When marketing your product or
service, you need to have a firm understanding of your audience,
the message you want to deliver, the offer you're willing to make, and the
optimal timing for your marketing campaign.
Too often novice marketers,
even marketing veterans, make costly mistakes that result in poor
performance of their marketing campaign. Common marketing mistakes can be
avoided with adequate planning, attention to detail, and ongoing measurement
and evaluation.
If you're considering a
traditional marketing campaign, an Internet marketing campaign, or
something that's never been tried before, be sure to avoid these common
marketing mistakes.
1. Timing.
You may have a great list, a fantastic offer, and even a well designed
marketing piece, but if your timing is off, so too will be your results. As
an experienced marketer, I have seen some very expensive marketing campaigns
that were very compelling but failed to produce results. This is because the
campaign reached consumers at a time in which they had no interest in buying
the product. For example, trying to sell snow shovels in July would not be
considered good timing.
2. Failure to Test Your
Headline.
As the first thing your prospect usually reads, the headline is essential
for luring your prospective buyer into the message, your offer, and the
action you want them to take. Regardless of the medium, you should
continually test your headlines (or subject lines) by running split tests
and evaluating response. This ensures that your marketing message attracts
the largest number of prospective buyers.
3. Failure to Test Your
Offer.
In direct marketing, the offer is directly correlated to 40% of your
response. If you have the right offer, people respond. There are other
factors to consider as well, but providing a compelling offer is required in
most instances. Offers can range from discounts to "hurry while supplies
last", but the commonality remains. Test your offers for optimizing
response.
4. Having a Good List.
Having the best offer and award-winning design is not enough. For many types
of marketing campaigns, success is directly tied to having a targeted list.
With today's sophisticated list generation tools, you can acquire lists that
are highly segmented based on demographics, psychographics, buying behavior,
and many other characteristics. The key here is not to be penny wise and
pound foolish. If you're wondering where to invest your marketing dollars,
spend them on developing a good house list (names you acquire on your own)
or by renting/purchasing a well segmented marketing list.
5. Relying on a Single
Communication.
On average, consumers are hit with over 2,000 marketing messages everyday.
In fact, recent studies have indicated that consumers need to see your
marketing message an average of 12 times before they take notice. If there
is any truth to the claim in part or in whole, it means that you must
communicate to prospects on a regular basis. Placing a single ad in the
newspaper or sending a single email cannot deliver effective results.
Determine the media that prospects use to gather information and develop an
ongoing campaign that works within your budget.
6. Not Measuring Campaign
Effectiveness.
Over time, your business is going to do a lot of marketing. Even if you are
a small business wondering how you're going to communicate to a prospective
audience, you're going to eventually have some type of communication.
Regardless of the marketing campaign size or expense, you need to track your
results. This can be done with a simple spreadsheet or a multi-million
dollar CRM system. The bottom line is you need to record what works and what
doesn't so that you can improve your results in the future.
7. Failure to Continue the
Dialogue.
After consulting for a number of large companies, I'm still amazed at how
many fail to communicate to customers on an ongoing basis. Often times,
consumers or businesses only hear from the seller when its time to buy
again. If you have an established customer base, chances are you've worked
hard to acquire them. You should be spending some of your marketing budget
to retain them. Be sure to open a dialogue with customers, solicit their
feedback, and communicate with them regularly. This will help to build your
business over the long-term.
Excerpts from the
Site-Reference Newsletter – dated 06/2005
Article: 10 Successful
Strategies To Site Promotion by Rhonda Wright
Rhonda White offers 10 common sense suggestions
for promoting your website. Although the article focuses on what stay at
home moms who are also website owners should do, the principles offered in
this article can apply to all website owners.
1. Generate Traffic. To generate a lot of
traffic to your site and gain recognition, you need to promote in as many
places as you possibly can. Do not throw all your advertising dollars in
only one or two spots. Try to determine or ask the amount of traffic they
are generating. Sites generating huge traffic often require higher
advertising rates. Be aware; however, that some sites requesting high
advertising rates, may not necessarily be generating that much traffic.
