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What’s in it for me?
Despite what MBA's might tell you, marketing's not a science--it's empathy. It basically boils down to "do unto others as you'd have them
do unto you."
The real *key* is simple: Your customers want to know "WHAT'S IN
IT FOR ME?" Tell them. If you *don't* do that, no
amount of fireworks and freebies matter.
So what do you say? I'm assuming you're a person (either that or you're a very smart pet who can read--for example, my Pomeranian reads my screen all the
time, in between biting my keyboard, and wanting to get my computer's mouse. /;lki876trfdxz--Hooter, my Pom just typed that. It means something quite profound in his own language.)
OK, since
you're a person, you know what interests and motivates you. You know that before you buy something you always think (though not always consciously), "What's in it for me?"
And that, my
friends, is the secret of marketing. Big surprise. I know it sounds too simple, but that's exactly why people overlook it. So how do you do this on your site? Here's what your *home page* needs to tell
visitors:
1) HERE'S WHAT WE DO. Make it brief--think of a short "TV Guide"
blurb--50 words or less. Do this first so people can see if what
you offer is what they want. I go to sites all the time that have business-plan-like "mission statements." But they don’t just come right out and say what they do, in plain language. You have
do that.
2) HERE'S WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU. Don't fall into vague "marketing-speak" that sounds good but says nothing. *Be clear, specific and
honest.* You can combine both 1 and 2 into a single sentence, like this one:
"You've got a web site--or you're thinking about building one. That's great. Now's the time to build a better web
site--one that makes the web work for you. WWWeb-Works Web Design Studios shows you how."
3) HERE'S WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE US.
If you don't *tell* people why they should choose you instead of someone else--how are they supposed to know? If you can't think of reasons why you’re better, then you're doing something wrong.
4) BE POSITIVE! Fear has always been a great motivator, so in the past marketers did a lot of stuff to make you feel bad about yourself. And while this kind of
negativity may still work in TV advertising, it *doesn't* work on the web because it's too easy to go someplace else to avoid your negativity. So tell people how you're going to help them.
5) GENERATE WORD OF MOUTH. (Viral marketing) There is *no* better form of marketing. If someone you know and trust tells you that something is good, you're far more
likely to believe it than if you read an ad. So make it easy for your customers to tell their friends--and reward them for it. To find out two ways to add this to your site, read the "tips"
section further down.
6) USE TESTIMONIALS. Tell people what your happy customers have said about you. This is powerful because it's an extension of
"word of mouth."
7) BE PERSONABLE. The web is about people. Even if your business
sells to other businesses, businesses are just a bunch of
people. So talk like a person, person to person. Otherwise you come across as "institutional" and who wants to be institutionalized?
Many people are afraid to make their sites anything
but dull. They mistakenly equate "dull" with "businesslike." But the truth is that dull sites just bore people. Don't be afraid to be different. If you're just the same as everyone
else--what's the point?
OK, now you know the secrets. You really can do it. So get more people to your site. Sell whatever it is you have to sell. Then explain to people why world peace really is
in their best interest.
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