We live in a result-driven world!  Achieving sales, margin goals and cash flow results are common and constant discussions at most companies. However, when it comes to website performance, unless you’re selling products online, most people avoid conversations about results. Why is that?

Without sales, margins, and cash flow, a lot of organizations simply don’t know what to measure. If you’re talking about the web, search engine results are a great place to start.

Let’s say you own a pizza parlor and you want people to find your location online. 

How can you possibly get on the first page of Google search results, maybe even become number one, for pizza knowing that there are millions of pizza places in the United States?

The answer lies in selecting keywords that are specific to your business, such as “Pizza Parlor in Wheaton, Illinois,” for example.  Selecting the right keywords, as you might have guessed, is not easy, but it’s critical to quality search results. That’s why you have so many search engine optimization (SEO) specialists advertising on the web. Search engine traffic, it has been proven, can bring you more sales and new customers if done correctly. (Did you know that your website can get penalized for taking certain actions and actually drop in ranking? http://www.webconfs.com/15-minute-seo.php)

But with so many promising that they can make you number one in the rankings, on Google, how do you know who or what to believe?

When you search the internet for “search engine optimization” companies, you are bombarded with choices.  Many promise you immediate results in getting your rankings up, and they even promise you that they can guarantee you’ll be number one in the rankings.  Is that true? Can they really do that?

The answer is no. We have several clients that we’ve taken their keywords and over several weeks and months gotten many, sometimes most, of their keywords ranked #1 on Google. Does that mean we can do that every single time?  I would never make that claim. None of us know Google’s formula for ranking sites so making such a bold claim is, in our view, irresponsible marketing. There are many ways to accomplish high ranking results for your website.  The work that goes on behind the scene of your website is only the starting point.  There are online and offline optimization techniques, which we’ll leave for another blog.

Search engines have adapted to this new web-world of blogs, social media, videos, etc., and are constantly changing how they rank websites.  In previous years, your keywords and links was all that really mattered but times have changed!  Search engines take many more factors into account these days, such as your content, download speed, keyword relevancy and competition, the importance of inbound and outbound links, and of course your connections. 

It is not always about quantity, you also have to factor in quality.  As search engines are getting smarter, so should you.  A reputable marketing company can not only improve your website ranking but do it in a way that preserves your reputation. If someone is guaranteeing you #1 ranking on Google you need to ask yourself, “Does this sound too good to be true?” If it does, well, it may be time to consider another SEO firm.

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So today’s blog post will go through some of the nuts-n-bolts of copywriting. And, yes, I realize some of my marketing brethren will disagree with me (again) on some of these points. That’s fine.

Personal pronouns. Copywriters frequently use “I,” “we,” and “you” to connect with their audience on a more personal level. In direct communication such as direct mail, sales letters, telemarketing scripts and email this is an appropriate tone. For brochures and webpages, however, the tone should be more formal. Too many personal pronouns in any communication sound awkward and manipulative.

Cliches. There will always be a place for clichés in your copy. But just as you don’t like to listen to athletes go on and on a bout “just wanting to win the game” or “it’s all about the team,” people will tune out if you bombard them with clichés. Cliches are like spice so use them sparingly.

Repetition. Like it or not repetition works, it persuades. In copywriting the benefits, advantages, special offer, free gift, call to action and other key messages are repeated over and over. It’s part of the job to drill the message home just try not to be boring, use your creativity to say the same thing in new and interesting ways.

Sentence fragments. Good copywriters do not always write in short, staccato (disjointed) sentences. No sir. Untrue. It’s a lie. Trust me. However, to get the message out in bite-sized chunks that are easy to digest, sentence fragments are acceptable.

Grammar. The purpose of your copywriting is to win hearts and earn dollars. You are not trying to win an essay contest, however, the basic rules of good grammar still apply. Go ahead and relax the rules as much as you like in order to be friendly and conversational. Just don’t be too conversational. We don’t follow the strict rules of grammar when we talk to each other but, uh, there needs to be, you know, more clarity that we might expect from our, ahh, like, kids or somebody.