There are many sites out there that really offer a great deal and do not
charge high rates. To generate more traffic find as many free places to
advertise as you possibly can.
2. Target the Right Market. Try to find sites that target the type of
audience you are marketing to. Example: Someone selling baby products should
advertise at baby sites, mommy sites, networks, groups and forums where
mommies hang out and visit frequently. Just because you may be a
work-at-home mom doesn't mean you have to limit yourself to just advertising
at "WAHM" sites. Place your focus mainly where your targeted market will be,
but find all similar possibilities to target as well. Example: If you sell
educational products to career-minded young people, you would want to focus
where young people of this age visit frequently, but you can also search for
a few places to network where moms may visit who have teens getting ready to
graduate from high school.
3. Visit Mom Sites. Spend time visiting other sites by moms and see where
they are advertising. If they are displaying a banner on their site
referring to some directory or networking site this gives you a clue that
they may have exchanged links or listed in their directory for free in
exchange for displaying their banner. Exchanging links with websites of
similar content and products as yours will help with your search engine
rankings and once again target your market. While you are visiting other
sites by moms, be sure to sign their guest book while you are there. Many
guest books allow you to add your website's url.
4. Use the Search Engines. Use Google and Yahoo and do a search for "Free
Advertising", "List your URL", "Add your URL", "Add your Site", "Free Site
Promotion", etc. Also include keywords you use for marketing your site. Just
be cautious before spending money with any new sites you haven't heard of
before. You will probably be surprised at how many sites you find that still
offer free advertising.
5. Go Local. There is a HUGE competition going on all over the internet
especially for those who are promoting websites with direct sales. "Local"
is gaining popularity...and for a good reason. If I decided to start buying
Avon, for example, I would probably prefer to buy from someone locally. Use
the search engines to do a search for free classified ads in your city and
nearby locations. See if you can find any local networks, groups, forums,
portals, directories, etc.
6. Write Articles or Ebooks. You don't have to be a professional writer.
Just find some great content, some interesting facts, some helpful hints,
etc. Your article does not have to be very long at all. To get better
results, write more frequent short articles than just a couple of big long
ones now and then. Be sure to include your name and website at the end. If
you offer a newsletter, promote it as well. After you write your article,
submit it to as many places as you possibly can. Give permission to others
to use your articles as long as they include your name and website address.
7. Start a Newsletter. Newsletters are a great way to generate repeat
traffic. It reminds your customer or interested visitors about your site
when they receive your newsletter. In your newsletter, be sure to encourage
your subscribers to forward your newsletter to a friend. Include information
about how they can easily subscribe to your newsletter. Offering your
subscribers a chance to win a free gift will often help you receive more
signups.
8. Add Content. Content helps get repeat visits to your site. Sites become
stale without new content. If you have a site that you can edit, use plenty
of good content, especially using keywords that the search engines will pick
up particularly targeting your audience that you are marketing too. If you
don't have time to do this, there are lots of sites that offer "free
content" and "free articles". Just do a search on the search engines to
locate them. You can use their content for your site instead of trying to
write your own content.
9. Partner with Someone. Working at home can begin to seem like a long
lonesome journey. Find someone you can connect with and trust. Exchange
front page links or banners and help each other promote your businesses. You
could even add your partner to your signature. For example, under your name
and link place: Partner, Sherry - partnerdomain.com. Have your partner do
the same for you. Write and promote a newsletter together; manage a
networking group together. Partners can encourage each other and make the
marketing road a little smoother.
10. Read and Learn. Marketing is an endless task that must be done to
generate sales. The best tip I can give is to read and learn all you can
about marketing and sales. You can do this on the internet as well as your
local library. Find someone who is successful and get some of their best
tips. If possible, set aside at least an hour or two each day promoting your
business. Many people make the mistake of thinking they can create a website
and traffic will automatically arrive. It just doesn't happen. Behind each
successful site is a hard worker who labored away to advertise and promote.
You can do it too!
