FEATURES

• How to Advertise
  In a Recession
• Help Us Help You:
  Maximizing Results
  with Yodle

BITS & BYTES

• Introducing
  Yodle Submit
• Customers Rule!

CEO Welcome

At Yodle, we work with small businesses in hundreds of industries and cities across the country and many of you have been asking what you can do to make the most of your advertising dollars during these tough economic times. The truth is, in a down economy various forms of advertising can make your business thrive - including making sure you are getting the most out of your partnership with Yodle. This newsletter is meant to help you do just that.

As always, if you feel we can be doing anything more to improve your results with Yodle, or simply want to share a success story, please don't hesitate to contact me directly at cunningham@yodle.com.

Regards and much success,

Court Cunningham
Chief Executive Officer
Yodle, Inc.

How To Advertise in a Recession

Challenging economic times are causing small businesses to look closely at how they can best reach potential customers - and get the biggest bang for their buck. Here's some advice from our experts on what advertisers can do in a recession:

1. Do what you know works.
   When every penny counts, online advertising is more practical than any other kind of marketing effort. And with 74% of consumers searching online for local services, yet only 3% of marketing budgets being spent online, (according to a recent Nielsen study) there is a largely untapped source of new business out there. Plus, in a recession you want to know the ROI for every penny you spend (the vague metrics you get with print advertising no longer cut it). With online advertising, your results are more transparent than ever, and everything - yes, everything - becomes measurable. This gives you the power to fine-tune your advertising, the ability to stretch your spend, and the confidence you need to ride out the economic storm until the dark clouds pass.

2. Satisfied customers are repeat customers.
   No matter the size of your business, the value of proactive outreach to your customer base can never be underestimated. In fact, it costs 4x less to up-sell existing customers than it costs to attract new ones. To keep your customers satisfied, and sell more services, try one or more of these proven tactics:

   Newsletters. Whether in print or email form, newsletters allow you to connect with customers on an ongoing basis, while promoting your services at the same time. Most people rely on newsletters as an information source, and are often stimulated to action as a result of what they read.

   Surveys. Whether you ask for personal information or solicit comments on what you can do better, customer surveys designed to enhance satisfaction are critical components of any successful relationship-building effort.

   Thank-you messages. In a competitive environment, customer appreciation is essential. Thank-you messages have become a staple of many of the leading reward programs - and something you should consider every time customers give you business.
   
   Constant Contact offers an easy to use tool to send newsletters, survey's and Thank You messages.

3. Always ask for the referral!
   One fast and easy way of getting new customers is through referrals from your existing ones. Typically, referral programs provide service credits as an incentive to those clients who send you new business - and are proven to lift response rates significantly. Here are a few things to keep in mind when putting together your referral program:

   Send every satisfied customer an email or letter that describes your program in particular: "Everyone you refer will receive a certificate for 10% off their first service... as soon as that certificate is redeemed, we'll apply a $100 service credit to your account."

   Mail a description of your referral program to past clients, too, to see if you can rekindle those relationships. And lastly, reach out with a referral program mailing every 90 days or so. This will be a steady reminder, without seeming overwhelming.

In short, while advertising can be expensive, and the temptation to cut costs strong, there is real opportunity to cash in on new business, and have it multiply simply by keeping in touch.

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HELP US HELP YOU:

Maximizing Results with Yodle

Okay, so you're on the phone with your Yodle Interactive Marketing Specialist, and here come those same questions. Why do we keep asking this stuff? Surely the answers don't really affect your Internet marketing, right? Wrong. Here's why our frequently asked questions are important to your bottom line.

• "Have you logged in and rated your leads?"
  As a Yodle client, this is one of the most important things you can do. The more feedback you can give us on the leads you're getting, the better the leads we can generate moving forward. With just a little information about the kind of business you're closing, our patent-pending bidding system and expert Internet Marketing Specialists will be able to deliver you more highly qualified inquiries.

• "Are you currently running a promotion?"
  When we ask this question, we're looking for ways to differentiate you from your competitors. Many times this comes in the form of a discount - a dollars-off or percentage-off promotion. But this isn't the only tactic we can take. Do you offer free estimates? Have you been in business longer than your competitors? Do you offer a value-added service that your competitors don't? Or do you just need ideas? Don't hesitate to ask - that's what we're here for!

• Do you have any testimonials or photos of your work?
  Photos of your work and testimonials from your customers lend credibility to you and your company. Featuring these elements on your website can make the difference between a site visitor calling or not. It's also important to keep this kind of third-party content updated. People will return to your site often - so let's not greet them with stale information.

Hopefully, this lends a little insight into your Interactive Marketing Specialist's thinking. At the end of the day, no one knows your business like you do - and no one knows online advertising like the experts at Yodle. We're marketing partners. So let's put our heads together to make your program even more successful!

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