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Sprint planning is where PM preparation either pays off or falls apart. Teams that make decisions in under an hour see a 68% success rate; those taking over five hours drop to 18%. The difference often traces back to one question: did the PM arrive prepared? The engineering lead asks which backlog items are highest priority. Two don’t have acceptance criteria. The third depends on a design that hasn’t been reviewed. Forty minutes of the session disappears into requirements discussions that should have happened days ago. For PMs, the challenge isn’t understanding agile ceremonies. It’s knowing what to contribute, what to leave alone, and how to stay informed without hovering over every standup. What PMs should bring to sprint planning Your role in sprint planning is strategic, not operational. You own the “what” and “why.” Engineering owns the “how” and “when.” Here’s what you should focus on. Priority clarity that doesn’t require debate. The team shouldn’t spend planning time arguing about which items matter most. That decision happens earlier, in backlog refinement or prioritization sessions. Walk in with a defensible priority order, not a cluster of “high priority” items that forces engineers to guess. Context that changes how engineers think. “Build the dashboard” produces different decisions than “Build the dashboard because our largest customer threatened to churn without it.” Share the stakes, not just the ranking. When engineers understand why something matters, they make better tradeoffs during implementation. Scope judgment when estimates blow up. A story estimated at three points turns out to be thirteen. That’s when you earn your seat. What’s essential versus nice-to-have? Can you ship value with a smaller scope? This is product judgment: engineering can tell you what’s possible, but you decide what’s acceptable. Fast answers to requirement questions. Sprint planning surfaces edge cases and ambiguities. “What happens if the user hasn’t verified their email?” “Does this need to work on mobile?” Every “I’ll get back to you” slows the meeting. Come prepared, or be available immediately after. What PMs should leave alone Estimation. How long something takes is engineering’s call. You can ask clarifying questions if an estimate surprises you, but don’t negotiate story points. You’re not writing the code. Technical approach. Unless the implementation affects user experience or violates a constraint you’ve specified, let engineers choose their tools and patterns. Second-guessing architecture decisions erodes trust and rarely improves outcomes. Sprint capacity. The team knows their velocity. They know who’s on vacation, who’s carrying tech debt from last sprint, who’s ramping up on a new codebase. Let them decide how much work to pull in. Task assignments. Who works on what is the team’s business. Requesting specific engineers for specific tasks micromanages a process you don’t own. PM responsibilities before sprint planning The sprint planning meeting reveals your preparation quality. No amount of facilitation skill compensates for a backlog full of half-baked items. Backlog readiness audit. Three days before planning, review your top fifteen items. For each one: Are acceptance criteria documented? Are designs approved? Are dependencies identified? Is scope clear enough to estimate? If the team pulled this item tomorrow, could they start working? Items that fail this test need work or need to move down. Dependency mapping. Which items depend on other teams, external vendors, or unfinished designs? Flag these explicitly. A feature requiring an API that won’t exist until mid-sprint needs a different conversation than one ready to build today. Stakeholder alignment. If you promised sales that feature X ships this sprint, that item needs to be at the top of the backlog with sufficient priority. Surprises during sprint planning often trace back to PM commitments the team never heard about. During planning Listen more than you talk. If you’re speaking more than engineers, you’re probably overstepping. Your interventions should clarify requirements and provide context, not direct implementation. Negotiate scope, not deadlines. When the team says a feature is larger than expected, you have options: accept longer timeline, reduce scope, or defer other work. What you shouldn’t do is pressure commitments you know are unrealistic. “Just work harder” isn’t a strategy. Capture the sprint goal. By the end of planning, you should be able to summarize what this sprint accomplishes in one sentence. “We’re completing checkout redesign and fixing the top three support escalations.” This becomes your communication to stakeholders. Staying aligned without attending every standup Sprint planning sets intentions. Execution drifts from intentions. You need visibility into that drift without becoming the team’s hall monitor. Check the board, don’t ask for updates. Your sprint board exists so you don’t have to interrupt engineers for status. Check it daily, but not hourly. Look for blocked items, unexpected scope additions, and whether high-priority work is actually moving. Mid-sprint check-ins beat daily attendance. Fifteen minutes halfway through the sprint with the engineering lead surfaces blockers and adjusts expectations more efficiently than sitting in every standup. Schedule it. Protect it. Resist mid-sprint scope changes. Priorities shifting mid-sprint disrupts flow and erodes trust in the planning process. Unless something is genuinely urgent (production down, major customer about to churn), it waits for next sprint. If you’re frequently adding work mid-sprint, your prioritization process needs work, not your sprint execution. After the sprint Attend retros selectively. Your presence can inhibit honest discussion. Engineers may be less candid about process problems with a PM watching. Ask the team whether you should attend, or join occasionally rather than always. Act on planning feedback. If the team consistently says backlog items aren’t ready, that’s feedback for you. If estimates are regularly wrong in the same direction, hidden complexity might lurk in how you write requirements. Retro findings that touch PM processes deserve your attention even if you weren’t in the room. Close the loop on shipped work. When features complete, update stakeholders. Don’t wait for them to ask. A brief message confirming that the checkout redesign shipped, with a link to where they can see it, maintains trust and prevents the “Is it done yet?” pings that interrupt everyone. Common sprint planning mistakes PMs make Treating planning as a negotiation Some PMs arrive at planning with a fixed outcome in mind and try to steer the team toward it. This creates adversarial dynamics. Planning works when it’s a collaborative discovery of what’s possible, not a battle of wills. Overloading the sprint Ambition is good. Overcommitment is not. Teams that consistently fail to complete sprints lose confidence in the planning process. PMs who push for “stretch goals” every sprint train teams to pad estimates and underpromise. Leave breathing room. If the team finishes early, they pull more work. That’s the system working. Solving technical problems When engineers discuss implementation challenges, some PMs jump in with suggestions. Unless you’re a former engineer with relevant expertise, your technical suggestions probably aren’t helpful. More importantly, they undermine ownership. Let engineering own engineering. Treating estimates as commitments Story points are planning tools, not promises. When a five-point story takes longer than expected, the correct response is curiosity about why, not frustration about the miss. Treating estimates as deadlines destroys psychological safety and makes future estimates meaningless. Ignoring the velocity trend Teams have natural rhythms. Velocity fluctuates based on complexity, team changes, technical debt payments, and many other factors. PMs who ignore velocity trends and push for more work based on calendar pressure create burnout. Watch the numbers. Respect what they’re telling you. Handling dependencies in sprint planning Cross-team dependencies kill more sprints than technical challenges. A feature waiting on code from another team, a design that needs approval from your brand expert, a legal review that hasn’t started: these create blocks that can’t be engineered around. Surface dependencies before planning. Items with external dependencies should be flagged in the backlog. When an item comes up in planning, the dependency status should be known. “This needs the payments API, which team X said they’d have by Tuesday” is a very different conversation than discovering the dependency mid-sprint. Plan for slippage. Dependencies from other teams will slip. If your sprint depends entirely on another team’s delivery, you’re exposed. Have backup items ready. If the payments API doesn’t land, what else can the team work on? Parallel paths reduce single-point-of-failure risk. Escalate early. When a dependency is at risk, escalate immediately. Don’t wait until the block materializes. The earlier you surface a potential issue, the more options exist for resolution. Waiting until the problem is undeniable limits your choices and damages your credibility. Document commitments. When another team promises something, get it in writing. A Slack message, an email, a Jira ticket, something you can point to. Verbal promises disappear. Written commitments create accountability. When sprint planning goes wrong Sometimes planning sessions fall apart. The backlog isn’t ready. Priorities are unclear. Engineers and PM disagree on scope. Here’s how to recover. Stop and acknowledge it. Pushing through a broken planning session wastes everyone’s time and produces a flawed sprint. If the first thirty minutes reveal fundamental problems, call it. “We’re not ready for this conversation. Let’s spend the next hour fixing the backlog and reconvene tomorrow.” Diagnose the pattern. A single bad planning session happens. Repeated bad sessions indicate a systemic problem. Is the backlog consistently under-refined? Are priorities genuinely unclear, or just poorly communicated? Does the team not trust PM decisions? Fixing the symptom without addressing the cause guarantees recurrence. Communicate impact. If planning fails and the sprint starts without clear direction, stakeholders need to know. Sprint capacity will likely be reduced. Commitments may not be met. Proactive communication about the situation beats surprised stakeholders later. The sprint planning checklist Before sprint planning Top backlog items have clear acceptance criteria Designs are approved for items entering sprint Dependencies are identified and flagged Priority order is defensible without debate During the sprint planning session Provide context and rationale for priorities Answer requirement questions in real time Negotiate scope rather than pressure timeline Leave estimation and assignments to engineering Between sprints Monitor board for blockers and drift Hold structured mid-sprint check-in Avoid scope changes except for genuine emergencies After each sprint Review retro feedback for PM-relevant patterns Adjust preparation based on what you learn How PMs and engineers need to work together Sprint planning works when PMs and engineering have complementary roles. You bring the what and why. They bring the how and when. When both sides trust each other to handle their domains, features ship as intended and nobody spends forty minutes writing requirements that should have been ready days ago. For teams whose roadmap and sprint board speak different languages, connecting your PM tools to your development workflow makes alignment automatic rather than manual. Planning sprints across tools? Meet with Unito product experts to see how the right integration can transform the way you work. Talk with sales View the full article

Luigi Mangione is due in federal court Friday for a pivotal hearing in his fight to bar the government from seeking the death penalty against him in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione’s lawyers contend that authorities prejudiced his case by turning his December 2024 arrest into a “Marvel movie” spectacle and by publicly declaring their desire to see him executed even before he was formally indicted. If that doesn’t work, they argue, the charge that has enabled the government to seek the death penalty — murder by firearm — should be thrown out because it is legally flawed. Federal prosecutors say Mangione’s lawyers are wrong, countering that the murder charge is legally sufficient and that “pretrial publicity, even when intense” is hardly a constitutional crisis. Any concerns about public perceptions can be alleviated by carefully questioning prospective jurors about their knowledge of the case, prosecutors wrote in a court filing. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal and state murder charges, which carry the possibility of life in prison. Friday’s hearing, Mangione’s first trip to Manhattan federal court since his April 25 arraignment, is also expected to cover the defense’s bid to exclude certain evidence. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett has said she also plans to set a trial date. A cause célèbre for people upset with the health insurance industry, Mangione’s court appearances have draw dozens of supporters, some of whom wear green clothing or carry signs expressing solidarity with him. Mangione’s lawyers have asked the judge to bar the government from using certain items found in a backpack during his arrest, arguing that the search was illegal because police had not yet obtained a warrant. Those items include a gun that police said matched the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which he purportedly described his intent to “wack” a health insurance executive. One big question is whether Garnett will need to hold a separate hearing on the evidence issue like one last month that took three weeks in Mangione’s parallel state murder case. Mangione’s lawyers want one. Prosecutors don’t. They contend police were justified in searching the backpack to make sure there were no dangerous items and that the gun, notebook and other evidence would have eventually been found anyway. Thompson, 50, was killed Dec. 4, 2024, as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims. Mangione, 27, the Ivy League-educated scion of a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of Manhattan. He’s already had success paring down his state case. In September, a judge threw out state terrorism charges against him. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced last year that she was directing federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty, declaring that capital punishment was warranted for a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” Mangione’s lawyers argue that Bondi’s announcement, which she followed with Instagram posts and a TV appearance, showed the decision was “based on politics, not merit.” Her remarks tainted the grand jury process that resulted in his indictment a few weeks later, they said. Bondi’s statements and other official actions, including a choreographed perp walk in which armed officers led Mangione from a Manhattan pier, “have violated Mr. Mangione’s constitutional and statutory rights and have fatally prejudiced this death penalty case,” his lawyers said. On Wednesday, federal prosecutors pushed back on what they said were the defense’s “meritless” and “misleading” claims that Bondi’s decision was tainted by her past work as a lobbyist for a firm whose clients include UnitedHealthcare’s parent company. —Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister, Associated Press View the full article