Choosing A Web Designer: A Plan To Guide
You Through The Minefield. By Robin Porter
Choosing a web designer can seem like a daunting task. They come in all
shapes and sizes from freelancers working at home to glossy new media
agencies, and there is as much variation in prices and service as there is
in size. So how do you choose the right one for your business?
Select Your Marketplace
Firstly, decide what market your would like to select from: local , national
or overseas.
If you would feel more comfortable meeting your designer, and running
through your project face to face (maybe it’s the kind of project that needs
to “evolve”) ,and your ethos is “quality of service” rather than “Pile ‘em
high, sell ‘em cheap” then a local web designer is for you. They can usually
provide better back up, and be able to meet face to face to discuss your
project and iron out any problems should they occur.
If you are a bit more budget conscious, then it makes sense to select from a
“wider pool”. Getting quotes from designers across your country will usually
obtain a more competitive quote. What you lose in face-to-face service is
made up for in cost savings, and all but the largest web projects can
usually be sorted out via telephone and email these days.
For the extremely cost conscious and value for money orientated (some would
even say “brave”!) there is the overseas market. If you know exactly what
you are looking for and can explain your project thoroughly and clearly in
writing, then there are huge savings to be made. But what you save in price
is invariably countered by having to do a little more work on your side –
particularly when it comes to communication!
Finding Web Designers
To find a list of local web designers consult your Yellow Pages (or
equivalent) or do a web search for “web designer “ “your area”. Looking
further a field, you can do a web search or check out directories such as
www.recommended-web-designers.co.uk . For overseas designers, go to web
sites such as www.elance.com or www.rentacoder.com, the latter offering the
benefit of escrow and arbitration services.
Draw up a shortlist
Draw up a shortlist of 3 or 4 designers to speak to. You can do this by
visiting their websites, getting a feel for the type and size of business
they are and looking at their online portfolio. Then call them – ask them
questions about the type of clients they work for, timeframes and any other
technical questions you have. Get a feel for how they communicate – whether
they are on the same wavelength as you.
If you opted to go overseas, the websites already mentioned have ratings
systems which can help you decide, and you can also send and receive private
messages to ask questions.
Get Quotes
Once you have your shortlist, you can get quotes. For a straightforward
website this can be a simple fixed price – for a more complicated project
that is likely to evolve, you may just want to get a budget price at this
stage, and then pin down details and a fixed price with your preferred
bidder later. Always specify your expected timeframe for completion when
obtaining quotes as this can affect prices.
Get References
Once you have your preferred bidder, get references. Any established web
designer will be able to provide details of satisfied clients. Email them
and ask if they were happy with the service received, if the job was
completed on time, how unforeseen problems were dealt with etc.
Remember to trust your instincts: If you are not entirely happy with the
references you obtain, walk away and select another designer.
Appoint your web designer
You now have a fixed price, references, and confirmed timescale for your
project. Now appoint your designer!
Most have standard agreements –read them carefully, and if in doubt get your
legal adviser to look them over. Make sure timescales and project milestones
are specified, as well as payment terms. Find out how alterations to your
project are dealt with – in terms of cost and delays – and how disputes if
they arise would be settled.
Finally, when you are completely happy, sign on the dotted line and look
forward to a productive working relationship with your web designer!
Excerpts from the
Web Pro News – dated 10/2004
Article: Word Count And
Search Engine Optimization by Shari Thurow
Shari Thurow
Reader
question: Is it really important for search engine visibility to have my own
domain name? Also, would it be better for my site to have four pages (total)
instead of three? I want to use the content on two pages for my home page. I
heard that the home page should at least contain 400 words so that it is
more attractive to the search engines.
Answer: With all of the search engine mythology available on the Web, it is
no wonder people get confused about how to build search-friendly Web sites.
To help build better sites, I will answer these questions one by one. Search
engine optimization should go hand-in-hand with site usability.
Domain names and SEO
For this paragraph, forget about search engine optimization. Just think
about your target audience. Every business should absolutely have its own
domain name. If a business owner is not willing to spend the $30 per year
(or so) on a unique domain name, it communicates "cheap" in a bad way.
