kaos-kreations.com

(This is 3 in a series of 4)

- Content

First it was Elvis, then Michael Jackson and now Content, or so they say. We hear it all the time. Content is King. Maybe too much but it is true none the less.

Now that you have applied the other “C’s”; Clear, Clean, Concise and Consistent it’s time to talk about your Content. It should be relevant, entertaining and engaging. It’s purpose is to put you at the top of the mind of customers. With the way people search now they no longer look at just one or two sites and pull the trigger. They will look at four or five and make a choice and you want to be that choice.

The only thing people care about are what you do and how it will help them or solve their problem. This is the message your main content needs to convey on your Landing page and Home page. You do need the other pages that talk about who you are, what you’ve done, how you do what you do, accolades and awards, testimonials, contact info and so on, but those are secondary pages to reinforce credibility. If you don’t show what is unique and different and how that helps your client and do it in an engaging and entertaining way someone else will. That is whom they will choose.

Have you ever been to a business site and the main content is self-indulgent and is only relevant to the person writing it? All they talk about is what they do and how great they are at what they do. They have pictures up of them enjoying their spoils or even worse lead off with articles written about them or press releases about the company. Not once if ever do they talk about what they can do for their customer. The other stuff can be important but only after you see how they can help you solve your problem or fill your need. The other information then creates credibility but people don’t care about that until they know if you have the answers for which they are searching.

I know, I know it is not television and your right, it is BETTER! The Internet has given us the realities of the dreams that have been created by Science Fiction and the great imaginations of previous generations. It is now the the physical manifestation of Star Trek communicators and hand held computers. It is the thing of the Jetsons with video phones and computer programming to do household chores. I was watching a Harry Potter movie and they showed a scene with a newspaper and the story was accompanied by a video clip embedded in the newspaper. You can monitor your own home with internal cameras or look at a location from a satellite that has zoomed onto a location a la Mission Impossible or James Bond.

This is the Internet of today. This is how we get our information and choose what we see and buy. Newspapers can talk and have video embedded in them. You can set up Chat and Video conferencing right through your site. Graphics can have motion to convey a more complete message to your viewer. The Internet is Robust with Media Rich Tools. Use them! Some are more appropriate than others depending upon your business but one or all of the available media and forms of communication must be used to stay current in today’s business.

The idea of having a website and it meeting only the SEO parameters is like having a listing in the yellow pages of the past and leaving that as the end all and be all of your marketing. Although page ranking is important you must have other elements to convey the message of your content to convert a viewer into a client. It should be engaging and entertaining as well as relevant for you viewer.

Social Media Marketing like FaceBook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ and other forms of media increase that ranking as Google and others use this data in their algorithms. That is where content comes in and the richer and more robust the better. Sites that contain Video are up to 30% more likely to get a sale than those that don’t. 30%!, that is more than most products profit margins! Adding downloads, newsletters, give-a-ways and other incentives to build an opt in email list boosts that to another 20% vs using a random mailing list you pay for that has less than a 1% return. Creating a Mobil Website to send relevant information to people on their Droids and iPhones creates a more personal touch with your customer. The more rich robust content you add the more you will get people to make an association to you and your product or service creating an emotional attachment which in turn creates Brand Loyalty.

When creating your content constantly ask yourself “What is the purpose of this?” The content you are creating to describe your product is different from the content for your Landing Page and that is different from the content to your email ads and that is different from … Help yourself to stay clear by asking “What is the purpose of what I am writing?” and make sure it includes a Call to Action. Ask them to make a purchase, fill out an email or call you. Whatever it is you want make sure to ask.

I have produced numerous commercial ad campaigns for all kinds of clients and the ones that think they can just put up anything and try to get away with doing as little as possible are usually the first ones out of business. They are cheap and out of touch with their customers and it shows. People are too intelligent and sophisticated to buy into cheap and inferior quality anymore and they shouldn’t have to. We have a saying in production, “Good, Fast and Cheap. Pick two.” The businesses that are the most successful already don’t like two of the three. Choose wisely and your customers will thank you with repeat business.

