Lessons From a Marketing Guru
| Category: Marketing Strategy | Date: 2002-01-24 |
I am not an expert but I was fortunate enough to have a one2one with an online marketing guru, Mark Amu. Marks web site http://www.TRAKtag.com is top in Yahoo for his product-property marking. Anyone who has achieved that sort of ranking is worth listening to.
Mark did an analysis of my original web site which was pretty-looking but not producing any results despite 3 months online presence.
Here are some of his suggestions which I am sure will apply to any web master who wants his/her site to make an impact.
1. Search rankings
Use very well-defined Metatags.
Running out of ideas on what words to use? Do a keyword check from this site:
http://www.analogx.com/
which will give you words that your potential clients are searching for.
Make a list of words relevant to your business and then go to http://www.goto.com to find out the bid prices for these keywords. The higher the prices, the more important they are and should be included in your Metatags.
Concentrate on registering with the more popular search engines and re-submit your site every 3 months.
2. Track your traffic.
Look up your server log file to have an indication of how many and who have been visiting your site.
3.Aim for a niche market.
Who is your visitor? Who was your perceived visitor? Are they the same? My original site was very generalised. On the Internet, niche markets are more successful. Concentrate on targeting a selected group. Offering a rare or more specific product will also help with your search engine rankings.
4. Sales copy
Do not just transfer the contents of your offline sales information/brochure onto your web site. On line catalogues do not do well on the net as people mainly surf for information. A good approach is to offer a service that is initially information based and free by auto responder. A free report on Hosting tips or free online consultation for instance. This encourages people to click onto your call to action - its a sprat to catch a mackerel analogy. Why would the visitor want to visit your site? Whats in it for them?
5.Provide incentives via free offers.
Example: free hosting for the first 3 months, or free ebooks with valuable information. Think about how to get the customer and look long term re backend sales. The copy has to emphasis benefits to the client- as your visitors will only stay and return if you make your site sticky and benefit-laden. Offering a free ezine is a good way of building up loyalty and keeping in touch with your customers.
6. Web site layout and content.
Have a simple layout with relevant graphics (absolute max 40k on front page)- and a personal interest story. Mark had an interesting one about why he set up the business. Include information about yourself. If you have skills, shout it out from the roof-tops. Humility has no place in online marketing.
7. Clearly define what you do on your homepage.
You have 7 seconds to convince a visitor to go further into your site. You need a powerful call to action- do not be embarrassed by telling the visitor to click here.... to take them where you want to.
8. Responses/Feedback.
Web masters will get very few emails without a privacy policy on their site. You also get better response if you have a form as opposed to an email link - there are many free cgi forms available. Do one for your site, with benefit laden copy. Have a complete address on the contact us page, plus telephone number- as well as one at the end of every page.
9. Strong call for action.
My original copy did not specifically ask potential customers to contact. Mark pointed out that they would just read the page and go elsewhere. The copy was later rewritten to gently nudge the site visitor towards the form page and to prompt them to contact me for further information.
10. Links - Without realizing it, I had spend two fifths of my original site encouraging visitors to go elsewhere-I had to analyse how to have successful links strategies-where to place them so they are not costing me visitors (example by nesting them a few layers within the site) and who to include - ideally someone who have exchanged links with you or an affiliate partner so you are at least paid for visitors leaving your site to go to theirs.
You can compare the results of the facelift my web site had under Marks expert advice and guidance by looking at it before and after the transformation at the respective addresses below:
http://freespace.virgin.net/wk.m/jade
http://www.jademultimedia.co.uk
About the Author
Jade Multimedia - Complete web site design and implementation service for small businesses. Visit us at http://www.jademultimedia.co.uk for tips on web design and promotion and free e-book on Internet Marketing. Limited period only, FREE PRIZE DRAW - win a starter web site for your business.
contact@jademultimedia.co.uk
http://www.jademultimedia.co.uk/
Mark did an analysis of my original web site which was pretty-looking but not producing any results despite 3 months online presence.
Here are some of his suggestions which I am sure will apply to any web master who wants his/her site to make an impact.
1. Search rankings
Use very well-defined Metatags.
Running out of ideas on what words to use? Do a keyword check from this site:
http://www.analogx.com/
which will give you words that your potential clients are searching for.
Make a list of words relevant to your business and then go to http://www.goto.com to find out the bid prices for these keywords. The higher the prices, the more important they are and should be included in your Metatags.
Concentrate on registering with the more popular search engines and re-submit your site every 3 months.
2. Track your traffic.
Look up your server log file to have an indication of how many and who have been visiting your site.
3.Aim for a niche market.
Who is your visitor? Who was your perceived visitor? Are they the same? My original site was very generalised. On the Internet, niche markets are more successful. Concentrate on targeting a selected group. Offering a rare or more specific product will also help with your search engine rankings.
4. Sales copy
Do not just transfer the contents of your offline sales information/brochure onto your web site. On line catalogues do not do well on the net as people mainly surf for information. A good approach is to offer a service that is initially information based and free by auto responder. A free report on Hosting tips or free online consultation for instance. This encourages people to click onto your call to action - its a sprat to catch a mackerel analogy. Why would the visitor want to visit your site? Whats in it for them?
5.Provide incentives via free offers.
Example: free hosting for the first 3 months, or free ebooks with valuable information. Think about how to get the customer and look long term re backend sales. The copy has to emphasis benefits to the client- as your visitors will only stay and return if you make your site sticky and benefit-laden. Offering a free ezine is a good way of building up loyalty and keeping in touch with your customers.
6. Web site layout and content.
Have a simple layout with relevant graphics (absolute max 40k on front page)- and a personal interest story. Mark had an interesting one about why he set up the business. Include information about yourself. If you have skills, shout it out from the roof-tops. Humility has no place in online marketing.
7. Clearly define what you do on your homepage.
You have 7 seconds to convince a visitor to go further into your site. You need a powerful call to action- do not be embarrassed by telling the visitor to click here.... to take them where you want to.
8. Responses/Feedback.
Web masters will get very few emails without a privacy policy on their site. You also get better response if you have a form as opposed to an email link - there are many free cgi forms available. Do one for your site, with benefit laden copy. Have a complete address on the contact us page, plus telephone number- as well as one at the end of every page.
9. Strong call for action.
My original copy did not specifically ask potential customers to contact. Mark pointed out that they would just read the page and go elsewhere. The copy was later rewritten to gently nudge the site visitor towards the form page and to prompt them to contact me for further information.
10. Links - Without realizing it, I had spend two fifths of my original site encouraging visitors to go elsewhere-I had to analyse how to have successful links strategies-where to place them so they are not costing me visitors (example by nesting them a few layers within the site) and who to include - ideally someone who have exchanged links with you or an affiliate partner so you are at least paid for visitors leaving your site to go to theirs.
You can compare the results of the facelift my web site had under Marks expert advice and guidance by looking at it before and after the transformation at the respective addresses below:
http://freespace.virgin.net/wk.m/jade
http://www.jademultimedia.co.uk
About the Author
Jade Multimedia - Complete web site design and implementation service for small businesses. Visit us at http://www.jademultimedia.co.uk for tips on web design and promotion and free e-book on Internet Marketing. Limited period only, FREE PRIZE DRAW - win a starter web site for your business.
contact@jademultimedia.co.uk
http://www.jademultimedia.co.uk/
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