Authority Sites On The Rise
By Nelson Tan (c) 2009

As Web 2.0 becomes less of just a buzzword and more of a
reality, the types of sites webmasters need to publish will
increasingly become more important. In other words, mini-sites
are slowly dying and cookie-cutter article sites are on the way
out as well. Web surfers will become more value-focused and web
companies will become larger.

Over the next few years expect larger conglomerates to be buying
up profitable websites in their chosen markets. Expect smaller
sites to either be bought or driven out of business. My
intention is not to scare you, but this outcome is inevitable.

Large businesses have always taken two approaches to their
desired markets. They either buy their competition or they push
them out of business. You want to be prepared when this trend
begins on the Internet.

Being a webmaster and online marketer, you should be preparing
for one of two scenarios. To position yourself for a buyout to a
larger company or to become the larger company that dominates
your chosen market.

Whichever route you choose is entirely up to you, but I would
suggest that it would be in your best interest to begin focusing
on authority sites. You can either start building them or
turning your current sites into them. Whatever your approach may
be, I assure you it will help you sleep better at night.

What Is The Definition Of An Authority Site?

A fairly comprehensible authority site definition was put
forward by Jason Dowdell of Global Promoter. Jason defined it
this way: "Authority sites are sites that have been linked to
and referenced on other web sites covering the same subject
matter and they also will have hundreds if not thousands of
pages covering that subject matter and nearly every facet of
it."

That definition is one man's opinion, albeit a good one, but let
us go directly to the source. Many search engine optimization
and search engine marketing experts believe Google has derived
their primary algorithm from a document titled, "Hilltop: A
Search Engine based on Expert Documents".

The PageRank formula as we know it today was derived from this
paper, and the authors, Bharat and Mihaila, define an authority
site in the text below:

"We believe a page is an authority on the query topic if and
only if some of the best experts on the query topic point to it.
Of course in practice some expert pages may be experts on a
broader or related topic. If so, only a subset of the hyperlinks
on the expert page may be relevant."

"In such cases the links being considered have to be carefully
chosen to ensure that their qualifying text matches the query.
By combining relevant out-links from many experts on the query
topic we can find the pages that are most highly regarded by the
community of pages related to the query topic. This is the basis
of the high relevance that our algorithm delivers."

What we have reprinted above is the foundation of the PageRank
system and the determination for deciding which sites will be
authorities. I highly recommend you read and re-read the full
document until you understand every aspect of it.

What Are the Components of an Authority Site?

Allow me to present you with a diagram
(http://www.contentdesk.com/authoritymap) that dissects your
typical authority site. As you can tell from the diagram, a
considerable number of components and systems must be in place
for the authority site to function profitably and reap the
benefits of the "Authority Site Formula".

The Authority Site Formula = Visitor Optimization (VO) + Content
Optimization (CO) * Creative Marketing (CM)

A simple question must be asked. What do 99.9% of authority
sites provide? In a sentence, an incredible amount of original
content and a superb visitor experience. The search engines want
you to succeed and they want you to make money, but you have to
play by their rules. In the future, focus your efforts on
visitor optimization and content optimization instead of search
engine optimization.

What Is The Anatomy Of An Authority Site?

About.com is the definition and was the original authority site.
Their site has a generic domain name and hundreds of subdomains
on different topics.

Your authority site should take the same approach, but not on
such a general level. If you launch an authority site, it should
be geared towards a well-defined and large market. After you
launch the site and generate some traffic, you should create
subdomains that cover specific areas inside that larger market.

For example, Diabetic-Resources.Com is not an active site; but
if it were, then a typical authority site setup would be
something like:

* http://supplies.diabetic-resources.com
* http://diet.diabetic-resources.com
* http://insurance.diabetic-resources.com
* http://symptoms.diabetic-resources.com
* http://treatment.diabetic-resources.com

Using this approach, you are able to target your general market
while generating more targeted traffic pertaining to related
sub-markets.

As a rule of thumb, the index pages on your domains and
subdomains should be more focused on content, but the article
and commentary pages should be more focused on advertising. Just
do not ever lose sight of the most important aspect of your
site, which is visitor experience otherwise known as visitor
optimization.

What Does It Take To Create An Authority Site?

You want to create a site that generates thousands of visitors a
day mainly through the major search engines, and would
ultimately be the one-stop source for information in that
particular market.

