Lately the conversations at our conference table have centered on the internet ... and in particular ... how to get through all the "hype" to create websites that work.
Several reasons fuel our discussions. More companies realize they need a solid presence on the Net. Many are not already there and are asking us for guidance. Second, there are quite a few companies who have websites but no traffic to speak of. And, third the expense for a great site is far less than the reoccurring charges of promotion through other media.
The bottom line, however, from those who read our blog: How do you get through all the website building "hype" and create a site that ranks in the top 1% in acquiring great traffic?
This posting will lead you to that answer.
You have heard us say this before ...
The fundamental reality of how people use the Web: They search for…information, information, information.
Websites with great responding traffic have acted upon the fundamental reality of online behavior. First, they deliver information by creating in demand content. That allows the site to attract targeted traffic. If the website properly PRE-sells the visitor, they will respond to what the website offers.
Since people search for information, they are looking for a solution. They are not looking for you. They usually don't know who or what can provide what they seek. So, they rely on Search Engines to source the possibilities that are worth their effort to visit.
Give them what they want by converting your knowledge into high quality, in-demand content. Create high value content that over delivers what they seek.
Creating great content is the first step in building a website that works. We have made an agreement to allow you to download the very best web building course on the Net. This program is taught at over 30 universities including Penn State and the Universities of Arizona and Wisconsin. Because the author is on our Board Of Advisors, he is allowing our readers to download it ABSOLUTELY FREE. To get your copy, go to: http://myws.sitesell.com/harsonhill.html
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Headlines For Those Who Say: "I Am Not A Writer."
Most of us are not writers. Hemingway was a writer. Tolstoy was a writer. Stephen King is a writer. Writing is about crafting wonderful fiction, stories of power and feeling. But we're talking here about creative writers.
We, on the other hand, are natural-born persuaders. Think of all the people you persuade every day...
• your suppliers and your customers
• your co-workers and your boss (if you're the boss, your employees)
• your spouse and your children
• your friends and associates
• even your competitors!
The great motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, has said, "You can get anything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want."
Ignoring this simple insight is the most common cause of marketing failure. Over and over, I've seen otherwise sharp marketers launch a product or service because they want to sell it, not because anyone wants to buy it.
I have always considered this the ultimate secret of how to sell anything: "Find out what others want and help them get it."
So ..... how do you write a headline that accomplishes this?
Here's a quick example: Let's say you're advertising a savings and investment program designed to help people have enough money to retire someday. You could run a headline that says something like…
"New Survey Reveals That Only 1 in 12 Will Have Enough Money to Retire"
On the surface, this seems like a good, smart headline. It factually and credibly points out a problem that millions of people either have or will soon face.
But in my view it's a weak headline. Here's why…
The first rule of writing body copy is that your first few paragraphs should immediately pay off. They should build upon your headline. Coming off the headline above, you'd have to expand upon it and that means you'd have to waste your critical introductory paragraphs educating your audience about a problem they may face. In effect, you'd be trying to educate your audience into feeling a motivation. This doesn't work!
Whenever you find yourself educating your readers about a problem they may have, consider it a red warning flag! If you have to educate people into realizing they have a problem, you're already losing the battle.
Here's how one of the direct marketing masters wrote the headline. Look how much more efficiently John Caples cuts right to the chase, by using his headline to attract the right audience (an already motivated one) to hear about a retirement income plan.
His headline: "To Men Who Want to Quit Work Someday"
Like a blast of trumpets, this headline instantly calls together the right audience ... a motivated audience ... of people who already know they want to plan now for a comfortable, worry-free retirement. Caples' headline instantly assembles a group of already motivated, prequalified prospects front and center in the courtyard of his announcement, where he can persuade them with news about a solution they already want. He doesn't have to start a fire of motivation, only feed the fire already burning!
Now, go ahead and write website copy that "sells" by persuading your audience who are already waiting to hear what you have to say.
To accomplish your goal, I have arranged to get you this famous web writing e-Course ABSOLUTELY FREE. It normally costs $29.95, but because its author is on our Board Of Advisors, he has given us permission to let you download if FREE for the next 13 days.
