DMA09 – Join us for the SuccessWorks Search Marketing Labs
Heading to DMA09 in San Diego? SuccessWorks will be running the Search Marketing Experience Labs on Tuesday, October 20th. I’ll be evaluating Websites with other experts including Lee Odden from TopRank Online Marketing, Kenny Hyder from Rockstar Consultants and Khalid Saleh from Invesp.
This is a great opportunity to get (free!) advice on your SEO content marketing strategy, conversion effectiveness, technical SEO and social media campaign. Join us!
SEO copywriting on WebmasterRadio.FM’s SEM Synergy
Want to learn more about SEO copywriting? The always-wonderful Virginia Nussey from Bruce Clay, Inc. interviewed Heather on the importance of SEO copywriting and content marketing. In 10 fast-paced minutes, we discussed psychology’s role in SEO copywriting, the one big content takeaway from SMXEast and our new online SEO copywriting training.
Enjoy the podcast about SEO copywriting and on page content now!
Going beyond linkbait – why you need good, original content
Last week, I read an article in Mediaweek that warmed my heart. The title? “Marketer Must-Have: Original Web Editorial.” The article profiled how AT&T hired an outside firm to create value-added content that’s “something of value and more than just an advertising message.” Why? Because they realized, according to the article, “Search and social media are the main modes of information discovery, and both engines live off vast pools of content.”
Yes, yes, yes!
To that I say two things: Hear hear, and what the hell took you so long?
Original content provides companies an incredible opportunity to provide value to their readers, connect with their customers – and yes, get more search rankings for more keywords. Zappos is an excellent example of a site with fantastic content – product pages, blog posts, articles – even Tweets.
At the same time, there are some misconceptions about what “original content” can mean. Here are some things to think about when you’re planning your SEO content marketing campaign:
Know your audience and write for them. One of the first questions I’ll ask a prospect is “what is your customer persona?” About 75% of the time, the response is “what’s a customer persona?” The first step in any content marketing campaign – which includes your SEO copywriting campaign – is to focus on who you’re writing your copy for. Is it a middle-aged woman in the Midwest who loves domestic travel, Dancing With The Stars and Oprah magazine? A single male city dweller who lives in a condo, digs the latest electronics and eats out every meal? These nuances are important. How you write what you write is just as important as what you write. If you miss the customer persona boat and write general copy, you’ll see general (read: so-so) conversion results.
Beware the cognitive trap that controversial “linkbait” equals quality content. I think the term “linkbait” is an unfortunate one, as it implies “baiting” a site to link to yours. Listen, quality content is quality content. Thinking of terms of “what content will drive the most links and stir up the most controversy” is a short-sighted strategy that ignores other forms of useful content. For instance, should you not include a FAQ page about your product because it’s not a good “linkbait” article? It sounds ridiculous to read – but this is something I hear about every day.
I am the first to admit that some of my more controversial posts are my most popular. At the same time, I hear clients wanting to create nothing but snarky content, believing that controversy is what gets viral link love and makes sales. Yes, if you are passionate about a topic, by all means, let it fly. A good example is Amy Africa’s discussion of the Gerry Pike/DMA controversy. But if your blog is filled with rants, slams and sexy headlines with no content, you’ll lose your readership – or cause them to rail against you. If you must rant, rant responsibly – and make sure that your content marketing strategy encompasses all sorts of content.
Good content means a good content marketing strategy. It’s tempting to read the Mediaweek article and think, “By gum, I need to kick out a bunch of articles.” And that’s half right. The other missing element is how those articles (or blog posts, or Tweets) fold back into your content marketing strategy. And on a broader scale, how your writing dovetails with your television ad spots, radio ads, Yellow Page ad and newspaper/magazine display ads (yes, people still do advertise in newspapers!). Your content strategy gives you a roadmap so you know exactly what to write, who you’re writing it for, and how the writing integrates with the rest of your site and your overarching marketing strategy. If you’re kicking out “onesie twosie” articles in an attempt to halfheartedly gain search rankings and build buzz, you’re not leveraging what you can leverage. Good planning = better search rankings, better conversions and a better connection with your customers. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what it’s all about?
http://www.seocopywriting.com/copywriting/special-pre-launch-price-online-seo-copywriting-training/
Special pre-launch price – online SEO copywriting training
Just in time for SMXEast, I’m excited to pre-launch my new SEO copywriting training (officially starting October 12, 2009.) I’ve been talking to a lot of folks who need training – but they need more than a book or a blog to get them through. They need hands-on help combined with up-to-the-minute information. That’s where the training comes in.
