From Yield Software:
Many landing page best practices dictate that you trap your visitors inside your landing page and not allow navigation to other pages within your website. The logic here is that you are after a conversion, so keep the visitor focused on converting rather than letting them wander around and forget to provide you with their info before they leave your site.
While the trapping technique can be quite effective for some advertisers, we've seen it result in complete failure for others. How to know what to do? Here are some simple criteria you can use to determine whether or not trapping your visitor will bring you the highest conversion results.
When trapping is not likely to work:
Your product offering or market space is not well-known. Do you have a new type of product or service that you are trying to sell? In this case visitors need to learn more about your offering before they will be ready to fork over their contact details or make a purchase. Your website should serve as an educational vehicle to help them understand what you do and how it will help them. Guide them through this educational process through your site with a strong emphasis on conversion along the way.
Your brand is not a known. Are you the new kid on the block? Are you the smaller, local guy trying to compete with bigger well-known national brands? In this case your website needs to be a credibility building vehicle. People are not likely to give you any information until they know they can trust you. Help them get to know you and why you are reputable throughout your website pages. Comparisons, testimonials, awards, as seen ins can all be helpful here.
Multiple offerings or conversions are available. Sometimes it's good for you to have your visitors wander around. The more they wander, the more they are likely to buy or the more conversion opportunities that exist. Also, if you have multiple offerings for them to sign up for it that are all standard, it's good to let them gather this information and choose the package that's right for them. So use your website as an upselling vehicle and let them wander and spend.
Your website facilitates the full conversion process. If you have an ecommerce site, or your website is built to facilitate the purchase of what you are offering, let the user wander around to gather all the information they need, select what they would like and complete their transaction. Some examples here include ecommerce sites and hotels.
When trapping is effective:
You have a commonly known product. If people know what they want and are familiar with your product or service, they are likely just looking for the best provider for them. In this case they don't need to comb through your website to figure out what you have to offer. It's more important to focus on the conversion when they first land.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Monetize and Leverage Facebook - 5 steps
Many small business owners are already on Facebook but are either still not sure that it is a good use of their time, or they see its potential but are just confused about how exactly it can work for them. Starting a Fan Page for your business may be your answer. But how can you use a Fan Page to achieve fantastic results?
1) The first way to leverage Fan Pages is to set up your Page for success.
One of the first things you need to do when you set up a new Page is to give it a title. A tip with this is to think about using keywords related to your business that you would like to be found for.
You also want to choose a good, clear photo for your Page. Another thing to note is to make sure you have filled out the Info tab on your Page thoroughly with all the relevant information about your business.
2) The second way to leverage Fan Pages is to build your Fan base.
You have to be a little proactive about getting Fans, especially when your Page is new. An easy way to invite people is to use the "Suggest to Friends" link underneath the picture on your Fan Page. Facebook will then pull up a list of your Facebook friends and you would just click on the ones you want to send invitations to.
You'll want to consider people like former and current clients, people you've partnered with in your business, vendors you work with, people who you know have purchased from you before, etc.
3) The third way to leverage Fan Pages is to interact and engage with your Fans.
Once you have some supporters of your Page, you want to encourage more dialogue and interaction between yourself and them and even among each other. The biggest impact comes from simply having conversations with people.
One thing that I do on my Page is to just ask open-ended questions. Asking people to share experiences is another great way to get a dialogue going.
4) The fourth way to leverage Fan Pages is to provide good content.
Offering regular content will naturally encourage interaction because you are giving people something to respond to. You don't need to come up with all the content yourself, either. You might just link to an interesting article or blog post you have found on the web related to your business or industry.
What content like this does is attract comments from your Fans, which is activity that in turn goes out into the News Feed. The more activity on your Page then, the more attention to your Page you have a chance of attracting.
5) The 5th way to leverage Fan Pages is to use them to drive traffic to and from your blog or website.
To do this, you definitely want to list your website in the Info section, and you also want to share links in your updates to your own site.
You can also use an application like Notes to enter your blog feed so that it pulls your posts into your Page. You also want to add your URL to your email signature, and use the free badges and widgets Facebook provides that you can add to your website.
You can check out http://www.facebook.com/facebook-widgets for those. Once you have something like this on your site, visitors can just click on it and they will land on your Page where they can become a fan.