Go to: http://myws.sitesell.com/harsonhill.html
We, on the other hand, are natural-born persuaders. Think of all the people you persuade every day...
• your suppliers and your customers
• your co-workers and your boss (if you're the boss, your employees)
• your spouse and your children
• your friends and associates
• even your competitors!
The great motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, has said, "You can get anything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want."
Ignoring this simple insight is the most common cause of marketing failure. Over and over, I've seen otherwise sharp marketers launch a product or service because they want to sell it, not because anyone wants to buy it.
I have always considered this the ultimate secret of how to sell anything: "Find out what others want and help them get it."
So ..... how do you write a headline that accomplishes this?
Here's a quick example: Let's say you're advertising a savings and investment program designed to help people have enough money to retire someday. You could run a headline that says something like…
"New Survey Reveals That Only 1 in 12 Will Have Enough Money to Retire"
On the surface, this seems like a good, smart headline. It factually and credibly points out a problem that millions of people either have or will soon face.
But in my view it's a weak headline. Here's why…
The first rule of writing body copy is that your first few paragraphs should immediately pay off. They should build upon your headline. Coming off the headline above, you'd have to expand upon it and that means you'd have to waste your critical introductory paragraphs educating your audience about a problem they may face. In effect, you'd be trying to educate your audience into feeling a motivation. This doesn't work!
Whenever you find yourself educating your readers about a problem they may have, consider it a red warning flag! If you have to educate people into realizing they have a problem, you're already losing the battle.
Here's how one of the direct marketing masters wrote the headline. Look how much more efficiently John Caples cuts right to the chase, by using his headline to attract the right audience (an already motivated one) to hear about a retirement income plan.
His headline: "To Men Who Want to Quit Work Someday"
Like a blast of trumpets, this headline instantly calls together the right audience ... a motivated audience ... of people who already know they want to plan now for a comfortable, worry-free retirement. Caples' headline instantly assembles a group of already motivated, prequalified prospects front and center in the courtyard of his announcement, where he can persuade them with news about a solution they already want. He doesn't have to start a fire of motivation, only feed the fire already burning!
Now, go ahead and write website copy that "sells" by persuading your audience who are already waiting to hear what you have to say.
To accomplish your goal, I have arranged to get you this famous web writing e-Course ABSOLUTELY FREE. It normally costs $29.95, but because its author is on our Board Of Advisors, he has given us permission to let you download if FREE for the next 13 days.
Go to: http://myws.sitesell.com/harsonhill.html
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
It's All About A Love Affair!
Lately our Direct Marketing Brainstormer experts have had the same question asked many times: "How do I convert my website traffic into orders?"
The answer ... create a following of "trust" ... the type of trust felt in a love affair. The buyers will come. Remember the line from "Field Of Dreams" ... "build it and they will come". The baseball field came from dreams and trust for the players. Same thing here!
Most website owners think of their site as an advertising page ... or group of pages ... selling their product or service. The result: viewers see just another site selling something, when they are really interested in information ... information ... and more information. Especially information they can believe in.
Problem is most website owners are impatient and immediately focus on the "end game" ... making a sale. Without knowing it, they immediately come off like a "hyped" automobile salesman trying to close a sale before the prospect is half way through the door.
Internet selling is a process. Your prospect wants to get to know you first ... believe in you ... trust you. The biggest job you have is getting your audience to trust and believe in you before they are willing to buy. To do it well, think of your job as a "romancing courtship" or
"love affair" with your web visitors.
How many of you are familiar with the Japanese way of life? From a very early age the Japanese grow up in an environment of "concentric circles of friends". Once they get to know a new friend, he/she is invited into one of the intersecting circles. Unless you royally screw up, you are part of that circle and the intersecting ones for the rest of your life. These are circles of "trust" and feed your successful existence forever. We call it something less "sexy", less "personal" ... networking. Sometimes I think the Japanese really "get it".