If you’ve wanted to learn how to write for search engines – but need some one-on-one help and a low-cost alternative – this is the perfect resource for you. Here’s why:
Here’s what you’ll receive in the online SEO copywriting training:
- 24/7 access to my exclusive SEO copywriting training for one full year, including the second edition of my book, Successful SEO Copywriting (over 130 pages chock-full of SEO copywriting information) podcasts, exercises, PowerPoints, special reports and more!
- Expert answers to your questions through the SEO copywriting forum.
- Exclusive access to twice-monthly educational conference calls with Heather Lloyd-Martin and other members of the SuccessWorks faculty.
This is the only low-cost SEO copywriting course that gives you one on one help AND is constantly updated with the latest information.
All this for less than $1.35 a day. It’s SEO copywriting training on your terms!
The online SEO copywriting training is a “living document” – meaning we’ll be updating it with new podcasts and PowerPoints – so you’ll always be up to date with the latest information, strategies and tactics. I’ll also have other SEO copywriters create special reports (one is in the works right now about managing multiple writers) so you can learn what’s worked for other people just like you.
We’re soft-launching the training at a special discounted price – so sign up now for the best rate! And just let me know if you have any questions!
Learn more about the SEO copywriting training here! And ping me if you’d like an additional 10% super-secret discount, good this week only.
The #1 Deadliest SEO Copywriting Sin
Recently, a couple blog posts have focused on the “deadly sins” of SEO copywriting and content marketing. Michelle Bowles from TopRank Marketing showcases five tips for avoiding deadly SEO copywriting sins. GrokDotCom reminds us that “Nobody wants to read your sh**! These articles are funny, informative and (for some) may hit very close to home.
Yet, I was surprised that no-one pointed out the #1 SEO copywriting sin. And that’s creating keyphrase-stuffed copy.
I’ve ranted about this SEO copywriting sin before. Somehow, people really do believe that SEO copywriting means seeing how many times you can force-feed a keyphrase into site copy. They aren’t worried about creating a customer persona. They aren’t worried about developing persuasive benefit statements. Heck, they aren’t even worrried about their online image (after all, keyphrase-stuffed copy tends to read like it was written by a third grader.) Instead, it’s all keyphrases – all the time. And as a result, conversions suffer.
If you’re guilty of this sin (and a lot of companies are, both big and small,) here’s how you can repent:
- Locate your “most sinful” pages. They may be the articles you paid $15 for that repeat your main keyphrase over and over. It may be your home page that you made more “keyphrase heavy” in an attempt at a higher ranking. Simply start out by figuring out what pages could use a rewrite – and you can develop the editorial plan later.
- Find a new writer (or train your existing one.) Some writers keyphrase-stuff their copy because they honestly don’t know any better. If you’re working with a in-house writer, it may make more sense to sign her up for a SEO copywriting training or conference to refine her skills. If the “sinful” writing was created by an outsourced professional, consider hiring someone else. If you’re paying good money for SEO copywriting services, you deserve to have a quality product.
- Plan your writing/editing schedule. Rewriting Web pages just feels overwhelming, doesn’t it? After all, once you’ve created them, it seems frustrating that you’d have to create them again. The rewriting process goes much more smoothly if you figure on rewriting X pages a month, rather than thinking you have 50 pages to ravamp right now.
- Review your keyphrases again before you start writing. Don’t assume that they keyphrases you currently have on the page are the “right” ones. Depending on the person who did your keyphrase research and how long it’s been since you’ve done it, there could be a plethora of more targeted phrases you could use. Once you’ve chosen your per-page keyphrases, it’s always a good idea to spot-check them in Bing and Google to see the other results that come up. Sometimes, what seems like the “perfect” keyphrase may not be as relevant as you think.
- Consider other SEO content marketing strategies to help reinforce your keyphrase relevancy. Once reason people keyphrase stuff is because they want a high ranking on that phrase – but they do that at the expense of what their copy sounds like. Remember that you can create blog posts, articles, press releases, FAQ pages and other Web page that contain your “money” keyphrases – and seeding the phrase throughout your site will help increase relevancy.