Your site must employ 3 traits to become an authority site.
Let's discuss all 3 necessary aspects:

Dynamic: You should have as many RSS feeds as you can muster to
incorporate throughout your site. Your visitors need to be able
to receive RSS feeds for any keyword, category or archive as
well as create their own. One feed is no longer enough to
satisfy your visitors.

Interactive: You should be engaging the minds of your visitors
at all times using surveys, commenting and feedback. Make these
features easy for your visitors and your site will grow
exponentially. Why? Because they feel like you actually care
about them. Interaction is a powerful tool and creates a sense
of community on your site.

Consistent: You should post to your blog often, and you should
always provide quality and original content. That doesn't mean
you need to produce 800-word articles 3 times a week. Your goal
should be to become a news master. You need to be an "authority"
on the news happening in your niche.

If you follow the steps and guidelines listed above, then you
will be on your way to being the owner of an authority site.
================================================================
Nelson Tan is the webmaster behind Internet Mastery Center.
Download $347 worth of FREE Internet Marketing gifts at
http://www.internetmasterycenter.com
================================================================

When Should You Fire Your Website Designer
By Ajay Prasad (c) 2009

Your online business is not a wild crazy idea, but a source of
your income. Trust the right people to design your website. Your
17 year old nephew may be able to create your website or you can
get a free one from several services...they might even be kind
of pretty. In my research and experience, less than 2% of
businesses that have websites have planted the seeds to online
success. Many of them are your competitors.

The problem is web designers' focus on the technical aspects of
the site. They don't have a clue how to build a website that
makes you a ton of money, drives floods of traffic, and gets you
top placement on search engines.

Why Do You Have a Website?

The reason you have a website for your business, no matter what
business you are in, is you want to rake in bundles of cash.
Maybe not now, but definitely later, it should be bringing
returns on your investment.

Your Website is Like Your Business

Make sure that your web designer owns a successful online
business and knows how to run it.

Your sole purpose in having a website should be to use it as a
marketing and communications tool. It is not there to be pretty.
It should not be there to win awards. It is there to make you
money. Even if you have a better product or service than your
competitor, the one who attracts more prospects and customers -
wins! Being the best at marketing is all that matters.

Online Marketing Is Completely Different Than Marketing Offline

All of the tools, techniques, communication, etc. in the online
world are different than those offline. A very common mistake is
to think because it works offline you can just put it on your
website! It's important to realize the reader of offline copy
thinks and processes information in a different way than someone
reading online copy. What works offline may be a complete flop
online.

They are two different worlds. For example, online marketing
REQUIRES you to know how to get your site ranked high, very
high, in the search engines like Google and Yahoo....so you
routinely appear on the first page for the optimal search terms
for your business.

Of course, this assumes you know how to find the optimal words
for your business, your marketplace, your niche, etc. Just so
you know, the "include all words" strategy has proven to be a
total failure.

And, most designers and businesses do not know that SEO (search
engine optimization) is not SEM (search engine marketing). If
you do one and not the other, you will probably be very
disappointed with your results.

Studies have shown that you need to be on the first page of
search engine results to get enough people coming to your site.
SEO and SEM are not optional for online success - they are
mandatory!

Increase your ROI: Only Work with People Who Know Website
and Online Marketing

When you are planning your financial future, you hire a
financial planner or an attorney who specializes in that area
of law. When you want plastic surgery you don't go to a
podiatrist, unless you want to end up with your nose looking
like a foot.

Did you know that 99% of web design companies don't know how to
create online sites that actually market your products or
services?

You need people who can help you with how to create "hot"
products or services that your customers really want.

You need people who make it possible for you to have a "money
tree" business. People who can produce money like it grows on
trees. People who have the communication skills to capture the
attention of, and "cash the order" with, your customers. Online
or offline. (That means using multiple marketing channels and
starting with the lowest cost which is online!)

You need people with real world experience as well as online
experience that can combine the two for the benefit of...YOU.
No one has the time to learn everything about their business,
the internet, marketing, copywriting, finances and so on. That
is why...

"The price of ignorance is paid forever!"

Successful entrepreneurs value all the real-world experience
they can get. Where do they get it? By surrounding themselves
with a team of experts, who can provide the knowledge, guidance
and successful experience for a wide variety of businesses.

