While trying to book my latest trip to Malta, I was on www.Cheaptickets.com (I wish they were cheaper). Every time I searched I was taken to a page before my flight results showed that has a “CheapTickets Tip” The tips were OK, but the problem was that they were labeled Tip #385, Tip #724, Tip #126…now I don’t really think they have up to 700 tips that they randomly show, but I think if they were going to label them so high, they should at least have a higher number of rotating tips so I don’t see Tip #126 every 3rd time.

Which brings up a point for small business owners – make sure your marketing messages are not transparent. If you are advertising online about having great service but don’t respond to emails people send you as a result of that ad – what good is the advertising? If you tell your customers you do something “the best” and then don’t take care of them the way “the best” should – you are not going to grow your businesses.

Transparent marketing messages are a deal killer.