Golden Leads

Is the security software that protects against malware and spyware by quarantining Internet sessions from the rest of the system destined for Google’s toolbar?

Google is adding an antivirus and anti-spam solution to its arsenal with the acquisition of GreenBorder Technologies Inc.

Google did not return press inquiries by deadline but GreenBorder, a Mountain View, Calif.-based security company, posted a statement on its Web site, telling users that it has been bought by Google. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Thanks to The Email Wars for this great article.

Feedburner, one of the earliest players in the RSS world and one of the most well known, was recently purchased by Google.

You can read the first-hand account in the official Feedburner blog.

This is a huge endorsement for RSS.

Between Microsoft’s strong support for RSS in Outlook and Vista, coupled with Google’s endorsement of RSS via FeedBurner, this exciting new medium is going to see a surge of attention and usage in the coming year.

Thanks to Email Marketing Strategy from Silverpop CEO Bill Nussey for this great article.

We all know that our biggest clients are not always our more loyal ones, so the question I am often faced with is, how do you grow revenue long term?

• Make it easy to interact with your brand - Whether I am shopping, finding the information I am looking for, signing up for your email, or creating an account - a website should be simple and clear.

• Ask Me - When I sign up or create an account, so many companies don’t ask me what I like, but a lot of companies the do ask don’t listen.
• Immediate communication - Send me an email right after I sign up. Let me know you are out there and you want to know me. Nothing is more frustrating than making the decision to give you my personal information and for me not to know if you even got it.
• Be Gracious / thank you - My mother always to told me to be polite and a simple thank you can go a long way. If your corporate direction is discounting, send me a coupon, if it is value, reaffirm why I signed up.
• Show them you care - Let me know that you value me and my time. If I am going to spend a good amount of my time with you and your brand, you should show me how important that is to you.
• Don’t smother me - You can turn into a clingy girlfriend quick (Red Envelope). Consider your frequency, and don’t watch EVERY move I make, or at least don’t let me know you are watching.
• You are part of a group - Everyone likes to be part of the group, part of something bigger than just themselves. Online community is great but it does not need to be complex to feel like you are part of the master plan.
• Make “joining” attainable - Marketers feel that once you reach “customer nirvana” then they will reward you with a great gift. Think of it this way: If you dangle the carrot and let the customer take a bite every once in awhile, they will walk a lot further than if they never taste it.
• Speak to me - I am a person, talk to me as one.

Thanks to Return on Subscriber for this great article.

While every marketer strives to create a positive customer experience, not every business is built on a model of delivering nirvana. For example, when was the last time you heard of a positive experience with an auto insurance claim?

Recently a friend of mine was side-swiped in his car by a taxi driver. He sustained no bodily damage, but his Lexus wasn’t so lucky. The misfortune of the evening was compounded by his apprehension of what was certain to be a time-wasting ordeal in dealing with the insurance company and body shop.

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I have long been a fan of the design talent of Mindcomet based in Florida. Not only this newsletter, but all of their sites, blogs, pod casts and more are truly doing it right. They are an agency that I would really like to salute for not only doing email right, but getting it right time and time again.

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As a citizen of the Shoe Capital of the world, Portland, Oregon, (Nike, Adidas, Keen, Doc Martens, LaCrosse Footwear, AndOne , Columbia and more) I have been a long time email subscriber to Nike.com. I have always been amazed with the lack luster approach they have had to using email but now it seems they are on it. And just doing it very well.

I purchase shoes online for gifts for those that run in my family and I thought that maybe after all the purchases I would get more emails, nope. Over the past few years I have actually been sent only a handful. Now they are taking it to a new level and really doing a great job at it.

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