Always Remember Your Website is your Marketing Machine

It is all about driving people to your website. This is more
than "being found" for the right search terms. This is about
having a comprehensive strategy that links your offline and
online marketing together to create leverage for your business
and to get maximum results.

You need to be sure your online partner can:

- Create a site that entices visitors to convert from
  information seekers to paying customers

- Generate a stream of online and offline leads

- Show you what functions of your business can be automated
  to save you money...and put those savings to good
  use...getting more customers

- Show you the secrets of capturing information and how to
  utilize it for easy access and follow up

- Show you how to make more sales with your existing
  customers

- Help you set up marketing campaigns that get real results
  and build customer loyalty

- Help you use email marketing ethically and effectively

Seriously, if your web designer/dungeon master/graphic Zulu
cannot do ALL of these things and more, FIRE them now. You are
wasting time and money! And time is often worth more than money!

Test, Test, and Test Some More

If you really want online success, or even offline success,
then you must understand the importance of successful marketing
testing. It is Crucial.

Businesses that are wildly successful with their offline and
online strategies are always rabid about testing and knowing how
and what to test.

Track and Measure...Correctly

You want to know everything that is happening on your website,
or not happening. All of that testing will do you no good if you
are not measuring and tracking all of the data associated with
it.

Here are some of the tracking measures you should be talking to
your web designer/builder about. In fact, they should be talking
to you about these things. If you have to bring them up, you are
already in trouble, with a capital T.

- How many visitors are coming to the site
- How many of the visitors aren't visitors (i.e. spiders,
  crawlers, etc. from search engines)
- How many visitors are new vs. old
- How long does each visitor stay on your site
- What does each visitor look at
- What graphics, words, pictures, etc. are generating the
  most responses
- Which search engines are getting you the best prospects
- Where else are your customers coming from
- How many pages does the visitor look at
- What are your website rankings
- How much money have you made from the average visitor
- Who are your biggest money-making customers
- If you use PPC, is it working and paying for itself
- Which links are bringing your visitors and are they
  converting to customers
- And so on

This is not a comprehensive listing, rather, it gives you an
idea of how many things you could or should be tracking when it
comes to your online marketing.

If you are like most people, you are thinking "there is no way
I could remember all of that, much less do it." You would be
right. Remember, that is why we all need a team of experts
around us to do the things we either don't know or don't have
time for.

But, if you use these kinds of tools and tracking you will join
the 1-2% of successful online businesses. You do want to make
money with your website, right?

It is simple; your website should bring in more money than it
costs to maintain it!

Some Final Thoughts

Today, you must be ONLINE with a WEBSITE to be successful.
Research has shown that people are abandoning the yellow pages
and many other 'traditional' forms of advertising. The internet
is the #1 SOURCE for information on virtually every topic or
subject you can imagine... and still growing rapidly.

It is as it has always been - survival of the fittest. Those
businesses which combine their offline and online strategies to
maximize their effectiveness are going to survive and thrive.
The others will die. And in these times there will be more
deaths than usual. You see it, the 'for lease' signs appearing
everywhere, the 'announcement' each week of another big business
failure, the empty spaces in office buildings.

The key to lasting success is to create lasting value. Turn
transactions into relationships. In fact, the last sentence may
be the most important and valuable one you read.
================================================================
Ajay Prasad is founder of Global Marketing Resources LLC, a co.
that runs a number of ecommerce websites under it's umbrella.
Ajay's functional expertise includes website strategy, marketing
management, business development, consumer research, market
analysis and strategic planning. GMRWebTeam is an Orange County
Website Design (http://www.gmrwebteam.com) company that aims to
develop an overall website strategy (http://www.gmrwebteam.com/
website_strategy.shtml) for your site.
================================================================

Website Design, Website,

Powered by ScribeFire.

11 Things Every Successful Website Needs
By Merle (c) 2009 (http://MerlesWorld.com) 

So you've put together a spectacular website, and you're
ready to go live on the Internet for the whole world
to see. Not so fast there Bucky. In case you didn't know,
there are a few essential requirements that every site
needs to include in order to be successful.

Let's review, shall we:

1) Privacy Policy/Disclaimer: Now, I'm not a lawyer and
don't claim to be one, but these two documents should be
standard issue for every site you have. People want to
know how you're going to use their personal information,
and a "privacy policy" does just that.

