Making your web site look good

The title of this post is misleading. There are lots of sites that look great. My rant is that looking good simply isn't enough. Too many sites are set up for looks and maybe search engine spiders, but forget the human visitor.

Perhaps it's my aging eyes, but 6 point, gray type is not easily readable. Remember, designers, the boomer generation is HUGE and getting older. Do you want to speak to us or PISS US OFF?

Everyone's heard of dressing for success. Well, looks count when it comes to business communication. In fact, looks matter a lot, especially:

1) TEXT
Typeface There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of typefaces. Some are easier to read than others. Make sure your text is easy-to-read. Avoid using more than two or three different faces. Multiple typefaces create a cluttered look.

Size Keep the type large enough, too. 12-14 pt. is usually good, but you may need to offer larger alternatives if your audience is older. You may have to cut back on copy to fit your space.

Color Provide enough contrast between the type and the page background so the text is readable.

2) LINE LENGTH
Newspapers and magazines format their articles in columns 'cause it’s easier for human eyes to track shorter lines of text. Break up your copy into columns that are no more than 3” wide for a cleaner look and better readability.

This is where most common web formats (including this blog) fail -- there may be one narrow column and one wide. Come on, web designers! You're smart. Can't you give us more options with narrower columns?

3) COPY LENGTH
Most visitors won’t have the time or inclination to plow through long text. Keep what you have to say brief. Use bullet points. Offer more information through links. That leaves it up to the visitor to follow what’s of interest.

4) PHOTO/OTHER VISUALS
You know the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? It’s true. Use visuals to emphasize your messages. But be picky. Poor quality, fuzzy focus photos speak volumes about an organization. And what they say isn’t good.

5) CONSISTENT LOOK
Once you’ve worked out a look, standardize it. Set up rules for logo usage, color, tag line, layout, and follow them. Consistency across all platforms builds familiarity.

Ya Gotta Be Seen to Sell

“To know, know, know you is to love, love, love you” go the lyrics of an old song. There’s no such guarantee in business, but there’s one truth you can count on – If prospects don’t know about you, it’s hard to sell anything.

The opportunity to sell anything begins with awareness – being KNOWN. How do you build awareness? Through VISIBILITY.

TRUE STORY:

A company introduced a revolutionary air filtration system, but initial interest was nil. Then we started a full marketing communications program -- feature articles, ads, a product-specific web site and demonstrations at trade shows. All this activity got the word out. The result? More inquiries about the product and more sales.


There are plenty of ways to get visible, like:

• Advertising (print, broadcast, web)
• Publicity (releases, articles, interviews)
• Mailings (surface and e-mail)
• Trade shows, expos and events
• Web site, social media

The best mix for your company’s services or products depends on your audience, message and budget. A marketing communications professional can recommend a program that fits the situation.

Get visible!

Smart marketing secrets revealed!

Don’t you just hate info-mercials or junk mail that screams about supposed secrets to success that can be yours for $9.95, $19.95, $99.95 or whatever? Well, here are some real marketing communications “secrets” for you – and there’s no price tag attached.

Ever wonder how other companies keep their sales momentum going? Smart marketing and communications programs are critical. Here are three key marketing strategies you can put to work for your business.

1) VISIBILITY
Awareness is where the selling process starts. After all, it’s hard for someone to buy from you if they don’t know you exist. Advertising creates visibility on a broad scale, but it may not be right for your company. To find a tactic that fits, start with these questions. Who’s your audience? How can you get your company in front of them? What can your company spend? How will you measure how well you're doing?

2) CONSISTENCY
Brand  management is a major buzz-phrase in marketing and communications. But what does it really mean? If you’re a company like Target or Goodyear, it can mean complex product naming schemes and identity standards For many other businesses it boils down to consistency. Determine your message, look and tone and then stick with it. It’s a way to increase cost efficiency, plus it’s easier to make an impression if you look and sound the same over time.

3) REPETITION
Forget everything you’ve heard about the evils of redundancy. The truth is that human beings learn through repetition. In this highly-saturated environment it can take nine or more repetitions for a message to sink in. Here's another reason for repetition:   only a few products and services, like Christmas décor and snow removal, have predictable buying seasons. Most of the time, we don’t know when someone’s going to buy. Since people often don’t pay attention to messages until they’re relevant, YOUR message needs to be out there over and over and….

Verticlal Marketing: Scratching a Niche

Even if you’re selling something with broad appeal – like toilet paper, corn flakes, or cell phone service -- you’ve probably thought about vertical or niche marketing. How do you go about it, though?

Here’s how to be successful:

1) WHICH NICHE?
Choosing the right market for your service or product is where it starts. There are lots of places to go for insights.
· Current customers, for instance. What groups can you identify?
· Take a look at inquiries/leads, too.
· Talking to sales reps can yield information.
· Trade publication articles and market research reports can point out trends.

You may wind up with several market ideas. Pick one. It’s easier to deal with one new market at a time. Plus, while you’re working in this first niche you can establish a procedure to follow in the future.
Not sure how and where to start? Call in a marketing consultant for advice.

