WebProWorld
Marnie Pehrson may not be well known for driving traffic to Web
sites, but she should be! Her ability to get literally hundreds
of thousands of page views a month is simple astounding! (NOTE:
I said "page views," not "hits." BIG difference!) I had to ask
her to reveal her secrets so that we all could learn how to
create a Web site that simply demands high traffic.
When it comes to designing a direct sales piece, whether it be a brochure or a sales letter, the little things really do count. Focus as much on presentation as you do on the message.
I’m not that old … well not really … but I still remember (and it wasn’t so long ago), that commerce was confined to local shops and businesses. OK there was the odd entrepreneur who had set up a chain of outlets across the country, and even fewer who had gone the whole way and set up international companies, we all know them, they were and some still are household names. They had the ability to think globally, and they profited immensely from that ability.
Quite a few of you have written in asking how to send out your own html formatted emails, it can be quite simple depending on the volume you’re sending. If you’re just talking under 100 addresses, Outlook or any other up-to-date email client can handle it. All you would need to do is create your html file, save it and import it into the mail client as stationary (or what ever term your client uses for importing html). Some clients will even allow you to edit the html from the new message window. And if you’re talking mass mailing, there are various programs out there that do the job faster than a standard mail client.
Stats tell us a myriad of things, some even useful and we’re accustomed to using them in our marketing and selling processes. Frequently abused and made to say what WE want, but here I am merely considering them in ways that influence site design … and, I believe, letting the numbers speak for themselves.
There is one common mistake that Web Site Developers often make when designing web sites, and that is the lack of consideration to different monitor sizes in relation to the layout of pages. A large number of Web Page Designers still can’t see past the old favourite 14″ or 15″ monitor. Indeed more people (even though they are using smaller Palm Pilots and Internet connected phones etc.) still use a larger monitor as their main computer interface. Less people than ever before use a 14″ or 15″ screen with a screen resolution of the old favourite 800 x 600 pixels, yet we still get messages on Web Sites like “Best viewed at 800 x 600 screen resolution”. Most people even those still using 14″ or 15″ monitors are investing in display drivers that offer increased resolution and refresh rates.
After recently signing a six ebook deal with Atlantic Bridge Publishing (www.atlanticbridge.net), I quickly realized promotion would be a whole different ball game. I was used to promoting my Lance Howard print westerns to certain areas, and, indeed, I would be able to adapt a number of techniques to ebooks: bookmarks, promocards, postcards, etc. Having a bit of experience with ebooks previously, however, I soon realized I would need a somewhat different mindset for the novels, which spanned the range from horror to ripper/western and YA series horror. Many avenues used for print wouldn’t work as well and would have to be modified, with many new ideas instituted.
If your Web site doesn’t project a professional and polished image to your visitors, your credibility and that of your products and services will suffer. Image is everything — especially online where your competitor is only one mouse click away!
Unless you have access to a T1 connection, you probably have been frustrated at one time or another by sites that seem to take forever to download.