In today's litigious society you'll also need to include
a disclaimer/terms of use page. This protects you and
spells out to your visitors what they're agreeing to by
using your website. If you don't know where to start in
generating these documents, you'll find plenty of help
online.

DMA Privacy Policy Generator
http://www.dmaresponsibility.org/PPG/

OECD Privacy Statement Generator
http://tinyurl.com/5plgpc

Google Adsense & other Ad Networks Privacy Policy Generator
http://www.serprank.com/privacy-policy-generator/index.php

Privacy Policy Generator
http://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/

Free Site Disclaimer
http://www.easyriver.com/free_disclaimer.htm

This is not legal advice, and if you need help in this
department, consult with a local attorney.

2) Contact Us Information: I can't tell you how many sites I've
been to that fail to include a way to contact the owner. If
you can't include a phone number, at the very least have an
email address or a "contact us" form. By providing this
information, you'll make your visitors feel more comfortable
knowing there's a way to reach you should the need arise.

If you need a form and don't know how to create your own,
try one of these free form services.

Bravenet: http://www.bravenet.com/webtools/emailfwd/

Freedback: http://freedback.com/

Email Me: http://www.emailmeform.com/

3) Search Box/Site Map: If your site is rather large,
you'll also want to include a way to search, or have what
is called a "site map". There are many ways to add a
search function to your site, the easiest being to
use Google's free service at-
http://www.google.com/sitesearch/

or try PicoSearch: http://www.picosearch.com/

A site map sounds technical, but it's just one web
page that contains links to every page of your site,
usually broken down by category. Here are some
resources to help.

FreeFind: http://www.freefind.com/

4) Google Analytics/Tracking System: Once your site is
up and running you'll want to keep your eye on traffic.
Who's visiting your website, what pages are the most
popular, where is the traffic coming from. All of these
questions and more can be answered by using a good
analytics program.

There are several ways to add a thorough tracking system
to your site, but the easiest and one that won't cost
you a dime is Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics/)
Once registered, you can add as many sites as you like all
under one user ID and password. You'll be given some
code to copy and paste on your pages. Simple, easy, and
you're done.

5) Newsletter Sign Up/RSS Feed: There's an old saying
that people won't buy from you the very first time they
come to your website, so you need a way to stay in touch
with them to bring them back again and again. By offering
a newsletter, also known as an ezine, you'll be building
a list of possible prospects which is invaluable to any
site owner.

You'll find a multitude of free and low cost newsletter
services online. It's up to you, depending on your needs
and what you can afford. If you don't want to pay anything,
my favorite free services are:

FreeAutoBot: http://www.FreeAutoBot.com
Yahoo Groups: http://www.yahoo.com/groups

You can also offer an RSS feed for your newsletter, or
updates to your blog or site. This makes it easy for
others to keep up with your most recent posts. The
best service for this is...

FeedBurner: http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/home

6) Consistent Navigation: This might sound like a no
brainer, but many folks get it wrong. No matter what
type of menu system you decide upon, make sure it stays
the same across the board on all pages of your site.

Your job is to guide your visitors through your website,
making sure they always know where they are and how to
get to where they need to go.

For more see:

Eye on Web: http://tinyurl.com/dyh9fm

Web Page Mistakes:
http://www.webpagemistakes.ca/website-navigation/

7) Search Engine Optimized Copy: At first glance you might
not think this is so important, but trust me it is. You
want your pages to rank well with the search engines and
there are a few steps you can take to ensure this happens.

Each page of your website should be optimized for 2,
or at the  most 3 keywords/phrases. Weave the keywords
into your titles and into the body of each page. You
can also include them in your image titles, alt tags,
even in the names you give your pages. Look at each
page individually and decide what it's about, then optimize
accordingly.

For help see:

MarketLeap: http://tinyurl.com/ce8ffd
CopyBlogger: http://www.copyblogger.com/seo-copywriting/

   Social Media Share Button: With the popularity of
social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace,
you'd be foolish not to include an easy way for your
content to be shared with others.

You'll find many free services that will give you the
code you need to instantly add a "share button" to
your web pages so that visitors can instantly share
them with their friends.

To generate your own buttons see:

AddThis: http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php

TwitThis: http://www.TwitThis.com

9) Meta Tags: Some may tell you that meta tags are
dead. Don't listen. Meta tags should be included
in your HTML code at the top of every page. Many
search engines  will read them to pull a description
to include in their search results.