By domain
name, I mean having one like this: www.companyname.com. The domain name does
not have to be a company name. It can be a keyword phrase commonly
associated with the company name. Abbreviations? Well, abbreviations do not
mean anything to site visitors who have never heard of your company before.
Just make sure your domain name is easy to type and easy to remember. That
is the best advice I can give any business owner about a domain name.
Okay, back to search engines. Some search engines do not give any weight to
keywords in the domain names or file names. Some search engines give a
little bit of weight to keywords in the domain name. If you really think
everything through to a logical conclusion, if your site sells Honda auto
parts, you might name a file honda-parts.html. Savvy webmasters will label
subdirectories and files with names that make sense to their target
audience. Programmers might tend to name files with nonsensical (to end
users) numbers.
Do not obsess over this search engine marketing strategy. I would not change
every single file name on a site just to put a keyword in it. I would not
buy a domain name just because it has a keyword in it. Plenty of sites rank
well over time without keyword-rich domains.
But from a pure business perspective? Buy your own domain name to
communicate professionalism.
Word count and SEO
What is very difficult about search engine marketing is that facts are often
combined with truth. And the truth is that a considerable number of pages
with a word count between 400-800 words tend to rank. Does that mean that
every single Web page should contain 400-800 words? No.
If a page can communicate a full thought or idea with less than 400 words,
then I would not purposely try to add words just to hit a word count
standard. Plenty of pages rank well that contain less than 400 words. In
fact, many SEOs recommend that a page have at least 200 words. Where they
came up with this number? I don't know. I do know that a 200-word Web page
usually contains enough content to communicate a full thought.
For example, let's use a clothing ecommerce site's product page. On a
product page, end users want to see price, availability, sizes, material
(what is the shirt made from - cotton, polyester, silk), colors, maybe even
a few reviews. That is 100 words, easy. The site owner's primary call to
action is Add to Cart. So that call to action should be featured prominently
on the page.
But what if site visitors are not ready to make a purchase? A smart
webmaster will have related items available on the page. The related items
are usually placed in the right column on a page, but I have seen them
placed directly underneath the main product descriptions. These related
items are also good for upselling in the event that a shopper does Add to
Cart.
The related items are usually a combination of a thumbnail photo and a
product name. That adds to the word count. Then add in the headings,
breadcrumb links, text links at the bottom of the page, HTML title tags -
and voila! A page that contains at least 200 words, is very focused (Add to
Cart), and has a back-up plan if shoppers are not ready to take the main
call to action.
On the flip side, if a site owner needs to communicate an idea in more than
800 words, I would not necessarily try to shorten the page's content or
split it up into multiple pages if the page is performing well. In terms of
search engine optimization, a page that contains over 800 words might not be
focused enough. A good SEO specialist can fix that by breaking up the text
into more "scannable" units with keyword-rich headlines separating the
units.
If you find that a 800+ word Web page is not performing well, even though it
is fully optimized? Maybe it might be a good idea to divide the content into
multiple pages. Remember, usability is very important. If you find that your
target audience prefers the longer pages, then give it to them. If you find
that your target audience prefers multiple, shorter pages, then give it to
them. But do not obsess over word count. It's a general guideline, not a
Holy Grail of search engine optimization.
Web page layout and SEO
How a search engine marketer optimizes a page depends on the page type. For
example, I would not optimize a category page the same way I would optimize
a product page. I would not optimize a site map the same way I would
optimize a home page. An FAQs (frequently asked questions) page is very
different from a form page.
Using a textbook as an analogy, a home page should act as a site's table of
contents. It should point to the main sections of a site, the ones that are
most important to you (the business owner) and the target audience. What are
your best-selling products and services? Do you have a monthly or seasonal
special? These features can be more prominent on the page through use of
screen real estate (top of a page), use of color and emphasis (HTML/CSS-formatted
text), and photos.
A site map is more like an index. Do not put links to every single page of a
site in your site map unless you have a small site. With a larger site, site
map links should point to the main category pages, with the main category
pages pointing to the product pages. I tend to create site maps based on
user behavior and site statistics analysis.
Search engine optimization is more than placing keywords on a site. A savvy
search engine marketer knows how to work with a variety of Web page layouts.
