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In this newsletter:
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CU Village recently redesigned and redeveloped Firelands FCU's Web site using our Content Management System. Take a look by clicking on the image above!
Reminder: Free CMS Training Available
Need a little more training on our Content Management System (CMS)? Our CU Village project managers are conducting free CMS training sessions every other Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET. Each session will last approximately an hour to an hour and half.
How to Participate
We’ll conduct each session as an InterCall Web Meeting, which requires log-in information for participants. If you’d like to sign up for a session please e-mail either training@cu-village.com or ticket@cu-village.com. To ensure that you receive the log-in information in time to join the session, please contact us by Noon ET the day prior to the training session.
Training Dates
Mark your calendar! The upcoming CMS training dates are:
- June 19
- July 3
- July 17
- July 31
- August 7
- August 21
You’re welcome to participate in more than one session. Our goal is to provide the information you need to use the CMS as efficiently as possible. So, if you need to brush up on a feature, or a new hire needs to become acquainted with the CMS, join in!
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It's All in How You Ask
Exploring the types of questions you can use in an online survey
When it comes to your members, how you ask a question will determine what kind of answer you receive. In the case of online surveys, the goal is to ask questions that will help you get responses that are truly useful and that you can take action on.
You have a number of question types to choose from when creating an online survey. Each type has its own benefits (and in some cases, drawbacks), so consider the possibilities before deciding which ones you want to use. And remember that a good survey has a mix of question types. Even if one type is your favorite, your respondents will get bored answering the same type of question again and again. Engage them by using a variety of the following question types. (It’s simple to do when you use Listen Up! Survey from Constant Contact!)
Single-Select Multiple Choice – This type allows the respondent to pick one answer from a provided list. This format works well if you ask a question to which there can be only one answer, such as age, birth date, and gender. The other ideal situation for this question type is when you want to force them to commit to one thing. A single-choice option compels them to identify their top priority. See the example below.
Example: Which is the most important consideration when selecting a credit union?
- Location
- Rates
- ATM availability
- Member service
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Multi-Select Multiple Choice – This question type permits the respondent to select all the answers that apply. (Make sure to indicate that expectation in the instructions.) The benefit of this format is that the respondent can tell you all of the options they are familiar with. Also, it's wise to include an "Other" option in this type of multiple choice question along with a text box to see what you missed. (The box will appear automatically when using Constant Contact.) You may find that there is another important category you didn't think of.
Example: Which of the following products and services do you use? Select all that apply.
- Direct deposit
- Christmas Club account
- Debit / ATM card
- Telephone Teller
- Other: ____________
Rate Item(s) on a Scale – Questions with a rating scale measure the participant's feelings about one or more items, for example your newsletter, your credit union's member service, or your Web site. The scale offers a range of statements from which the respondents select their feelings, from strong satisfaction to strong dissatisfaction. These measurements are widely used and are helpful for getting feedback about individual items.
Example: Please rate your satisfaction with our member service.
Extremely Satisfied - Somewhat Satisfied - Neutral - Somewhat Dissatisfied - Extremely Dissatisfied
Rank Items Numerically – This question type asks the respondent to take a group of items (for example, products, services, and factors that go into the decision-making process) and put them into an ordered list with the first item being most important and the last item the least important. The list does not indicate the distance between the ranking numbers or the intensity of them, but it does help you to understand your members’ priorities or preferences.
Example: Please rank the following newsletter topics in order of importance, with 1 being most important.
- Loan rates
- New services
- Member events
- Financial seminars
- Youth financial literacy
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Open-ended text – These questions are a great way to understand what respondents are really thinking. Because open-ended questions don't offer a list of choices and respondents can reply using their own words, you will get a response that is not influenced by your approach or mindset to the topic. The positive responses you receive can be used as testimonials (with the permission of your member) on your Web site or in brochures. A word of caution with open-ended questions: use them sparingly. The answers are much more difficult to quantify than the others covered in this article.
Example: How has using our credit union helped you achieve financial security?