For more information on how you can make your website really work, go to: www.best-website-builder.org
The answer ... create a following of "trust" ... the type of trust felt in a love affair. The buyers will come. Remember the line from "Field Of Dreams" ... "build it and they will come". The baseball field came from dreams and trust for the players. Same thing here!
Most website owners think of their site as an advertising page ... or group of pages ... selling their product or service. The result: viewers see just another site selling something, when they are really interested in information ... information ... and more information. Especially information they can believe in.
Problem is most website owners are impatient and immediately focus on the "end game" ... making a sale. Without knowing it, they immediately come off like a "hyped" automobile salesman trying to close a sale before the prospect is half way through the door.
Internet selling is a process. Your prospect wants to get to know you first ... believe in you ... trust you. The biggest job you have is getting your audience to trust and believe in you before they are willing to buy. To do it well, think of your job as a "romancing courtship" or
"love affair" with your web visitors.
How many of you are familiar with the Japanese way of life? From a very early age the Japanese grow up in an environment of "concentric circles of friends". Once they get to know a new friend, he/she is invited into one of the intersecting circles. Unless you royally screw up, you are part of that circle and the intersecting ones for the rest of your life. These are circles of "trust" and feed your successful existence forever. We call it something less "sexy", less "personal" ... networking. Sometimes I think the Japanese really "get it".
For more information on how you can make your website really work, go to: www.best-website-builder.org
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Creating Website Copy That PRE-Sells Your Visitor
There are over 100 books about writing to making web pages sell.
There is only one book about writing to communicate with your online visitor. It's all about writing to PRE-sell.
PRE-selling is the most critical component in the process of building websites that work to create the proper online marketing and seo. Thousands of businesses have proved it so.
All of the Direct Marketing Brainstormer leaders use these PRE-Selling tactics when building websites for their clients. Connect with your visitor and the world is yours.
You can get your copy of this famois course right now. Go to: www.best-website-builder.org, click on the blue tab on the left that says, "FREE e-Course" and download it.
There is only one book about writing to communicate with your online visitor. It's all about writing to PRE-sell.
PRE-selling is the most critical component in the process of building websites that work to create the proper online marketing and seo. Thousands of businesses have proved it so.
All of the Direct Marketing Brainstormer leaders use these PRE-Selling tactics when building websites for their clients. Connect with your visitor and the world is yours.
You can get your copy of this famois course right now. Go to: www.best-website-builder.org, click on the blue tab on the left that says, "FREE e-Course" and download it.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Anyone Can Build A Website That Works
This past week the people at our conference table were discussing the program we use to build most all of our clients' websites. They were amazed I was the one who built them. They all know I have two left feet when trying to understand "computer-speak".
Any person, any small business can build a website that works and ends up in the top 1% on the Net.
So, why do most websites fail?
There are over 100 million active websites on the net. A full 97% of them have no traffic to speak of. Of the remaining 3% just one third of them are truly successful.
They fail because they do not act upon the profound difference between offline and online commerce.
THE OFFLINE “MANTRA”: Put your “brick & mortar” business where the people crowd by and you are all set. It’s all about … location, location…location.
THE ONLINE “MANTRA”: The fundamental reality of how people use the Web is different. No one passes by. They search for…information, information, information.
Websites with great traffic have acted upon the fundamental reality of online behavior. First, they create in demand content for their website. That allows them to attract targeted traffic. If those visitors have been properly pre-sold, the website will make sales and great income.
It all seems quite simple. It is if you take the time to map out a plan for each step. That takes a lot of thought, particularly in discovering the proper and most appropriate keywords.
Trouble is, most website designers and developers focus on what the website should look like first. If that’s the approach taken, the site is doomed to failure. You must learn to write the proper content based upon the best keywords for your site long before the creative mind starts designing the visual look of the site.
Build keywords by writing the content first. Then map out your website, just the way an architect creates plans for a house. Now you are on your way to a website that will end up in the top 1% on the web.
For more information on writing great content that will get your website noticed, download this FREE e-Course: http://netwriting.sitesell.com/harsonhill.html
Or, visit: www.Best-Website-Builder.org
Any person, any small business can build a website that works and ends up in the top 1% on the Net.
