| If you listen to a group of website designers and | | | | hiring professionals (Like Capstone: shameless plug) is |
| developers you will notice a sound | | | | that their |
| coming from them that sounds suspiciously like a | | | | material can be sharply focused on your target's |
| Mantra. "Content is king. Content | | | | needs. The disadvantage is they |
| is king."If you believe what they pitch, all you need | | | | cost more.Newsletters are not the only tool. Some |
| to do to succeed is to find a way to make | | | | businesses might find contests appropriate. |
| your website "sticky". The idea is that your visitors | | | | Every month a contest form is e-mailed out to |
| will not be able to resist coming | | | | participants with a link back to the |
| back, over and over, until they buy.It's a great | | | | server for prospects to register their entry. This |
| theory. But a little observation combined with a little | | | | sort of contact tool can grow a |
| knowledge of | | | | database rapidly, depending upon the prizes and the |
| human behaviour puts the lie to their nice little | | | | target audience.Periodic "special reports" can be |
| theory. Look at your own behaviour. | | | | offered. Contact is less frequent than with a |
| How many websites have you bookmarked in your | | | | newsletter, but the need to keep a regular schedule |
| browser? I have over 500.Of these, how many do | | | | is diminished.Another tool may be periodic "industry |
| you remember why you bookmarked them? I know | | | | alert" or "industry news" bulletins. These |
| with my | | | | don't demand the writing skills of newsletter |
| own, I'm lucky if I can remember 50% of them. And | | | | producers, however they do require |
| of the sites I do remember, I | | | | you to be up-to-date with the latest developments |
| only regularly visit 5 or 10 sites. That's 5 or 10 sites | | | | in your industry. (Or your target |
| out of 500. Those other sites | | | | market's industry.) An e-mail alert can be simply |
| were all "sticky" too. What happened to them?Real | | | | formatted and consist of mostly |
| life is what happened. Your target market doesn't | | | | bullet points, interspersed with comments.Or for |
| have the time to revisit all of | | | | certain industries and businesses, people will sign up |
| the sites that interest them. So what happens to | | | | simply to receive notice |
| the "sticky" site you've invested so | | | | of your latest special. I receive e-mail |
| much time making so? It gets forgotten by all those | | | | announcements from about 15 different |
| people who should be your | | | | companies whom I've given permission to send me |
| clients.There's a simple way to remedy the situation. | | | | their sale announcements. (But |
| Capture your visitors' e-mail address | | | | don't abuse your prospects using this privilege. You'd |
| so that you can keep up a regular dialogue with | | | | better send them *real* sales |
| them.Now you have two questions: How do I | | | | announcements, not just sales material.)One of the |
| capture my visitors' addresses, and what do I | | | | beauties of regular e-mail contact is that it all can be |
| send them?The answer to the first is found via the | | | | automated! |
| answer to the second. Offer them something | | | | Through the appropriate use of autoresponders and |
| they'll value, on a continual basis. This newsletter you | | | | listservers, your effort is |
| are reading is an example of | | | | reduced to just creating the e-mail that's to be sent. |
| one of the most common items you can offer. | | | | Maintenance is handled by the |
| People are on the Web searching for | | | | software.You can set these systems up yourself, |
| valuable information. If you offer to deliver it to | | | | although it's often easier and more |
| them on a regular basis, many of | | | | successful to have professionals (shameless plug #2) |
| your visitors will volunteer their contact | | | | do this. There are some |
| information.Newsletters work well for products and | | | | services out there, offering free listservers and |
| services that have depth and dimension to | | | | autoresponders, but you pay for |
| them. I could write on marketing issues for years | | | | them by allowing other peoples' advertisements on |
| and not risk running out of things | | | | your e-mail. For a professional |
| to say. Nor do I put my business at risk by "giving | | | | business, this is not a very good option.Some ISPs |
| away the store."The drawback to producing a | | | | provide listservers and autoresponders as part of |
| newsletter is that you must commit time to writing it | | | | their basic business |
| | | | service. (Our own ISP provides these for free.) Most |
| on a regular basis. This proves to be difficult for | | | | other ISPs charge extra for these |
| many people. Some go to sites that | | | | items, or don't carry them at all and expect you to |
| offer free content for newsletters. Others hire | | | | buy your own.Keeping in regular touch with hundreds, |
| professional writers to write or edit | | | | perhaps thousands, of your prospects is |
| their material for them.The advantage of the | | | | good marketing in my books. If you want to make |
| content sites is that their product is generally either | | | | your web presence more |
| free or | | | | effective, there are few things you can do that will |
| very low cost. The disadvantage is that the content | | | | return so much on such a small |
| may not fit your market's needs.The advantage of | | | | investment. |