Revived attempt to create a $260bn megamerger underscores the desperate need for copperView the full article

Latest sign labour market is cooling after years of strong growthView the full article

Hiring likely remained subdued last month as many companies have sought to avoid expanding their workforces, though the job gains may be enough to bring down the unemployment rate. December’s jobs report, to be released Friday, is likely to show that employers added a modest 55,000 jobs, economists forecast. That figure would be below November’s 64,000 but an improvement after the economy lost jobs in October. The unemployment rate is expected to slip to 4.5%, according to data provider FactSet, from a four-year high of 4.6% in November. The figures will be closely watched on Wall Street and in Washington because they will be the first clean readings on the labor market in three months. The government didn’t issue a report in October because of the six-week government shutdown, and November’s data was distorted by the closure, which lasted until Nov. 12. Another wrinkle: The economy lost 105,000 jobs in October, mostly because federal government employment fell 162,000, reflecting a purge of federal workers earlier last year by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. That drop won’t be repeated. Still, sluggish hiring in December would underscore a key conundrum surrounding the economy as it enters 2026: Growth has picked up to healthy levels, yet hiring has weakened noticeably and the unemployment rate has increased in the last four jobs reports. Most economists expect hiring will accelerate this year as growth remains solid. Yet they acknowledge there are other possibilities: Weak job gains could drag down future growth. Or the economy could keep expanding at a healthy clip, while automation and the spread of artificial intelligence reduces the need for more jobs. Economists do expect Friday’s jobs report to have some good news, driven partly by a rebound from the government shutdown, which likely drove a higher unemployment rate in November. Still, should the rate remain at 4.6% or even tick higher, that would be a cause for concern. “I’m really looking for a lot of that weakness to reverse in December,” said Martha Gimbel, executive director of the Yale Budget Lab, “and if it doesn’t, I am going to start getting much iffier about the labor market.” Either way, December’s report will cap a year of sluggish hiring, particularly after “liberation day” in April when President Donald The President imposed sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries, though many were later delayed or softened. The economy generated an average of 111,000 jobs a month in the first three months of the year. But that pace dropped to just 11,000 in the three months ended in August, before rebounding slightly to 22,000 in November. Even those figures are likely to be revised lower in February, when the government completes an annual benchmarking of the jobs figures to an actual count of jobs derived from companies’ unemployment insurance filings. A preliminary estimate of that revision showed it could reduce total jobs as of March 2025 by 911,000. And last month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that the government could still be overstating job gains by about 60,000 a month because of shortcomings in how it accounts for new companies as well as those that have gone out of business. The Labor Department is expected to update those methods in its report next month. Last November, the U.S. economy had just 770,000 more jobs than 12 months earlier, down from 1.9 million in the 12 months ending in November 2024 and the smallest yearly gain since early 2021. The benchmark revisions next month will likely reduce that figure even further. With hiring so weak, the Federal Reserve cut its key short-term interest rate three times late last year, in an effort to boost borrowing, spending, and hiring. Yet Powell signaled that the central bank may keep its rate unchanged in the coming months as it evaluates how the economy evolves. Should December’s jobs report come in surprisingly weak, it could strengthen case for a rate reduction at the Fed’s next meeting Jan. 27-28. Even with such sluggish job gains, the economy has continued to expand, with growth reaching a 4.3% annual rate in last year’s July-September quarter, the best in two years. Strong consumer spending helped drive the gain. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta forecasts that growth could slow to a still-solid 2.7% in the final three months of last year. Many economists are optimistic that growth will pick up in 2026, in part because The President’s tax legislation, approved last summer, should lead to outsize tax refunds this spring. If growth does accelerate, it’s possible hiring may as well. At the same time, there are signs that companies are using technology and other tools to make their workers more efficient, which can spur growth without requiring more jobs. At the same time, inflation remains elevated, eroding the value of Americans’ paychecks. Consumer prices rose 2.7% in November compared with a year ago, little changed from the beginning of the year and above the Fed’s 2% target. —Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer View the full article