- Always, always write copy for your customers -not the search engines. I guarantee you that neither Bing nor Google cares about the money you make from your Web site (unless it’s being moved to their side of the table.) But you do. You care a lot. If you want your Web pages to both position well and convert, take the time to write your pages right the first time (or hire a SEO copywriter who will.) Develop your competitive analysis. Figure out what’s in it for your customer. Work with your benefit statements. Develop an engaging tone and feel – whatever that means to your audience. The hardest part of SEO copywriting is preparing to write. Believe me, once you have this part down – the rest will flow easily. And you’ll have the perfect combination of well-written, keyphrase-rich content that converts like crazy.
Why puffery will make your sales go “poof”
The other day, someone left a message saying they were from “the world’s leading Internet marketing company.”
“That’s strange,” I thought. I’ve heard from two other companies in the last three days, all claiming to be “the world’s leading Internet marketing company.”
Did I call them back? Nope. If I can’t trust what they say in a voice mail, why would I trust their business practices?
It’s the puffery that threw me off.
“Puffery” means exactly how it sounds – exaggerated statements that, in actuality, no reasonable prospect would believe. If you’ve been to a bar during ladies night, the pick-up lines you’ll hear represent puffery at it’s finest. “I’m the best at…” “People say I’m the greatest.” You can almost picture the Leisure Suit Larry-type throwing out the lines.
The problem with puffery is it sets off people’s B.S. meters. You read things like “We’re the best in the industry” and, “We’re the world’s greatest at…” and you think, “Yeah, right.” You don’t believe it. You can’t believe it. Especially when 1,000 competing Websites brag about the exact same thing.
The sad thing is, if you don’t know any better, puffy SEO copywriting can sound good when you’re writing it. Stumped for something to say, it’s easy to boast rather than provide benefits. “We’re the best.” “All experts agree!” “Work with the leading company in…” What these folks forget is that their readers want real information. They want to know the specific ways your product or service will help them. They want to know how you’ll make their lives easier. Not how cool you are.
When I posted my “World’s leading Internet marketing company” experience on Twitter, I received some interesting responses:
And these Facebook responses, one of which from the always-wonderful @demib (someone who really can claim to be one of the top five SEO experts in the world):
How can you prevent puffery? Comb through your site and delete any comments containing unsubstantiated superlatives like “Everyone uses our services.” At the same time, boost your streed cred the real, effective way – by announcing awards, touting your testimonials and raving about your reviews. It’s one thing for you to say, “I’m the best in the business.” It’s quite another when you have 50 testimonials raving about your service, you’ve won industry awards, you’ve chaired boards and you have scads of press clippings quoting you as the expert source.
After all, it’s one thing to toot your own horn. But it’s so much more effective when someone else does it for you…
Need SEO copywriting advice? Come to SES San Jose!
The sun is beating down (it’s going to hit 107 today in Portland – wow!), the “back to school” sales are starting…
…It must be time for Search Engine Strategies, San Jose.
I’ve been speaking at this conference for 8 years (the first year was in San Francisco) and have loved every minute of it. And now, I’m thrilled (and honored) to say that I’ll be speaking on two SES panels. It’s all the SEO content marketing goodness you want, packed in two, fun-filled sessions. Plus, my fellow panelists (and moderators) are not to be missed!
For those of you new to SEO copywriting and content strategy, the “Keywords and Content” session will be a perfect overview. And for those of you who are more advanced, my “Turn Brain Science into Bucks” will help you understand exactly what consumer psychology and neuromarketing buttons to push.
Here are the SES deets. If you attend one of my sessions (or see me on the conference floor,) give me a shout. I’d love to meet you!
Turn Brain Science into Bucks: Incorporating Persuasive Messaging into Your Content Strategy
Tuesday, August 11, 1:45PM
Twitter. White papers. Optimized web pages. Blog posts. Companies have more opportunities than ever before to create content that captures new buyers, opens up communication, and builds loyal customer relationships — just by understanding how the latest persuasive marketing techniques mesh with the online content marketing cycle. We’ll showcase some current online content campaigns, and explain how one-to-one and one-to-many content strategies help persuade buyers, build trust, and get great search engine listings. Plus, you’ll learn how social proof, neuroscience, and psychology dictates whether your content strategy causes conversions — or misses the mark.
