Grab Attention With Your Headlines
by Charlie Cook
You've got just a few seconds to grab your prospects' attention, spark their interest and motivate them to keep reading whether they're looking at your web site, your letter or your brochure. Headlines are the first thing your prospects read. Four out of five people determine whether they keep reading to learn about your products and services on the basis of your headline.
Do your headlines capture your prospects' attention or do they confuse them and send them away?
Avoid the three following headline mistakes.
1. Don't Emphasize Obscure Company Names
The names of most small businesses aren't household words. Unless your name is among the most recognized brands such as, Craftsman, Waterford, Rolls Royce, the Discovery Channel, WD-40 or Crayola there is a good chance people won't associate your company name with anything.
Have you ever visited a web site or read a print ad where the company's name covered the top part of the page and it was something like, Pharos Partners? Unless the name of your company describes what you do, it is not going to grab prospects' attention. Move it to the side and make room for a creative headline.
2. Avoid Welcome Statements
On many web sites the first line you read is, "Welcome to our Site". There is a reason you don't see these in print ads. Welcome statements are a waste of time in marketing materials; they do little to help prospects understand what you do.
3. Delete Vague Descriptions and Statements
Statements like, "Our purpose is to connect you with information and resources to achieve your maximum potential", could apply to a number of different professions. It could refer to a cooking school, a management consultant or an eldercare program.
- Does your headline include business speak your children or mother-in-law can't explain?
- Is your description of product and services specific or is it so generic that it could apply to other types of businesses?
- Does your headline focus on the selling points that distinguish your products and services from the competitions?
- Writing Headlines that Get Your Prospects' Attention People look at web sites the same way they look at magazine ads. They scan the page quickly to see if the product or service is something they want. On the web or in a marketing brochure, if you capture their interest, they'll keep reading.
The best way to do this is to give them a clear idea of the problems your products or services can solve and/or the benefits you provide. Use a few carefully selected words such as:
- Leverage your expertise to attract a steady stream of clients
- Reliable Office Supplies, free next day delivery.
- In-home sports training for exercise enthusiasts
- Web and print design that helps your business grow
- Costa Rica Travel, Unique off-the-beaten track tours to jungles and beaches
Your page headline should communicate clearly what you offer clients, which problems you solve and the benefits you provide. Do your headlines:
- Clarify what you do?
- Describe the problems you solve?
- Define whom you do it for?
- Explain the benefits?
- Emphasis a key selling point?
- Compel your prospects to keep reading?
Imagine that you worked at an exercise facility and wanted to attract clients for your massage business. Here are some possible headlines you might use for your flyer and associated critiques.
George Jenkins Massage (It's your name but so what)
Are You Bothered By Back Pain (Better, it defines the problem)
7 Ways to Get Instant Back Pain Relief (Defines the problem and a solution)
How Computer Users Can Banish Back Pain in One Hour (Defines who your target market is, the problem and the benefit)
Grab your prospects attention in the first few seconds with your headline. Then follow with compelling copy that clarifies the value of your products and services and you'll generate many more sales.
The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up to receive the Free Marketing Guide, '7 Steps to Grow Your Business' and the 'More Business' newsletter, full of practical tips you can use at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com.
Comments (0) 15.05.2007. 00:02
10 Ways to Make Your Site More Interactive
by Kate Schultz
1. Develop a survey on an interesting topic and administer it from your site. Announce your survey in e-zines, newsgroups, forums and mailing lists. When the survey is over, notify all the participants of the results.
2. Give a quiz! Set up a short quiz using multiple choice and true or false answers. Show the results of the quiz immediately and provide the right answers to any questions answered incorrectly.
3. Invite your visitors to participate in discussions at your discussion boards on your site.
4. Let your visitors add their content to your site. Provide a format to allow visitors to add their poems, stories, Web site addresses or pictures.
5. Provide online training that is of interest to your visitors. Include a bulletin board and schedule chat sessions for classes with your students.
6. Ask for feedback in a question and answer format. Set up a form that allows your visitors to ask questions. Post their questions and your answers on the Web site.
7. Give your visitors an incentive to click on banners. "Click here" for a prize, more information or a freebie.
8. Create quick one question polls and provide instant calculation of results after each answer.
9. Add a guestbook to get comments and suggestions from your visitors.
10. Set up live communication on your site. Chat software lets visitors ask you questions in real time.
Kate Schultz is the Publisher of E-ZineZ which includes how-to help for your email newsletter.
Comments (0) 14.05.2007. 23:56
Web Site Makeovers
by Dan Burbank
I can't flip on the TV these days without running into some sort of makeover show. Everyone is getting a new look or a remodeled kitchen. In TV-land it only takes a small army of highly paid designers an hour to roll out the fresh look. If you've ever attempted to give anything in your life a new a look, whether it's a hallway or a haircut, you know it's harder than that.
Take your Web site. You launched it a few years ago and it hasn't changed much since. It's become so outdated that you're hesitant to tell customers about it. Problem is, you're not sure where to start. The tips below can help you identify some common problem spots that might help you start your redesign.
What's your look? Your site should reflect the image you portray as you conduct business everyday. That's not just about the colors and graphics, it's about the way you visually organize information on your site. For example, if your customers expect you to be serious and professional then crisp lines, clear categories and no frills should be the rule.
Where's your voice? After your site makes its visual impact, the visitor will start to read the text. As you read the copy on your site, does it feel like something you would say? Does it feel like something you stopped saying last year? Don't stop with your existing copy. Infuse your personality by adding articles that demonstrate your industry expertise, a blog that reflects your opinions or a message board that connects you with your community.
Highlight your best features. How many pages do visitors dig through before they come across your marquee product or service? The answer should be none. Demonstrate the thing you do best on your Web site's homepage. Don't bury it behind an entry page or make visitors wade through a flowery introduction. Put your best foot forward.
Not just skin deep. If your site has been online a while chances are you've added pages and pages of content. Visitors use your site's navigation to find those extra pages. A redesign is a good time to simplify your navigation and organize it all. Come up with a few broadly named "buckets" you can use that clearly identify the items within. Then apply them to a menu that can appear on each page of the site.
Top to bottom. Does your site have a consistent header and footer that appear on every page? Create a simple header that includes your business name and logo, and add it to every page. Try adding a footer with your contact information. This helps visitors who come across your site through a secondary page identify you.
Out with the old. If you added a feature to your site with the intention of updating it regularly, and you've since lost interest, it's time to get rid of it. If you're still polling your site's visitors about who they'll vote for in the 2000 presidential election, it's probably time to take the poll off your site.
Ask for help. If you're stuck on what new direction to take your site in, want some feedback on a design idea or are looking for people to brainstorm with, try asking for help on the PowWeb forums.
Comments (0) 14.05.2007. 23:52
