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A Free eZine for Business Owners & Professionals by MediaPower & Mediastreams.ca February 2010 issue An Inconvenient Truth - from people who care... Your Baby (Your Website) is UGLY! Not only is this is costing you a lot of money but the situation was completely avoidable - and worse yet, you have been the cause & willing accomplice in your own downfall. How did this happen? Read On... We hate spam as much as you do. If you have received this newsletter by mistake, please click here to be removed from our free information mailing list. |
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Goodmail and Liveclicker Deliver New Video-Based Email Marketing Service This will enable marketers to deliver video across email and mobile clients. Test results of in-email video consistently show increases in click-through rates and revenue per email when compared to static images linked to a landing page with a full video player. Goodmail Systems (the creator of CertifiedEmail) provides an essential trust service for email marketers that enables video usage within email without fear of spam blocks or deliverability headaches. This truly represents the next step for in-email video marketing. |
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Visit our YouTube Channel to watch our Streaming Video Collection |
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Feature Article An Inconvenient Truth... Your Website is UGLY!!! |
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Let me tell you an inconvenient truth — your baby is ugly! Now before you get your knickers in a twist, remember this is just a figure of speech! What it means is that your landing page most likely has severe and fundamental problems that are contributing to lower than optimal conversion rates. This is costing you a lot of money. To make matters worse, this predicament was completely avoidable. Worse yet, you have been a willing participant in your own undoing. How did this happen? You were led down this path by your own uneducated ideas on "design", your internal, untrained "creative" team or an outside interactive agency or "designer". Because of the limitations of their unique perspective which focuses on aesthetics instead of functional design, you are often persuaded to sacrifice conversions in the name of the “cool factor". So, you actually come to think that your baby is quite beautiful and grow very fond of it, while the rest of the world (the part that counts - your prospects) are actually quite repulsed - and you wonder why they're not buying! Let’s take a look at how this situation began - let's begin with the end in mind. The “end” should be fairly obvious — to have the most efficient landing page possible that converts viewers into customers. To achieve this you need to be disciplined enough to set aside your own corporate and personal preferences in favor of considering everything from the perspective of your audience. They are the ONLY ones that matter, because without them you would not have a business. The key to effective landing page design is clarity. The purpose of your landing page must be crystal clear. The visitor should be led to focus on following a simple path leading to the desired action without being distracted by any jangling effects and glitz on your landing page. A case in point - a simple, video message will work far better than a "cool" video with lots of effects and fancy transitions. Let's Look at Some of the Worst Practices Unfortunately, many landing pages are at the opposite end of the spectrum from this desired state. They are an audio-visual assault on the senses, distracting the visitor away from the message to paying more attention to the many audio- visual elements on the page. Graphic designers are typically trained to maximize visual aesthetics but rarely pay attention to designing for functionality for maximizing conversion. The big-name designers often have bloated egos and pride themselves on their non-conformist image, with their self-professed ability to think "outside the box.” These individuals, though highly creative and imaginative decry standard production-oriented graphic design work and like to keep themselves entertained by creating new and interesting ideas on every project. Their goal seems to be more focused towards impressing their contemporaries than in making money for their client. Unfortunately, this results in chaotic landing pages that have little or no functional benefits. Here is a short list of the more common visual transgressions found on landing pages:
Wild background colors — Many landing
pages use dark and dramatic color themes. Often, large sections of
the page or entire backgrounds are black or fully-saturated bright
colors. These color choices often create a dark and brooding
atmosphere, or imply something so exotic that it would only appeal
to teenage male adrenaline junkies who play too many video games.