Building a successful business and a good relationship with your customers takes a little time. So take the time and build it right.

All the Best!

- Kevin Donovan

kaos-kreations.com

(This is 2 in a series of 4)

- Consistency

I am going to address Consistency first because I want to break these up into separate posts. There is too much information to try and convey into one post.

Have you ever been to a restaurant for the first time because you hear it has great food? You make a reservation and you and a loved one are looking forward to going there for dinner. You notice that it is a nice place and are seated by a very polite hostess. You look around and it has great ambiance and decor, the menu has some of your favorites. Your waiter introduces himself and takes your drink order. You need to use the restroom so you excuse yourself and off you go. You open the restroom door and you can’t believe what you see. The restroom is a mess. Not like a rest stop on the freeway in the middle of nowhere mess, but for such a highly talked about place it’s a mess. Paper towels all over the floor and the trash can is over flowing. There is water all over the sink area and the floor. No paper towels left in the holders, etc… Not what you would expect from what you have heard about this place.

You head back to your table and the nice restaurant doesn’t have quite the same allure. You notice things that are inconsistent like the beautiful plants are plastic and haven’t been dusted in awhile. Some of the tables and chairs are showing wear and could be replaced to give it a more positive look and feel. You notice water spots on the silverware and now begin to start doubting the consistency of other things, like the cleanliness of the water glasses and so on. Now you start to wonder about how clean the kitchen is where customers never see. Is it clean and is the food prepared properly? If the bathroom and the main dining area are questionable what goes on behind closed doors? This is the same with your business whether it is online or a brick and mortar establishment. People, whether consciously or unconsciously, notice these things on their first visit and rarely come back. I don’t know how many times I have gone to a website that is out of date. It has pages that list the dates of Seminars that have already happened or Special Offers that expired months ago. It’s OK to leave them up just keep it current and up to date by saying new Seminars and Offers coming soon, but make sure you come through on this. I have been to countless Facebook business pages with no content, info or maps on their businesses or links to their website or other pages.

Smart phones and Apps like Foursquare are everywhere and the worst thing you can do for your business is to have a Facebook or other link to your business and there is no info. No map, address, phone number or even a description of what kind of business it is, is a huge missed opportunity. Not only is this a chance to take advantage of a great opportunity, it’s FREE! There are other Apps that offer this same service and you really should take advantage of them but if you don’t take enough time to fill out the basic info, what does it tell you about the rest of your service or business? The more consistent you are in all levels of your marketing the easier it is for you to build a lasting relationship with your customers. Just think of these as Virtual Storefront Windows for people to look into your business.

For years I worked with major companies that included Coca-Cola, McDonalds and hundreds of others and consistency was ingrained in every aspect of their business. When we would shoot commercials the products that went on camera would be “color corrected” by a company so that when it was seen on television it looked perfect. These items are made by specialty companies and cost thousands of dollars for one soda can or cereal box. The exact same colors have to be used in all logos and signage created for sets and backgrounds as well as print designs. In other words if their product is seen in Hong Kong or Kalamazoo, on the Internet or on a print ad it’s always the same. Not all of us are World Wide brands but take it from the leaders. How you do one thing is how you should do all things.

If you have a page up that is “under construction” put up a date when it will be completed or take it down. If you have outdated offers, or seminars and especially pricing, update it. It takes value away from you and gives nothing to your customers. It makes you look inconsistent and wastes the time of your viewers. And if you have a Facebook business page, Google+, MySpace or FourSquare listing or … make sure all the relevant info is there. Once your business is – “Clear, Clean, Concise and Consistent” it will be easier to add the next “C’s” Content and Creativity. Then the fun really begins.

All the Best!