Speakers:
Graeme McLaughlin, Manager Digital Marketing, British Columbia Automobile Association
Heather Lloyd-Martin, CEO, SuccessWorks
Keywords & Content: Search Marketing Foundations
Wednesday, August 12, 9-10:15AM
How many keywords do you need in your paid search account? What keywords are your customers searching for? How do customers find products after they reach your site? Learn how to target the right terms in your paid and organic search marketing, and where these keywords should be used.
- Moderator:
Anne F. Kennedy, SES Advisory Board, Founder Partner and CMO, http://Joblr.com and Managing Partner & Founder, Beyond Ink
Speakers:
Christine Churchill, President, KeyRelevance
Heather Lloyd-Martin, CEO, SuccessWorks
Jill Whalen, CEO, High Rankings
Marc Canabou, Senior Director, Product Management Leader, Yahoo! Search Advertising
Ari Levenfeld, Manager Client Services, Ask Sponsored Listings
SEO copywriting is dead. Long live SEO content marketing
I’ve been reading the latest “Is SEO copywriting dead” debate by Glenn Murray and Brian Clark. Considering that I’ve been talking about SEO copywriting for over 11 years – and I’m considered by some as the pioneer of SEO copywriting – reading the headline “Is SEO copywriting dead” is a little like hearing that your baby is ugly. My first response was not just “No,” but “Hell no.” SEO copywriting is alive and well.
But then I got to thinking. You know what? I’m going to agree with them. Maybe, as it’s currently defined, SEO copywriting should be dead. And here’s why.
SEO copywriting “techniques” – as they are commonly understood today – represent a bastardized version of copywriting that’s not good for customers, not good for users and serves up pure schlock. I am tired of seeing top-Tweeted posts that say you should “include your keyword at least 15 times in your copy,” or “put all the keywords at the top of the page so the search engines can see them.” I am beyond miffed when I hear prospects say, “I want you to write a bunch of pages for the search engines. I don’t want people to actually read them.” The amount of misinformation out there is enormous. Sadly, most people never talk about the second half of the SEO copywriting equation – the half that’s even more important than keywords. And that’s writing compelling, interesting and persuasive content designed to communicate with your customers.
SEO copywriting was never – ever – about keyword density. It was never just about, as Brian Clark calls it ” Inserting targeted key words in certain places (like titles), and in frequencies and densities designed to satisfy a particular search engine algorithm.”
It’s always been about conversion. It’s always been about communicating with your customer. It’s always been around good, quality content. Jill Whalen and I wrote about it in the RankWrite newsletter (which Jill spun into the High Rankings Advisor) back in 1999.
What’s sad is that quite a few people refused to listen. Instead, they focused on shoving keywords by the handfuls into the copy. And as a result, to many people, SEO copywriting became a low-value skill set. Bob Bly talks about how one SEO copywriting ad reaches a new low for the copywriting profession. And you know what? He’s right. Talented, smart, awesome copywriters are asking me how they can compete against “SEO copywriters” charging $10 a page. These are copywriters that get paid over $1,500 a page in print media. But these same folks seem overpriced in the Web market – even though their writing is proven to bring in thousands more dollars than what their clients paid. That’s how undervalued quality SEO copywriting skills are.
What’s sad is that people are accustomed to keyword-stuffed, overoptimized copy as “normal” SEO copywriting. They don’t know that good copywriting is seamless and benefit-driven. That savvy SEO copywriting, in the brilliant words of Lisa Barone, is supposed to entice, entertain, engage and educate. Instead, they take their $10/page copy, upload it, and figure that’s the best they can get. They don’t like it, but they don’t want to change it for fear that they’ll lose their search engine rankings. Unfortunately, people have become victims to their own mediocity. But I’m sorry. If you pay $10/page and expect brilliance, you deserve what you get.
Don’t get me wrong – there are are clients, SEO firms and SEO copywriters who “get it.” I read Lisa Barone’s writing and adore every word. Karon Thackston has done an excellent job writing copy and educating the community. Jill Whalen has always said that good SEO means good content. I applaud not only their willingness to debunk SEO copywriting myths, but also their talents. And there are a host of other SEO copywriters just like them.
But then I read SEO copywriting articles like one I saw today that read – and I am not making this up – “The copy should be written in simple language so that everyone can easily understand and get the focus of the write-up without putting too much brain.”
And at the end of the day, if the main perception of SEO copywriting is that it’s more about the algorithm than the customer, well, I have to wonder if the term “SEO copywriting” is really, truly accurate anymore.
