|
So, what's in it for me?
In the past, I often declared that the Internet is not
a communications medium. It's much more than that. I'm not alone as even
the government thinks the same way I do. For example, my country's telecommunications
watchdog -- the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (or CRTC,
which is comparable to the American FCC) -- officially declared so in
1999.
In the wake of rumored proposals to regulate the Internet, the CRTC last
year ruled out the possibility by declaring that the Internet is not a
broadcasting medium. It based its decision on the fact that the web is
interactive with its audience -- unlike the television, radio and other
media. As a result, regulators concluded that the Internet could therefore
police itself.
However, my point here is not a political one but a marketing-related
one. It is based on the premise that many webmasters and online business
owners look at online marketing as a mere communications process. And
often, they do so by turning their web sites into billboard-littered graveyards.
They tend to forget that their electronic stores are sales tools as well.
The greatest limitation of ecommerce is the lack of touch and feel online
-- for example, people can not physically inspect the products they are
buying. Moreover, the Internet is cold, faceless and impersonal. The lack
of human interaction takes away the emotional element in the sale, as
well as the ability to persuade others or overcome objections.
Understandably, a salesperson's enthusiasm for, and belief in, his or
her product are easy to convey in person. That person's unique set of
sales skills, product knowledge, personality and expertise is equally
advantageous in offline selling. Most of all, her ability to slant presentations
in order to meet specific client needs, goals and desires are also easier
in the physical realm. But online, these abilities are virtually nonexistent.
Therefore, like a salesperson an online store must communicate those
emotions that empower people to buy. It must also direct visitors to take
some kind of action because, in actuality, the web is more of a direct
marketing process than it is a medium. In both cases, the responsibility
boils down to the words. Words as powerful online. As web copywriter Nick
Usborne of http://www.nickusborne.com/
once noted:
"Words make the difference."
Words should appeal to specific buyer motives. They should compel people
to act. They should make web sites (and their offers) truly irresistible.
And as common wisdom dictates, the first rule in doing so is to stress
benefits over features. Sounds simple, right? Not really, for if it were
the Internet would be literally filled with successful web sites. So in
an attempt to provide you with some guidance, here's a tool to help you
in developing compelling benefits.
Product Analysis Worksheet
Product benefits usually consist of four principal levels. They are features,
advantages, benefits and motives. Each layer has its own set of attributes
and characteristics, which varies depending on the product type and the
market to which the product caters. To illustrate, here's a brief description
of each layer:
- Features -- what products have
For example, "This accounting software is application-rich"
- Advantages -- what features do
For example, "These applications provide real-time, on-demand,
updated mission-critical information to key business managers"
- Benefits -- what features mean
For example, "With much needed, on-demand data, your managers are
able to keep their finger on your company's financial pulse at all times"
- Motives -- what motives do features satisfy
For example, "Cost-savings, control, efficiency, etc"
Obviously, benefits are essential to successful online selling. But describing
them in a way that's appropriate for and targeted to specific audiences
is a difficult process. A common problem among webmasters is to develop
content using a language that only they can understand -- or "technolese."
This is quite normal as we write in the way we think or talk.
Therefore, in order to simplify the process develop a complete product
analysis worksheet -- a technique developed by Ronald Marks, author of
the book "Personal
Selling: An Interactive Approach." First, list all of the features
of your product or service, including standard, technical, supportive
or abstract features. With each feature develop a subsequent list of relative
advantages. Perform the same exercise for benefits and motives.
Once achieved, look at your worksheet and then ask, "Do the descriptions
which I've given my product truly reflect (and cater to the needs of)
my specific target market?" Also, "Is the language easy to understand
-- especially for that market?" In other words, develop benefits
that appeal to what Zig Ziglar calls your specific customers' "emotional
logic." Zig, a renowned sales trainer, explains by saying: "People
usually buy on emotion and then they justify it with logic." Therefore,
appeal to their emotions first and foremost.
What follows is an example of a product analysis worksheet developed
for IMC's private site at http://SuccessDoctor.com/partners/imc/,
of which I am a contributor. And if you read carefully, you'll notice
that, while I've created it on a whim, in all likelihood some of the benefits
that I've described are mentioned on IMC's front page somewhere. (Keep
in mind that worksheets are usually placed in a table or column format,
but for the purpose of illustration in this email newsletter the following
example is described in a more linear fashion.)
Feature #1: Successful marketers share mistakes and experiences
- Advantage #1: Strategies are therefore tested and proven
- Benefit: Eliminates the risk of trying unknown tactics
- Motive satisfied: Cost savings
- Advantage #2: There's a pool of knowledge from which to learn
- Benefit: Removes the need to search the web for information
- Motive satisfied: More time
Feature #2: The private site has multiple topic-specific forums
- Advantage: Members can obtain individualized consulting
- Benefit: Removes much of the guesswork in online marketing
- Motive satisfied: Profits
... And so on.
Nevertheless, remember that "features tell but benefits sell."
And contrary to popular knowledge, benefits are not vehicles for creating
hype or puffery. As illustrated above they are effective means through
which customers can fully understand and appreciate a product's true purpose.
