Marketing from your web site has become by far the most dollar-efficient method of advertising available in the business world today.

But that is all it is. Web site marketing is simply another form of advertising.

That’s why at Signature Webs they’re considered true ’stand-outs’ in the field of web site marketing.

Because with 10 years’ experience in web sites and the internet, we know how all that works . . .

But with 30 years experience in real world advertising, we also know what to put in your marketing campaigns.

Whether you’re selling from your web site, or from the Yellow Pages, or your local newspaper, we know what will work best for you. We’ve got the runs on the board. We’ve got the satisfied clients. We’ve got what you need when it comes to all forms of marketing and advertising.

Having said that, there are three main components in web site marketing. The most powerful and cost effective is first, followed by the two expensive options.

Successful web site marketing is about much more than attracting visitors to your site through search engine strategies.

The most effective way to sell is to attract targeted prospects to your web site through a successful “marriage” of your real-world and web-world marketing strategies.

Our integrated marketing campaigns make sure this happens for you in the best possible way. In fact many of our strategies mean you can actually cut back on your real world marketing because of your web-world marketing component.

One of our clients when we were in Northern New South Wales was a butcher who spent on average $280 per week in the local newspaper, the Byron News (which, incidentally, we started in 1972 and sold in 1993).

Years later in 1998 we met up with Bud the Butcher as he was known, and told him about web sites and our “new” web site marketing. We developed him a web site that included a weekly specials page. Every week his clients could visit his site, print out the specials page and bring it in with them when they did the weekly meat shopping.

In return, he would give them a free kilo of sausages or mince or steakettes . . . or whatever else he had in surplus, that he wanted to get rid of.

Within 4 weeks he had halved the size of his newspaper advertisement, yet enjoyed a 34% increase in business, as new customers saw his website and began taking part in the promotion. That’s $7208 a year just in advertising savings!

How would you like similar success for yourself?

It costs nothing to talk – so give us a call or contact us through our site. You’ll soon see when it comes to web site marketing and real-world marketing, that we know what we’re doing. You’ll soon see what a difference experience can make to your bottom line.

I know it’s hard to imagine a world without that big book(s) in your drawer, and I know that sometimes it occasionally still works for finding a local service, like a plumber.  Or a roofer.  Or a jumpy-house for your daughter’s birthday.

Or does it?

Local Search from Google, Yahoo and MSN (now known as Bing for some reason) will replace the yellow pages, because they’ve all gotten better.

Way better.

Better at presenting all the tradesmen in your area, instead of a random few.  Better at displaying all the florists, photographers, estate agents — you name it, it’ll land in Google.

In the past local search has fallen-short because we’re not getting the results we want

. . . so we used to turn to the big yellow book.

But the advertising revenue is too great for the search industry to ignore, so local results are becoming more relevant, more useful, and they have become the search method of choice.

Where is the local-search opportunity for your business?  If you deliver a product or service within a specific regional area you still have time to beat the competition.  How?

1. Build a clear, smart, professional website.

2. Optimize it (ie search engine optimization, or SEO) for specific, local keyword searches.

There are two simple equations to bear in mind.

No Website = No Top 10 in Google = No chance

AND

No SEO = No Top 10 in Google = No Chance

(SEO is what I do for a website to make it show up Top 10 in Google when someone searches for something).

Here’s the big news: As at July 7, 2009, nearly 90% of people used Google to find what they wanted.  Another 5% used MSN (now called Bing) and Yahoo and the littlies got the rest.

How keywords and Google search affect your business income.

Let’s say you have a carpet business, and you’re in the Gold Coast. (There are 105 retail carpet businesses on the Gold Coast as at July 2009).

People searching for anything carpet will use terms like cheap carpet or quality carpet, or discount carpet. They’re called keywords, or key phrases.

NOTE: If you haven’t got a web page landing Top 10 in Google, the people using Google will only see your competition.

And if you haven’t even got a website, you’ve missed out on the lot.

All those searches in Google. All those chances to get new customers.

All that money . . .

Sourced from hitwise.com.au

Just showing up in Google’s “Local Results” is not enough to win the business.

Did you know when someone from let’s say Ashmore, searches for carpet they mostly also type in where they live??They instinctively search for someone near them. So they’ll search for discount carpet runaway bay or carpetlayers ashmore.

