New Medium, New Rules
Life is thought to have begun on Earth somewhere around three billion years ago, and of all the species, only an estimated one in a thousand is still alive today. Academics continue to debate over whether this is a natural part of the evolution process, or a direct result of the changing environment. Whichever opinion is right, one thing's for sure - it's bad news for the victims. If they'd have adapted to their changing environment early on, they could very well still be around today. One of the big mistakes made in understanding what works on the web is to simply assume that it's a new form of an old medium. From parchment to paper to the web. The fact is that the web is much more than an updated version of paper, and applying the same set of rules to both is a recipe for extinction. Your Monitor Is Not a Newspaper. Let's start with the absolute basics. The common newspaper has to be one of the most popular formats for gathering information in the modern world. Do you read yours at arms length, hold it at eye level, or hold it above your head? Of course not - almost everybody holds or places the newspaper lower than eye level, usually around 30 to 40 cm away from their eyes. When is the last time you read data from your monitor like that? Reading from a screen means staring straight ahead, focusing a little further away than usual, usually accompanied by very little blinking and consequently quite dry and often uncomfortable eyes. One Click And The Visitor Is Away. So this is your starting point for your site visitor when they read your site. Aside from the fact that it is relatively uncomfortable, and near impossible to curl up on the couch or read over lunch, there's the added threat of the dreaded mouse click. One click, taking around a third of a second, will take your visitor away - out of site and out of mind. It's a whole lot easier and quicker than turning over a page. So you have a very short amount of time to convey your message - don't wait for them to scroll down the page, and certainly don't assume they'll have the patience to read through a long text. Use bullets, tables and lots of space - these three methods will aid the fight against the click. Once you've got their interest, then they may well want to read more, but those first two seconds are critical. Grab them. Once they're in, you need them to read your information, then decide whether they'll take it further. The words you choose and how you write them will be the single biggest factor in their making the decision. Make them short, snappy, and easy to read. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind. Let's assume that their quick scan of your front page has whetted their appetite. Now what? Go back to the basics. ORDER NOW should be very visible, or at least GET MORE INFO, BUY etc. The big thing is to force them to act right now, this very second. A magazine can be left on the coffee table for the next week or two, but your page will be off their browser and forgotten faster than you can say "missed customer"! If you're going to wait for them to make the leap from passing interest into action, chances are that you've already lost them. Grab them, show them your message and help them go for it now. Your call for action should be strong, clear and decisive. "Please click here to order" is bland. BUY is better, and I WANT THIS NOW is best of all. At this stage, there could be any number of worries holding them back from placing their order - they may want to know about your refunds policy, they may be worried about ordering online. Help them - and make it clear where they can find this information. "We use secure server" won't be noticed as clearly as a bright "Worried about Security?" button. Give Them What They Want. You have to look through the eyes of the consumer - imagine that they're interested in the product but... but what? They may worry about the safety of using a credit card, ordering online, privacy, system compatibility, getting unwanted junk mail and so on. A significant advantage of being online is that unlike the newspaper ad, you have the ability to place all the information they need right in front of them. All they have to do is click on it. And make sure you put your message across with the right tone. Business users have very different needs and ways of expressing themselves from the average home user. Make sure you don't throw street-slang at the IT guy, or CPU usage patterns at the young game player. Another universal technique that works is the use of testimonials. If I'm visiting a website looking at a product that appeals to me, the testimonials can swing it. But make sure they look genuine, or you're wasting your time. "Cool - Dave in Finland" doesn't inspire nearly as much confidence as a three sentence praise of features, attributed to a person's full name and company. Keep them short, to the point, and lots of them! Once you have the sale, you're in there. But even then you could be letting further opportunity pass you by. I recently purchased Macromedia's DreamWeaver online. I wanted the downloadable version, but when it came to the order form, I was offered other additional options such as having the manual mailed, a copy on CD, courses in using the software, additional licences and so on. Once someone has decided they're going to part with their cash, you already have a significant psychological advantage, and they may well be receptive to getting one or two additional items as well. Make sure the opportunity is there for them. Impulse Clicking. Once the sale is in the bag, the offer of a reduced price on further purchases of your other software can't do any harm, and who knows, you just may end up getting some more sales. It's no coincidence that supermarkets have all those impulse items by the checkout. It works. The use of your website as an online version of a printed ad or press release is worse than a wasted opportunity - it's inappropriate, and it really won't work very well. The web isn't a digital newspaper or magazine, it's a whole new medium with new opportunities, but it requires some new techniques. Don't let your products or company join the dodo - be seen, be sold. Copyright 2004 Dave Collins About The Author Dave Collins is the CEO of SharewarePromotions Ltd., a well established UK-based company working with software and shareware marketing activities, utilising all aspects of the internet. http://www.sharewarepromotions.com and http://www.davetalks.com.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Why Real Estate Agents Need Their Own Website
It is difficult to for a real estate agent to be successful today without a Website. First, your customers and prospective clients expect you to have a Website, simply as a matter of credibility. Second, a Website is where you have an opportunity to promote yourself, your listings and your services to your local marketplace.