Visual embellishments and flourishes - Even simple page elements such as box edges are emphasized with drop shadows, glow, or other effects. Simple round disks in bullet lists are replaced by colorful graphical checkmarks or other icons. A neutral background space to the sides of the landing page is often filled in with intricate patterns or photographic images. Loud, unnecessary and mind-jangling audio - music for the sake of music or sound-effects are not only distracting but are often downright annoying, leading the visitor to click away from your site. Animation - all other design sins on the landing page pale in comparison to the aggressive use of motion, animation, and multimedia. Images and text pulsate or revolve, image slideshows use wild fly-in transition effects, intricate animation sequences draw the eye, and full-motion video auto-plays on the page. These attention-grabbing tactics are very powerful. Unfortunately, they are rarely tied to the desired conversion goal on the landing page and only serve to squander a few precious seconds of limited visitor attention. Never deploy animation media on your page without first testing to determine its impact on conversion. The lessons are clear: When it comes to landing pages, graphic artists need to follow a minimalist visual aesthetic that focuses on conversion and not window dressing. The new landing page may not be exciting visually, but that is not the objective. On a toned-down page the call-to-action emerges from the relative simplicity of the page. A simple & uncomplicated video message works far more effectively than any glitzy video with a whole lot of 'effects'. “Simple” works - and it makes more money! Conversion is the result of a series of small decisions and tiny steps that all fit together to help viewers along to reach your stated objective. By reducing the failure factors and increase success factors you will tip the scales in your favor and... "Convert Visitors Into Customers" Visit our website dedicated to this topic: www.ugliestwebsite.ca |
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How Web Video Makes the Sale |
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If there is one thing every web-savvy business owner can agree on, it's that websites need to motivate people to act. That action can be to place an order, send an email, pick-up the phone, or maybe just join a mailing list, but whatever the desired response, your website must cause a positive reaction. It's simple cause and effect. The issue is one of Effective Communication... What you say and how you say it are what motivates people to connect with your company and your product. Websites, blogs, social networking, and mobile sites are merely communication tools. All the Facebook friends, Linkedin contacts, and search engine traffic in the world doesn't mean a thing if you have nothing interesting, memorable, or persuasive to say to them. We have always maintained that Web Video is the most powerful communication tool available to businesses today, but if improperly implemented, it won't help - the same applies to copywriting, graphic designs, images, and blog posts. What you say and how you say it are the critical elements of whether or not the audience will respond to your online presentation. This Needs To Be Said Marketing consultants have for years suggested the use of Mission Statements as one way to get companies to focus their thinking and communication efforts into something meaningful. Let's be clear about one thing - the mission statement is more important and significant to you, the business, and not that interesting to the customer. Mission and Vision statements were intended to be a kind of 'Rosetta Stone' for corporate communication, but instead, they have become a graveyard for innocuous platitudes and inane statements of self-congratulation. It's too bad because the idea of a core guiding statement that defines purpose and personality is central to developing a framework for marketing communication content and delivery - but this tool is meant to guide YOU and not your customer! If websites are about motivating action, how should they be used to communicate that objective to the audience? Not the Mission Statements please!!! The answer is not price or features - but rather benefits - a presentation of emotional value is the most persuasive motivating factor you can provide and it's something your competitors can't rip-off, undercut, or compete with.