Again, each page should be optimized separately and
have a unique title, keywords, and description tags.

For help see:

Submit Express: http://www.submitexpress.com/metatag.html
Submit Corner: http://www.submitcorner.com/Tools/Meta/

10) Copyright Notice: Sounds simple but forgotten by
many. All pages should include a copyright notice. If
you don't want to have to update it manually every year,
find a simple Javascript that will automatically do
it for you. You'll find one such script at:

Uncle Jims: http://jdstiles.com/java/copyright.html

11) Trust Seals/Testimonials: I grouped these two items
together as they both instil trust and confidence in
your visitors. Remember, when someone comes to your
website, they don't know who you are and if you're
selling something, they may not feel comfortable giving
out their credit card information. To help them feel
more "warm and fuzzy", include trust seals for any
organizations you belong to:

For example:

iCop: http://www.icop.net
BBB: http://www.bbb.org/us/Business-Accreditation/
Honest E Online: http://www.honesteonline.com/index.html

Also, if you have testimonials from happy customers, or
ezine subscribers, weave them into your site copy. People
always love to hear that others have had a happy experience
with your products/services. Make sure you get permission
first from the testimonial writers before placing them
on your website.

So there you have it  - my short list of what every site
needs to succeed online. Now that you're armed with
this information, get out the magnifying glasses and
take a close look at your own website to see what
may be missing.

It's not hard to create a website, but for one that
stands out head and shoulders above the rest, you
need to include these important elements. When you
launch your next site you want it to be successful,
not average. So what are you waiting for? You've
got a lot of work to do, so get busy.
===========================================================
Merle's Mission Blog - "Rants, Raves and Random Acts of
Kindness" a self proclaimed "Internet Junkie" with a
passion for net marketing, affiliate marketing, social
networking. An avid Blogger and writer with several niche
sites to her credit. Find out more at
http://merlesworld.blogspot.com/
===========================================================

5 Reasons Why Most Internet Marketers Fail
By Titus Hoskins (c) 2009

When it comes to starting any endeavor, whether it be
learning a new hobby or starting an online business, we all
have to start at ground zero. We all have to start at the
very beginning from the very same place. Granted, we each
bring different skills and backgrounds into the mix, but
for the most part we are all on equal footing at the
starting line.

If this is the case, then we really have to ponder why is
it only a choice few go on to succeed, while most people
don't. Just what are the reasons why most online marketers
fail? This is the core question that has to be answered if
you want to fully understand Internet marketing and how it
works.

What are these basic reasons?

What are the causes or stumbling blocks that hold many
marketers and webmasters from reaching their full online
potential? If we know these factors, we can learn how to
avoid them and even overcome them in our own online
marketing. These reasons can be a solid reference point or
even a source of inspiration for any online marketer just
starting out.

Speaking from the viewpoint of someone who has started from
the very beginning with little to no knowledge of computers
or even marketing for that matter, I can honestly relate to
the beginning marketer. I even had to learn HTML from
scratch in order to construct my own webpages. Probably my
only advantage, I did have a background in art but
designing webpages was completely different from anything I
had done previously to starting in online marketing.

But from my own experiences I have drawn some general
conclusions about Internet marketing and why some people
succeed while most people fail. So here in my honest
opinion, are some of the main reasons why many online
marketers fail:

1. Overwhelmed With Information

Perhaps, one of the biggest obstacles I faced when I first
started my website - I was bombarded with so much
information on how to proceed I didn't have a clue which
direction to take or who to believe. Thousands of different
info products telling you to do this, not to do that... so
much marketing information to absorb that you end up
scratching your head and looking like someone auditioning
for a zombie movie.

Completely overwhelmed with so much information, many
marketers or webmasters enter a state of paralysis where
nothing gets done. You go from one course to another or
from one method to another, without any real understanding
of how to proceed or how to get a detailed blueprint to
follow.

Information overflow can effectively crush all that novice
enthusiasm and literally kill even the most eager of
entrepreneurs. Anyone starting out must be aware of this
obvious but insidious pitfall you have to avoid at all
costs. One of the best remedies, simply try concentrating
on just one or two marketing plans/marketers for all your
information. Try to eliminate the clutter by just working
on one marketing system. Just have a few key marketing
resources you go to for information, not a hundred! And do
your homework, only pick marketers who can back up their
claims with observable results on the web. One obvious
checkmark - just see if those marketers have top rankings
for their sites for popular profitable keywords associated
with their sites or products.