As my mentor once told me, "Different words mean different things
to different people." In other words, a complex, technical specification
may be easy to understand for the seller -- but what does it mean to the
customer specifically?
About the author
Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter and consultant dedicated
to turning sales messages into powerful magnets. Get a free copy of
his book, "The 10 Commandments of Power Positioning," when
you subscribe to his free monthly ezine, "The Profit Pill."
See http://SuccessDoctor.com/
now! |
» Change
your mind about an eBay bid?
We have all made choices in life that two seconds later
we know we should take back. Especially when there is money involved
this can become a problem.
» A
simple way to create 7 effective autoresponder messages
Email is the Net's most powerful marketing tool. And autoresponders
are the best idea yet for marketing with email.
» 7
ways to drive laser-targeted traffic to your website
Getting people who matter to see one’s website
is a difficult undertaking if he tries to consider the fact that
there are rivals everywhere waiting to pin him down.
» Website
valuation: Why standard website pricing methods will emerge
The market of buying and selling developed websites is
becoming more and more liquid each day.
» One
way links are better than reciprocal links
You probably know by now that where your website ranks in
the search engine rankings dramatically affects how many visitors you
have to your site. Did you also know that you can change where your
site is ranked by being proactive and getting as many one way links
to your site as possible?
» How
to make visitors stay at your website
The very first thing which you should provide the visitors
with is some free interesting reading material.
» How
to make your visitors click your ads
Here is a simple solution; Convert your banner advertisement
to look like a text advertisement!
» Offline
advertising should be a part of your online strategy
Day by day, online business has become more & more
complicated and competitive.
» How
to sell traffic
Selling the traffic arriving at your site is a good method
to increase profits from your portal.
» Make
money from online auctions
Online auctions have the best benefit of a vast platform.
Your product is viewed by loads of people & hence there is
more possibility of finding a suitable bidder.
» Groupware
explained in easy terms
Groupware is a term used frequently to describe collaborative
software. Groupware is application software that integrates work
on a single project by several concurrent users at separated random
workstations.
» Timely
back up can save you from disasters
Few things which people often back up are e-mail addresses,
bank records, photographs, personal records, software’s,
music etc.
» Why
should one go for autoresponders
Autoresponders are programs which get automatically
executed in particular situations.
» Become
your own boss - Start your own online business today
A survey conducted by SBA states that two third of new
business survives at least two year and about forty four percent
survives at least four year.
» Express
your thoughts - Creating your own blog!
What exactly is a blog? Technically speaking it is a
journal or a newsletter which is regularly updated and can be used
by any one.
» Pop-up
ads - To be or not to be?
According to a study conducted by the Bunnyfoot University, “The
Efficacy of Pop-ups and the Resulting Effect on Brands” Internet
users feel harangues and harassed by pop-up ads.
» Why
content is king on the Internet
The advantages that Internet holds over the rest of
the other communication mediums should not wasted because of
the inability to find a comprehensive plan that will bind all
these faculties together.
» 10
niche marketing tips
In our increasingly driven consumer economies, the average
customer is bombarded by choices. With increased saturation of the
market, companies look towards niche marketing to search new, ever-evolving
and sophisticated consumers.
» Using
free traffic exchange
These days internet has emerged as both, a market and
hub for marketing. Unlike the ‘brick and mortar’ world
where large manufacturers manage to squeeze out the market bases
of smaller companies, the internet provides haven like the free
traffic exchange.
» Ten
ways to drive traffic to your website
Developing a web site and then letting it grow is
like planting a tree and then nurturing it.
» Marketing
through keyword articles
One of the most effective tools of Internet marketing
is the use of keyword articles.
» Want
to make money online? Market a service to businesses
Don walked across the street from his house to mine to
announce he had finally retired. "But I'm not ready for the
golf course," he said. "I want to make a living on the
Internet. What can I sell?"
» Web
site design mistakes - Database parameters in URLs
Creating a web site takes thought, planning and execution.
Unfortunately, many designs are dead in the water before they are
even published as far as search engine optimization is concerned.
Whatever you do, avoid these critical mistakes.
» Alexa
Toolbar - The ultimate internet tool
There are numerous tools available on the Internet to
assist online businesses. A valuable tool that you should use is
the Alexa Toolbar. Even better, this tool is free.
» Web
site design mistakes
Some wise human once said "Learn from the mistakes
of others. There isn't nearly enough time to make them all yourself."
Hence this article. Here are five of the most annoying and common
web design mistakes.
» Abandonment
- Why visitors don't turn into customers
Every good Internet business understands the value of
conversions versus hits received. Far too often, businesses become
fixated on the hits they are receiving instead of monitoring their
hit to sale conversion rate.
» Creative
search engine optimization - A case study
Search engine optimization this and search engine optimization
that. You read and hear about it all day, but what about your site?
|
|
Tools & services to enhance your online
business |
|
» Site
Build It!
Over 100,000 small businesses of all kinds outperform
larger, well-financed competitors. Read about this all-in-one site-building-hosting-marketing
system of tools that delivers results.
» Secrets
To Their Success
Take a private tour of two "Mom & Pop"
web sites every month that earn $100,000+ a year... and discover
the exact step-by-step strategies they have personally used to generate
these massive profits. |
|
|
|