So, if you don't have a Page yet, head over to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php and start one now. If you do have one set up, use these tips to help make your Page stand out, get noticed, and become a helpful destination for all of your raving Fans.
Source: Christine Gallagher, founder of CommunicateValue.com,
1) The first way to leverage Fan Pages is to set up your Page for success.
One of the first things you need to do when you set up a new Page is to give it a title. A tip with this is to think about using keywords related to your business that you would like to be found for.
You also want to choose a good, clear photo for your Page. Another thing to note is to make sure you have filled out the Info tab on your Page thoroughly with all the relevant information about your business.
2) The second way to leverage Fan Pages is to build your Fan base.
You have to be a little proactive about getting Fans, especially when your Page is new. An easy way to invite people is to use the "Suggest to Friends" link underneath the picture on your Fan Page. Facebook will then pull up a list of your Facebook friends and you would just click on the ones you want to send invitations to.
You'll want to consider people like former and current clients, people you've partnered with in your business, vendors you work with, people who you know have purchased from you before, etc.
3) The third way to leverage Fan Pages is to interact and engage with your Fans.
Once you have some supporters of your Page, you want to encourage more dialogue and interaction between yourself and them and even among each other. The biggest impact comes from simply having conversations with people.
One thing that I do on my Page is to just ask open-ended questions. Asking people to share experiences is another great way to get a dialogue going.
4) The fourth way to leverage Fan Pages is to provide good content.
Offering regular content will naturally encourage interaction because you are giving people something to respond to. You don't need to come up with all the content yourself, either. You might just link to an interesting article or blog post you have found on the web related to your business or industry.
What content like this does is attract comments from your Fans, which is activity that in turn goes out into the News Feed. The more activity on your Page then, the more attention to your Page you have a chance of attracting.
5) The 5th way to leverage Fan Pages is to use them to drive traffic to and from your blog or website.
To do this, you definitely want to list your website in the Info section, and you also want to share links in your updates to your own site.
You can also use an application like Notes to enter your blog feed so that it pulls your posts into your Page. You also want to add your URL to your email signature, and use the free badges and widgets Facebook provides that you can add to your website.
You can check out http://www.facebook.com/facebook-widgets for those. Once you have something like this on your site, visitors can just click on it and they will land on your Page where they can become a fan.
So, if you don't have a Page yet, head over to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php and start one now. If you do have one set up, use these tips to help make your Page stand out, get noticed, and become a helpful destination for all of your raving Fans.
Source: Christine Gallagher, founder of CommunicateValue.com,
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Ten Ways to Win the “Speed Dating” Test
Finding a mate can be a laborious process when you think about how many single people exist. So speed dating was developed to eliminate some of the time out of this process.
If you think about it, every time you search for something you go through a sort of speed dating process. You know what you want, but then millions of potential matches appear. So, you speed date the landing pages on the first one-to-two pages of the search results to see if you can quickly find a website you’re are willing to give your personal information to in hopes that there might be a future there that satisfies your needs.
We’ve compiled ten tips to make sure your landing page can pass the speed dating test and get you those digits:
1) Be Hotter Than Everyone Else.
Before you have a searcher visit your site, survey the room and check out your speed dating competition. Take snapshots of all the competitive landing pages on the first page of the search results for your top keywords. View these snapshots in a line along with yours. If you wouldn’t pick your landing page as the hotty in the group, redesign your page elements until it becomes the clear winner.
2) Be Visually Engaging.
Searching is even more shallow than dating because we don’t feel bad about not giving a website the time of day if it doesn’t look perfect. If you want the searcher to even bother reading your spiel you had better look your absolute best. Use engaging colors, rather than being drab. Use images and video to immediately visually engage the searcher. But don’t go overboard here. If you have too much eye candy on a single page, you’ll just appear like the used car salesman with one too many gold chains.
3) Be Trendy.
If your dress is out of date you are not desirable. If you haven’t updated your website style in the last two years or are using design techniques that were popular years ago it’s time for a redesign. Just do a search for “great websites” and there are plenty examples of very cool sites to re-use concepts from. If you don’t have time to get with the times, hire a personal shopper – aka, a web designer. The money you spend will be well worth it to boost your image. With a trendy site, you may even find yourself getting phone numbers when you aren’t even trying.
