Before you flip that switch...

Today I was thumbing through a consumer dog magazine and found an ad for a product that I thought was interesting...maybe something for my dog, Johann.

First thing I did was type in the url for the website I found in the advertisement. Then clicked on the product that I was interested in.

Guess what I found. "Error: page not found."

Very discouraging. Would I save that url and go back another time to see if the page was working? Would I press the contact button and let the company personnel know their website page wasn't working? Would I come back and maybe purchase that product another time?

Nope...just too busy, have to move on. And it's such a shame, isn't it? I'm sure the company paid a lot of money to advertise their product in this high-gloss, high circulation dog magazine.

Remember: You only have one shot, one opportunity to grab your audience and sell them with any marketing tactic you undertake. Sad to say they missed this opportunity, and probably many others that saw the ad.

Moral of the story? Before you flip that switch on a new advertising or marketing campaign, check and make sure everything is in place for the best opportunity for potential customers to see, and hopefully buy, your product or service.