Archive for April, 2009

12 Top Traffic Conversion Secrets

Getting viewers who click and pass on is no more productive than window shoppers at the mall. You make money online when you capture that traffic and convert the “lookers” into “buyers.” Sounds simple, right?

Well, it is if you pay attention to the details. Here are 12 traffic conversion secrets that even a newcomer to Internet marketing can do:

1. Refine your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What makes your product different, special, better or more desirable? That’s the USP. Now get the answer to that question down to one or two concise sentences.

2. Sound friendly, not slick. Your sales copy needs to sound like one friend excited to tell another friend about a great buy. Avoid sounding like a high-pressure infomercial.

3. Ask for help. Give the viewers a reason to interact with you by asking for their opinion on a survey or product rating. You get useful information and keep them thinking about your product longer.

4. Simplify the offering. If you have three different products to sell, use three websites. Don’t make the mistake of trying to offer too much at once. This might work for major retailers, but they already have a brand and a following.

5. Leave some open space. Prepare a sales page that’s easy to read with wide margins. You don’t have to fill every inch. Leaving some white space helps the reader to better focus on the copy.
6. Brag openly. If your product has a good rating or endorsements from satisfy buyers, then let them brag about the product for you.

7. Cast with plenty of bait. In your sales letter and squeeze page, put out the “bait” for your offer over and over. Don’t skimp on bait. Better too many offers than not enough to convert that buyer who is still uncertain.

8. Find problems. Even after your sales page is complete, keep thinking about other problems that your product can solve. You might get a hint of new ways to promote your product by asking buyers how they use the product.

9. Use moderate highlighting. Yes, highlights draw visual attention but too many highlights or excessive colors frustrate online readers.

10. Package deals are popular. After presenting your USP, sweeten the offer with a package including several free items as part of the “Buy Now” deal. Limited time offers create a sense of urgency for the buyer to act.

11. Ask for the order. An old principle of sales that must never be ignored – ask for the order, ask again then ask again. You can’t ask too many times.

12. Say “Thank you.” Have a gracious, personal sounding, “Thank you” email with the order confirmation. It never hurts to show good manners and buyer appreciation!

The Importance of Discreet Advertisements on Twitter

Do you want to use Twitter as an internet marketing tool? If so, it is important to be clever and discrete with your advertisements. Why? Because it leads to the most success.

Hearing that advertisements on Twitter should be clever and discreet is one thing, but understanding the importance is another. To turn Twitter into an effective internet marketing tool, you must first understand the service, why it is used, and who uses it.

Twitter, as you likely already know, is a social networking website. It is user based. For example, an internet user will create a free Twitter account. For your information, this process is very easy. Answer a few questions and you are ready to go. In fact, there is no waiting for a confirmation email!

Next, Twitter members search for contacts on the site. They can do so by importing their email contact list or searching for members by name, location, or email address. These options are found under the “Find Friends,” link on Twitter.com. Members can also use Search.Twitter.com to find and read public Tweets. Often times, contact is made with those with similar interests. Avid internet users ask around their online communities for Twitter information exchanges.

As for why people use Twitter, there are various reasons. For example, you want to use Twitter as an internet marketing tool. With that said, most use the service to connect with friends and family. This is because updates, otherwise known, as Tweets are sent. These messages are under 140 characters and shared various ways, including by Facebook, the Twitter website, mobile web applications, and instant messaging programs.

So, why is it important to use discrete advertisements on Twitter?

As previously stated, many internet users rely on Twitter to stay in contact with friends, family, and coworkers. This means that common messages are shared, such as “Hi,” “How are you doing?” or “I’m going to the party this weekend, are you?” Since most use Twitter for social purposes, you want your advertisements to have a touch of socializing to them.

It is also important to use discreet advertisements on Twitter because you don’t want to create a bad name for yourself or your business. Regardless of how you generate income online, you are running a business. To retain a profit, you must create a positive brand. People who use Twitter do not mind advertisements from time to time, but they tend to frown upon receiving them everyday.

It is also important to use discreet advertisements on Twitter so your Tweets are not considered spam. Spamming is prohibited on this service. If you are found to send bulk unsolicited messages on a regular basis, you may lose your Twitter account. That is if you have any followers left.

So, how can you create discreet advertisements on Twitter?

Start with updates. You send these tweets to your followers. The main purpose of Twitter is to describe what you are doing. So, answer in a way that allows self-promotion. Do you sell a product online? Send a Tweet stating that you just updated your website to include a new product. Quickly state what that product is and provide a link. This approach is better than saying “buy my products here.”

The easiest way to discreetly advertise a website, blog, product, or service on Twitter is with @replies. Visit Search.Twitter.com. Search for Tweets that are focused on a product or service you sell. For example, do you sell office supply furniture? Look for messages where users are searching for it. Send an @reply with a link to your store. Yes, this is still an advertisement, but it is also an applicable response.