4) Speak Clearly & Memorably.
Once you are the hottest website in the room, you’ll get a chance to explain who you are and why you are awesome. Clearly articulate what it is you do and why you are the best in large font using plain simple words. Don’t use words that you would use to think about what your business does, but rather words your searcher would use to describe you. With speed dating, no one has room to absorb fluff like “long walks on the beach” – so review your page and remove all of your fluff terms such as innovate, synergy, unique, focused on, leverage, leading provider, cost effective, next generation, etc. Stating who you are in plain terms allows a searcher to “get you” right away and will also give the searcher a much better chance of remembering who you are at the end of their speed dating session.
5) Exude Confidence.
Insecurity leads to loneliness. Show the searcher your confidence in what you have to offer. Do you offer a guarantee? Do you have testimonials? Don’t use unsure words such as “could be considered”, “on average”, or “for some.” Write with strength and confidence that you are simply the best and you stand behind it.
Complete Article at Yield Software
If you think about it, every time you search for something you go through a sort of speed dating process. You know what you want, but then millions of potential matches appear. So, you speed date the landing pages on the first one-to-two pages of the search results to see if you can quickly find a website you’re are willing to give your personal information to in hopes that there might be a future there that satisfies your needs.
We’ve compiled ten tips to make sure your landing page can pass the speed dating test and get you those digits:
1) Be Hotter Than Everyone Else.
Before you have a searcher visit your site, survey the room and check out your speed dating competition. Take snapshots of all the competitive landing pages on the first page of the search results for your top keywords. View these snapshots in a line along with yours. If you wouldn’t pick your landing page as the hotty in the group, redesign your page elements until it becomes the clear winner.
2) Be Visually Engaging.
Searching is even more shallow than dating because we don’t feel bad about not giving a website the time of day if it doesn’t look perfect. If you want the searcher to even bother reading your spiel you had better look your absolute best. Use engaging colors, rather than being drab. Use images and video to immediately visually engage the searcher. But don’t go overboard here. If you have too much eye candy on a single page, you’ll just appear like the used car salesman with one too many gold chains.
3) Be Trendy.
If your dress is out of date you are not desirable. If you haven’t updated your website style in the last two years or are using design techniques that were popular years ago it’s time for a redesign. Just do a search for “great websites” and there are plenty examples of very cool sites to re-use concepts from. If you don’t have time to get with the times, hire a personal shopper – aka, a web designer. The money you spend will be well worth it to boost your image. With a trendy site, you may even find yourself getting phone numbers when you aren’t even trying.
4) Speak Clearly & Memorably.
Once you are the hottest website in the room, you’ll get a chance to explain who you are and why you are awesome. Clearly articulate what it is you do and why you are the best in large font using plain simple words. Don’t use words that you would use to think about what your business does, but rather words your searcher would use to describe you. With speed dating, no one has room to absorb fluff like “long walks on the beach” – so review your page and remove all of your fluff terms such as innovate, synergy, unique, focused on, leverage, leading provider, cost effective, next generation, etc. Stating who you are in plain terms allows a searcher to “get you” right away and will also give the searcher a much better chance of remembering who you are at the end of their speed dating session.
5) Exude Confidence.
Insecurity leads to loneliness. Show the searcher your confidence in what you have to offer. Do you offer a guarantee? Do you have testimonials? Don’t use unsure words such as “could be considered”, “on average”, or “for some.” Write with strength and confidence that you are simply the best and you stand behind it.
Complete Article at Yield Software
Google Testing TV
Google Inc. is testing a new television-programming search service with Dish Network Corp., according to people familiar with the matter, the latest development in a fast-moving race to combine Internet content with conventional TV.
The service, which runs on TV set-top boxes containing Google software, allows users to find shows on the satellite-TV service as well as video from Web sites like Google's YouTube, according to these people. It also lets users to personalize a lineup of shows, these people said.
Full Article
The service, which runs on TV set-top boxes containing Google software, allows users to find shows on the satellite-TV service as well as video from Web sites like Google's YouTube, according to these people. It also lets users to personalize a lineup of shows, these people said.
Full Article
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