Posted by admin on Mar 6, 2010 in
website design Some very useful tips every website designer and owner should consider to make the website do what it is supposed to do: sell! via Smash Magazine:
#5. AIDA
AIDA is a well-known strategy in sales and stands for: Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. It is relatively simple and describes the sequence of events you should aim for to get a sale. So, first of all, you must capture the attention of your potential customer. Once you have it, you should win their interest by explaining how your product or service can help them.
Then, once they’re interested, generate a desire in them for your product. For example, a story about how this product has helped someone like your visitor can help them imagine what this product would do for them, and especially what benefits it would bring. Indeed, the benefit part is key here because benefits, not features, sell products.
Finally, you need to get people to act. This means purchasing the product or signing up for the service. If people want your product, all they may need is a button to check out. If they are interested but not yet sure, you could use a few methods to motivate them further; for example, creating a sense of urgency with a limited-time offer or limited supply.
Yokaboo features large, eye-catching graphics. You’re likely to first read the short description on the left. The stats on the t-shirt then help build trust. Finally, you are presented with a call to action on the right.
Now, the AIDA approach applies more to copy — the actual marketing text on the website — than design, so what we need to do on the design side is reinforce that copy, make it stand out and ensure visitors read it. This means making sure the first thing a new visitor sees really grabs their attention. The flow of the page should then direct their focus to the items that achieve the other two goals: interest and desire. Finally, at the end of this flow, we need to convert. So, provide calls to action: “Order now,” “Sign up here.”
It’s important to understand that the design alone won’t sell: you need strong copy in place to do most of that work. The design is there to reinforce and support the copy, rather than the other way around.
Reinvigorate captures your attention with three large words at the top: “measure. analyze. evolve.” You’re then led to a more descriptive bit of text below and a call to action link.
This means you shouldn’t design a nice website first and then fill up the space with words. Instead, think about the message you want to send out, write the copy and then construct a design that delivers that. If a delivery truck breaks down, then the package does not arrive, but if there was no package in the first place, then the delivery wouldn’t matter at all.
More tips at Smash Magazine
Posted by admin on Mar 4, 2010 in
advertising,
viral marketing Clients are always asking for a list of places to market and promote their websites. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a combination of creating links and content on your own site and on many others. Every SEO program is unique, many using geographic or industry-specific websites, but almost every site can benefit from a program that utilizes a combination of the marketing channels, sites and tools below:
Use Good Creative
- Create a Emotional Connection
- Kids sell – use images that connect to your audience
Search Marketing
- Paid Search or PPC – Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing, plus lots more smaller players
- Search Engine Optimization – The best advertising channel for many businesses
- Local Search – Free local listing on Google Maps
Blogging
- Blogging – Showcase your products or expertise through your blog. Works great for service based business in which information can be given away
- RSS – Feed out your blog content direct to RSS subscribers
- Link Bait Content – Generate buzz and links through content
- Guest Posting – Guest post on authority blogs
- Paid Blog Posts – Reviewme
Social Networking Sites
- Stumbleupon – Paid and free models
- Twitter – Follow and connect with prospective customers and keep in touch with existing
- Facebook Ads – Demographic and geotarget ads can work for DM
- MySpace Ads
- Facebook Profiles/Pages – Apps / fans pages / personal profiles
- Mass Social News Sites – A story on digg or reddit may bring your site down!
- Niche Social News Sites – Eg Sphinn for SEO
- In Social Apps Ads – Socialmedia.com, fbx
- Forum Signature – Advertise in your forum signature
Email
- Blanket Mass Email – This is spam, so don’t do it.