A loss leader pricing strategy involves selling certain products at a price lower than their cost to attract customers and increase store traffic. This approach aims to boost overall sales and build customer loyalty, as it can draw shoppers in for discounted items. Nevertheless, it additionally presents challenges, such as the risk of customers only buying the low-priced items. Comprehending how to effectively implement this strategy is essential for retailers looking to improve profitability. Key Takeaways A loss leader pricing strategy involves selling products below cost to attract customers and boost overall sales. This strategy aims to increase foot traffic and customer acquisition, fostering long-term loyalty. Large retailers often use loss leaders to enhance brand awareness and compete in crowded markets. Risks include customers only buying discounted items, which can reduce overall profit margins. Successful execution requires careful planning, monitoring customer behavior, and adjusting prices as needed. What Is a Loss Leader Strategy? A loss leader strategy involves setting the prices of certain products intentionally below cost to attract customers and boost overall sales. This approach is designed to drive traffic into stores and encourage shoppers to purchase additional, more profitable items. The loss leader definition highlights that the primary goal isn’t to profit from these discounted products but to increase overall revenue through customer acquisition and repeat business. Commonly used by large retailers, loss leader pricing can be observed in everyday scenarios, like milk being placed at the back of grocery stores, enticing shoppers to buy more as they navigate the aisles. Even though effective, this strategy carries risks, particularly when customers only buy the loss leader items without making further purchases. Unlike predatory pricing, which seeks to eliminate competition, a loss leader strategy focuses on attracting customers and nurturing long-term loyalty, making it an essential tactic in many businesses. Key Takeaways In a loss leader pricing strategy, you attract new customers by offering select products at prices below cost. This approach not just boosts overall sales by encouraging additional purchases but additionally helps you compete effectively with rivals in the market. Nevertheless, it’s essential to balance these benefits with the risk of customers only buying the discounted items, which could impact your profitability. Attracting New Customers How can loss leader pricing effectively attract new customers? This strategy involves offering select loss leader products at prices below cost, creating an appealing deal that draws shoppers in. Retailers often choose frequently purchased items, like groceries, to entice customers into their stores, where they’re likely to make supplementary purchases. The benefits of loss leader pricing include increased brand awareness and foot traffic, as studies show that 88% of consumers are inclined to buy more after a positive experience with discounted items. Furthermore, this strategy can nurture customer loyalty, encouraging repeat visits for both discounted and full-priced goods. On the other hand, businesses must be cautious, as some customers may only seek out the loss leaders without making further purchases. Increasing Overall Sales Even though many retailers seek ways to boost their overall sales, implementing a loss leader pricing strategy can be particularly effective. By pricing select products below cost, you’ll attract customers who may likewise purchase additional, higher-margin items. This approach leverages loss leader pricing advantages, like increased foot traffic and impulse buying, as shoppers often buy complementary products during their time in-store or online. For instance, companies like Gillette and Microsoft have successfully used loss leader pricing strategy examples, selling razors and gaming consoles at low margins to profit from related items. Studies indicate that 88% of consumers are likely to make additional purchases after experiencing a discount, highlighting the strength of this strategy in enhancing overall sales and customer acquisition. Competing With Rivals Retailers often face intense competition, making it essential to find strategies that can effectively attract customers away from rivals. One effective approach is loss leader pricing, which many companies use to draw in shoppers. Here are some key points to take into account: Utilize staples: Offer frequently purchased items like milk at lower prices to create urgency. Strategic placement: Position loss leaders in high-traffic areas of your store to encourage additional purchases. Attract new customers: Use loss leader marketing to build a loyal customer base, especially in new markets. Balance profitability: Monitor sales to guarantee customers don’t only buy loss leader items and neglect higher-margin products. How the Loss Leader Strategy Works The loss leader strategy works by enticing new customers with products priced below cost, encouraging them to explore more profitable items during their visit. Retailers strategically place these loss leaders in high-traffic areas, like positioning milk at the back of a grocery store, to maximize additional purchases. Attracting New Business A significant aspect of the loss leader strategy is its ability to attract new business by offering select products at prices below cost. This approach not only draws traffic but likewise encourages customers to purchase higher-margin items. Here are four key points to contemplate: Increased Foot Traffic: Customers flock to stores for discounted loss leaders. Impulse Purchases: During shopping for these deals, customers often buy additional items. Long-Term Relationships: Attracting new customers can lead to repeat business. Strategic Positioning: Loss leaders are often placed in locations that encourage exploration of other products. Understanding the loss leader pricing definition and its meaning can help you leverage this strategy effectively for your business. Strategic Product Placement When implemented effectively, strategic product placement of loss leaders can greatly improve customer engagement and drive supplementary sales. By positioning loss leaders, like milk, at the back of grocery stores, you encourage customers to navigate through various aisles, increasing the likelihood of additional purchases. Retailers often select familiar items for loss leader pricing, making it easier to attract shoppers already inclined to buy. To prevent stockpiling, some stores limit the quantity a customer can purchase in one visit, which helps maintain demand. Furthermore, placing perishable items, such as fruits and pastries, as loss leaders ensures quick sales during customer traffic. This strategic product placement improves exposure to other products, leading to impulse buys and increased overall revenue. Implementing Loss Leader Strategies in Retail Implementing loss leader strategies in retail requires careful planning and execution, as retailers often set prices on select items, such as milk or bread, below their production cost to entice customers into their stores. Here are some key steps: Identify popular items: Choose high-frequency purchase items that draw customers, like staple groceries. Strategic placement: Position loss leaders in locations that encourage additional purchases, such as at the back of the store. Seasonal promotions: Use perishable or holiday-specific items as loss leaders to clear inventory as well as attracting bargain-seeking customers. Monitor customer behavior: Analyze sales data to assess the effectiveness of your loss leader pricing strategy and adjust accordingly. Although loss leader pricing can boost overall sales, it’s crucial to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages, including the risk of customers purchasing only loss leaders without additional items. Comprehending how to define loss leader pricing helps retailers maximize this strategy effectively. Challenges and Risks of Using Loss Leader Pricing Though loss leader pricing can effectively attract customers, it also presents several significant challenges and risks that businesses must navigate. The primary risk is that customers may solely purchase discounted items, leading to decreased overall profit margins if additional sales don’t occur. Smaller businesses often struggle against larger corporations employing this strategy, as they typically lack the financial resources to absorb initial losses. The following table outlines some key disadvantages of loss leader pricing: Disadvantages Impact on Business Considerations Customers only buy loss leaders Decreased profitability Long-term financial planning needed Pressure on suppliers Harm to supplier relationships Pricing discussions may be necessary Customer price expectations Difficulty selling at regular prices Brand perception may suffer In some regions, loss leader pricing is restricted or banned to prevent predatory pricing practices, limiting its applicability for businesses. Comprehending these loss leader pricing pros and cons is vital for effective strategy implementation. Example of Loss Leader Pricing: Gillette Gillette effectively demonstrates the loss leader pricing strategy by selling its razors at prices that often fall below production costs, attracting a wide customer base in the shaving industry. This approach allows Gillette to focus on generating revenue from high-margin replacement blades. Here are some key points about this strategy: Market Share: Gillette captures over 50% of the global razor market, showcasing its effectiveness. Customer Retention: Once customers buy a low-cost razor, they’re likely to return for replacement blades. Long-term Profits: The initial losses on razors turn into long-term profits through repeat purchases. Example of Leader Pricing: Gillette serves as a prominent example of loss leader pricing company examples, illustrating how businesses can utilize this strategy successfully. The Bottom Line The bottom line in loss leader pricing lies in its potential to drive customer acquisition and increase overall sales, but it moreover carries significant risks. Fundamentally, loss leader meaning involves selling select products below cost to attract customers, encouraging them to purchase other higher-margin items. Although this tactic can improve foot traffic and sales volume, it can as well lead to financial strain if customers buy only the loss leaders without additional items. Comprehending loss leaders definition is significant; they can create expectations for ongoing low prices, which may not be sustainable. Retailers like supermarkets often use this strategy effectively, but businesses must monitor it closely to manage costs. Companies such as Gillette and Microsoft have shown success with loss leader pricing, but smaller businesses might struggle to compete against larger corporations employing similar tactics. Therefore, careful execution and adjustment are critical for maximizing effectiveness and ensuring long-term profitability. Frequently Asked Questions What Is a Real World Example of Loss Leader Pricing? A real-world example of loss leader pricing is Costco‘s rotisserie chicken, sold at a price below production costs. By offering this popular item at a low price, Costco attracts customers who are likely to purchase additional items during their visit. This strategy effectively increases overall sales and encourages shoppers to explore more products, enhancing the store’s profitability in spite of the initial loss on the chicken. It’s a practical application of enticing customers for broader gains. What Are the 4 Pricing Strategies? There are four primary pricing strategies you should know: cost-plus pricing, value-based pricing, competition-based pricing, and dynamic pricing. Cost-plus pricing involves adding a markup to cover production costs, ensuring profitability. Value-based pricing sets prices based on perceived customer value, often yielding higher margins. Competition-based pricing aligns your prices with competitors to stay relevant. Dynamic pricing adjusts prices in real-time according to market demand, commonly seen in e-commerce and travel industries. What Is an Example of a Leader Pricing Strategy? A clear example of a loss leader pricing strategy is when a retailer sells milk at a considerably reduced price to attract customers into the store. Although milk may be sold below cost, the goal is to encourage shoppers to purchase other items with higher profit margins. This strategy not just increases overall sales but furthermore helps build customer loyalty by drawing people into the store for vital grocery needs. Why Is Loss Leader Pricing Illegal? Loss leader pricing can be illegal in some areas as it may be considered predatory. When businesses sell goods at unsustainably low prices, they risk undermining competition, which can lead to monopolistic practices. Regulations in places like Ireland aim to protect smaller businesses from being driven out of the market by larger corporations that can afford to absorb these losses. Violating these laws can result in penalties and restrictions on pricing strategies. Conclusion To conclude, a loss leader pricing strategy can effectively attract customers and drive store traffic by offering selected products at prices below cost. Although this approach can lead to increased sales and customer loyalty, it likewise poses risks, such as potential impacts on profit margins if customers focus solely on discounted items. To succeed, businesses must conduct thorough market analysis, implement effective strategies, and continuously monitor customer behavior to guarantee long-term profitability and brand strength. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is a Loss Leader Pricing Strategy?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A loss leader pricing strategy involves selling certain products at a price lower than their cost to attract customers and increase store traffic. This approach aims to boost overall sales and build customer loyalty, as it can draw shoppers in for discounted items. Nevertheless, it additionally presents challenges, such as the risk of customers only buying the low-priced items. Comprehending how to effectively implement this strategy is essential for retailers looking to improve profitability. Key Takeaways A loss leader pricing strategy involves selling products below cost to attract customers and boost overall sales. This strategy aims to increase foot traffic and customer acquisition, fostering long-term loyalty. Large retailers often use loss leaders to enhance brand awareness and compete in crowded markets. Risks include customers only buying discounted items, which can reduce overall profit margins. Successful execution requires careful planning, monitoring customer behavior, and adjusting prices as needed. What Is a Loss Leader Strategy? A loss leader strategy involves setting the prices of certain products intentionally below cost to attract customers and boost overall sales. This approach is designed to drive traffic into stores and encourage shoppers to purchase additional, more profitable items. The loss leader definition highlights that the primary goal isn’t to profit from these discounted products but to increase overall revenue through customer acquisition and repeat business. Commonly used by large retailers, loss leader pricing can be observed in everyday scenarios, like milk being placed at the back of grocery stores, enticing shoppers to buy more as they navigate the aisles. Even though effective, this strategy carries risks, particularly when customers only buy the loss leader items without making further purchases. Unlike predatory pricing, which seeks to eliminate competition, a loss leader strategy focuses on attracting customers and nurturing long-term loyalty, making it an essential tactic in many businesses. Key Takeaways In a loss leader pricing strategy, you attract new customers by offering select products at prices below cost. This approach not just boosts overall sales by encouraging additional purchases but additionally helps you compete effectively with rivals in the market. Nevertheless, it’s essential to balance these benefits with the risk of customers only buying the discounted items, which could impact your profitability. Attracting New Customers How can loss leader pricing effectively attract new customers? This strategy involves offering select loss leader products at prices below cost, creating an appealing deal that draws shoppers in. Retailers often choose frequently purchased items, like groceries, to entice customers into their stores, where they’re likely to make supplementary purchases. The benefits of loss leader pricing include increased brand awareness and foot traffic, as studies show that 88% of consumers are inclined to buy more after a positive experience with discounted items. Furthermore, this strategy can nurture customer loyalty, encouraging repeat visits for both discounted and full-priced goods. On the other hand, businesses must be cautious, as some customers may only seek out the loss leaders without making further purchases. Increasing Overall Sales Even though many retailers seek ways to boost their overall sales, implementing a loss leader pricing strategy can be particularly effective. By pricing select products below cost, you’ll attract customers who may likewise purchase additional, higher-margin items. This approach leverages loss leader pricing advantages, like increased foot traffic and impulse buying, as shoppers often buy complementary products during their time in-store or online. For instance, companies like Gillette and Microsoft have successfully used loss leader pricing strategy examples, selling razors and gaming consoles at low margins to profit from related items. Studies indicate that 88% of consumers are likely to make additional purchases after experiencing a discount, highlighting the strength of this strategy in enhancing overall sales and customer acquisition. Competing With Rivals Retailers often face intense competition, making it essential to find strategies that can effectively attract customers away from rivals. One effective approach is loss leader pricing, which many companies use to draw in shoppers. Here are some key points to take into account: Utilize staples: Offer frequently purchased items like milk at lower prices to create urgency. Strategic placement: Position loss leaders in high-traffic areas of your store to encourage additional purchases. Attract new customers: Use loss leader marketing to build a loyal customer base, especially in new markets. Balance profitability: Monitor sales to guarantee customers don’t only buy loss leader items and neglect higher-margin products. How the Loss Leader Strategy Works The loss leader strategy works by enticing new customers with products priced below cost, encouraging them to explore more profitable items during their visit. Retailers strategically place these loss leaders in high-traffic areas, like positioning milk at the back of a grocery store, to maximize additional purchases. Attracting New Business A significant aspect of the loss leader strategy is its ability to attract new business by offering select products at prices below cost. This approach not only draws traffic but likewise encourages customers to purchase higher-margin items. Here are four key points to contemplate: Increased Foot Traffic: Customers flock to stores for discounted loss leaders. Impulse Purchases: During shopping for these deals, customers often buy additional items. Long-Term Relationships: Attracting new customers can lead to repeat business. Strategic Positioning: Loss leaders are often placed in locations that encourage exploration of other products. Understanding the loss leader pricing definition and its meaning can help you leverage this strategy effectively for your business. Strategic Product Placement When implemented effectively, strategic product placement of loss leaders can greatly improve customer engagement and drive supplementary sales. By positioning loss leaders, like milk, at the back of grocery stores, you encourage customers to navigate through various aisles, increasing the likelihood of additional purchases. Retailers often select familiar items for loss leader pricing, making it easier to attract shoppers already inclined to buy. To prevent stockpiling, some stores limit the quantity a customer can purchase in one visit, which helps maintain demand. Furthermore, placing perishable items, such as fruits and pastries, as loss leaders ensures quick sales during customer traffic. This strategic product placement improves exposure to other products, leading to impulse buys and increased overall revenue. Implementing Loss Leader Strategies in Retail Implementing loss leader strategies in retail requires careful planning and execution, as retailers often set prices on select items, such as milk or bread, below their production cost to entice customers into their stores. Here are some key steps: Identify popular items: Choose high-frequency purchase items that draw customers, like staple groceries. Strategic placement: Position loss leaders in locations that encourage additional purchases, such as at the back of the store. Seasonal promotions: Use perishable or holiday-specific items as loss leaders to clear inventory as well as attracting bargain-seeking customers. Monitor customer behavior: Analyze sales data to assess the effectiveness of your loss leader pricing strategy and adjust accordingly. Although loss leader pricing can boost overall sales, it’s crucial to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages, including the risk of customers purchasing only loss leaders without additional items. Comprehending how to define loss leader pricing helps retailers maximize this strategy effectively. Challenges and Risks of Using Loss Leader Pricing Though loss leader pricing can effectively attract customers, it also presents several significant challenges and risks that businesses must navigate. The primary risk is that customers may solely purchase discounted items, leading to decreased overall profit margins if additional sales don’t occur. Smaller businesses often struggle against larger corporations employing this strategy, as they typically lack the financial resources to absorb initial losses. The following table outlines some key disadvantages of loss leader pricing: Disadvantages Impact on Business Considerations Customers only buy loss leaders Decreased profitability Long-term financial planning needed Pressure on suppliers Harm to supplier relationships Pricing discussions may be necessary Customer price expectations Difficulty selling at regular prices Brand perception may suffer In some regions, loss leader pricing is restricted or banned to prevent predatory pricing practices, limiting its applicability for businesses. Comprehending these loss leader pricing pros and cons is vital for effective strategy implementation. Example of Loss Leader Pricing: Gillette Gillette effectively demonstrates the loss leader pricing strategy by selling its razors at prices that often fall below production costs, attracting a wide customer base in the shaving industry. This approach allows Gillette to focus on generating revenue from high-margin replacement blades. Here are some key points about this strategy: Market Share: Gillette captures over 50% of the global razor market, showcasing its effectiveness. Customer Retention: Once customers buy a low-cost razor, they’re likely to return for replacement blades. Long-term Profits: The initial losses on razors turn into long-term profits through repeat purchases. Example of Leader Pricing: Gillette serves as a prominent example of loss leader pricing company examples, illustrating how businesses can utilize this strategy successfully. The Bottom Line The bottom line in loss leader pricing lies in its potential to drive customer acquisition and increase overall sales, but it moreover carries significant risks. Fundamentally, loss leader meaning involves selling select products below cost to attract customers, encouraging them to purchase other higher-margin items. Although this tactic can improve foot traffic and sales volume, it can as well lead to financial strain if customers buy only the loss leaders without additional items. Comprehending loss leaders definition is significant; they can create expectations for ongoing low prices, which may not be sustainable. Retailers like supermarkets often use this strategy effectively, but businesses must monitor it closely to manage costs. Companies such as Gillette and Microsoft have shown success with loss leader pricing, but smaller businesses might struggle to compete against larger corporations employing similar tactics. Therefore, careful execution and adjustment are critical for maximizing effectiveness and ensuring long-term profitability. Frequently Asked Questions What Is a Real World Example of Loss Leader Pricing? A real-world example of loss leader pricing is Costco‘s rotisserie chicken, sold at a price below production costs. By offering this popular item at a low price, Costco attracts customers who are likely to purchase additional items during their visit. This strategy effectively increases overall sales and encourages shoppers to explore more products, enhancing the store’s profitability in spite of the initial loss on the chicken. It’s a practical application of enticing customers for broader gains. What Are the 4 Pricing Strategies? There are four primary pricing strategies you should know: cost-plus pricing, value-based pricing, competition-based pricing, and dynamic pricing. Cost-plus pricing involves adding a markup to cover production costs, ensuring profitability. Value-based pricing sets prices based on perceived customer value, often yielding higher margins. Competition-based pricing aligns your prices with competitors to stay relevant. Dynamic pricing adjusts prices in real-time according to market demand, commonly seen in e-commerce and travel industries. What Is an Example of a Leader Pricing Strategy? A clear example of a loss leader pricing strategy is when a retailer sells milk at a considerably reduced price to attract customers into the store. Although milk may be sold below cost, the goal is to encourage shoppers to purchase other items with higher profit margins. This strategy not just increases overall sales but furthermore helps build customer loyalty by drawing people into the store for vital grocery needs. Why Is Loss Leader Pricing Illegal? Loss leader pricing can be illegal in some areas as it may be considered predatory. When businesses sell goods at unsustainably low prices, they risk undermining competition, which can lead to monopolistic practices. Regulations in places like Ireland aim to protect smaller businesses from being driven out of the market by larger corporations that can afford to absorb these losses. Violating these laws can result in penalties and restrictions on pricing strategies. Conclusion To conclude, a loss leader pricing strategy can effectively attract customers and drive store traffic by offering selected products at prices below cost. Although this approach can lead to increased sales and customer loyalty, it likewise poses risks, such as potential impacts on profit margins if customers focus solely on discounted items. To succeed, businesses must conduct thorough market analysis, implement effective strategies, and continuously monitor customer behavior to guarantee long-term profitability and brand strength. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is a Loss Leader Pricing Strategy?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

