Posts by David Cross
How do you get rid of excess spam?
I get tons of unsolicited e-mail, often the same message from many (20-25) people. Most of these are sex-related, with NO unsubscribe link. There are also lots of other e-mails that are not similar, but mostly sex-related (although there are a few about real estate, vitamins, software, and anything else you can think of). I get between 200 and 400 a day, which makes it difficult to conduct my business…
Read MoreThe Paradox of Choice, or All I Wanted Was a Loaf of Bread
“If you can find bread, buy it!” My friend’s advice seemed almost comical as we sipped tea and enjoyed scones, strawberry jam, and cream on a fine spring day in 1990 in Bristol, England…
Read MoreEntrepreneurial Lessons From The Blue Whale
The first day, our new restaurant was jam-packed. People queued up to sample the food, and we immediately made a profit. We had an incredible chef, and the waiters were efficient and always full of alacrity. The restaurant thrived that whole summer, and our reputation spread across town.
Read MoreHow to Use E-Mail Vacation Messages
You’re probably familiar with the idea of using an automated e-mail response to inform people that you’re away on vacation.
Read MoreI Shot the Serif
Which group of fonts is better for online marketing efforts: Times, Palatino, and Bembo? Or Verdana, Helvetica, and Arial?
Read MoreA Dollar Saves the Day
I’d lost $8,000 and neither the sending nor the receiving bank knew where it was. Lost in the banking ether between Florida and Edinburgh. “It’s up to the sending bank, we haven’t received it,” said the receiving bank. “We’ve sent it. It’s up to the receiving bank,” said the sending bank.
“Where on earth is my money!” I said.
Read MoreYour Time Is Valuable
Time and multitasking. Potentially a ball and chain to every entrepreneur. Just how many plates can you spin on sticks before they start to topple or you start to perform at less than your peak mental and physical level? Yet many entrepreneurs find delegating or outsourcing tasks difficult. We think nobody can do it as…
Read MoreRighting Copywrongs
Keep in mind that there is nothing you can do to stop anyone from copying your website or other digital content. However, there are a number of things you can do to prevent them from actually publishing what they plagiarized. In some cases, you can even close them down.
Read MoreA Traveling Salesman Finally Arrives at Home
For as long as I can remember, there’s been a fundamental problem with running pretty much any business. Finally, we’ve figured out the solution. In the old days, it was known as the “traveling salesman problem.” You see, a salesman needs to visit a number of geographically disparate cities. The problem – known in mathematics as a problem of combinatorial optimization – is how to visit all of the locations in the least amount of time.
Read MoreAre My Great Expectations Just Wonky?
Studies by experts such as Dr. Jakob Nielsen have shown that when software or websites “break,” many users blame themselves. “It must be something I did,” customers think. And then they give up on the task in hand, which, if it is spending money on your site, isn’t good for you.
Read MoreMake Way for Life Happens
Life happens – and it often gets in the way. But how many websites actually take that fact into consideration?
Read MoreIs Your Client Relationship Worth a Cup of Coffee?
One of the great sales directors with whom I worked many years ago gave me a simple tip: “If you buy a client a cup of coffee, never, ever, ever ask for a receipt.”
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