Douglas Karr's Articles on Martech Zone
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Email Marketing & Automation
When will CAN-SPAM evolve past email?
The FTC has shut down quite a few spammers lately. Spam is still a huge issue, I get hundreds of messages a day. I could filter the emails (I used to use MailWasher) but gave up. There are other alternatives – using a SPAM service that requires each person get authorized to email me, but I like being accessible. Now…
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E-commerce and Retail
Window Wars… Location, Location, Location
Location plays a crucial role in the success of retail businesses. Factors like foot traffic, visibility, accessibility, and demographics can greatly influence a store’s performance. Here are some key points and statistics on the impact of location and the role of windows and showcasing in retail: Foot traffic: Stores in high-traffic areas, such as busy streets, shopping centers, or tourist…
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Brain Exercise – and a little about Doug
One of the things that I love best about the web is that it crosses the line between art and programming. In my high school years, I was an avid artist… always drawing something somewhere. In my senior year, I took some college courses in Industrial Drafting. The drafting took a little bit of the freedom out of my pencil,…
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Google Adsense for Search: Embed Results in WordPress
While I did quite a bit of template work on WordPress this weekend, I saw a note about embedding your Google Adsense for Search results within your Search Results page. This is pretty simple if you have a static website, but working within WordPress it’s a little more difficult. Thankfully, Google did a nice job (as usual) with writing some…
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Content Marketing
My Blog is Better Than 99.86% of All Other Blogs!
Today, I read a great post on Blog Burnout from a colleague. It got me wondering where all this blogging stuff is getting me. I am not thinking of ending my blogging; no chance of that! I love it too much (and I mean too much!). Unfortunately, I may not be that good – it depends on how you view…
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Content Marketing
Understanding Tag Clouds: Enhancing User Experience and Content Strategy
Tag clouds are a visually appealing and effective way to display the most frequently used tags or keywords on a website. They provide a quick overview of the site’s main topics, making it easier for visitors to navigate and find content that interests them. Moreover, tag clouds are a valuable tool for website editors to ensure their content stays on…
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Marketing Books
Gapingvoid: The Long Tail? Or The Short Tail and the Pile of Bodies…
My friend and colleague Hugh MacLeod has emerged as a true innovator, transforming simple business cards into canvases that convey powerful business and cultural insights. His venture, gapingvoid, bridges art with corporate strategy, offering a fresh perspective on workplace motivation, leadership, and change. Hugh’s art, characterized by its humor and sharp critique of corporate life, has a unique way of…
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Social Media & Influencer Marketing
The Power of Exceptional Customer Service: Building Reputation and Driving Business Growth
Businesses often focus heavily on sales, marketing strategies, viral content, and online presence to attract customers. However, one fundamental aspect that can significantly impact a company’s reputation and success is often overlooked: simple customer service. This article explores how great customer service can make or break your online reputation and provides insights on leveraging it to drive business growth. The…
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Sales and Marketing Training
It’s Not The Effort That Amazes People
As with much technology, developing artificial intelligence (AI) is far more advanced and intricate than end-users realize. It’s not just utilizing a ton of computing power to target historical data to make predictions. It’s testing and iterating through multiple models. The ability to identify outlying data and either ignore it or focus on it, and the ability to scale these…
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Marketing Books
It’s Not Their Fault. It’s Yours
I am again in the middle of a book binge, with four on my plate right now. I picked up Small is the New Big, by Seth Godin this weekend. I’m already enjoying it, although Mr. Godin took me by surprise. Had I read more about the book, I would have noticed that the material is a compilation of his…
