Can you explain why Dell's so shy about being green with Dell 1700 laser printer toner?

Pretend you know nothing about Dell 1700 laser printers and you are tasked with getting three toner cartridges. Dashing off to Dell's site find the printer model and the toner cartridges. Just add them to the cart and away you go right? Wait there are two cartridges for your printer, which one do you choose?

One is a full thirty seven dollars cheaper. That's almost enough to buy the 3 you need and get a 4th free. Think of what accounting would say! You would be the hero of the office. But what if you made the wrong choice?

There just is not enough information in the brief product description. What is this “Use and Return” thing on the cheaper product? Has it been used and returned? Can it be the same if it's cheaper? Is this a pricing mistake (the order you need might get canceled). Is this a deal or a dud?

You click the link to the product descriptions but they are Java script based so you can't put them into tabs for easy comparison. “Use and Return assures environmentally sound recycling of used toner cartridges.” Does that mean I pay less for making an environmentally sound purchase? Cool. But is it as new and good like the other one? Uncertainty ensures. A sale of three toner cartridges is lost.

Here's one solution.
Instead of just adding one line to the Use and Return toner cartridge product description state the benefit and explain the process as they did in their FAQ.

“Use and Return, Dell's toner cartridge return program, is easy-to-use and avoids rebate hassles by providing a 23-27 percent on the purchase price of toner cartridges. When your cartridge is empty, return it to Dell in our postage-free packaging. We'll ensure that they empties are properly recycled and kept out of landfills.”

Serviceable but here's a possible improvement.

“This new cartridge comes with full warranty! Use and Return, Dell's toner cartridge return program provides a 23-27 percent savings on toner cartridges. When your cartridge is empty, return it to Dell using the included postage-paid packaging. Use and Return, ensuring your empties are properly recycled.”*

Final Thoughts

If you reward customers with savings for making an environmentally friendly choice be proud and say so.

When people are not confident they may use price to decide quality.

Careful this contrast principle might also lead to doubts and a cancelled purchase. If the price difference is large you might lose a sale.

If you have similar products make it easy to compare.

Provide enough information to help your customers be confident in their purchases.

What do you think? Could you solved this problem another way? Post a reply.

*This assumes the cartridge is new. Truth be told I am still not sure. Perhaps it is new and like most printer manufactures Dell just wants to get the cartridges back so they can recycle the components (and keep you from refilling them).

Tungle.com Secrets of Successful Home & Contact Page Design

Tungle.com (Canadian startup focused on solving the challenges of meeting scheduling) announced today that they secured 1.5 million dollars in venture financing from two prominent venture funds. Even before the deal Tungle was on my radar because I wanted a solid example of a startups root and contact page. Here are successful page and site elements every startup should consider.

Placement

Where you put your contact page link on the root page directly influences the paths your customers take. That “about us page” is often a poor choice for prime real estate at the top of your page. The majority of first time visitors do not care about you. It's what you can do for them that counts. Put your ego and corporate history aside and showcase your product or service instead.

Tungle executes on this maxim and places the “about us” and “contact us” links are at the bottom of the homepage. Many would call this heresy but there is a valid reason for this design decision. The links that are prominent at the top tell us about their product and company. Both are made accessible to the average person. Each page is purposeful and (aside from the “Blog” page) make it easy to “sign up” for their beta and view a “flash demo” explaining the concepts and showing the product in action. These options are not forced, just present, allowing the viewer to learn about Tungle and take action when they are ready.

A One Stop Contact Page

Click the “contact us” link at the bottom. You are rewarded with a real contact page. Use snail mail? No problem. Need directions so you can get there for a job interview, or investors meeting? That's covered too. So are contact points for Customer Care, Company Info, Press & Media, Partnerships and Careers at Tungle. Got a problem with the website just email the webmaster. No surveys or veiled list building schemes here. Just like their product they want to help you get things done and facilitate the process.

The Tungle website is far from perfect. It does take a detour from the average poorly thought out dot com business site. It answers questions and demonstrates a corporate mindset. Like Tungle it cuts through the clutter typically associated with businesses as usual.