This week’s SEO Pulse highlights the tensions emerging as search engines tighten quality standards for sites while defending their own AI outputs. The post SEO Pulse: Core Update Favors Niche Expertise, AIO Health Inaccuracies & AI Slop appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The 65-inch Samsung QN90F Neo QLED TV is currently $1,199.99 on Woot in "factory-reconditioned" condition. That undercuts a new unit, which sits around $1,600 on Amazon, and even slips below what some retailers ask for “like-new” stock. This deal runs for seven days or until it sells out. Shipping is free for Prime members, while everyone else pays a flat $6 fee. One thing to note before checkout: This item doesn’t ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or PO boxes, and you’ll need to provide a valid phone number and physical shipping address. The QN90F isn’t a midrange panel dressed up with buzzwords. It’s Samsung’s current flagship mini-LED 4K TV, built to get extremely bright (over 2,500 nits) while still holding deep blacks and tight contrast. The screen uses Samsung’s glare-reducing coating, which won’t defeat direct sunlight but does take the edge off harsh overhead lighting. In daily use, the QN90F feels more polished than most LED TVs. The bezel-free design keeps attention on the screen, and the compact metal stand doesn’t dominate your media console. Around back, you get four HDMI ports, two USB ports, Ethernet, optical audio, and an antenna input, all tucked into a side-facing recess that keeps cables tidy. The included SolarCell Remote is refreshingly practical. It charges via USB-C or ambient light, so you’re not cycling through disposable batteries. Picture quality is where this TV earns its flagship status. Mini-LED backlighting delivers OLED-like blacks with minimal bloom, and colors stay balanced rather than oversaturated. That said, there’s no Dolby Vision support, which is still a sticking point for some buyers, but HDR10 and HDR10+ performance here is strong enough that many viewers won’t miss it. This TV also leans hard into gaming and smart features. The panel runs at 120Hz natively and supports VRR up to 165Hz, along with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. Input lag stays under 10ms, which is well within “good for gaming” territory, according to PCMag’s “excellent” review of this smart TV. PC gamers can even use ultrawide 21:9 or 32:9 modes. Sound is better than average, too, thanks to a 60W 4.2.2-channel system with Dolby Atmos and support for Samsung’s Q-Symphony if you add a compatible soundbar. Tizen OS covers every major streaming service and supports Alexa, Apple AirPlay, and Matter smart-home control, though the interface still feels busy and occasionally buried under layers of menus. At this price, the reconditioned QN90F makes sense for buyers who want top-tier brightness and gaming performance without paying the full flagship price. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $199.99 (List Price $249.00) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $329.00 (List Price $429.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — (List Price $24.99 With Code "FTV4K25") Dell 15 DC15255 (AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM) — $519.99 (List Price $688.99) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet (Silver) — $159.99 (List Price $219.99) Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 — $279.99 (List Price $349.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Comprehending customer satisfaction and loyalty is essential for any business. By utilizing effective survey templates, you can gather insights that help refine your strategies. These templates range from Customer Satisfaction Surveys to Customer Churn Surveys, each designed to gauge different aspects of the customer experience. Implementing these tools can lead to significant improvements in service quality. Next, let’s explore each template and how they can benefit your organization. Key Takeaways Customer Satisfaction Surveys help gauge product/service feelings and identify improvement areas, customizable to fit your brand voice. Customer Loyalty Surveys assess overall satisfaction and commitment, using metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) for effective retention strategies. Net Promoter Score (NPS) Surveys categorize respondents into Promoters, Passives, and Detractors, tracking loyalty trends over time. Post-Purchase Surveys collect immediate feedback on customer experience and satisfaction, refining marketing strategies and enhancing customer understanding. Customer Churn Surveys provide insights into why customers leave, focusing on satisfaction levels and service quality for improvement suggestions. Customer Satisfaction Survey Template When you want to understand how your customers feel about your products or services, a Customer Satisfaction Survey Template can be an invaluable tool. This template helps you track and evaluate customer feedback, making it easier to identify areas needing improvement. With over 23,000 utilizations, it’s a proven method for gathering actionable insights. Typically, the customer satisfaction survey template includes questions about overall satisfaction, specific product features, and the likelihood of recommending your service to others. You can customize the template to align with your brand’s voice and specific customer interaction points, which boosts engagement rates. Net Promoter Score (NPS) Survey Template The Net Promoter Score (NPS) Survey Template helps you measure brand loyalty by asking customers how likely they’re to recommend your product or service on a scale from 0 to 10. This tool categorizes respondents into Promoters, Passives, and Detractors, giving you clear insights into overall customer satisfaction. Measuring Brand Loyalty How can you effectively measure brand loyalty? The Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey template is a valuable tool for this purpose. By asking customers how likely they’re to recommend your products or services on a scale from 0 to 10, you can gauge their loyalty and sentiment. Here are four key aspects to reflect on: Categorize responses into Promoters, Passives, and Detractors. Track NPS over time to identify trends in customer loyalty. Use feedback to improve customer experience strategies. Engage Promoters for advocacy as you address Detractor concerns. Utilizing this market research survey template can provide significant insights, enabling you to make informed business decisions and nurture long-term customer relationships. Identifying Improvement Opportunities Building on the insights gained from measuring brand loyalty through the Net Promoter Score (NPS), identifying improvement opportunities becomes a pivotal next step. By analyzing the NPS results, you can uncover strengths and weaknesses in your customer experience. This market survey sample allows you to classify respondents as promoters, passives, or detractors, guiding your focus on areas needing attention. Follow-up questions reveal qualitative insights that can upgrade your offerings. Here’s a simple table to help you visualize potential improvement areas: Category Strengths Weaknesses Promoters High satisfaction Limited product options Passives Moderate loyalty Slow response times Detractors Identify pain points Poor customer service Utilizing this feedback will drive strategic improvements effectively. Customer Service Feedback Survey Template When you assess your customer service, using a Customer Service Feedback Survey Template can provide valuable insights into key metrics. You’ll want to focus on effective question examples that cover response times, issue resolution, and overall experience to gain a clearer comprehension of customer satisfaction. Moreover, implementing best practices in survey distribution guarantees you gather reliable feedback that can guide your improvements. Key Metrics to Analyze Key metrics play a vital role in evaluating the effectiveness of customer service feedback surveys. By using a customer satisfaction survey template, you can focus on key performance indicators that reveal customer experiences. Here are four important metrics to analyze: Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): Measures overall happiness on a scale. Net Promoter Score (NPS): Gauges customer loyalty and the likelihood of recommendations. Customer Effort Score (CES): Assesses how easy it’s for customers to interact with your service team. Open-ended Responses: Provides qualitative insights into specific strengths or weaknesses. Effective Question Examples How can you create an effective customer service feedback survey? Start by incorporating key questions that evaluate service quality. Use the following sample customer survey templates to guide your development: Question Type Example Question Satisfaction Rating How satisfied are you with the resolution of your issue? Open-Ended Feedback What could we improve in your customer service experience? Net Promoter Score (NPS) On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us? Specific Feedback How would you rate our agents’ professionalism? These questions help identify areas for improvement and gauge customer loyalty. Customize these templates to fit your specific offerings and interaction channels for the most relevant feedback. Implementation Best Practices Creating an effective customer service feedback survey template requires careful attention to several best practices that improve the quality of the feedback you receive. Here are four key practices to contemplate: Use clear and concise questions: This guarantees higher response rates and accurate feedback. Aim for 10 to 20 questions for ideal engagement. Include open-ended questions: These allow customers to share qualitative insights, uncovering specific pain points or suggestions for improvement. Regularly analyze your data: This helps identify trends in customer satisfaction and informs decisions to improve service delivery. Express gratitude to respondents: Appreciation messages promote ongoing engagement and encourage future participation in feedback initiatives. Implementing these practices will improve your survey template’s effectiveness and elevate your customer service quality. Post-Purchase Survey Template Post-purchase surveys play a crucial role in gathering immediate feedback from customers after they make a purchase, and this particular template has been utilized over 10,000 times to effectively capture this information. By using the post-purchase survey template, you can ask targeted questions about the buying experience, product satisfaction, and the likelihood of recommending your product to others. This structured approach helps you identify areas needing improvement in your sales process and product offerings. The insights gained can refine your marketing strategies and promotional efforts, ensuring they align with customer expectations. In addition, utilizing this template allows you to capture valuable sentiments during a critical moment in the customer experience, improving your comprehension of customer satisfaction levels. Implementing this tool not just encourages better customer retention but also improves the overall shopping experience, making it a must-have for any business aiming to thrive. Customer Effort Score Survey Template Comprehending customer interactions is crucial for businesses looking to improve their service delivery. The Customer Effort Score (CES) survey template helps you measure how easy it’s for customers to engage with your product or service. By utilizing this customer satisfaction survey template, you can identify pain points in the customer experience. Here are four key aspects to reflect on: Simple Question: Ask, “How easy was it to complete your request?” Scalable Responses: Use a scale from “Very Difficult” to “Very Easy” for clear insights. Customization: Tailor the template to align with your business goals and branding. Actionable Insights: Analyze results to simplify processes and improve customer satisfaction. Research shows that reducing customer effort can lead to higher retention rates. Implementing the CES survey can greatly improve your overall customer experience and loyalty. Customer Loyalty Survey Template To gauge customer loyalty effectively, the Customer Loyalty Survey Template provides a structured way to assess overall satisfaction and commitment to your brand. This template helps measure key metrics like the Net Promoter Score (NPS), used by over 147,000 organizations. By segmenting customers based on their loyalty ratings, you can tailor marketing strategies and improve retention efforts. Here’s a simple table to illustrate key aspects of the customer loyalty survey template: Metric Description Importance Satisfaction with Products How satisfied are customers with your offerings? Identifies strengths Likelihood of Repurchase How likely are customers to buy again? Measures future revenue Recommendations to Others Would customers recommend your brand? Indicates brand advocacy Utilizing this template can lead to actionable insights that improve customer experience and promote long-term relationships, ultimately driving business growth. Customer Churn Survey Template Comprehending customer loyalty is important, but equally critical is recognizing when and why customers choose to leave. A Customer Churn Survey Template is a vital tool for gathering insights into customer departures, helping you pinpoint areas needing improvement. This template typically includes questions focused on: Customer satisfaction levels Quality of service provided Reasons for discontinuation Suggestions for improvement Frequently Asked Questions How Long Should a Customer Survey Typically Be? A customer survey should typically be concise, ideally ranging from 5 to 10 minutes for completion. This timeframe allows you to gather valuable insights without overwhelming respondents. Aim for about 10 to 15 questions, focusing on key aspects like satisfaction, product usability, and suggestions for improvement. What Is the Best Time to Send Surveys? The best time to send surveys typically depends on your audience and purpose. Generally, sending them shortly after an interaction, like a purchase or support call, increases response rates. Weekdays, particularly mid-morning or early afternoon, are often ideal since people are more likely to engage during working hours. Avoid weekends and holidays, as response rates may drop. Test different times and analyze results to find what works best for your specific audience. How Can I Encourage More Survey Responses? To encourage more survey responses, make your surveys concise and easy to understand. Offer incentives, like discounts or entry into a prize draw, to motivate participation. Timing matters, so send your surveys when your audience is most engaged. Personalize your outreach by addressing recipients by name and explaining the survey’s purpose. Finally, follow up with reminders to those who haven’t responded, but keep it respectful to avoid overwhelming them. What Tools Can I Use to Create Surveys? To create surveys effectively, you can use several online tools. Platforms like Google Forms and SurveyMonkey offer user-friendly interfaces and customizable templates. Typeform provides a more interactive experience, making surveys engaging. If you’re looking for advanced analytics, consider Qualtrics, which offers in-depth data analysis features. Each tool allows you to distribute surveys via email or social media, helping you reach a broader audience and gather valuable feedback efficiently. How Often Should I Conduct Customer Surveys? You should conduct customer surveys regularly to gather valuable feedback. A good starting point is quarterly surveys, which allow you to track changes in customer sentiment over time. Nevertheless, if you’re launching a new product or experiencing significant changes, consider more frequent surveys. Furthermore, pay attention to customer feedback trends; if you notice a shift, adjust your survey frequency accordingly. This approach helps you stay aligned with customer needs and expectations effectively. Conclusion Implementing these seven customer survey templates can greatly improve your comprehension of customer satisfaction and loyalty. By utilizing tools like the Customer Satisfaction Survey and Net Promoter Score, you can gather crucial feedback that informs your business strategies. These surveys help identify areas for improvement, assess customer experiences, and in the end promote stronger relationships with your clients. By regularly collecting and analyzing this data, you position your business for sustained success and increased customer retention. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Sample Customer Survey Templates You Can Use Today" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Comprehending customer satisfaction and loyalty is essential for any business. By utilizing effective survey templates, you can gather insights that help refine your strategies. These templates range from Customer Satisfaction Surveys to Customer Churn Surveys, each designed to gauge different aspects of the customer experience. Implementing these tools can lead to significant improvements in service quality. Next, let’s explore each template and how they can benefit your organization. Key Takeaways Customer Satisfaction Surveys help gauge product/service feelings and identify improvement areas, customizable to fit your brand voice. Customer Loyalty Surveys assess overall satisfaction and commitment, using metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) for effective retention strategies. Net Promoter Score (NPS) Surveys categorize respondents into Promoters, Passives, and Detractors, tracking loyalty trends over time. Post-Purchase Surveys collect immediate feedback on customer experience and satisfaction, refining marketing strategies and enhancing customer understanding. Customer Churn Surveys provide insights into why customers leave, focusing on satisfaction levels and service quality for improvement suggestions. Customer Satisfaction Survey Template When you want to understand how your customers feel about your products or services, a Customer Satisfaction Survey Template can be an invaluable tool. This template helps you track and evaluate customer feedback, making it easier to identify areas needing improvement. With over 23,000 utilizations, it’s a proven method for gathering actionable insights. Typically, the customer satisfaction survey template includes questions about overall satisfaction, specific product features, and the likelihood of recommending your service to others. You can customize the template to align with your brand’s voice and specific customer interaction points, which boosts engagement rates. Net Promoter Score (NPS) Survey Template The Net Promoter Score (NPS) Survey Template helps you measure brand loyalty by asking customers how likely they’re to recommend your product or service on a scale from 0 to 10. This tool categorizes respondents into Promoters, Passives, and Detractors, giving you clear insights into overall customer satisfaction. Measuring Brand Loyalty How can you effectively measure brand loyalty? The Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey template is a valuable tool for this purpose. By asking customers how likely they’re to recommend your products or services on a scale from 0 to 10, you can gauge their loyalty and sentiment. Here are four key aspects to reflect on: Categorize responses into Promoters, Passives, and Detractors. Track NPS over time to identify trends in customer loyalty. Use feedback to improve customer experience strategies. Engage Promoters for advocacy as you address Detractor concerns. Utilizing this market research survey template can provide significant insights, enabling you to make informed business decisions and nurture long-term customer relationships. Identifying Improvement Opportunities Building on the insights gained from measuring brand loyalty through the Net Promoter Score (NPS), identifying improvement opportunities becomes a pivotal next step. By analyzing the NPS results, you can uncover strengths and weaknesses in your customer experience. This market survey sample allows you to classify respondents as promoters, passives, or detractors, guiding your focus on areas needing attention. Follow-up questions reveal qualitative insights that can upgrade your offerings. Here’s a simple table to help you visualize potential improvement areas: Category Strengths Weaknesses Promoters High satisfaction Limited product options Passives Moderate loyalty Slow response times Detractors Identify pain points Poor customer service Utilizing this feedback will drive strategic improvements effectively. Customer Service Feedback Survey Template When you assess your customer service, using a Customer Service Feedback Survey Template can provide valuable insights into key metrics. You’ll want to focus on effective question examples that cover response times, issue resolution, and overall experience to gain a clearer comprehension of customer satisfaction. Moreover, implementing best practices in survey distribution guarantees you gather reliable feedback that can guide your improvements. Key Metrics to Analyze Key metrics play a vital role in evaluating the effectiveness of customer service feedback surveys. By using a customer satisfaction survey template, you can focus on key performance indicators that reveal customer experiences. Here are four important metrics to analyze: Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): Measures overall happiness on a scale. Net Promoter Score (NPS): Gauges customer loyalty and the likelihood of recommendations. Customer Effort Score (CES): Assesses how easy it’s for customers to interact with your service team. Open-ended Responses: Provides qualitative insights into specific strengths or weaknesses. Effective Question Examples How can you create an effective customer service feedback survey? Start by incorporating key questions that evaluate service quality. Use the following sample customer survey templates to guide your development: Question Type Example Question Satisfaction Rating How satisfied are you with the resolution of your issue? Open-Ended Feedback What could we improve in your customer service experience? Net Promoter Score (NPS) On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us? Specific Feedback How would you rate our agents’ professionalism? These questions help identify areas for improvement and gauge customer loyalty. Customize these templates to fit your specific offerings and interaction channels for the most relevant feedback. Implementation Best Practices Creating an effective customer service feedback survey template requires careful attention to several best practices that improve the quality of the feedback you receive. Here are four key practices to contemplate: Use clear and concise questions: This guarantees higher response rates and accurate feedback. Aim for 10 to 20 questions for ideal engagement. Include open-ended questions: These allow customers to share qualitative insights, uncovering specific pain points or suggestions for improvement. Regularly analyze your data: This helps identify trends in customer satisfaction and informs decisions to improve service delivery. Express gratitude to respondents: Appreciation messages promote ongoing engagement and encourage future participation in feedback initiatives. Implementing these practices will improve your survey template’s effectiveness and elevate your customer service quality. Post-Purchase Survey Template Post-purchase surveys play a crucial role in gathering immediate feedback from customers after they make a purchase, and this particular template has been utilized over 10,000 times to effectively capture this information. By using the post-purchase survey template, you can ask targeted questions about the buying experience, product satisfaction, and the likelihood of recommending your product to others. This structured approach helps you identify areas needing improvement in your sales process and product offerings. The insights gained can refine your marketing strategies and promotional efforts, ensuring they align with customer expectations. In addition, utilizing this template allows you to capture valuable sentiments during a critical moment in the customer experience, improving your comprehension of customer satisfaction levels. Implementing this tool not just encourages better customer retention but also improves the overall shopping experience, making it a must-have for any business aiming to thrive. Customer Effort Score Survey Template Comprehending customer interactions is crucial for businesses looking to improve their service delivery. The Customer Effort Score (CES) survey template helps you measure how easy it’s for customers to engage with your product or service. By utilizing this customer satisfaction survey template, you can identify pain points in the customer experience. Here are four key aspects to reflect on: Simple Question: Ask, “How easy was it to complete your request?” Scalable Responses: Use a scale from “Very Difficult” to “Very Easy” for clear insights. Customization: Tailor the template to align with your business goals and branding. Actionable Insights: Analyze results to simplify processes and improve customer satisfaction. Research shows that reducing customer effort can lead to higher retention rates. Implementing the CES survey can greatly improve your overall customer experience and loyalty. Customer Loyalty Survey Template To gauge customer loyalty effectively, the Customer Loyalty Survey Template provides a structured way to assess overall satisfaction and commitment to your brand. This template helps measure key metrics like the Net Promoter Score (NPS), used by over 147,000 organizations. By segmenting customers based on their loyalty ratings, you can tailor marketing strategies and improve retention efforts. Here’s a simple table to illustrate key aspects of the customer loyalty survey template: Metric Description Importance Satisfaction with Products How satisfied are customers with your offerings? Identifies strengths Likelihood of Repurchase How likely are customers to buy again? Measures future revenue Recommendations to Others Would customers recommend your brand? Indicates brand advocacy Utilizing this template can lead to actionable insights that improve customer experience and promote long-term relationships, ultimately driving business growth. Customer Churn Survey Template Comprehending customer loyalty is important, but equally critical is recognizing when and why customers choose to leave. A Customer Churn Survey Template is a vital tool for gathering insights into customer departures, helping you pinpoint areas needing improvement. This template typically includes questions focused on: Customer satisfaction levels Quality of service provided Reasons for discontinuation Suggestions for improvement Frequently Asked Questions How Long Should a Customer Survey Typically Be? A customer survey should typically be concise, ideally ranging from 5 to 10 minutes for completion. This timeframe allows you to gather valuable insights without overwhelming respondents. Aim for about 10 to 15 questions, focusing on key aspects like satisfaction, product usability, and suggestions for improvement. What Is the Best Time to Send Surveys? The best time to send surveys typically depends on your audience and purpose. Generally, sending them shortly after an interaction, like a purchase or support call, increases response rates. Weekdays, particularly mid-morning or early afternoon, are often ideal since people are more likely to engage during working hours. Avoid weekends and holidays, as response rates may drop. Test different times and analyze results to find what works best for your specific audience. How Can I Encourage More Survey Responses? To encourage more survey responses, make your surveys concise and easy to understand. Offer incentives, like discounts or entry into a prize draw, to motivate participation. Timing matters, so send your surveys when your audience is most engaged. Personalize your outreach by addressing recipients by name and explaining the survey’s purpose. Finally, follow up with reminders to those who haven’t responded, but keep it respectful to avoid overwhelming them. What Tools Can I Use to Create Surveys? To create surveys effectively, you can use several online tools. Platforms like Google Forms and SurveyMonkey offer user-friendly interfaces and customizable templates. Typeform provides a more interactive experience, making surveys engaging. If you’re looking for advanced analytics, consider Qualtrics, which offers in-depth data analysis features. Each tool allows you to distribute surveys via email or social media, helping you reach a broader audience and gather valuable feedback efficiently. How Often Should I Conduct Customer Surveys? You should conduct customer surveys regularly to gather valuable feedback. A good starting point is quarterly surveys, which allow you to track changes in customer sentiment over time. Nevertheless, if you’re launching a new product or experiencing significant changes, consider more frequent surveys. Furthermore, pay attention to customer feedback trends; if you notice a shift, adjust your survey frequency accordingly. This approach helps you stay aligned with customer needs and expectations effectively. Conclusion Implementing these seven customer survey templates can greatly improve your comprehension of customer satisfaction and loyalty. By utilizing tools like the Customer Satisfaction Survey and Net Promoter Score, you can gather crucial feedback that informs your business strategies. These surveys help identify areas for improvement, assess customer experiences, and in the end promote stronger relationships with your clients. By regularly collecting and analyzing this data, you position your business for sustained success and increased customer retention. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Sample Customer Survey Templates You Can Use Today" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Fans of Macy’s Inc. will be disappointed to learn that the iconic department store has announced its next round of store closures. Fourteen Macy’s locations in 12 states will shutter as a result of this move. Here’s why and when the closures will take place. What’s happened? On Thursday, Macy’s published a letter from CEO Tony Spring to its employees updating them on the company’s “A Bold New Chapter” strategy, which the department store chain unveiled in February 2024. As part of that strategy, Macy’s announced at the time that it would be closing 150 “underproductive” stores through the end of 2026. Fast Company previously reported on 66 stores marked for closure in January 2025. In his Thursday letter, Spring said that the Bold New Chapter strategy, which includes simplifying operations and investing in customer experiences that its shoppers value most, is working. “We are seeing customers respond through strong performance in our go-forward business, record Net Promoter Scores, and improved results over the first three quarters,” Spring stated. As a point used to highlight the A Bold New Chapter’s success, Spring said that the strategy’s “Reimagine” element, which is seeing Macy’s invest in 125 of its best-performing stores, was paying off. Those stores saw comparative sales grow 2.7% in the third quarter, which Spring said was the result of investment in those stores’ “elevated merchandising, store design, and customer experience.” Unfortunately for some Macy’s employees, Spring also confirmed that the next round of store closures is beginning now. How many Macy’s stores are closing? Spring’s memo confirmed that Macy’s will close additional stores. Axios reported earlier that 14 stores that are closing in this round, and those store locations have also been marked with the notation “This location is closing” on Macy’s store locator tool. The 14 stores are believed to be part of the 150 locations Macy’s previously said would close by the end of 2026 as part of its A Bold New Chapter strategy. When will the Macy’s stores close? In a FAQ about the store closures, Macy’s says the stores impacted will begin their clearance sales this month, and those sales will go on for approximately 10 weeks. That places the closing date for these 14 locations at around the third week in March. “These decisions are not made lightly,” Spring said in his letter. “We communicated directly with affected colleagues first and are providing support, including transfer opportunities where available, as well as severance and outplacement resources where applicable.” Which Macy’s stores are closing? Fourteen Macy’s stores will be closing in this round. Those 14 stores are located in 12 states. Fast Company has reached out to Macy’s to confirm. The stores include: California Grossmont Center: 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, CA 91942 West Valley Mall: 3200 Naglee Rd, Tracy, CA 95304 Georgia Northlake Mall: 4880 Briarcliff Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30345 Maryland Marley Station: 7900 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie, MD 21061 Michigan Rivertown Crossings: 3850 Rivertown Parkway SW, Grandville, MI 49418 Minnesota Crossroads Center: 4101 West Division Street, St Cloud, MN 56301 New Hampshire Fox Run: 50 Fox Run Road, Newington, NH 03801 New Jersey Livingston Mall: 112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston, NJ 07039 Interstate Shopping Center: 225 Interstate Shopping Center, Ramsey, NJ 07446 New York Boulevard Mall: 1255 Niagara Falls Boulevard, Amherst, NY 14226 North Carolina Triangle Town Center: 3801 Sumner Boulevard, Raleigh, NC 27616 Pennsylvania Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills: 100 Pittsburgh Mills Cir, Tarentum, PA 15084 Texas La Palmera Mall: 5488 S Padre Island Dr Ste 5000. Corpus Christi, TX 78411 Washington Parkway Super Center: 17855 Southcenter Pkwy, Tukwila, WA 98188 How has Macy’s store reacted? Yesterday, when Macy’s published Spring’s letter, the company’s stock price (NYSE: M) closed up for the day, around 5.5% to $23.72 per share. However, the gain in shares probably has little to do with the announcement of the closure of those 14 stores, as the company has long informed investors that it plans to close 150 locations by the end of this year. Instead, the share price gain was most likely driven by Spring’s comments about the company’s 2.7% comp growth in its Reimagine stores and 9% comp sales growth in its Bloomingdale’s stores in the third quarter. With yesterday’s share price jump, Macy’s shares are now up 7.57% for the year as of the time of this writing. Over the past 12 months, Macy’s shares have jumped nearly 48% and in the last few months have traded around levels not seen since January 2023. View the full article

