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Newsletter #815: The “Small Changes, Big Results” Issue

[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.]

Tiny tweaks, little adjustments, and small ideas can lead to big things. Check out how a few smart marketers are doing it:

1> Send a preview
2> Get rid of the long lines
3> Make it easy to read
4> Check it out: Supercook

1> Send a preview

Before you launch that next big campaign, try giving your current customers and fans a preview of it. Catalog company Miles Kimball found that by simply sending an email a day or two before their printed catalogs landed in mailboxes, they could boost response and revenue by up to 20 percent. This simple tweak to their mailing process means customers now anticipate the catalog — and that means more of them are being saved and read instead of being tossed.

The lesson: Just before you hit the “go” button on that next big project, ask yourself if your fans would benefit from a quick preview.

Learn more: Direct Magazine

2> Get rid of the long lines

Anyone who has ever shopped during the holidays knows what a hassle the long lines can be. But Old Navy added a simple tweak that proves it doesn’t have to be that way: mobile checkout. Using an iPod Touch, their cashiers can ring you up, print a receipt, and can even handle returns from anywhere in the store. This small idea of losing the traditional cash register is leading to big things for store layouts and shopping efficiency.

The lesson: What simple tweak could you change to make it easier for customers to give you money?

Learn more: Fast Company

3> Make it easy to read

The fastest way to achieve big results with small changes is to find ways to simplify things. It works for your messaging, your rules, and, as one study proved, even your fonts. Research by Hyunjin Song and Norbert Schwarz demonstrated that people estimate instructions to be twice as difficult to perform when written in a fancy, complicated font versus a simple font. This means that without changing any copy or design, you can dramatically improve conversion rates and make your readers much more likely to take action by simply making it easier to read.

The lesson: Is there a quick change you can do to make it easier for users to better understand what you’re saying?

Learn more: Neuromarketing

4> Check it out: Supercook

If you’re feeling hungry, wanting to cook, and just don’t want to leave the house to pick up supplies — try Supercook. Just open your fridge, enter what ingredients you have on hand, and Supercook will tell you what your options are.

Check it out: Supercook

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