Direct Marketing Websites

Web strategy: Don’t let an error message drive visitors away

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:36:00 GMT

Picture this: Your prospect is happily surfing your website when suddenly, he or she comes across the dreaded error message, “404 not found.”

Finding a bad link can cause frustration and anger…and ultimately cause site abandonment. Though there are tools available to help you fix bad links, it’s impossible to guarantee that errors will never happen. On average, 7% of your site visitors will get an ugly error message as the result of a bad link.

To save customers from clicking away from your site, never to return again, put some personality into your error message. Here is what I do for websites, microsites and landing pages we create:

There are 3 categories to choose from:

Web strategy: The world’s easiest upsell strategy—that actually works

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:32:00 GMT

If you want to boost your average ticket sale—and, really, who doesn’t—you need to use this easy upsell strategy on your shopping cart.

The easiest upsell strategy you’ll ever find is this…Structure your offer into three parts: Best Deal, Great Deal and Good Deal.

Take a look at this example:

Another easy fix is to add the word “Recommended” next to your Best Deal or paired with other products that you want to highlight. My testing has shown that people respond to this one powerful word.

Web Response Secret: Microsites vs. All-In-One Websites

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:47:00 GMT

In the past couple of issues, we've covered two of the seven major direct marketing website strategies. So far we've looked at the pitfalls of using your corporate website as a sales avenue and we outlined some critical strategies for paid search success.

This week we're going to look at a third strategy: creating a product microsite.

A microsite is one of the most effective, efficient and powerful ways to generate a lead or make a sale. With a product microsite, you're able to focus your message on your target audience without navigation distractions, using direct response sales copy and graphics.

A Common Paid Search Misstep That Kills Response

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:37:00 GMT

In the last issue we talked about the danger of using a corporate website for marketing purposes. The last thing you want to do is have your prospect or customer see your corporate website, since most corporate websites are antimarketing.

Another common website misstep happens in paid searches. Paid search is when your company purchases search keywords through Google or Yahoo! that relate to your product or service.

The advantage of paid search over organic search is that your company is placed on page one of the search results, usually to the right hand side of the organic search.

Antimarketing Web Trap: Corporate Home Page vs. Microsite

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:27:00 GMT

I have talked several times about the importance of having a direct marketing website.

It is critical to achieving maximum response to have a specific site for your products or services rather than just relying on the corporate home page to do the job.

The fact is, using your corporate home page as an entry point for all your different products and prospects is death to response. It's an obsolete trap hurting many marketers.

Microsites and landing pages are individual websites geared toward specific products and promotions. For example, one page may seek to capture emails for further contact based upon a promotion, another may focus on showcasing a particular product based on a different promotion.

The Importance of a Microsite

Studies show corporate home pages are stagnant billboards that are navigation nightmares, whereas microsite pages that have direct response copy and art selli

Video and Your Website: A New Trend Continues

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:19:00 GMT

As you know, I am an advocate of adding a video component to your direct response website. If you have been to my website, www.cdmginc.com, you have seen an example of how I have incorporated video to my site.

Want to enhance your direct marketing website by adding video? Email me at inquire@cdmginc.com or call me at 310-212-5727. We can take care of the script and production.

#1 Secret to Increasing Your Database from Your Website

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:57:00 GMT

A direct marketing website can have a variety of purposes. Most marketing sales websites will have an objective of collecting email addresses in their database for future marketing campaigns.

Here are 6 tactics that I recommend:

Avoiding Common Web Sidebar Blunders

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:49:00 GMT

Using a sidebar can help you generate sales and leads on a website, a direct marketing microsite or a direct marketing landing page.

When we create a website for our clients, we typically design it 70% main copy and 30% sidebar copy.

Here are 7 more rules that will help increase your response and avoid a costly blunder:

7 Steps to Successfully Generate International Web Orders

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:06:00 GMT

One of the great benefits of the Internet has been the ability to direct market internationally. Marketers are finding that orders multiply especially if they take the following steps:

Why Most Home Pages Are Obsolete

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:06:00 GMT

In order to design your website to maximize your sales or leads, you need to understand your audience.