So, why do most websites fail?
There are over 100 million active websites on the net. A full 97% of them have no traffic to speak of. Of the remaining 3% just one third of them are truly successful.
They fail because they do not act upon the profound difference between offline and online commerce.
THE OFFLINE “MANTRA”: Put your “brick & mortar” business where the people crowd by and you are all set. It’s all about … location, location…location.
THE ONLINE “MANTRA”: The fundamental reality of how people use the Web is different. No one passes by. They search for…information, information, information.
Websites with great traffic have acted upon the fundamental reality of online behavior. First, they create in demand content for their website. That allows them to attract targeted traffic. If those visitors have been properly pre-sold, the website will make sales and great income.
It all seems quite simple. It is if you take the time to map out a plan for each step. That takes a lot of thought, particularly in discovering the proper and most appropriate keywords.
Trouble is, most website designers and developers focus on what the website should look like first. If that’s the approach taken, the site is doomed to failure. You must learn to write the proper content based upon the best keywords for your site long before the creative mind starts designing the visual look of the site.
Build keywords by writing the content first. Then map out your website, just the way an architect creates plans for a house. Now you are on your way to a website that will end up in the top 1% on the web.
For more information on writing great content that will get your website noticed, download this FREE e-Course: http://netwriting.sitesell.com/harsonhill.html
Or, visit: www.Best-Website-Builder.org
Monday, May 3, 2010
Are You Parents Of A "Broke" Teenager Or Graduate?
Here’s a subject all direct marketing parents can relate to…
Is your teenager at a loss for how to pay for tuition, books, school supplies and rent, not to mention fun & games... without having to go into debt?
Is your son flipping burgers or mowing lawns for income … or your daughter babysitting tonight?
Or have they just graduated and looking for a way to generate income year-round?
Why watch them work hard for peanuts all summer, and then wait tables all winter?
Here’s the answer…
They should build their own thriving online business... and a winning resume at the same time. No work experience, technical knowledge needed here, just a positive attitude and ideas to share. Besides, what teenager or college graduate do you know who isn't into all things "computer and the internet"?
Not only does it beat flipping burgers, it puts a skill set on their resume that is irresistible to future employers... proven Internet marketing skills.
Have them do it the right way, with all the tools they need in one place. We use this easy to understand, very complete, well known program and teaching aid to build websites for all our customers. Since my company is a "one-man-band", I do all the client website building. When it comes to "technology" and "computer-speak", I have two left feet.
This program has built successful websites for all our clients. It's even taught in the business division of over 30 universities around the world ... including Penn State, and the universities of Arizona and Wisconsin. And, the best part, it's not expensive. All your son or daughter has to spend is $30/month.
To find out more, go to: http://students.sitesell.com/harsonhill.html
Is your teenager at a loss for how to pay for tuition, books, school supplies and rent, not to mention fun & games... without having to go into debt?
Is your son flipping burgers or mowing lawns for income … or your daughter babysitting tonight?
Or have they just graduated and looking for a way to generate income year-round?
Why watch them work hard for peanuts all summer, and then wait tables all winter?
Here’s the answer…
They should build their own thriving online business... and a winning resume at the same time. No work experience, technical knowledge needed here, just a positive attitude and ideas to share. Besides, what teenager or college graduate do you know who isn't into all things "computer and the internet"?
Not only does it beat flipping burgers, it puts a skill set on their resume that is irresistible to future employers... proven Internet marketing skills.
Have them do it the right way, with all the tools they need in one place. We use this easy to understand, very complete, well known program and teaching aid to build websites for all our customers. Since my company is a "one-man-band", I do all the client website building. When it comes to "technology" and "computer-speak", I have two left feet.
This program has built successful websites for all our clients. It's even taught in the business division of over 30 universities around the world ... including Penn State, and the universities of Arizona and Wisconsin. And, the best part, it's not expensive. All your son or daughter has to spend is $30/month.
To find out more, go to: http://students.sitesell.com/harsonhill.html
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