2. Lack Of Key Marketing Basics

There are some key marketing basics or fundamentals you
must learn about marketing online. Internet marketing has
some key elements you must get right or you will have a
difficult task in succeeding on the web. Just simple
factors you must get right or it's game over before you
even get started.

Most marketers fail to realize the web is "information
driven" and you must supply quality information or content
in order to truly succeed. You must provide a valuable
service or function to your visitors. You must help solve
their problem. You must give them a solid reason to use
your site or product. Quality content is and always will be
King on the web.

You must also understand much of the web is "keyword
driven" and you must construct your webpages to take full
advantage of these keywords. You must have at least a
rudimentary understanding of SEO (Search Engine
Optimization) and how you can use it to get top rankings
for your keyword phrases.

3. Lack Of Time And Resources

Another major reason why many marketers fail is because
they simply can't afford the time to learn and build their
online business. Most people just can't stop everything and
work full time online because they have bills to pay and
families to support. It may take months, probably years,
before you can build up a successful online business that
gives you a comfortable living. The average person just
doesn't have the time or the resources to spend months
learning how all this works.

Keep in mind, getting a business or website going is
probably the most inexpensive way to start your own
business. Domains are cheap. Web hosting is cheap. Web
design is cheap if you can do it yourself... Compared to
starting a business in the "real" world, creating an online
business will only cost a faction of the normal expenses
connected with starting a business. But the main problem is
having the resources to pay your living expenses until your
online business is profitable. Many beginning online
marketers don't have these resources and the main complaint
from these marketers: "I Simply can't afford the time to
work at this online stuff."

One solution is to work at your online marketing in your
spare time and gradually build up your business until you
can afford to do it full time. It will obviously take
longer but you can still get to the same end goal.

4. Lack Of Necessary Skills

Actually, you don't need many skills to succeed online.
However, one of the major skills you must have or you must
learn is communication. You must learn how to communicate.
The web is all about communicating your points to your
visitors or viewers so you must acquire good communication
skills.

It really helps your marketing if you are a good writer
because you can easily get your points across with written
text or copy on your site. Writing skills can be learned
but many beginning marketers don't fully understand how
important their writing skills will be to their success.
You must be able to communicate on your site, in your
newsletters, with your customers... might sound a bit
obvious but you would be surprised at how many marketers
lack this simple, yet necessary skill.

But don't fret, because once upon a time, the written word
was king online - but not any more. Videos are rapidly
taking the place of the printed word so anyone with a
camera can now be a success online. Of course, you still
need good communication skills even using videos, but many
marketers have found this is a much easier way to
communicate information about their site or product.

5. Lack Of Persistence

For me, one the most significant reasons most online
marketers/webmasters fail, is because of a lack of
persistence. They simply give up too soon. They try
something for a few weeks, even for a few months and then
they conclude this is not working and they give up.

Building a solid online business or viable website takes
time, a lot of time. Just because your business is online,
doesn't mean everything will fall into place overnight, it
takes time to establish a customer base. It takes time to
build your business relationships with others in your field.

Sometimes, it may take years before you see some solid
returns. It was three years before I saw any significant
revenue coming from my online ventures, and another year
before I could summon enough courage to do this online
marketing full time. If I had given up and not persisted at
this web stuff, I would not be writing this article right
now.

Building top rankings for your keywords in the search
engines (especially Google) can take months, even years
before you see any results. The real key is to be
persistent and keep at it, day after day, until you get
those top rankings. You simply must be persistent or you
will fail.

In conclusion, having said all that, you must also realize
there are plenty of exceptions to all of the above. There
have been countless success stories on the web where
someone has come up with a novel idea or product and become
successful overnight. The web can offer immediate success
for some, but for most of us, it will take some time and
hard effort on our part to build a successful online
business. Just try to avoid many of the pitfalls or reasons
listed above and you will have a better chance of placing
yourself in the success column.
===========================================================
The author is a full-time online marketer who has numerous
websites. For the latest web marketing tools try:
http://www.bizwaremagic.com .
If you liked the article above, why not try this Free 7 Day
Marketing Course here: http://www.marketingtoolguide.com
2009 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed
if this resource box stays attached.
===========================================================

The Seven Deadly Sins of Website Copy
By Michel Fortin (c) 2009 

Throughout my research, I'm always surprised when I stumble onto
websites that are professionally designed and seem to offer
great products and services, but lack or fail in certain
important elements.