This week, yep, we had another story on Google Search ranking volatility. I posted the Google webmaster report for January 2026. Google Discover seems to be showing too many...View the full article

What if a team of super magicians used their talent and training to stage elaborate heists? That’s the high concept that drives the Now You See Me franchise. Critics were lukewarm when Now You See Me was released in 2013, categorizing the film as a heist flick with thin characters and a plot that fell apart as often as it twisted, but Now You See Me pulled off its own escape act—audiences loved the movie's flashy style, whipsaw pace, and all-star cast featuring names like Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, and Morgan Freeman. The result was box office magic: a movie with a $75M budget that returned over $300M worldwide. Now You See Me has since grown into an internationally successful, long-term franchise for distributor Lionsgate: The third installment was released on Nov. 14, and a fourth Now You See Me film is already in development. Like any long-running franchises, the Now You See Me-verse can be confusing, so we put together 10 infographics to pull back the curtain on Now You See Me's magic. First, a quick recap of each movie: Now You See Me (2013): The initial entry in the series introduces us to the thieves/illusionists known as the “Four Horsemen.” These best-in-the-business magicians are recruited by a mysterious secret society called The Eye to pull off large-scale heists in front of live audiences, then distribute the money to the needy. Now You See Me 2 (2016): The sequel expands the world of the first film, with bigger heists, deeper secrets, and funnier jokes. Having gone into hiding at the end of Now You See Me, The Horsemen resurface a year later and are coerced into a global heist by a tech mogul trying to steal all the privacy in the world. Now You See Me: Now You Don't (2025): Set a decade after the last film, Now You See Me: Now You Don't features all five Horsemen teaming up with three cocky young criminals/illusionists to pull off their most audacious caper yet: the theft of the world's most valuable diamond. The real-life magicians behind The Horsemen The Now You See Me movies present stage magic in a semi-realistic (though highly stylized) way. To nail the realism, the films draw inspiration from some of the greatest magicians in history, including: David Copperfield: The Horsemen’s larger-than-life illusions/heists like stealing the contents of a bank vault while performing a Vegas show seem inspired by the feats of magician David Copperfield, whose magical feats include flying over the Grand Canyon and vanishing the Statue of Liberty. David Blaine: Street magician David Blaine’s shadow is all over the Now You See Me Movies. Without the popularity of Blaine’s modern, gritty take on magic, the Now You See Me movies would likely not exist. Harry Houdini: Anything about stage magic is ultimately inspired by Houdini, the greatest magician of all time. Houdini's daring escape tricks inspired the series’ inciting incident, the death of magician Lionel Shrike, as well as the opening set piece where Henley Reeves escapes a water tank. Andrei Jikh: Jikh’s cardistry skills are evident in all the Horsemen, particularly in Jack Wilder. Jikh served as a consultant on Now You See Me. Keith Barry: Another Now You See Me magic consultant, Irish mentalist Keith Barry pioneered and popularized many of the hypnosis and mentalism feats used by character Merritt McKinney. The Horsemen's greatest heistsThe Horsemen are known as much for their larceny as their skills at illusion. Below are their most memorable heists, hold-ups, schemes, and burglaries. The Paris-to-Vegas bank robbery In the caper that introduces us to the Horsemen, the magicians rob a bank in Paris while performing before a crowd in Vegas. They choose a seemingly random person from the crowd and tell him he’s going to rob his own bank, the Crédit Républicain de Paris. Then they appear to teleport him to France, where he breaks into a bank vault, hits a button on a vacuum machine, and the money is seemingly sucked from Paris to Vegas where it rains down on the audience. The Tressler Insurance heist At a show in New Orleans, the Horsemen introduce their benefactor, insurance magnate Arthur Tressler, then proceed to drain his personal bank account while they’re onstage, depositing the money in the accounts of audience members, who all turn out to be victims of Hurricane Katrina that Tressler’s insurance company stiffed on repayments. The Macau data chip theft In Now You See Me 2, The Horsemen are coerced by evil tech magnate Walter Mabry to steal a cutting-edge computer chip that can decrypt and expose every system in the world. Housed in a highly secure research facility in Macau, China, the chip is conveniently the size of a playing card, allowing the Horsemen to use cardistry and sleight-of-hand skills to remove it from the building while being searched by guards. The Magic Castle: the real-life Château de Roussillon In Now You See Me Now You Don't, the Château de Roussillon is an ultimate magician's playground. The Eye's headquarters in a mansion in the French countryside is decked out with mind-bending large-scale illusions like rotating rooms and halls of mirrors. The Château de Roussillon is a real castle, but the filmmakers used Nádasdy Castle for the exterior shots in the movie. A main inspiration for the building is a real place: Los Angeles' Magic Castle. Opened in 1963, the Magic Castle is a restaurant/club/clubhouse for magicians housed in a stately Victorian mansion overlooking Hollywood. Not only is The Magic Castle credited as magic consultants on Now You See Me: Now You Don't, much of the cast trained at the Castle to prepare for their roles. If you'd like to visit, it won't be easy: The Magic Castle is an invitation-only private club, so you have to be a member of the Academy of Magical Arts or be invited by a member. But if you aren't friends with a magician, you can book a night at the nearby Magic Castle Hotel, where a stay comes with an invitation to the Castle. “How do they do that?”I analyzed the tricks in the movies with professional magician Dave Cox, and as over the top as the Horsemen's heists are, all but two of the many magic tricks presented in the Now You See Me movies could technically be done in real life—but the word “technically” is doing a lot of work here. The tricks are possible within the context of a stylized blockbuster, but would be extremely unlikely to work as well in real life: an extended, impromptu cardistry routine involving four magicians passing a playing card between themselves while security guards thoroughly search them makes for exciting cinema, but almost definitely wouldn’t go that smoothly in reality. But, here is how three of the most iconic tricks from the franchise could be done in real life. How to do Atlas’s “riffle force” card trick Now You See Me opens with a unique piece of cinematic trickery. Street magician J. Daniel Atlas is performing for a crowd on a city street. He riffles quickly through a deck of cards and asks a spectator to “see one card.” When his subject has a card in mind, a nearby building is lit up revealing a giant seven of diamonds, the card the subject was thinking of. It’s amazing if you’re “playing along at home,” because the chances are very good that you chose the seven of diamonds too. The trick is done in real life the same way it’s done in the movies: The magician uses sleight of hand or a gimmicked deck to pause on the desired card imperceptibly longer than the other cards. The director of Now You See Me added a frame or two to “pause” on the seven of diamonds, making it more likely that you think of that card. How Jack Wilder throws cards as weapons While it’s probably not possible to throw a card as accurately or forcefully as the characters in Now You See Me, you can throw playing cards really fast with the right technique and a lot of practice. How Henley Reeves escaped the water tank Henley Reeves’ introduction is a trick where she escapes from a water tank filled with piranhas, a variation of the kind of classic escape artist illusions popularized by Houdini. Water escapes are dangerous, but not as dangerous as they might seem because they’re rigged—no sane person is really going to try to escape from handcuffs and chains while underwater. Real-life heists that seem right out of the Now You See Me movies A group of thieves publicly “performing” large-scale robberies is strictly Hollywood, but the three real-life crimes below share some of the showmanship and audacity of the Horsemen’s heists: Louvre heist (2025): A recent jewelry-jacking at the Louvre involved a highly professional and brazen plan executed in broad daylight. The thieves used a truck-mounted mechanical lift to break into a second-floor balcony window and were in and out in less than eight minutes. The robbers have all been caught, but won't say where the jewels are. Stockholm helicopter robbery (2009): This thrilling heist involved a gang using a stolen police helicopter to land on the roof of a G4S cash management service building in the Stockholm suburb of Västberga. The brazen thieves smashed through a skylight, lowered themselves into the building, and stole millions while police were stymied by fake bombs placed near the police helicopter. Seven men were sentenced to prison, but authorities suspect as many as ten more people may have gotten away with the crime, and the 39 million Swedish krona loot was never recovered. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist (1990): This heist involved two men who disguised themselves as Boston police officers to gain entry into the museum just before it opened. The pair convinced one security guard to let them in, then handcuffed the rest of the guards and stole 13 priceless works of art valued at over $500 million. Despite a $10 million dollar reward, the art has never been recovered and no one has been charged with the crime. Seven more movies for fans of Now You See Me If you’ve watched all three NYSM movies and you’re still craving magical entertainment, check out these seven, all-killer no-filler movies about magic and magicians: The Prestige (2006): The Prestige is set in the late 19th century, before you could just google how any magic trick was done. Back then, the secret of sawing a lady in half was closely guarded, and The Prestige’s rival magicians–played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale–will go to any length to keep the hidden knowledge of their craft. The Illusionist (2010): This animated, silent feature provides a complete contrast to the Now You See Me movies. There’s no glitz or flash, just a quietly devastating character study of a magician’s relationship with the last person in his world who still believes in magic. Adapted from a screenplay by French cinema legend Jacques Tati, The Illusionist tells its intimate story through the evocative animation of Sylvain Chomet. It will definitely make you cry. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013): The Now You See Me movies go to great lengths to deny it, but magic is cheesy and magicians are weirdoes. Burt Wonderstone leans into the goofiness by casting Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi as Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelson, past-their-prime Vegas magicians bedeviled by Jim Carrey's Steve Gray, a Criss Angel-esque magic man who’s a different flavor of cheesy. The Magician (1958): Max von Sydow plays the title character in The Magician, where everything is shot in black-and-white and no one gets away with a bunch of money or engages in any witty banter. The Illusionist (2006): Yes, I’m recommending two movies with the same title. 2006’s The Illusionist is a moody, slow-burn mystery/romance that’s tonally a world away from Now You See Me’s glitz, but both films share a love of clever misdirection, intricate magic, “woah” reveals, and head-spinning plot twists. If you like the “magic as a means of social justice” theme of NYSM, you’ll like The Illusionist. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010): The Sorcerer’s Apprentice stars Nicolas Cage, who brings his own magic to every role, as a bonafide sorcerer who lives in modern New York City and fights a lonely war against dark magic on behalf of all mankind. Jay Baruchel plays his apprentice, and the pair use magical spells to battle a rival sorcerer. Sleight (2016): This scrappy, low-budget flick provides a very different vision of an illusionist turning to crime. Jacob Latimore plays a young street magician who’s left to care for his sister after their parents die. Magic isn’t paying the bills, so he turns to drug dealing, and must use his skills at deception and sleight-of-hand to stay alive. View the full article