Final Thoughts

Startups are notorious for hiding their contact info making journalists covering the sector work much harder than they should to make contact. These are launched companies who want publicity but fail to act like it. Inform and convert without bogging the user down like so many sites do. Consider implementing similar elements in your website designs.

Many are now talking about the company and their product Tungle. Next Monday I will too. I welcome your comments on this post.

Oneupweb Swami Advertising Comment

You OneUpWeb people are SEO pros!

The podcast with the Global Screw & Fastener Company sure helped illustrate exactly why corps should use SEO and SEM services from businesses like your firm. It was fun and educational too.

How you use that character to slip in that Oneupweb “was around before Google.” Fantastic! You really demonstrate how to market with your podcast. While your content and marketing were great, I want to talk to you about my first attempt to contact your firm. Your swami ads over on MarketingVOX provided my first impression of your company.

Is the inability to click your corporate name or logo at the bottom of your page at http://www.oneupweb.com/landing/marketingvox/swami/index.htm?source=marketingvox_swami_336x280
intentional? Other similar elements on your corporate homepage ARE clickable.

While it's generally a good idea to limit options on a squeeze/landing page, (because it increases conversion rates) was that omission really your intent?

What if I need more than a swami to convince my boss about the importance of SEO and SEM? He called me into his office to look at it after frustration had set in. "Why won't our tubes work like they should?" Furious alternate finger clicking noises resonated from his mouse. He was getting mad and with his arthritic hands, well you can at understand. "Why can't I click this button thing or their company name. Why won't it click?" I told my boss I'd look into it. He left me to "work on it" after closing his Flight Simulator window.

Anyways ...

Perhaps someone overlooked it? In the infinite amount of excellent work that you do on behalf of clients something small like this could have been overlooked. It's possible right? Kind of like how the shoemaker's children go with no shoes. Or how it's the maids house that's the messiest. In your zeal to help others you sometimes suffer from self neglect.

I really wanted to help by providing feedback so I remove the tracking code /landing/marketingvox/swami/index.htm? source=marketingvox_swami_336x280 part of the url and go to your site.

Now I want to provide you with feedback. I look for a way to do so. Oh look a contact page! So I click on your contact link and am greeted by this ...

“Contact us. We'll both learn something.”

Wow. You actually want my comments. Unlike so many other companies you value my opinion. You guys rock! Listening to people is always good in my books.

But wait! I have to fill out a load of fields to make a comment? Come on I just want to send one of your webwranglers a quick heads up about the ad before some other boss pulls his hair and gets all red in the face.

“Bold fields are required.”

There are 10 fields with bold descriptors beside them. 11 fields including the opt in for more info. Query: If it's bold is it really an opt in or are you forcing me to sign up? You did say “Bold fields are required” right?

Do I want or even have to give this much of my personal and corporate info before I send a comment or ask a technical question?

Boy this is harder than I thought it would be. I am just trying to help and now not totally positive that I should.

Bah never mind.

A company older than Google must know online UI and website development better than lil ol me. After your presentation on how design, IT, marketing and SEO work together, surely your corp practices what it evangelizes. My boss must be wrong about your logo and name not being linked to your site.

Instead I will post this on my new blog so that people can comment.

It took me filling in less than 8 fields to create this blog. No additional personal information either. I am not even worried that this might create a crisis for you. After all you can always follow your own advice in your free white paper Principles of Crisis Management in a Viral Age

P.S.
I didn't call your toll free phone number plastered all over your site because I didn't want you to incur phone charges, burden your busy employees.

Besides reading that dreadfully long URL over the phone would have sucked.
---
Note: While presented largely in jest, the above issues really did result from an actual attempt to contact Oneupweb today about one of their advertisements and their contact page. If they look into it, the web would that much better. There are some other glitches but most web designers aren't perfect.

For the record you really should look at the next One For the Money podcast. The topic of that show "The Paid Assassin" strikes a chord with many.

For example...

Right now Marc Bissonnette is suffering from paid online reputation assassination of both his businesses CanadaISP.com , Internalysis.com and person. They have even taken things offline calling the local police department, news media, clients etc. It's a real mess and something that every business should be wary of and learn how to deal with. Anyone can be a victim.

If that next podcast is anything like the first one it will be of great value to business.