Bullets. Need I say more? People love bullets. Our brains are hardwired to accept information in list and bulleted lists seem to be even more effective at connecting our ears, heart, and head.

Proofreading. Proofread everything you do several times and not on the computer screen. It is very difficult to see your own mistakes, especially after you’ve been over your copy a dozen times but it happens. My advise is to make a hard copy (my apologies to the trees), proofread every paragraph for flow, every sentence for clarity and punctuation, every word for spelling, and pay close attention to numbers, which are particularly prone to errors and are often overlooked when proofing. If you have time here are two final tips: First, whenever possible have someone else proofread your work before posting it online, and second, walk away from your copy for at least twenty-four hours and then proof it one final time. If you're like me, you’ll be surprised at the number of errors you discover.

Steve

800-707-9150

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Web entrepreneurs consider this the point where the rubber meets the road but, too often, it’s where the runner meets the pothole. Here are four of the most common mistakes and what you can do to correct them:

Every page of your site should have a clear focal point, a place where the eye is naturally drawn to, and a clear call-to-action.

That call-to-action can be to actually buy something from you but it can also be a request to have your visitors register (call, click here, etc.) to receive more information, such as a free whitepaper. Different pages may have different calls-to-action.

The good news about this problem is it’s the easiest to fix. You may be able to do this yourself but contact me (800-707-9150 or shartkopf@aligned-marketing.com) if you need help.

(Yes, that was a call-to-action in my blog)

One of the first laws of selling is a confused mind says “No.”

If your website has lots of motion graphics, four or more fonts, poorly contrasted or unappealing colors, clutter, too many choices, unclear copy or 100 other things that distract and confuse the mind, you’re not going to sell anything.

The KISS (keep it simple stupid) approach works best. Again, a clear focal point, call-to-action and lots of whitespace are all that’s needed.

Video and customer testimonials are great for SEO and to help build credibility, see next bullet, but they are more icing than cake.

Your copy, call-to-action and value proposition, your business message, needs to be clear, concise, compelling and written in simple language. It also needs to be believable.

Talk to your visitors in terms of benefits to them, which are usually very different than the way your internal team talks about your product. Internal audiences tend to get wrapped up in features and function. Customers care about benefits. How will your product make them money, healthier, more attractive, save them time, etc.

Similarly, people are skeptical. They know advertising lies, marketing manipulates and even Tiger can’t be trusted anymore. No one can afford to waste money and no one wants to feel foolish.

Talk to your audience in simple believable words.

This one hurts a bit so brace yourself; they just don’t want what you’re selling.

A lot of webpreneurs are so passionate about their product or service they just can’t understand why people aren’t beating a path to their door. Well, I’m sorry, but if you’ve done everything else right, or mostly right, then the market has spoken and you lose.

As one prominent Democrat recently said when they were struggling to sell the Healthcare Bill to the American people, “The problem is the dog doesn’t like the dogfood.” You can fix the message, the packaging, but if the dog won’t eat the dogfood you’re not going to be selling any.

The fix here isn’t redesigning your website or more creative copy, the fix is transitioning your product from something you think people need into something people actually want.

Steve

800-707-9150

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He was referring to me being a consultant and, indeed, there’s evidence to support his statement. The industrial market is heating up. The Industrial Supply Association’s (ISA) most recent Economic Indicator Report was up for the second month in a row. Their Manufacturer Index was 66.42% in February while the January index was 60.63%. The Distributor Index saw similar gains (61.1% and 65.72%, respectively). Anything above 50% indicates those surveyed expect economic expansion.

The subjective evidence is equally strong. I talk with frustrated marketing people every week. Their complaint is with management and goes like this: “They laid off half my staff so we’ve been struggling to keep up for over a year. Every month we fall further behind and are getting our butts chewed out. Now, because business is getting better, they want us to do a bunch of new stuff. We can’t complete our work now! I have no idea how we’re going to get any new projects completed.” Maybe you can help them?

If you’re an unemployed or underemployed marketing professional consider becoming a consultant. As my CEO friend said, the timing may be perfect.

