The document discusses how businesses can improve their marketing strategies and response rates during turbulent economic times. It recommends using intelligent personalized uniform resource locators (PURLs) to build personalized relationships with customers and drive them to the company website. By capturing customer information on the website and sending relevant follow-up communications across multiple channels, businesses can improve conversion rates from 1% to closer to 10-12 touchpoints. The key is understanding individual customer preferences and allowing them to control the buying process through opting into communications on their own schedule.

1. Intelligent PURLs Increase Response, Improve Conversion Presentation to CADM IMX09 May 5, 2009 Written by Steve Theriault, Chief Marketing Officer, Quantum Group

2. Marketing in turbulent times. Today’s Intelligent PURL case study will showcase how to grow and thrive in a turbulent economy by leveraging creative marketing strategies, PURL technology and brand building print techniques.

3. Yesterday’s economy. Grow. Or die.

4. Today’s economy. Survive. Or thrive.

5. Success today = positive ROI, response and conversion rates. ROI is most important today. Typical direct mail response: 1% Percent of website visitors that become customers: 1% What happens when you drive direct mail prospects to the company website? Nothing. Is this your formula for success?

6. Are you managing ROI? How? Do you have a system in place to measure and track results? Does it provide real-time results? A customizable reporting system? If you’re not measuring and tracking results, you can’t manage ROI ! Therefore, you MUST embrace new direct marketing strategies and technology. Are you satisfied with your results?

7. Is your process Spray & Pray or Market, Measure, Manage ? Too many marketing messages: Consumers are bombarded with 3,000 a day, on average only 80 are noticed, and 10 or less are responded to. A lack of trust by prospects during the marketing and sales process. The customer is in control of the marketing and sales process because of the Internet. Why are results so poor?

8. The key to success: understand how INDIVIDUAL customers prefer to buy. 72% want to receive direct mail to initiate a new business contact. DO NOT telemarket (National Do Not Call List), Caller ID. DO NOT spam (32 billion worldwide spams). 42% prefer to visit a website after receiving a direct mail piece, rather than talking to someone to learn more or register for something. After prospects are comfortable with the relationship, they will opt-in and become when they are ready. How do prospects want to BUY today?

9. Multi-touch across multi-channel programs with a PURL website at the center of all direct marketing tactics. In the 1980s and 1990s it took 4-5 sales calls to convert a prospect into a new customer…today, it’s closer to 10-12 sales touch points. How do you improve ROI and results?

10. Understand your customer is an individual with personal buying preferences, not a mass or segmented market. Therefore, identify their personal buying preferences and communicate relevant solutions and offers. Develop a personalized one-to-one relationship during the marketing process, based on trust. Provide interesting and valuable products, information and offers that enrich the quality of your prospects’ lives as it RELATES TO YOUR BRAND. Over time, prospects will enjoy the relationship and opt-in as a customer when they are ready. How do you convert prospects into customers?

11. What are the most profitable direct marketing strategies today? Capture contact information for as many company website visitors as possible. Why? 70% are interested in your company, but 50% leave within 8 seconds because they don’t see immediate benefits to their individual needs. And, only 1% become customers.

12. How to succeed in turbulent times: 5 strategies for success. Create a positive ROI, improve response and conversion rates. Accelerate, automate and integrate the direct marketing and response process. Build a powerful brand. Leverage Intelligent PURLs to build personalized one-to-one relationships based on trust. Communicate relevant marketing messages, gather information about personal buying preferences, and allow prospects / customers to be in control of the sales process. Develop multi-touch across multi-channel direct programs with a relationship-building PURL website and Campaign Manager technology at the center of every direct tactic.