Author Archives: Jodi Kaplan

About Jodi Kaplan

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Rate Your Web Site: 10 Ways to Tell if It’s a Wow or a Flop

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1. _____ Is your site mostly one color?

2. _____ Is it easy to read? (What size and color is the font? Does it show up against the background color, or blend in?)

3. _____ How long does the site take to load? Do you have to wait to see the images?

4. _____ Is the copy about you? Or about your customers?

5. _____ Does the copy talk about what problems you solve?

6. _____ Is it easy to contact you? Phone? Email? Address?

7. _____ Is it easy to navigate your site?

8. _____ Do you have an ideal customer? Or do you “sell to everybody”? Hint: Selling to everyone is selling to nobody.

9. _____ If you do have an ideal customer, who are they? Can you describe them?

10. _____ Are you remarkable? Does your site explain why?

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Build a Better Demo

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Got a product demo? Want to put it online and strut your stuff for potential prospects? Here are some tips that will help the leads roll in.

1. Skip the Flash intro on your home page – it slows down the user and It’s distracting.

2. Send people directly to the demo page (fewer steps = more click-throughs)

3. Click here (and here) and here… use images, buttons and text. Have more than one place to go forward (people click everywhere). Track the clicks so you know which spots are hot

4. Make the demo button larger than the rest of the type on the page.

5. Lead visitors through the process and make it clear what you want them to do.

6. Have an outsider (or better yet, a group of customers) test the demo and the site for you, so you can see whether your site is easy to navigate and instructions are easy to follow.

7. Skip the “how-tos”. Focus on the “what” and “why”. Tell people what they will gain by using your product and why they should use it.

8. Ask them to register for more info or a free trial, but NOT in order to view the demo. Make the registration process short and offer something else in return (a newsletter, an update, a list of resources).

Why Following the Rules Can Be a Bad Idea

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My dad owns several small apartment buildings.  With the price of energy rising, he decided to replace the incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFB).  It cut the electric bill in half and he was delighted…until the fire marshal came.

The marshal insisted that there had to be two bulbs (in case the first one burned out). Dad pointed out that CFB bulbs last much longer than the standard kind, and are less likely to burn out.  It didn’t matter.  The rules said two bulbs.  So, he had to replace the bulbs (again).. and the electric bill is back up.  A waste of time, effort, money, and energy.

What does this have to do with marketing?  Ask yourself, are you doing something because “it’s the rules” or because it’s what you’ve always done? Or, are you doing it because it brings in more money, gets more traffic, or helps your clients?

How to Build Your Mailing List

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A few quick tips (mostly free!)

1) Put a sign-up box (just name and email) at the top of the home page. Offer a special report or newsletter sample.
2) Add a forwarding call to action to the emails you already send out. For example, “Did a friend send this to you? Claim your own copy here (it’s free).” Or, “Know someone else who would like this newsletter? Send it to them here.”

3) Advertise in other newsletters aimed at your target market.

A Quick Way to Get More Sales

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In April 2007, B to B magazine reported the results of a study showing that 91% of advertisers fall to include a call to action in their ads. So, if nobody is using them, why do you need one? And what is a call to action anyway?

A call to action is just asking someone to do something. It tells people what to do in order to get your product or more information. It can be as simple as, “call me”, “click on a link” or “mail this card.”

If you don’t ask, you won’t receive! And, you’ll stand out even more from those other 91% of businesses who don’t have one.

Without a call to action, your prospects will flounder around trying to figure out how to contact you (and get what they want). It’s a bit like going rowing with only one oar. There’s lots of effort and circling, but not much progress.