Direct Marketing Update for August 26, 2009

Web strategy: Beef up your contact info for more conversions

In a previous issue, we talked about increasing conversions by having your phone number and ordering information displayed prominently on your landing page.

But that’s not all.

Studies have shown that conversion rates increase on websites that provide a phone number and an email address on every page. Why? Because making it easy for your prospects to contact you helps solidify your credibility.

Here are a few more quick pointers that will help increase your response:

Include your hours of operation next to your phone number.
For your email address, don’t simply hyperlink “click here.” Spell out the email address so that prospects can also copy and paste it. Many prospects use web-based email accounts rather than programs like Outlook, so the “click here” won’t work for them.
Always include your physical street address. This helps boost your credibility in the eyes of a prospect who’s never done business with you before. Plus, a small percentage of prospects may want to mail in their orders.

Testing has shown that, although they seem simple, these additions to your site are quite valuable.

Copy tip: Don’t go overboard!

In our last 2 issues, we’ve learned a thing or two about punctuation. Catch up here:

And that brings us to this week’s flashback to grammar school…

Punctuation Rule #3: Use exclamation points sparingly! Sometimes you do need to punctuate your excitement, but be careful not to go overboard.

Too many exclamation points make your copy sound cheesy or—even worse—unbelievable. But in other cases, they are needed to change the tone.

See how differently these examples read thanks to punctuation:

Example #1

Wrong: Easy to understand. You even get email contacts.
Right: Easy to understand. You even get email contacts!

Example #2

Wrong: Revealed: The secret to a recession-proof portfolio!
Right: Revealed: The secret to a recession-proof portfolio

If you’re not sure, consider your audience and your product. Products that are serious in nature, as well as luxury items, will rarely use exclamation points in print advertising. For example, you won’t see “SALE!” on a Lexus billboard.

Testing corner: Can simple changes have a big impact?

Testing is critical, but it can seem overwhelming to many marketers. It is important to remember that you don’t have to completely overhaul your control piece to create a valuable test.

Here’s an example of a simple test for a reference website:

Control

The control page displayed a partial reference entry and ended with a call-to-action to start a free trial to view the full entry.

Test

The test featured a more prominent call-to-action button and included an email capture field.

Results: Though the test page pulled 30% fewer clicks on the Free Trial button, the net results were an improvement. Take a look:

13% more free trials per unique visitor
61% more free trials per click-through
24% more paid subscriptions per unique visitor

Why do you think this test was successful? Email your thoughts to craig@cdmginc.com.

Action Items

Prepare now: The 2nd most profitable time of year to market is fast approaching. Remember, September is the second-best time to be in the mail, on the radio, sending email campaigns—any marketing. This year we are recommending that campaigns begin to hit on September 8. Your campaigns should be ready to go by now, but if you’re having trouble or need assistance, give me and my team a call at 310-212-5727.
Do you have a recession success story? Share it with other Direct Marketing Update readers. Just email me at craig@cdmginc.com and I'll include it in a future issue.
Questions? Email me at craig@cdmginc.com. I'd be happy to assist you in any way that I can—whether it's a review of your creative approach, help with your mailing list or a new marketing challenge you're facing.

Yours for direct marketing success,

Craig A. Huey signature
Craig A. Huey
President
Creative Direct Marketing Group, Inc.
email: craig@cdmginc.com
phone: 310-212-5727
http://www.cdmginc.com/

Click here to visit the Direct Response Library. You’ll find numerous articles from past issues of my Direct Response newsletters that provide even more valuable direct marketing help.

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This direct marketing newsletter has been prepared by and is the property of Creative Direct Marketing Group, Inc. The information contained herein has been carefully compiled from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All photos and graphics are used by permission of their creators. Reproduction or electronic transmission of information contained in this report in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

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