So even if someone gets the Gold Coast tag, you can still win by getting something a little closer to home, like best carpet deals nerang

And a one-page website created by your mate’s nephew’s son who’s at Uni is not going differentiate you from the other guys.

Local search is the biggest opportunity for small business on the web.

And THAT ladies and gentlemen is why yellow pages are a thing of the past. They cost too much, they encourage you to pay big money to get tyre kickers, and you can’t change your ad for 12 months. With a website you can change your content almost at will.

As I work with clients to either coach them through the copywriting process or write copy for them, I offer some very practical advice that I hope helps them achieve their objectives.

Think about writing copy as making a sales pitch to a customer. Your goal is to persuade that customer to do something – most likely to purchase your product or service.

Here are 10 tips from Strategic Communications on how to write effective copy:

1. Put yourself in your consumer’s shoes

People don’t take action unless there is a reason to do so. “What’s in it for me” may seem like a selfish motivation but it is, nonetheless, human nature. In order to effectively persuade a consumer, you need to put yourself in their place and consider why what you have to offer meets their needs. This should not be a quick exercise or one that is taken lightly. Spend some time to really think about the appeals that you could make that would truly resonate with your target audience.

2. Make it as long as you need to

Ignore anything you hear about recommended length of copy. There are no hard and fast rules. Your copy simply needs to be as long as necessary to convey your key selling points. That doesn’t mean, though, that you should ramble on and on. No. You should identify 3-5 key points that directly relate to customer needs and then clearly and concisely provide enough detail about your product or service to convince the customer to take action.

3. Keep it simple

Whether your target audience is teenagers or physicians, you need to convey a simple message. Your audience is busy and your message is competing with literally hundreds of other messages and distractions. Know the points you want to make and make them simply and clearly. Edit your copy mercilessly so that it contains only those “need to know” elements that will guide the consumer in making a purchase decision.

4. Convert features to benefits

Too often copy focuses on the features of a product rather than its benefits. What’s the difference? Features are the attributes of a product or service – a statement of fact. For example: “XYZ orange juice has calcium.” Benefits, on the other hand, answer the all-important question of “What’s in it for me?” In this case: “XYZ orange juice has calcium to help you build strong bones.” Make sure that your copy goes beyond a description of features to clearly focus on the benefits for consumers. What’s in it for them?

5. Don’t be an “also ran”

Make sure that you distinguish yourself from your competition when you’re writing copy. Spend some time reviewing the advertising of your competitors. Note their key copy points. Note the benefits they focus on. Then be different. You’re trying to convince consumers to pick your product or service over the other options available to them. That means differentiating yourself.

6.  Be consistent

All of your marketing communication needs to be consistent to be effective. It’s the cumulative impact of your communication that will eventually make an impact with consumers. That’s why it’s so important that you use consistent themes and messages in all of your advertising. That consistency will help to reinforce your product benefits; continued emphasis on the same points will ultimately lead to sales.

7.  Don’t forget the details

Remember, your copy is your sales pitch. But unlike a real sales pitch you don’t have the luxury of responding to any questions that the potential customer might have as he or she reads or listens to your pitch. That’s why your copy needs to include all of the key points and information necessary to help the consumer make a decision. Spend some time thinking of the potential customers that consumers might have about your product or service – then make sure you’ve provided answers to these questions in your copy.

8. Consider the “look”

When you’re writing copy for the web or for print – newspaper or magazine ads or brochures – your copy will be working in concert with graphic elements. These elements can help to drive home your point or they can serve as distractions, or worse, detractors from the copy. Make sure you’re considering the “look” of your copy and how it relates to graphic elements, noting how the reader’s eye is likely to “track” through the copy.

9. Read it out loud!

Remember your copy is your “sales pitch.” Whether you’re writing a radio script which will be verbalized, or copy for a web page, you need to consider how it “sounds.” The best way to do this is to read your copy out loud. You’ll be surprised at the little “glitches” you’ll notice when you do this. It’s a simple technique to tighten and improve your sales copy.

10. Know when it’s time to hire an expert

Copywriting is an art. Good copywriters can drive sales of your product or service upward. Poor copy – copy that doesn’t motivate consumers to buy – is simply a waste of your time and money. If your communications aren’t getting the results you’d like, it may be time to find outside help. It can be worth every cent!

Need to find out more about Writing Great Advertising Copy? Contact John here or call/sms 0414 955 743