What prompted them to come to your URL? What is it that they are looking for or expecting?

To the extent that you are able to identify why prospects are there and identify their desires, you are more likely to generate leads and sales from their visits to your site.

Your prospects have a variety of reasons why they visited to your website.

Warning: Ignoring These Navigation Rules Will Result in Depression of Sales

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:42:00 GMT

I rarely use navigation choices in a direct marketing website. Sometimes I will allow a navigation choice at the end of the text if I feel a significant percentage of the audience needs additional information or verification. If this is the case, then I will provide a link that will offer additional in-depth sales copy.

The Little-Known Truth Behind Using Graphics on Your Order Form

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:38:00 GMT

Last week, I gave you the first of several steps in creating a successful order page for your webite. If you missed last week’s Direct Marketing Update, click here.

I told you about the importance of making your ordering process seamless: if it takes your customers more than one click to process their order, they will likely leave your site.

So let’s talk about how graphics can be used on your order form to help, not hinder, your response.

Use graphics that direct, not distract, the reader

First of all, only use direct response graphics. These are graphics that direct your prospect’s eye toward the sales points you want him or her to read.

How to Create a Successful Online Order Page

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:59:00 GMT

You entice your prospects to your website and get them to click through to your product or service and finally reach the order page...

But then something horrible happens: you lose them; they are gone—off your website and onto some other site.

So what can you do to get them to complete their purchase and, even better, come back for more? Well, I will share with you “11 Web Order Page Essentials” in the next couple of issues.

Blogging: Next Big Thing for Profits

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:36:00 GMT

While most people who blog aren’t in it for money, about 15% of bloggers are. Of those, only 8% have reported monetary success from their blogging talents.

Defining blogging

Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the blogging world, let me explain. Taken from the term weblog, a blog is a personal journal kept on the Internet. Blogs offer opinions on anything from politics to preschool. Many business owners and entrepreneurs are trying blogging as a method of developing relationships with their prospects and customers.

Overcoming the Website Credibility Gap

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:10:00 GMT

Did you know that over 70% of your customers and prospects who visit your website are skeptical about whether you’re telling them the truth as well as whether your product or service is what you say it is?

Questioning your site

Once visitors are confident they are on the site they intended to visit, or were directed to by your direct marketing campaign, they are still skeptical about what you have to offer.

That’s why it is up to you to immediately overcome your prospects' and customers' skepticism with credibility tactics.

The Hottest Trend You Can't Afford to Miss

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:14:00 GMT

As you know from past issues of Direct Marketing Update, I am a strong advocate of using emerging video technology on the Internet.

This is a major trend that will help direct marketers achieve greater results.

Similar to past direct marketing trends, such as direct response TV commercials, the Internet is opening a whole new video marketing opportunity.

The newest level of video marketing

Now Google has announced that it will soon be involved with pay-per-click video in a big way.

Warning: How FAQs Could Kill Your Response

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:58:00 GMT

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) have been used on traditional websites almost since the first sites appeared.

Typically, you will find FAQs at the top of the navigation or sometimes on the left-hand side.

However, what you might not realize is that most FAQs, violate direct marketing rules, depressing results.

Here are 4 techniques on how to successfully place FAQs on your website.

Warning: How “Web Techies” Kill Sales

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:31:00 GMT

It’s imperative that you avoid distractions on your marketing website. The entire purpose of a direct marketing website is to generate leads or sales. However, not much has been done to incorporate this marketing rule since "web techies" first started creating websites.

The marketing problem! The “web techies” still rule

More times than not, a website will provide prospects with navigation options usually located on the left-hand side and sometimes on the right.

