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Even established marketers can make big mistakes. Sometimes, they focus on the wrong thing. Other times, they use the wrong language, or talk too much about the wrong things.
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Some years ago, I was taking the garbage down the steps of death, and slipped. I fell down about half a flight.
Once I got outside and tossed the trash, I stopped for a second to check and see if I was bleeding or bashed up. As I was turning my legs this way and that a woman stopped, looked at me, and said, ‘Yes, those shoes are really nice.”
Huh?
I was checking for wounds, not admiring my footwear (there weren’t any, but I was pretty black and blue for a while).
You know what people say about assuming. Assuming that you know the best headline, or the right wording on your offer, can be a mistake. The best way to tell is to test it. Run an A/B split and find out which really works better.
If you think you already know (without testing), check out Which Test Won.
If you don’t test, you won’t know if that award banner is distracting, or adding credibility to your offer. The right graphic could increase your click through rate. The wrong one might send people running to the delete button. Testing the wording can make a big difference too.
And, always, walk carefully when going down the stairs with a big bag of trash.
Have you tried split testing? What results did you get? Share in the comments, or ask questions.
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Writing a web page is (for the most part) similar to writing on paper. There are a few differences that you should keep in mind.
A big block of text is OK on paper, but not on a screen. The resolution on a printed page is much clearer than onscreen – and reading large blobs of text online can quickly become tiring.
Break up your paragraphs into small bits, three or four lines at most. Then, add a paragraph break. I know, Strunk and White wouldn’t approve (but they never saw the web).
Add sub-headings to break up the text even more. Many people skim, so a heading helps them stop and find exactly the information they’re looking for. If you catch their attention, they may go back and read more carefully.
Short bullet points also make skimmers stop and read more carefully. If it’s a sales page, you want action words right at the front of those bullets. If it’s tech specs or design specs, they’re much easier to digest than if you wrote them out in long sentences.
Colors are free on the web. Contrasting colors for headlines, or links, or buy buttons grab more attention. Don’t go crazy though – you don’t want it to look like you’ve dumped a paint store on your page. Don’t use too much of one color either (then it’s too bland).
Above all, keep editing and testing (unlike paper, it’s easy to change your mind!)
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There are a lot of misconceptions and untruths about niches. Sometimes, it’s a question of not understanding what a niche really is. Other times, it’s a bit of bravado. Some of the biggest lies:
“Having a niche will kill my sales; look at all the business I’m ignoring.”
Actually, the opposite is true. Once you specialize, you’ll become known for that specialty. People and businesses will seek you out, because you’re now a recognized expert in that field.
You can also use that specialty to cater specifically to your chosen market. For example, if you’re an expert on organizing, rather than trying to help everyone, focus on busy moms.
Then adjust your schedule, and your services accordingly, offering appointments during the early morning, when the kids are in school.
“It’s OK to combine two different businesses, like office supplies and fitness, under one website.”
Mashing two entirely different businesses together will just confuse your clients and customers. People who want to exercise have completely different needs and wants than people who need to buy copy paper.
If you want to run two businesses, set up two different websites. Actually, better yet, start one, get that going, and then worry about the second one.
This one is astonishingly persistent. I’ve heard it from software companies, business event planners, pet food producers, you name it. When you love what you do, or what you sell, it’s easy to think that everyone will want it.
That isn’t necessarily true though. If that software is written in Chinese, it’s useless to people who don’t speak Chinese. Yes, many large businesses use event planners, but most small businesses won’t.
You’ll have better luck targeting specific people, or setting your services apart in some way. How about an event planner who understands both logistics and marketing/budgeting? Or who specializes in exotic destinations for corporate meetings.
“I’ve got a big list, with lots of names, I can earn lots of money from it”
A large, random group of people who you’ve met over the course of several years isn’t a niche. In order for a list to be profitable, they’ll need to have something in common, a need for your services (you solve their problems), and the money to pay for them.
“The more I offer, the better. I’m going to branch out.”
There’s a store near me that offers tech support services (fix your PC, troubleshooting and so on). They also have a sign saying they buy and sell gold. It doesn’t really make sense, does it. Those are two entirely different areas of expertise.
Figure out what your market wants, and stay with it. Only add something if it complements what you’re already doing, say PC services and Mac services. Think about it this way, would you go to a fitness expert for brain surgery? Or would you go find a neurosurgeon?
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In order for your web page to convert to sales, it must have a great headline, engage readers, and build trust. But there’s one more thing you need: clarity.
Chris Brogan’s post today got me thinking about this. Look at this sign, for example. It’s in a park in Canada. Should you go left? Or should you go right? What would you find in either direction? Restrooms? Restaurants? Lodging? Flower gardens?I can’t tell what the people who posted the signs want me to do. Can you?
Same thing with web sales pages. If you’re not clear about who you are or what you want people to do, they’ll click away from your page, leave your site, and never come back.
Resist the temptation to use technical terms (unless you’re absolutely sure that your audience knows them). I recently reviewed a site discussing great PC apps – the writer talked about P2P, winamp, and VPNs. I know what those things mean (since I speak conversational geek). The average computer user probably doesn’t. Talk in terms your audience will understand (without running to Google, or worse, leaving your site in frustration).
Have a single object in mind (that sign up for instance). Know what you want people to do when they get to your page. Sign up for a newsletter? Buy something? Click on more articles?
Don’t overwhelm or confuse people with too many choices. Use those big call to action buttons. Explain what readers will get when they sign up, and how often they’ll receive it.
If your page isn’t doing as well as you’d like, experiment. Test different calls to action. Move the buttons around. Test different versions of your page against each other. Track the clicks and the sales.
Better conversions (even a small amount) can make a big difference in your return. After all, direct marketers have been working with small percentage point differences for years.
