Peek into just about any business-related Facebook and I bet my morning croissant you’ll see questions like: “What’s the best email platform?” and “MailChimp or Constant Contact or Active Campaign or what??” and even “Help! How do I set up abandoned cart emails? Please help!” (note the heavy use of exclamation marks). Now, while ‘best’ is subjective and dependent on a whole range of factors, I’m going to go out on a limb and say: If you’re a small- to medium- sized online store, MailChimp is your best option Big call, right? And before I go any further, let me say there are other email platforms out there that are just fine for online stores. But MailChimp has been working hard to create the features ecommerce brands need to grow and communicate with [...]

Alright, you’ve just spent hundreds for a stand at a weekend market, fair or expo. You made a lots of sales, (yay!). Plus a heap of people added themselves to your email list. Double yay! "But what now?" I hear you asking. "What should I do to turn those people into paying customers?" Well, this post is all about turning that initial email into a great first impression (and, eventually, a paying customer). But first, a little story. The dating analogy Remember back to the last time someone asked you out in person (does that still happen?). You made a connection, said yes to a date and waited for the follow-up. You were intrigued, and perhaps a little excited. But then the follow up comes and it’s a vague mention of going out for [...]