And I’m thinking, no. No, it’s not. SEO copywriting was never supposed to be this. Perhaps it’s time to let this bastardized version of direct response copywriting die…and reinvent it into something else.
So, please, let me put the term “SEO copywriting” out of its misery. You’ve come a long way, baby.
Instead, why don’t we, as marketing professionals, embrace the term “SEO content marketing.” The term “content marketing” implies an ongoing process – not a one-off Web page written for high rankings. “Content marketing” implies that there is a strategy behind the process. And it’s also more encompassing. “Copywriting” often elicited thoughts of “sales-oriented writing” – while “content marketing” could mean blog posts, articles, press releases – even Twitter posts.
It’s about time that people see SEO content marketing for what it is – a proven way to communicate with your customers that just happens to gain top search engine rankings. It’s more than a $10 blog post or an optimized page. It’s a well thought-out SEO and customer communication strategy paired with some kick ass writing.
SEO copywriting is dead. Long live SEO content marketing.
It’s about time.
Ten common dumbass SEO copywriting mistakes
It’s sad to see people set themselves up for SEO copywriting failure.
Every day, I talk to folks who literally hobble their own SEO success. It’s not that they don’t have the resources for a robust SEO copywriting campaign. Heck, sometimes, these folks are swimming in budget (really!), have talented in-house copywriters and a solid site design. Where they get stuck is that they’re making the same dumbass SEO copywriting mistakes over and over…yet expecting different results.
If this sounds like you, please, please, consider this a wake-up call. It is possible to do lots of cool things with your content – capture leads, encourage downloads and even make sales.
But the first step is admitting you have a problem. Once you do, you can pinpoint the dumbass mistake you’re making and see some positive changes. For once.
Here are ten dumbass SEO copywriting mistakes to watch for:
- You’re writing articles for SEO purposes only. OK, I know that articles are “linkbait” and drive traffic. I get that. What I don’t get are folks who churn out crappy, keyphrase-stuffed articles about, say, “digital cameras” and expect that the search engine floodgates will open. Just because your drivel drives traffic (maybe), doesn’t mean it will help you make money.
- You’re creating content without measuring your results. I spoke to someone who submitted scads of articles to free article syndication sites. When I asked if he was gaining traffic from his efforts, he said he “didn’t know.” Yet, he was spending $1,000 a month for an unproven strategy that I can almost guarantee brought in zero cash. Folks, if you’re spending money, you should always, always know if you’re seeing some ROI.
- You’re keeping the writing in-house when you have no idea what you’re doing. Hey, I’m the first person to admit that folks can easily bypass outsourced SEO copywriting services and write compelling copy in-house. But if you throw someone into the SEO copywriting waters without a little guidance, you’re setting them up (and your site) for failure. There are scads of low-cost SEO copywriting training options out there, including books, seminars and online training. For sites with complex needs, a customized SEO copywritiing training can help you set strategy and give your team a step-by-step roadmap. The investment will be worth it.
- You’re paying bottom-dollar for SEO copywriting services. I’ve ranted on this many times before. No, you don’t have to pay someone $1,500 to write a good Web page. And yes, there are many firms that offer good-to-excellent SEO copywriting services for less. But if you’re paying $10 a page, do you really think you’re going to see quality? Really?
- You aren’t tracking your keyphrase usage. The key to a successful SEO copywriting campaign is more than choosing targeted keyphrases. It’s knowing how those keyphrases should appear and overlap throughout your site. If you’re uploading content without making sure that your keyphrase choices mesh with your overall campaign, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
- You’re working with too many providers and no-one is setting strategy. I’ve worked with clients who have three SEO copywriters and one SEO firm – but no main strategy. As a result, everyone did their own thing to make themselves look good, but no-one was looking out for #1 (the client.) So, let me be clear: Without an overarching SEO content strategy, you are going to hemmorage cash and pay for SEO copywriting services that don’t help you. Don’t make this mistake.
- You’re ignoring the direct response aspect of SEO copywriting. Sticking keyphrases into your copy is the easy part. The hard part is making what you have to offer so compelling that people need to buy from you. Blow this step off at your conversion peril.You want people to immediately take action when they visit your site – not immediately back out and visit your competition.
- Your pages are benefit-statement free. Do you tell people why they should buy from you? On every page? I don’t know how many times clients tell me about the cool things their company offers – but the information is nowhere on their site.
