Hey, what you tryin’ to do?
Alice Cooper doesn’t know a damn thing about nightmares. But you do, especially when you’re an SEO specialist staring down an audit. But all that cold, calculated analysis doesn’t mean you have to go back to school to dig up all these algorithms and formulas – it means you can be a little creative. For instance, dive into keyword research and break those words down into high- and low-bid, and high- and low-competition batches. And then your competition will really know there’s no more Mr. Nice Guy.
Lotsa money, lotsa roadblocks
How much do you think was spent on interest and fees in the financial industry? Let’s try $138 billion. That’s a lot of money, and the Fintech surge has yet to take a serious look at that opportunity. Why’s that? Because of the stultifying limitations on creativity by the numerous regulations and legal requirements in the financial sector. Fintech startups are also running into roadblocks convincing banks that they have some serious potential. In short – Fintech is encountering unique challenges that don’t necessarily exist in other sectors.
Who’s in charge here?
Ever heard of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? If not, you should. It’s the consumer watchdog looking over anything to do with finance – and it’s taken notice of Fintech’s special focus on small-time lending practices. The CFPB – as it’s called – is ushering in a new set of rules to keep watch over small loans and keep interest rates down. This has, however, ruffled a few feathers in small-dollar lenders and even some in Congress, who say this is making it harder for vulnerable consumers in need of a quick loan.
B2Big problem
Imagine you’re a customer. You have one company with several different departments treating you very much like an individual, catering to your every need and concern. Then you deal with another company that has an annoyingly broad and uniform approach to your unique situation – so much that you can’t get a solid answer from any individual in the organization. The former’s better, right? Right. But if you’re in B2B you’re likely to approach your customers like the latter – which puts you in great danger of losing a significant chunk of your client base.
UX hits the spot
Whether you’re a Fintech startup, a B2B software-as-a-service organization or simply a full-time dog walker, you should know the importance of user experience. That is to say, the experience a potential and existing customer has when they’re dealing with you and your stuff. There are many ways it can go wrong – poor phone manner, difficulty finding the information you need, lack of proper follow-up, etc. – but there are many ways you can do it right. Here’s an excellent guide to maximizing the UX factor of your biz.
Until next week, listen to Alice Cooper. He knows what’s what.