-Kevin

kaos-kreations.com

(This is 1 in a series of 4 posts)

I can’t tell you how many websites I see today that fail to do the simplest thing in the world, to generate more business. These websites are either outdated and built when banner adds and tons of content and links were what everyone thought was a good idea, like a Mullet hair cut from the 80′s.  Or they try and do way too much up front, confusing the potential customer causing them to seek elsewhere to get what he or she wants.
I also see a lot of businesses trying to be all things to all people but the truth is, the more unique and specialized in your business you can be, the greater the opportunity of attracting people and converting sales.
The three words that are key for increased OnLine Marketing success are “Clear, Clean and Concise”. Like a retail store your OnLine business is your store so you need to treat it as such.
Let’s use the example of a restaurant or retail store in your area. One that you maybe going to for the first time. What are the first things you notice when you pull up? Is it clean and inviting or does it look like they do just enough so they can keep the doors open? Are the grounds and parking area clean and well manicured or is there trash everywhere and weeds growing in what should be a beautiful flower bed? Is the sign straight and very contemporary or is it tilted, faded, or are some of the lights burned out? Is the signage clear as to the name of the business and what they do or full of outdated signs, banners and posters or is there so much clutter that you’re not really sure what they are selling or doing? In other words what kind of a restaurant is it or type of retail do they specialize in. You get the idea.
Is it Clear, Clean and Concise as to what they do? Is it a restaurant that specializes in Italian or American cuisine or do they have a menu that is all over the map trying to be all things to all people. The choices include Greek Gyros, Deli style Hot Pastrami sandwiches, Nicoise Salads and Sushi. Is it a market that has a little bit of everything from car fresheners to chrome mud flaps and live fish bait but not really selling anything that you want. You wanted green tea and a healthy snack and your only choice was a Coke and a Slim Jim but since they weren’t clear on the sign that said one of everything, you just left and bought nothing.
Consider this the Landing Page of your business. As hard as it is to bring traffic to your site the last thing you want is to lose someone before they start to look around because you are simply not communicating the 3 C’s. Again “Clear, Clean and Concise.”
The purpose of the Landing Page is to engage and entertain your curious customer so they will enter into your site to buy what you are selling. The difference between an OnLine business and a physical store is if someone drives up to try this restaurant or shop, the first thing they look at is appearance. Even if they aren’t sure if they want to go in, they are there and because they don’t want to drive around to find another place, they may go ahead and go inside to look around.
In the OnLine world it is more like they showed up at a mall and there are a hundred stores inside all selling the same things. If they aren’t clear on what one of the stores is about they just go next door until they see one that is Clear, Clean and Concise. All they have to do is hit the back button on their browser to see the next place on their search page and continue to window shop until they find what they want. This is why it is so important to convey who you are and what you do in a clear and concise way with a very clean Landing Page. You don’t want this page full of banners to other sites that have blinking discounts or a banner of a hot girl for Go Daddy because that is where you are being hosted or just ad after ad distracting them and even worse possibly taking them to another site for any reason.
If you are using a Squeeze Page, asking people to fill out information to get a newsletter or a download before they enter, then that is all that you should be doing. If you are selling a product or offering a service you should say what that is and give enough information as to how it is helpful to this potential client so they will be more than happy to come in and look around. The more Clear and Concise you are about your message and the Cleaner your site is, just like a store you enjoy shopping at or restaurant you like to eat at, the more appealing it will be for your new customers to enter.
Once you have the three C’s you can then begin to make the page more engaging and entertaining by using multi-media, including graphics, videos and give-a-ways, that the dynamics of the Internet are designed to display.
First impressions are key to the success of a business especially on the Internet because of the amount of businesses competing for today’s hard earned dollars. Go back through your Landing Page and Clean it up, Clear out the unnecessary information and make it as Concise as possible for your customers. After you do this to your Landing Page you want to do this to the rest of your site as well. The 4th “C” is Consistency but that is for another post.
All the Best!
-Kevin Donovan
kaos-kreations.com
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