- You pushed all your content to the bottom of the page, figuring that “people don’t read.” It’s not that people don’t read online. People read differently online – and you have to account for those differences when you’re writing and structuring your content. Besides, why waste an opportunity to show off your benefits and connect with your customer?
- You ignore the low-hanging SEO copywriting fruit. For goodness sake, it’s not that hard to do some keyphrase research, edit some pages and change some Titles. If you can’t do it, find a firm that offers SEO copywriting services and have them help you. Yes, there will be an investment of time, money or both. But it’s all worth it if it gets more targeted folks through your virtual doors.
Ten stupid things catalog marketers do to mess up their sites
Catalog marketers – wake up! It’s time to “get” SEO – or run the risk of having a poorly-performing site and subpar search visibility.
Last week, I enjoyed the honor of speaking at the Direct Marketing Association’s ACCM conference. And it was an excellent reality check for me. Although I’ve been talking about SEO copywriting for over 10 years, there are many catalog marketers who just don’t “get it.” Maybe it’s because they just started to think about SEO copywriting. Maybe because they tried to do it themselves without having a clear understanding of what they’re doing. Either way, the results range from so-so to dreadful…and these marketers are frustrated.
“Getting it” is incredibly important for catalog marketers right now. Multichannel Merchant reported that online-only catalogs in March 2009 totaled 2,011 – up from 1,868 in March 208. During the same time period, print-only formats decreased from 1,574 to 1,347. This means that the online catalog competition is getting more heated…and catalog merchants need to do everything they can to stay on track.
Does your catalog company “get it?” Here’s 10 of the most stupid things that catalog marketers do to mess up their site.
- Uploading your print catalog content without rewriting it for the online market. Yes, I know that rewriting every product page sound prohibitive from a content management and cost point of view. The reality is, the sites that have unique content are typically the ones that position better for the keyphrases they target (plus, they see higher conversions.) Focus on your top 20% pages and rewrite those first. You’ll definitely see an increase in search rankings and conversions.
- Wanting to put every applicable keyphrase on your home page, figuring it’s “the most important page.” The goal of SEO copywriting isn’t to get folks to land on your home page. Instead, you want prospects to land on a page that more closely matches their search query – and that’s typically an inner page. Besides, shoving every keyphrase you’re targeting on your home page will make the page impossible to read.
- Same Titles across all site pages. One of the fastest ways you can quickly improve your search engine visibility is be creating unique, keyphrase-rich Titles for each page. Unique Titles help the search engines understand what your page is about – and well-written, “clickable” Titles help encourage conversion off the search engine results page.
- Not researching keyphrases. You may think you “know” how your customers are searching. However, keyphrase research allows you to double-check your hunches, plus find other keyphrases you may not have thought of. Ignore this step at your peril.
- Focusing on only 5-10 keyphrases (and the site has over 5,000 products). Most ecommerce sites have hundreds – if not thousands – of applicable keywords (depending on the site’s size.) Although some keywords are higher value than others, don’t focus on a few at the expense of the many. If you do, you’re missing out on the opportunity to reach folks at all phases of the buy cycle.
- Making the “add to cart” button impossible to find. If you want people to buy from you, you have to ask for the sale. Hiding the “add to cart” button (or making it hard to find) will do nothing but force people away from your site.
- Hiring cheap writers who write poorly. I just spoke to an ecommerce site owner who went offshore for his SEO copywriting – and he complained that he wasted over $2,500 on bad writing that didn’t help him. Unfortunately, that’s a common story. SEO copywriting – like any form of direct marketing writing – is a “get what you pay for” proposition. If you can’t hire it out, consider training your marketing staff instead.
- Not updating the site. Every see someone with a mullet and think “That’s SO 80’s” A Website mullet (old, outdated content) is just as off-putting. Make sure that your blog posts, press pages, articles and product pages reflect your most current information.
- Assuming that people will call you for more information. No, putting up “teaser” content to trick people into calling for more information is not a good idea. People rely on your Website to help them make an informed decision. Forcing people to call your company for more information is a good way to lose conversions. Not to mention, sites with little-to-no content typically don’t position well.
- Not leveraging other types of customer communication and content. Can’t change your content template? Start a blog. Want to keep in immediate touch with your customers? Consider a Twitter campaign. Having an ecommerce site is just the first, foundational step. There are many more ways that you transform surfers into spenders and expand your online branding. The key is setting a strategy, controlling what you can control and making it happen.