Five Simple Steps To Make Money Online This New Year
Most people in a new year make resolutions to make more money and attempt to make money online. However it is also true that a vast majority of people fail to actually make money online. Why is this? Most people in their haste and enthusiasm to make money online go all out and attempt to "try their luck" and go around purchasing advertising to promote and try to sell whatever affiliate program or home based business opportunity that they have with no results to show for it. So not only are they not making money, they are losing money online.
Make Use of the Signature Line in Your Email
Think about it, how many emails do you send out every day? How many of these forwarded jokes, pictures, stories etc do you receive every week?
The Power Of Cross Promoting
Cross promotion is, without doubt, a powerful technique used by many people to increase the exposure of their products or services when they start their Online Business.
Find Your Niche - The Internet Marketers Goldmine
If you haven't heard the word 'niche' being batted around by Internet Marketers then you haven't been listening. Finding a niche has become the antidote to competing in overly saturated online markets.
How To Get Qualified Visitors to Your Site
Having an eBusiness isn't just about getting gobs of people to your site and hope that a number of them buy. Having your little web counter screaming 50,000 visitors a day doesn't mean "jack" if no one buys from you. It isn't about the quantity of your visitors it's about the quality.
10 Amplifying Ways To Turn Up Your Sales Volume
1. Make your potential customers forget about the competition. Just tell them to forget with a factual and believable reason why they should.
If you Sell a Product, Use Online Marketing, Part 1
When you offer your products via an email campaign to get people to visit your Web site, you reap many rewards-you create more profit, spend a lot less time promoting and marketing, and get to be known as the leader in your field.
Forming Profitable Joint Ventures
You won't be involved in Internet marketing long before you see the term "Joint Venture." Perhaps you are familiar with the term from its application in the business world but don't see how it would apply to Internet marketing.
Do Online Business Ethics Exist?
In the world of online busines something has gone wrong. Something has gone badly wrong. In the pursuit of wealth and success business ethics have not so much fallen by the wayside as been torn up, stomped on and burned to ash. Where some loose form of rule may have applied before there now only exists chaos, greed and hype.
Internet Marketing Tips: 10 Benefits Of Surveying Your Customers & Subscribers
One way to keep in touch with your customers and so keep
them coming back to buy from you and also bring
new customers to you is to survey them.
Six Lesser-Known Online Marketing Ideas
Uniqueness is what separates each business, its services and its products. The difference gives buyers and on-line visitors a way of measuring this against that. It also makes the difference on their decision to buy.
3 Simple Ways to Harness the Concept of the Free Offer for Internet Marketing
One of the reason why the concept of free stuff online works really well has a lot to do with the nature of the internet where people go online to find free information and share music online. Many good internet marketers have learnt that offering free things to their website visitors can help make them more money online and this article highlights three simple strategies that successful internet marketers have used.
So What If You Dont Have A Website?
Gasp! Choke! Gag! That's how people react when you tell them your business does not have a website. So do you really need one?
How To Increase Your Online Sales Anytime
Hold a discount sale on your web site. Use the sale to get
rid of excess inventory, gain new or repeat customers, and
increase your sales. Most businesses pick a theme for their
sale, like a Halloween Sale. Below are six unique sales
themes you could use:
Scared Of Creating Your Own Info Product?
Don't be scare off when you hear about product creation or the term 'product'. Basically a product can be almost anything you put together that pass on quality information, and contrary to what you may think, it can be created very easily once you know how.
The Undeniable Value Of Differentiation
With all the people offering products and services online, what sets yours apart from the crowd?
Seven Sure Steps In Building Your Reputation Online
If you have to part with your hard-earned money for some goods or services, who would you rather trust: a novice provider or an expert one?
You Know Youre Too Ethical When...
Yeah, TOO ethical!? Lately, with some of the issues I've had to deal with in my day to day business activities it seems I am one of the rare few who is concerned about proper ethics and naturally is inclined to react with integrity.
An Approach to Advertising on the Internet
Budweiser has the frogs. McDonalds has Ronald. Goodyear has the baby. Each of these companies has used different images as a means of advertising with traditional media. Television, radio, and print ads have been extremely successful in helping companies develop a successful brand image. With the World Wide Web, however, marketing departments struggle to incorporate traditional advertising into a high-tech medium like the Internet.
|