2) TALK THE TALK.
To become a successful vertical marketer you may need to learn a new language – the jargon of the market you’re going after. You’ll gain credibility faster by using recognizable images and words.

TRUE STORY: An adhesives manufacturer had a product they wanted to introduce to the hospital market. Their first ads used generic photos and headlines and didn’t generate much interest.Then we brought in nurses who would actually use the new product. They showed us how to depict and talk about the product realistically. The result was an advertising and direct mail program that pulled in lots of well-qualified inquiries

3) FOLLOW THE RULES.
Once you’ve picked a niche and learned the language, it’s about following the basic rules of marketing communications.

1. Identify a Central Message. Pinpoint the primary benefit your service or product brings to this market.

2. Use a Mix. Make use of all the tools you can -- publicity, web strategies, advertising, direct mail and more. Build your entire program around your Central Message.

3. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. It takes lots of exposures for a message to sink in.

4. Measure and Learn. Look at results. (Inquiries generated are a common measure.) Find what works best.

Your Marketing Communications Identity: Names and logos and tag lines, oh my!

Every business needs an identity -- a way of presenting itself to its audience.  Here are the basic components.

NAME
Leave the discussion of “what’s in a name” to the poets and philosophers. In business a name is selected early on and usually doesn’t change much. So choose wisely IF you get to choose. The best company names are easy to read, say and remember (usually short), are descriptive of what the company does, and evoke the company’s personality.

Examples: Thrivent Financial (financial services), American FarmWorks (agricultural products), Art of Copy (copywriting).

LOGO
This is the graphic signature of a company. It may be just a stylized type treatment of the name, or it may include a symbol.

A logo is used in a lot of places – ads, brochures, signs, trucks, letterhead, web sites, packaging, forms, products and more. Before developing a new logo, think of all the places it will be used. Your design needs to be adaptable for all uses.  A good logo works in black and white, but there may be 2-color and full color versions for different uses.

How often you need to change logo design and colors depends on your market. Companies whose markets are stable don’t need to change often. Companies who serve trend-conscious audiences may need to change  their look frequently.

TAG LINE
This is a brief line of copy that runs with the logo. Not every company has one or needs one. A tag line can blow your horn. Deliver a benefit message. Or explain what the company does. A tag line is a marketing tool that belongs on ads, brochures, web sites, direct mail pieces, trade show displays, etc. Use one tag line consistently for greatest effectiveness.

CONSISTENCY and REPETITION are what make any identity program successful. Pick a name, logo, colors and tag line. Then use them in the same way on everything.

In Marketing Communications, Persistence Pays

One of the most common marketing problems I run into is companies who drop programs before they have a chance to work. An ad or two will run. One mailer is sent. Response fails to overwhelm, so the plug is pulled. And the company goes off saying something like “We tried that, and it didn’t work.

AARGH!!

TRUE STORY: A manufacturer started a new ad series. Response the first month was lackluster. (Okay, it was bad!) The next two months weren’t much better; but things started to pick up in the fourth month.

What was going on? Two things: repetition and timing. REPETITION: The audience needed to be exposed to the message several times before it sunk in. TIMING: It can be hard to predict when someone will be ready to buy, so you need to be out there consistently.

Current wisdom is that it can take up to nine (yes, 9!) repetitions of a message for your audience to “get it.” Of course, you need to be reaching the right audience with a message that means something to them.

It’s a lot to think about, but help is out there. If you don’t have marketing expertise in your company, hire a marketing communications specialist to help you. Even if you have a marketing department, an outside perspective can be invaluable.

Be persistent! Stick with it! Take a long-term perspective! Don’t give up!

Picking the right marketing communications vehicle: Shows, expos, and events

You want to get the most out of every dollar AND every hour. Trade shows and expos can cost a lot – in time, energy and money. Networking events can waste time by pulling your focus in the wrong direction. They may cost real money also,  if you exhibit.

Don’t let this scare you away from these activities, though. There are ways to make sure your investments pay off. Start with these basics:

1) Are they right for you?

A trade show or expo is like a retail environment. If your products need to be seen, touched, demonstrated or otherwise experienced, trade shows and expos can work for you. Be ready to make the most of the opportunity to meet and greet your prospects.

Networking events attract a lot of solo-preneurs. If you want to meet this kind of person, networking events may work for you.

2) Are you going to the right ones?

Each event, expo, or show attracts professionals who may or may not match your target. Before going, determine if it’s your kind of meeting.

• Check with management. They may be able to tell you who’s come in the past.
• If it’s a conference, scan seminars and workshops to see if the topics will attract your kind of people.
• Look at who’s exhibited in previous years (and who’s coming back.) If someone you know has attended, ask them what they think.
• Attend the show or event as a spectator before committing to exhibiting.

3) Do you know what you’re getting from your show/expo/event investment?

Build evaluation of results into your activities so you know what you’re getting. Leads or inquiries are a concrete measure. Lead quality is usually more important than quantity though, so arm yourself with qualifying questions.

Participation in networking events, expos, and trade shows can be spendy. Do whatever it takes up front to get the most out of your investment.