Website SEO Blunder Most Direct Marketers Make

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:06:00 GMT

In creating a direct marketing website, there is one thing you must do for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). As you're probably aware, using SEO techniques helps search engines find and rank your site.

Including a site map will almost always help you achieve a higher position within the list of websites displayed by the search engine your prospects will likely use to find your service or product.

Common Blunders that Can Cripple or Destroy Web Sales

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:59:00 GMT

It’s been proven time and time again that many direct marketers lose significant sales because their websites' opening pages don’t immediately identify what prospects are looking for.

Why exactly are customers at your site?

The fact is, depending on what you’re offering, there could be several reasons for people to check out your website.

For example:

Costly Pay-Per-Click Mistake

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:54:00 GMT

Are you carefully monitoring your pay-per-click response for click fraud? Google recently announced it reached a $90 million settlement with plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit.

Apparently, the search engine giant has not policed its pay-per-click ad programs well enough to eliminate substantial fraud.

Being a victim could severely damage your bottom line

The suit was filed last year accusing the defendants of overcharging advertisers in their pay-per-click ad programs for clicks that did not come from legitimate sales prospects.

Under the Radar: Losing Free Speech on the Internet

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:49:00 GMT

We live in a world where communicating via the Internet comes second nature. So it is crucial we know what role the First Amendment plays in our right to have unregulated freedom of expression on the Internet.

There is now an attack on the 1st amendment rights by politicians wanting to further regulate political advertising and future advertising on the Internet.

Both sides of the bill

That’s why I wanted you to know the “Online Freedom of Speech Act” that will protect the “Freedom of the Press” for all individuals on the Internet.

New Web Marketing Concept Works

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:27:00 GMT

Taking a clue from the Socialist in France, Trifrangu has opted to give away its products of costmetics to anyone who cannot afford its price at $79.95.

According to a company spokesperson, they are very happy with response rates of more than 67%. Asked how many were paid orders, they weren’t sure, but estimate less than 1/10 of 1%.

If you've had experience with giving products away, contact me to share your story at inquire@cdmginc.comor call me at 310-212-5727.

The #1 Blunder Marketers Make on Their Websites

Fri, 30 May 2008 19:08:00 GMT

It is critical that when a prospect goes to your website (whether they are driven from direct mail, an ad, pay-per-click or any media) that you avoid a common blunder most marketers make.
Navigation could mean death to your sales
Millions of dollars are wasted when people are drawn to sites that destroy sales. In fact, over 84% of people have said they've been disappointed in sites they've visited. Remember—good marketing starts with good direct response strategy.

Warning: Lost Leads, Lost Profits

Wed, 21 May 2008 21:30:00 GMT

General Mills Yoplait brand has a website called SoGoodGirls that targets women interested in losing weight.
I was interested in how this site gathered information from its prospects to build a database.
Good information—Poor Direct Response Strategy
I was surprised to find that of the nearly dozen places to click-through, there were only a couple of links that asked for my information.

New Research Revealed: Click Fraud Is a Costly Problem

Sat, 10 May 2008 18:02:00 GMT

Up to 29.5% of paid search traffic may be fraudulent.
While it is unlikely an individual committing pay-per-click fraud by clicking an ad over and over will go undetected by Google, when more sophisticated systems of software are used, only a small portion of the fraud is detected.
There is no question that these fraudulent clicks can drain your budget. Therefore it is vital that you take this problem seriously and be equipped to detect it.

Navigation Nightmares: Avoiding Distractions, Diversions and Deletions on Your Website

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:39:00 GMT

In my speeches at conferences and in-house seminars, I talk about 12 common blunders on marketing websites.

Each and every one of them can impact the effectiveness of your website. One of these blunders is in the use of the navigation bar and navigational choices.

The cause of distractions that will greatly depress your results

How To Create An Award-Winning Website!

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:54:00 GMT

Make your company's corporate web site the most effective it can be!

For most marketers, their corporate website violates direct marketing rules and is a non or anti-marketing site. Signs of this include...