- Email database – buy/rent – Send your message to an opt in bought database
- Email Shot Sponsorship – Sponsor a targeted website’s email shot
- Email Newsletter – A regular reason to stay in touch with your customers
- Application Emails – You can add marketing messages to other automated type emails you are sending out
- Targeted Sales Email – The better researched and targeted your email (recipient and email copy) the better
- Personal Email Footer – Add marketing messages at the bottom of your emails
Content Promotion
- Podcasts and itunes
- Online Videos – Start a channel and publish on YouTube
- Articles – Submit articles to ezinearticles & other article sites
- Teleseminars
- Free eBooks – build a targeted database by giving something away
- Question and Answer Websites – Yahoo Answers, Blurtit, Answerbag, WikiAnswers
Online Other
- Web Directories – Dmoz and Yahoo
- Widgets & Toolbars
- Virtual worlds, Secondlife – Would love to hear if this has worked for anyone
- Text Ads
- ISP level advertising – NebuAds
- Behavioral Targeting
- Spyware / Adware
- In Game Ads
- Gamevitorials – Make a Flash game for your brand
Mobile
- Mobile Search
- Mobile Ad networks
- Bluetooth Push
- Mobile Apps – iPhone and Android Apps
- SMS
Viral
- Viral – Google ‘will it blend’ for an example
- Viral Seeding – Paid version seeding the above
- Viral Loop – Gold dust, if the application spreads itself like Hotmail
Online Display
- Banner Ads – Remember to try the ad exchanges for low CPM’s
- Video Ads – Embedded ads in videos
- Popups / Popunders
- In Line Ads – Kontera, Vibrant Media
- Contextual Text/Banner Networks – Google Adsense
- Blog Ad Networks – BuySellAds, Federated Media
- Niche Banner Ads – Eg w00tmedia.net for cult websites
Online Marketplaces
- eBay – Sell anything on eBay
- Amazon Marketplace
- Supplier Portals – Wholesale/Import/Export Portals
- Service marketplaces – Get projects from elance & guru
- Classified Ads – Free ads on Craiglist, Gumtree & Google Base
- Niche Online Storefronts – eg Dreamstime for Images
Online Networking
- Linkedin – Build a network and Inmail rocks
- Niche Online Communities – For example econsultancy
- IM – Instant Messengers – Build your contact lists MSN, Gtalk, Skype
Distribution Channels
- Wholesalers
- Exporters
- Retailers
Online PR
- Local and Industry Directories
- Profile Page Promotion – From Wikipedia to Flickr
- Blog Reviews – Get your products reviewed by top bloggers to generate buzz
Offline PR
- Entering Business Competitions
- Corporate Events
- Interviews and quotes in Publications
- Writing for Publications – With a bio of course!
- Publicity Stunts
- Celeb Endorsements
Partnership Marketing
- Online Affiliate Programs
- Joint Ventures
Networking
- Corporate Entertainment
- Personal Networking – Build a great black book & keep in touch
- Tradeshow / Seminars – Go to events, places & seminars your clients are going to be & rub shoulders
Tradeshows
- Speaking engagements
- Stands
- Tradeshow Sponsorship
- Run Your Own Seminar
Promotional Material
- Flyers
- Branded Items
- Catalogues and Brochures
- Business Cards
- Stickers
- Promotional Gifts
Signage
- Vehicle Lettering & Car Stickers
- On Site Billboards – Construction industry standard
- Store Front Signs
- Walking Sandwich Boards – Also pointer sign holders
Cinema
- In Film Product Placement
- Pre Roll Ads
Television
- TV Ads
- Program Sponsorship
- Product Placement
Radio
Radio
- Program Sponsorship
- Product Placement
Outdoor Display
- Road side billboards
- Underground or Subways
- Buses and Vehicles – Regional target via routes
- Restrooms Billboards
Sponsorship
- Team Sponsorship
- Awards Sponsorship
- Bursary Sponsorship
Direct Marketing
- Directory Enquiries SMS Sponsorship
- SMS List Marketing
- Telesales Cold Calling
- Mailshots
- Personal handout
- Door to Door Cold Calling
Print
- Magazine Ads
- Newspaper Ads
- Publication Product Placement
Directories
- Yellow Pages – Plus other large directories
- Trade Directories
Doing Business Well
- Word of Mouth – If your product is awesome it will spread
- Referrals – Ok, so it’s the same as the above
