Little changes can lead to huge results for you

The big win might be right under your nose. The next great idea might be a little tweak. Marketers in the equipment leasing industry and others have time and again experienced dramatic improvement in results with small, seemingly insignificant alterations to the marketing they are already doing.

The importance of a "slight" improvement in the results of your marketing depends on what you consider to be slight. Take for instance an ad in one of the major trucking or construction equipment magazines. The circulation of those publications can be tens of thousands of readers. So improving from a 0.1% response rate to 0.2% can mean dozens of new leads. A small improvement in the click-through rate of your online marketing is very similar. Going from a 4.0% to a 4.1% click-through rate may mean dozens more visitors to your site, and therefore more leads. A small change can generate these levels of small increases, which can have a tremendous impact on the results.

What do you see in marketing materials for other industries that just might work in ours? For example, realtors these days are putting their own photograph on everything from their yard signs to their business cards. Print ads for consulting services that appear in general business magazines are showing the same trend - a photograph of the experts and/or consultants. In the world of business models, are realtors and business consultants that different from you? Have you tried this new trick on your Web site or in your ads? What other common tactics do see in similar industries?

Online marketing experts perhaps enjoy the greatest benefit (and convenience) of testing small changes. Changing the layout of e-mails and Web pages can jump conversion rates by double-digit percentages. Adding a simple security logo to your online application can boost the percentage of visitors who complete the application. Putting text to the effect of "we will not sell or lend your contact information" can increase the number of people willing to apply or request more information online. Perhaps the best sandbox for tinkering with little changes is online keyword advertising. Little things like what letters you capitalize can make a difference that adds up over time - and costs you nothing!

The important thing is to keep testing changes. Some will work, some will not. Perhaps one of the changes suggested in this article or another idea will have a big impact for you. When was the last time you changed the location of the elements on your homepage? How many variations of your online ads are you testing? (Hint: you should never just have one variation of an online ad.) What seems to be working for realtors, travel agents and independent insurance agents that may be worth trying? A little tweak to what you are already doing usually will not cost you anything, but it may make a big difference in the returns on your marketing investments. 

S a m p l e  d e a l  o f  t h e  w e e k
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