Why Most Web Sites Don't Work

Web sites should work like direct response ads. Unfortunately, too many web sites look like they're competing for a design award -- at the expense of making sales. In fact, more than half the battle is understanding the right question to ask. "How can I make my web site better?" is not the right question. Neither is "How can I improve the design."

The real purpose of a web site should be one thing and one thing only: To capture as many leads as possible as a percentage of all site visitors. With far too many web sites, you can look at them and know they are not capturing as many leads as possible. How? Because the web site does not even invite a response -- at all. In other words, many web site developers seem to want to limit themselves to only talking to prospects who absolutely, positively want to buy from them right then.

On the contrary, web sites should invite prospects to take a small step to get more information and begin a new relationship.

Step One With My Next Blog: Focus on getting a response.

Converting Online Visitors Into Customers

You probably spend a good deal of time and money trying to drive prospects to your website. Having lots of visitors every day is good, but if you don't convert a high percentage into customers, what's the point?

Would you prefer 100 visits a day with a 10 percent conversion rate or 1,000 at 0.1 percent? So, how do you increase your conversion rates?

Make it easy. Be sure it's easy for visitors to respond to a call to action or some kind of offering. If you are trying to get visitors to fill in a form for a trial or demo, make sure the form is simple and easy. You don't need 25 fields...at least the first time. Get essential information and then get more with further communications.

Test, test, test. Test everything from forms to landing pages. Testing will give you information that you can use to improve rates. Go slowly to test only one or two things at a time so you know what worked and what didn't.

Know your visitors. Understand who your potential customers are, understand how they speak, what matters to them, how they prefer to make decisions. Make your content and offerings relevant to them. To provide value, you need to know what your visitors value.

Why Branding Matters

A successful brand can benefit your company in the following ways.

It separates you from your competitors, in a unique way, that is relevant and motivating to your customers, prospects and sales channels. It gives you value and makes your product(s) special.

It enhances your perceived value, supporting premium pricing, sheltering you from low-price competition.

It enables you to launch new products more quickly and cost effectively.

Remember, brands happen with or without you. It is up to you to be proactive in shaping the identity and strength of your brand image.

A Brand Is The Promise That A Company Makes

Let's set the record straight on what a brand is...and is not.

First, your brand is not just your logo, tagline or the "look and feel" of your ads, website and literature. These are all graphical parts of your brand identity and are often narrowly, and incorrectly, referred to as branding. Here is a much broader definition:

Your brand resides within the hearts (feelings) and minds (intellect) of your customers and prospects. It is their sum total of your product and their experience and perceptions, some of which you can influence and some you cannot.

Successful marketers understand the needs and wants of customers and prospects. They understand how to meet these needs and wants in a way that is motivating. They apply this by initiating integrated strategies throughout the company at every point of contact--marketing communications, customer support and sales.