A successful survey starts with determining your goals and what it is you want to learn. The next step is to write questions and choose the question types that will give you the knowledge you seek. Weigh the choices and consider which will give you better insight, not necessarily more information. |
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FAQs about the Elements Email Design from the Design Experts at Constant Contact
Don Lutkus and Sally Moren work together on Constant Contact's marketing and advertising creative. Combined, they have more than 40 years of experience in design and creative strategy—and they offer these answers to frequently asked questions about the key elements of design. These tips will come in handy—especially when you use Speak Up! Email Marketer by Constant Contact!
Q: How would you describe a well-designed email campaign?
A: It's easy to read, it's simply designed, it's scannable, and it's professional looking. Also, it should be inviting and professional, represent your company, and show your members that you value them.
Q: You hear a lot about white space. What is it and why is it important?
A: It's a resting place for your eye. It's a part of the design and it helps the reader. If your email is completely filled, it's just visual noise; the person experiencing the communication doesn't know where to look. You use white space to create pauses between different elements on the page.
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Q: How much copy should an email have?
A: Exactly how much copy it takes to get your reader to do whatever it is you want them to do, and not any more. For instance, longer copy can work for a newsletter, because the reader is expecting to learn something new. Shorter, more promotional copy works when you're trying to create action, like making a sale or inviting someone to an event. And remember, with each moment your reader is making a decision whether to abandon your message or not. Keep the "1-5-10" rule in mind. The reader will definitely give you one second; if you pass, they may give you five seconds, and then if they're really interested they'll give you ten seconds.
Q: What about fonts? How many should you use?
A: Limit the number of fonts you use as a means of keeping the communication easy to read. Make sure that the fonts you use are very legible, not fancy or distracting. And limit headline fonts to a single style. With everything that I design, I first put all the copy in the exact same font and the exact same size, and then I go back and create emphasis with font size.
Q: How should you use color?
A: Color supports your brand so use color consistently from one piece to another. And again, keep it simple! My favorite metaphor for color is a cooking one. When you cook, you open up your spice drawer. Just because you've got every spice in the drawer, do you use every spice? No, you use a little bit here and a little bit there, just to add a little flavor. And that's how it is with design, you want to use colors for a little bit of flavor.
Use color for emphasis. Use it to call attention to an offer or a call to action. If you use a very different color than what you have in the rest of the email, there is a dissonance that happens in the brain of the reader that says, "Oh, this one's different," and their eye goes there to see what's going on.
You want your communication to look inviting, but it doesn't have to be screaming color. And remember warm colors are inviting, those are your reds and golds. And cools like blues and greens are soothing. Also, what about your brand? Are you particular about your brand colors? Are you trying to make it so every time someone sees your logo and your colors they think of you?
Q: That brings up a good question. Do all of your emails need to include your company colors and your logo?
A: Yes, consistency is very important. The human eye recognizes color and form more than anything else. Think of your colors and logo as the face of your business. People know my face. If I came into work every day looking like a different person, you wouldn't know it was me.
Your emails can be different, but there has to be something that's consistent in everything that you do, so pick what you're going to keep consistent. For example, your logo is always at the top in a blue banner, and the background of your email will always be light gray. From there you can have some fun and change things up.
Q: What are some things to keep in mind when choosing an image for a campaign?
A: First, make sure the image and the copy complement each other, that they are related and that the image supports your message. Also, avoid using images that are busy and have many patterns, like cats playing against an oriental rug and a printed couch. The point of the image is for the viewer to look at the cat, but there's so much else to see. Think before you put an image in there. Ask yourself: "Is it singularly focused?"
Q: If the reader were to keep one thing in mind when creating their emails, what would it be?
A: Design and write everything from your member's viewpoint. You have instincts that, as long as you stand in your member's shoes, are right more often than you think. The thing that makes you good at running your small business is going to make you good at designing your communications if you remember to put yourself in the member's shoes.
Also, keep it simple. Get it to the point where it's well organized and it makes sense, then give yourself permission to give yourself a little bit of spice. Remember, you're cooking something. You taste it first and then you go "Okay, that added something to it, that's better.
For information about our products and services, contact your CU Village.com business consultant.
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June 2008