Conclusion
To be perfectly honest with this reader, a four-page Web site is a brochure
site. People do not visit sites to see how wonderful a brochure looks. They
visit sites for information. In addition, it might be difficult for a
four-page site to get quality link development.
Adding keyword-rich content is not as difficult as it may seem. All sites
should have a home page, about us section, list of products/services, FAQs
or help section, call-to-action forms (contact us, add to cart, etc.), and a
site map. If a site owner wants to utilize search engine optimization as an
online marketing strategy? A links/resources page can provide useful
information as well as a tips/how-to section.
Buy your own domain name to communicate professionalism, and do not obsess
over word count. 400-800 words is a good starting point, and I would even
venture as low as 200 words. Think about what your target audience wants to
know about your product and/or service. Always create content for your
target audience, first and foremost.
Excerpts from the
Hewlett Packer News Letter – dated 09/16/2005
Article: “Protect And
Maintain Your PC"
Making your PC a safe
zone is easier than you might think. Here are some simple, proactive
measures you can take to curb hackers and prying eyes.
Quick tip:
Turn off your Recycle Bin.
|
1. |
Right-click on the
Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and choose Properties > Global. |
|
2. |
Check the box that
says, “Do not move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately
when deleted.” Files will then be permanently deleted. |
Quick tip:
Delete your web history and your browser’s cache.
| 1. |
In
Internet Explorer, select Tools > Internet Options. |
| 2. |
Click General, then click Clear History. |
| 3. |
To
clear the cache, click Delete Files. |
If you do not
use Internet Explorer, check your web browser’s help section for
instructions.
Quick tip:
Learn to identify spam.
Recognize signs of spam:
|
• |
Subject line: Is it
for something financial (mortgage rates or free money) or a joke (“FWD:
great punch line”)? |
|
• |
Sender: Is the name
common, but you can’t place the person? |
|
• |
Date sent: Was it
sent much later or earlier than its arrival? |
If an e-mail
looks suspicious, do not open it. Check if your e-mail provider offers a
spam filter so you can activate it and prevent unwanted messages.
Quick tip:
Password-protect your PC.
This will make your PC inaccessible when it’s first turned on.
|
1. |
In the Control Panel,
click User Accounts. |
|
2. |
Click Create a New
Account to create a user identity and password. |
Quick tip:
Password-protect your screen saver.
When your screen saver runs, your PC can only be reactivated by entering the
password.
|
1. |
In the Control Panel,
click Display. |
|
2. |
Click the Screen
Saver tab. |
|
3. |
After selecting a
screen saver, check the box next to On resume, password protect. |
|
4. |
Click the Apply
button to set the password, and then click OK. |
Performing routine
maintenance tasks, like updating your antivirus software, will keep your PC
running at its peak. Neglecting maintenance can slow down your PC and
increase the frequency of freezes and crashes. But how do you know what to
do and when?
HP’s PC Tune-up Center
helps you keep your PC in top form. It provides maintenance schedules for
your desktop or notebook PC, and offers free classes in tuning up your PC.
A warranty is the most
cost-effective resource there is for minimizing potential repair expenses
and having instant access to technical support. HP Total Care provides the
free initial service and support that comes with your HP PC, plus a variety
of upgraded and extended options for enhanced coverage as long as you need
it.
Only HP’s Total Care warranty covers your new HP desktop and notebook PCs
for a full year, with service you can rely on 24/7. In addition, HP Total
Care Extended Service Plans let you add up to three continuous years of
technical assistance from trained HP support specialists. There are a
variety of support, repair, and service plan options, so you choose the
length and scope of coverage for your specific needs. Visit
www.hp.com/go/totalcareservices for details.
Don’t be caught short!
Don’t be a small business that is not on the World Wide Web. We will build
you a one-page or a multipage website so people can locate you easily for a very reasonable
cost. Your website is up 24/7 and can be accessed around the globe. Get in
touch with us now! BUSINESS WEBSITE LINKS, LLC
Email:
info@businesswebsitelinks.com
or call: 561-452-0401.