Google Ads is constantly changing and evolving. With these changes come fresh mistakes PPC advertisers make in optimizing and managing their campaigns. This article breaks down the most common mistakes of 2026 so you can avoid repeating them this year. Mistake 1: Inconsistent conversion tracking setup Optimization decisions rely on conversion data. If your tracking is inconsistent, your entire account data becomes skewed. When conversions use different attribution methods, count types, and conversion windows, the data applies unevenly across your account, making it hard to judge the value of any click. In rare cases, you may override conversion tracking at the campaign level, which can make tracking accurate there but inconsistent at the account level. All paid search managers should aim to apply conversion data consistently across their accounts. Dig deeper: Accurate tracking data: The key to optimal ad performance Mistake 2: Ignoring exact match As Google pushes broad match, makes it the default in the interface, and adds settings that turn all keywords broad, exact match usage has declined. However, exact match still has many uses and consistently remains the highest-converting match type for the vast majority of accounts. Everyone should include exact match in their keyword mix. Mistake 3: Ensuring campaign settings are consistent You may have valid reasons for custom settings by campaign. However, if your account shows different excluded regions, inconsistent ad schedules, and a wide mix of bid strategies, it’s time to double-check your settings. When you run an account audit, confirming that campaigns are set up correctly should be a top priority. Campaigns are often created at different times, sometimes even years apart. Failing to check setting consistency remains one of the top Google Ads mistakes. Mistake 4: Caring about ad strength Ad strength is directly related to Google’s ability to control your ad’s messaging. The lower the ad strength, the more control you have over your message. The higher the ad strength, the more control Google has over how your ads are displayed. Our research at Adalysis (Disclosure: I’m a co-founder) has consistently found that lower ad strength ads have higher conversion rates than high ad strength ads. There is a common misconception that ad strength affects your quality score. It does not. Ad strength is a number that can generally be ignored. Mistake 5: Not adding your top search terms as keywords Your ad can show when a user’s search term matches your keyword. As match types have loosened over the past few years, a single search term can trigger multiple keywords if no exact match exists. When those keywords live in different ad groups with different ads and landing pages, the same search can surface inconsistent messaging and experiences. In addition, if you don’t have the user’s search term as a keyword, then Performance Max campaigns often The President your search campaigns. Since PMax campaigns generally have lower CTRs and conversion rates than search campaigns, this can be detrimental to your marketing. Always add your top search terms as keywords to ensure the searcher sees the correct ad group, ad, and landing page. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. Mistake 6: Using broad match with non-target CPA/ROAS bid methods I’m not going to rant against broad match. It has its uses. However, your bid strategy plays a major role in how effective it is for your account. With Max bidding, whether for revenue or conversions, Google prioritizes volume and will pursue results regardless of cost. With target bidding, Google focuses on hitting the specific target you set. Because broad match can trigger for many search terms, it often performs reasonably with target bidding and poorly with max bidding options. You should also evaluate your match type usage as you change bid strategies. I did an entire session on bid strategies that includes broad match usage at SMX, and you can see the video here. Dig deeper: Target ROAS in Google Ads: 5 key considerations Mistake 7: Always using old negative keyword lists Do you have negative keyword lists you always apply without even looking at the negative keywords in the list? In almost every audit I conduct, I see negative keyword conflicts. These occur when you block your keywords from showing due to a negative keyword. Some negative keyword lists are over a decade old. Companies, products, services, and user’s search terms have changed over the years, and when you add new keywords, you should ensure you’re not blocking these keywords. This issue can be tricky to spot since these keywords can receive impressions, clicks, and conversions. This happens when the search term isn’t the same as the keyword so that you can show ads for a wide variety of search terms; you just can’t show an ad for your actual keyword. Always check the negative keywords you add to your new campaigns to ensure your new keywords can be displayed. Mistake 8: Blindly accepting Google recommendations Google’s recommendations are sometimes in your best interest. They are always in Google’s best interest. Many recommendations are controversial, and some can even cause declines in account performance. Some recommendations are useful, so do not completely ignore them. However, you need to consider what the recommendation will do to your account before accepting it. Dig deeper: Google Ads best practices: The good, the bad and the balancing act Mistake 9: Having auto-apply turned on Did you know that Google can automatically add new keywords, add broad match versions of your keywords, and even change your bid strategy without you doing anything? This can only happen if you have auto-apply turned on. I’ve seen Google’s auto-apply settings wreck accounts before. All of these settings should be turned off. If you have auto-apply turned off, you’ll see the suggested changes as recommendations so you can make an informed decision before accepting or rejecting them. Dig deeper: Improve your Google Ads performance: 3 simple setting changes Mistake 10: Believing AI is wiser than you AI is like a child eager to please. It will give you an answer, even if it’s wrong. It’s also like a teenager who thinks it knows everything, and you’ll never fully understand how it works. You are the parent of your account and ultimately responsible for its success or failure. AI has many uses, but it isn’t infallible. It excels at math and pattern recognition, but it doesn’t understand people, feel empathy, or handle outliers well. We may call AI smart, but that comes from access to data. Wisdom comes from experience. Your brain is still your best marketing tool. It has been for years, and it will be again in 2026. When you apply your knowledge and judgment to evaluate your account and avoid these mistakes, you put yourself in a strong position to drive meaningful results in Google Ads. Dig deeper: AI and Google advertising: What’s next? View the full article