Your Emotional Value Proposition (EVP) just like your USP, is Your Brand Branding is merely the implementation and communication of your company's emotional value statement: the core guiding principle used to create all marketing communication efforts, including website video presentations. In Lee Eisenberg's book, 'Shoptimism' he outlines four reasons people buy things:
Each of these is based on an emotional value rather than factual or numeric, which is why all the features and price-cutting in the world can never compete with a well thought out emotional appeal. Presenting Value in Your Marketing Communications Most experienced marketers understand the power of creating an emotional trigger which promotes brand identity. However a distinction must be made between the audience's desire for individual fulfillment and a company's objective of meeting its marketing goals. In a Web-based business environment populated with newly minted entrepreneurs who do not distinguish themselves from their businesses, it is easy to understand why this confusion exists. A business is a living breathing entity unto itself and should not be confused with it's owners, managers, and employees. It may be trendy to think you are your brand, but unless you're Tony Robbins, with his personality, performance skills, resources and 'shtick,' it's best to implement a less egocentric strategy. Perception, Reality, and Communication Once you've figured out what your Emotional Value Proposition is, the next thing is to figure out how to present it - i.e. developing effective Web-based video presentations. Marketing communication is best implemented using a storytelling model that uses brevity, engagement and identifying with your audience's needs offering an idealized solution - what one author labeled as Hyperrealism. In art, hyperrealism conveys something deeper and more significant than mere reality, and the same principle holds true for marketing communication. Reality is complex, and often confused, while hyperrealism is simplified and finely focused - a prime objective in any effective marketing strategy. The mantra is simplify, clarify and persuade. and while commercial presentation is stylized, its meant to mislead, but rather to simplify, focus and clarify the message to engage and connect with an audience on an emotional level which they can appreciate and absorb. |
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YouTube Video Marketing - How does it work? Greg Jarobe, co-founder of SEO-PR and author of "YouTube Marketing - An Hour a Day" talks at the SES San Jose 2009 conference about the power of YouTube Marketing. He speaks about why all businesses, including internet marketing professionals & search engine marketers would be remiss to not leverage the power of YouTube. Click the PLAY button to watch the movie
Video courtesy of SPN Videos |
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Sales & Marketing 8 Things that Motivate a Web Audience |
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It's always a good idea to stick to the basics. When businesses stray from the fundamentals, problems arise - but sticking to the basics doesn't mean boring people into a stupor. f your visitors' eyes glaze-over upon entering your site, you've lost them before you've begun. Here are 8 things every web audience demands from you if you're looking for them to respond positively... 1. Communication Keep it simple, brief and informative. While the Internet has a lot in common with TV, there are some basic differences which Website owners need to understand. TV and the Internet are both venues for communication but television, like commercial print media, is primarily an advertising platform. Unlike advertising websites, the average business site depending on third party advertising ends up with a confusing and messy visual presence which dilutes the all-important message. Just because your website contains information, doesn't mean it's communicating in a meaningful way. The method by which you communicate your message is as important as the message itself. While the message is the core of your communication, the medium has become increasingly important to how that message is received by the audience. 2. Content Content may still be King, but in the opinion of the general audience today, 'communication is definitely a Co-Ruler! Without communication your content is useless. The most basic purpose of your website is to make your content (i.e. your advertising message) worth listening to. 3. Seduction No individual will make a financial commitment without reaching some level of comfort with who you are and what you do, and that requires repeated contact: a courtship, or seduction if you prefer. The success of a television commercial is based on habit formation and constant repetition. In the same way, if you can make your website interesting enough through the engaging presentation of your content, your visitors will be seduced into returning often to your site, with each 'touch' gaining confidence and respect in you and your product or service. However, keep in mind that people want free information on the Web without the interruption of ads like on TV; so the challenge for website owners is to turn their marketing message into persuasive programming. 4. Consistency Successful companies rarely change strategies, as opposed to tactics, which are the various methods used to put that strategy into action. Staying on course requires confidence in your well thought out strategy while keeping a close eye on the big picture. Websites that are nothing more than brochures or catalogs of product or blatantly obvious direct marketing sites have little or no significance for the Web-savvy customer. These sites are based on outdated magazine subscription techniques which have no attraction for today's Internet surfer who demands multimedia-based communication. 5. Expectation "Successful marketing is not just about persuading people that what you have is what they need, it's about creating a series of deliverable expectations". Effective presentations not only prompt action but just as importantly they create a set of realistic, deliverable expectations. Ask yourself, why do people mistrust politicians, car salesmen, and telemarketers? 