The client benefits because they can rent the expertise they need (from you). You simply augment their staff as a variable cost solution. A competent resource they can eliminate quickly without a long HR process.

Do a great job and maybe you get hired full-time, if that’s what you want. Here are a few things you need to be prepared for before accepting your first consulting job.

• Be prepared to add value immediately. One good way is to do more than you’re asked. In other words, take tasks off your new employer’s task list. Most marketing managers have presentations to create, reports to format, blogs to write and other nuisance tasks that they’d love to delegate but are beyond the skill level of most support personnel. Don’t wait for them to ask you to help. Be proactive and add value.
• Understand that there will be politics and much of it will be invisible to you. You represent a variable cost option and, as such, threaten everyone in your area of expertise that is an employee, a fixed cost. The best way to combat this is to recognize the politics exist and find a few key alliances within the client’s organization that will help you navigate through the terrain.
• You must be taken seriously so don’t walk in meekly. State your positions and your recommendations clearly and directly. Not everyone will agree but if you focus on pleasing everyone, finding the maximum in common ground and playing politician, you’ll lose. Understand your pre-designed role is to get in, complete your assignment, and get out. You are not part of the long-term extended corporate family (not yet, anyway).
• There’s nothing unethical about selling more services while you’re completing your project. Be polite and professional but keep your eyes and ears open for pain points, new projects and things the company would like to have if they had the resources. There’s truth in the old saying: “The best source of new business is old customers.” In my experience the big firms spend up to 30% of their time onsite looking for a new project while they’re completing the current project. I find that objectionable (selling while I’m on the client’s clock) so I never charge by the hour and I only spend about 10% of my time prospecting for new projects. You’ll need to find your own balance.

If you have skills and are either unemployed or underemployed I encourage you to think about consulting. The market is getting stronger, it’s a great way to leverage your strengths, and may get you the inside track on a full-time job if that’s your ultimate goal.

Feel free to call me if you want to discuss further.

Steve

800-707-9150

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Good copywriting is a combination of talent and technique. Traditionally copywriting was a mysterious craft locked deep within ad agencies. The web, as it has a way of doing, has changed that. Now everyone who sends an email, posts a blog, creates their own website, or promotes their business through social media is a copywriter. Some of us are good copywriters but most of us are not.

Blasting out “buy me” messages is not good copywriting or good marketing, it's spamming. It’s an immature approach and reminds me of a teenager’s approach to music – the louder the better. Turning up the volume doesn’t make bad music better; it makes it worse. People buy things to improve their life, not because you’ve beaten them into submission.

In our hurry-up, get-it-done yesterday, world only the best copy gets attention and results. Explaining what is involved in the best copywriting would require a book but here are three things to keep in mind the next time you have to do some copywriting:

1. You need to clearly understand your product and your goal. How does what you are selling improve your target audience’s life? And, what is it, specifically, that you want your audience to do? Think about this as though you are a business: (A) What is it that you are offering that is superior and distinctive from the competition? (B) What are your audiences “hot-buttons?” Connect A and B. You will receive “A” (the benefit) if you do “B” (the action).
2. You need to have some writing skills. This probably seems like a no-brainer but it’s amazing how many people send out emails, for example, that are poorly written. Pedestrian emails that are not only stale and unoriginal but are also unclear and irrelevant won’t get the job done. Copy that doesn’t relate and doesn’t make sense to the target audience falls flat and can even irritate those you are trying to win to your cause. The examples are endless but (here’s one) how many websites have you visited and read where there is no clear idea of what’s in it for you?
3. You need to be creative. I know your boss just wants the facts. He wants you to get to the point. That’s a good approach when you need to plow through a ton of work but if you need to change behavior, then sprinkle some creativity dust on your copy. Just don’t go wild. There’s a big difference between copy that titillates, but is basically pointless, and copy that motivates and produces action.

If all that sounds too hard, then maybe you need to hire a professional?

Steve

800-707-9150

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What do you think? Are testimonials part of your sales arsenal?

Steve

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