Google's Danny Sullivan and John Mueller spoke on the Search Off the Record podcast about whether hiring an AEO/GEO or buying an AI-optimization tool is any different than hiring an SEO or buying an SEO tool. In short, the advice is the same - both Googlers said.View the full article

Reddit simplifies campaign setup with Max Campaigns, Google enhances creator discovery inside Ads, and Microsoft expands audience targeting The post PPC Pulse: Reddit Max Campaigns, Google Creator & Microsoft Targeting Updates appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Google's Danny Sullivan said on the Search Off the Record podcast that was published yesterday that Google does not want you to turn your content into bite-sized chunks to rank well in LLMs. He said, "we don't want you to do that" and he even spoke to Google engineers about this.View the full article

Microsoft announced its AI-agents agentic experiences under the names of Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents. Copilot Checkout lets you shop and checkout directly in the Copilot chat experience and Brand Agents lets you add AI-chat experience to your site, and the AI is trained on your product data.View the full article

The ex-spy chief on the risks of The President’s operation in Venezuela, what the US gets wrong about regime change — and why Putin badly misjudged UkraineView the full article

Welcome to the first Fast Company’s Plugged In of 2026, and Happy New Year to you. More than 18 years ago, as the internet was transforming how we consume everything from news to music, someone called books “the last bastion of analog.” That someone happened to be Jeff Bezos. And he made the observation in a Steven Levy Newsweek article about Amazon’s original Kindle e-reader, a device designed to drag books into the digital age. Bezos’s comment resurfaced in my consciousness last week, as I read a New York Times article by Elizabeth A. Harris and Alexandra Alter on how the book publishing business fared in 2025. The upshot: It did pretty well overall, and remains a surprisingly analog enterprise. To be clear, the internet in general—and Amazon in particular—has transformed how we buy and consume books. Market share figures for booksellers are tough to come by, but estimates show the company controlling 50% or more of print book sales, leaving chains such as Barnes & Noble and independents to jostle for what’s left. That’s before you account for e-books and audiobooks, where Amazon’s Kindle and Audible platforms are overwhelmingly dominant. Despite that, paper books remain popular, and many people choose to buy them at brick-and-mortar stores. As of mid-December, roughly three-quarters of the 707 million books sold last year were of the traditional, dead-tree variety. In the first 10 months, e-books accounted for only 11% of revenue, down from 17% in 2016. The American Booksellers Association’s ranks swelled by 422 new shops—independent ones, not chain operations. On top of that, we got dozens of new Barnes & Noble locations, with more on their way. All of that suggests that books in their classic form aren’t just running on fumes of nostalgia or consumer inertia. Much of what’s delightful about the whole experience of engaging with the medium is inherently physical, in ways that other media—music, movies, newspapers, magazines—are not. I knew that a year ago when I declared that I was going to go out of my way to read dead-tree tomes in 2025, starting with the tower of them stacked on my nightstand. Taking the time to do so was a rewarding experience, and though life interfered with me reading as many as I’d hoped, I’m looking forward to continuing the quest in 2026 and beyond. As I wrote in that newsletter, I’m hardly an e-book hater. They’re often cheaper than print equivalents. They let you carry your entire library wherever you go. They can be easily searched. For nonfiction volumes being read for research purposes—a meaningful chunk of my book consumption—they beat print as the best overall format. Still, as I also wrote back then, e-books haven’t lived up to their full potential. Typographically and layout-wise, they remain rudimentary compared to paper. And even when they do things that print can’t, they don’t always do them well. That’s been my experience with a new AI-powered Kindle feature called ”Ask this book.” Introduced last month for thousands of titles in the Kindle iPhone and iPad apps, it lets you use a chatbot-style interface to pose questions about a book’s contents. To avoid spoilers, it defaults to its answers reflecting only what you’ve read so far. The tool has proven controversial, in part because authors aren’t compensated and can’t opt out. But when I tried it with my Kindle edition of Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs, the big problem was that it was terrible. Its responses repeatedly mangled factual material, from the circumstances of Jobs’ time at Reed College to the year the iPod was introduced. They also failed to provide any citations, rendering them useless as entry points for additional reading within the e-book. “Ask this book” does have the potential to evolve into something more interesting and useful. But when it comes to the shopping experience, for both digital and print books, Amazon has been marching in the wrong direction for years. Author Cory Doctorow coined the term “enshittification” to describe how tech products tend to grow customer-hostile over time. In his new book Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It, he declares Amazon to have reached a “terminal stage” of the phenomenon. Indeed, the company’s original tagline—“Earth’s biggest bookstore”—now feels more like a threat than a promise. Even if you cut the company some slack for offering a shopping experience that’s relentlessly utilitarian rather than intellectually stimulating, the place is in shambles. Search results are smothered with unrelated sponsored links and blatantly AI-generated junk books. Pages devoted to specific authors may be missing books, or, worse, list ones they didn’t write. The search results for “John Grisham” started with a paperback copy of his 2002 novel The Summons for an absurd $51.76, with an estimated delivery turnaround of up to two weeks—even though Amazon also has it for under 10 bucks with free Prime overnight shipping. For decades, the fact that local book shops couldn’t compete with Amazon’s massive inventory seemed like an existential weakness. But the best ones curate their selections in ways that offer a powerful alternative to Amazon’s unedited sprawl. To my knowledge, no online merchant has replicated the artful serendipity of brick-and-mortar book browsing, where wandering the aisles and stumbling across stuff you never knew existed is part of the point, not a distraction. Recently, I did much of my holiday gift shopping at one of my favorite Bay Area bookstores, Menlo Park’s Kepler’s. A large store—but not a completely enormous one—it‘s a joy to get lost in. I didn’t have to elbow my way past AI slop or sponsored chum, and emerged with a stack of books I would never have discovered through online shopping. Unlike Amazon, Kepler’s doesn’t offer discounts off list price. Actually, it tacks on a small surcharge to pay its employees a living wage. I am happy to pay it. The 70-year-old store, which almost went out of business in 2005, doesn’t feel like a relic. Instead, like every good bookstore, it’s an idea too vibrant to be rendered irrelevant by technology. It’s heartening to think the publishing industry has settled into a groove that will keep such neighborhood gems viable for years to come. You’ve been reading Plugged In, Fast Company’s weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to you—or if you’re reading it on fastcompany.com—you can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard. More top tech stories from Fast Company Craiglist’s founder has some simple rules for not losing your mind—or money—on the internet Craig Newmark’s ‘Take9’ campaign asks people to pause nine seconds before reacting online. Read More → LinkedIn is expanding its AI-powered job search features The platform continues to grow as a hub for seeking jobs and holding professional discussions. Read More → AI isn’t stealing your traffic. It’s stealing your authority As AI becomes the first stop for information, GEO is how you make sure your version of the story gets told. Read More → Yann LeCun: Meta ‘fudged a little bit’ when benchmark-testing Llama 4 model The testing sparked internal frustration about the progress of the Llama models. Read More → OpenAI enters the connected health space with ChatGPT Health Health is already a popular topic area on ChatGPT. OpenAI is now adding physician expertise, and plug-ins for health apps and records. Read More → Tin Can phones have been overwhelmed since Christmas The company says it’s working to fix a network issue and that paying customers won’t be charged until the devices are reliable once more. Read More → 12 CEOs share bold predictions for 2026 Market corrections, the rise of sovereign AI, and the first AI-driven attack are among the bold predictions for the coming year. Read More → View the full article

In September, we posted about a number of local pack design tests from Microsoft Bing. But now, Bing might be testing a more retro, older-looking interface for the local pack in the Bing search results.View the full article

Navah Hopkins, the Microsoft Ads Liaison, posted a reminder on LinkedIn, encouraging advertisers to ensure the email settings are all configured properly. You can get monthly invoices, billing alerts, account notifications, ad and keyword rejection notices, optimization and performance tips and more.View the full article

Doubling down on fossil fuels threatens to leave the US floundering in the AI race with ChinaView the full article

WordPress no longer your default choice? Get a clear breakdown of when Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Shopify, Ghost, Drupal, and others are the smarter move. The post 19 WordPress Alternatives: From Simple Builders To Enterprise CMS appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article