6. Trust You create trust when you meet your customers' expectations are met - and trust me when I say that it is one of the hardest things to achieve on a website that lacks any kind of human connection to your audience. Humanize your presentation - look them in the eye so they can see how you look and speak - and that's where your web video does the job better than any other medium today. When you go to a contact page and there is just a form to fill-in, with no contact name or phone number, it says 'I really can't be bothered talking to you.' Business is about connecting to people and nothing connects like Video! 7. Personality Your corporate personality as well as your individual personality as a business owner (or representative). Personality is naturally person-based, so the question lies in creating a personality with human characteristics for an entity like a business. Corporate personality does not come from just a logo or your website's aesthetic design. More importantly it is a function of the people that run the business - salespeople, receptionists, account managers, business owners - in short personality is derived from interaction with real, live human beings. Clever, well written sales copy can help in creating personality if it is written in a distinctive human tone, but as everyone knows, 75% of all website text content is never read; Viewers scan through headlines, bulleted points and pullouts. But the very same content, tightened up for length and delivered by a real person on video, not only delivers the marketing message in the most memorable and compelling fashion, but it also defines the business personality and humanizes the business. Two important points to remember here... 1. James Cameron notwithstanding, Avatars are NOT people - in fact they can do more harm than good, because viewers get the impression that for some reason, even though you're using "video", you're unwilling to show your face in public. 2. If you do not have a professional and camera-friendly appearance, make sure you hire a professional spokesperson - delivering your message effectively is more important than saving a few bucks or to inflate your ego. 8. Motivation Finally, your website must communicate content that excites and motivates the viewer to do business with you. The ability to motivate people isn't about what you're selling; it's about how you present it. Motivational speakers, whether in the business, entertainment, personal coaching, or sports arenas, can all deliver the same message but what separates the men from the boys is the ones that stimulate the audience to take action.
If you want to motivate your Web-audience to respond, your
presentation has to be delivered by a real live human being: professionally, with charm,
honesty and character. |
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Tip of the Month Online Video Tips We will be posting one tip in every issue which will help to optimizing the use of Streaming Web Video and enhance your Online Marketing efforts. |
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Encode your video files with good 'metadata' like titles, dates, authors, descriptions & relevant keywords - this not only ensures that they are easily found during searches, but also has the effect of directing traffic to your website much more efficiently. |
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Did You Know... |
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PEOPLE REMEMBER... VIDEO RULES! |
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Free Software & Information Resources for Our Subscribers Only |
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Having trouble keeping track of all your usernames & passwords? Now you can keep them all in one convenient place right on your desktop & access them with a single password.
Presenting Password Keeper v.2.7 We have been using this freeware for many years now and we cannot do without it. Originally made for Windows95, it works perfectly on Windows XP and since it does not reside on the web it cannot be hacked by anyone without knowing your own password. You can store unlimited usernames, passwords and comments in as many separate files as you like and keep them safe and readily available whenever you need them. We are making this free version available to all our readers and to anyone who subscribes to our free newsletter. Go here to download your Free Software... |
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Humour... A hilarious and really creative 'protectionist' video found on YouTube, on the perils of not buying 'American'
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Helping People by Helping The Earth Let's all of us take some corporate responsibility to keep our world clean and help the underprivileged at the same time
Click here and donate your old electronics to a worthy cause |
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Contact Us |
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Mediastreams.ca is the Streaming Media division of MediaPower New Media Communications Call 604.926.5805 or Toll Free 877.936.8377 visit us at: www.mediastreams.ca Thank you for your interest in MediaStreams. We appreciate any feedback you can give us. Please do let us know how we can serve you better and if there are any specific areas of interest you would like us to cover, do give us the heads up - we will do our best to accommodate your requests. If you enjoy receiving this eNewsletter compliments of MediaPower, please feel free to forward it on to your friends and colleagues. Or if you have been sent this eNewsletter by a friend and would like to subscribe to it yourself, please click here. You have received this newsletter because you are on our email list of subscribers, an association member or a client. If for any reason you do not wish to receive it in future, you may Click here to unsubscribe |
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