Elements that, with just a few short changes, can help multiply
the results almost instantaneously.

Generally, I have found that there are seven common mistakes. I
call them the "Seven Deadly Sins." Is your website committing
any one of these?

1) They Fail to Connect

Traffic has been long touted to be the key to online success,
but that's not true. If your site is not pulling sales,
inquiries or results, then why would it need more traffic?

The key is to turn curious browsers into serious buyers. Aside
from the quality of the copy, the number one reason why a
website doesn't convert is that the copy is targeting the wrong
audience or fails to connect with them.

First, create a "perfect prospect profile
(http://www.michelfortin.com/how-to-target-your-perfect-customer/)."
List all the attributes, characteristics and qualities of your
most profitable and accessible market.

Don't just stick with things like demographics and
psychographics. Try to get to know them.

Who are they, really? What are their most pressing problems?
What keeps them up at night? How do they talk about their
problems? Where do they hang out?

Then, target your market by centering on a major theme, benefit
or outcome so that, when you generate pre-qualified traffic,
your hit ratio and your sales will increase dramatically.

Finally, ensure that your copy connects with them. Intimately.
It speaks their language, talks about their problems, and tells
stories they can easily appreciate and relate to.

Since this is the most common error that marketers and
copywriters commit, and to help you, follow the following
formulas.

The OATH formula
(http://www.michelfortin.com/can-your-prospects-take-an-oath/)
helps you to understand the stage of awareness your market is
at. (How aware of the problem are they, really?)

The QUEST formula
(http://www.michelfortin.com/want-better-copy-go-on-a-quest/)
guides you in qualifying and empathizing with them. And the
UPWORDS formula (http://www.michelfortin.com/to-up-sales-up-words/)
teaches you how to choose the appropriate language your market
can easily understand, appreciate and respond to.

2) They Lack a Compelling Offer

"Making an offer you can't refuse" seems like an old clich�, but
don't discount its relevance and power. Especially in this day
and age where most offers are so anemic, lifeless, and like
every other offer out there.

Too many business believe that simply offering a product or
service, and mentioning the price, are good enough. But what
they fail to realize is that people need to intimately
understand the full value (the real value and, more importantly,
the perceived value) behind the offer.

Sometimes, all you need is to offer some premiums, incentives
and bonuses to make the offer more palatable and hard to ignore.
(Very often, people buy products and services for the premiums
alone.)

Other times, you need to create what is called a "value
buildup."

(In fact, premiums are not mandatory in all cases, particularly
when the offer itself is solid enough. But building value almost
always is.)

Essentially, you compare the price of your offer not with the
price of some other competing offer or alternative, but with the
ultimate cost of not buying-and enjoying-your product or
service.

This may include the price of an alternative. But "ultimate
cost" goes far beyond price. Dan Kennedy calls this "apples to
oranges" comparisons.

For example, let's say you sell an ebook on how to grow better
tomatoes. That might sound simple, and your initial inclination
might be to compare it to other "tomatoe-growing" ebooks or
viable alternatives.

But also look at the the time it took for you to learn the best
ways to grow tomatoes. Look at the amount of money you invested
in trying all the different fertilizers, seeds and techniques to
finally determine which ones are the best.

Don't forget the time, money and energy (including emotional
energy) people save from not having to learn these by
themselves. Add the cost of doing it wrong and buying solutions
that are either more expensive or inappropriate.

That's what makes an offer valuable. One people can't refuse.

3) They Lack Reasons Why

While some websites are well-designed and provide great content,
and they might even have great copy, they fail because they
don't offer enough reasons for people to buy-or at least read
the copy in the first place.

Visitors are often left clueless. In other words, why should
they buy? Why should they buy that particular product? Why
should they buy that product from that particular site? And more
important, why should they buy now?

What makes your product so unique, different and special? What's
in it for your customers that they can't get anywhere else? Not
answering those questions will deter clients and impede sales.

John E. Kennedy, a Canadian fireman and copywriter at the turn
of the last century, talked a lot about the power of adding
"reasons why." His wisdom still rings true to this day, and we
know this from experience.

Once, my wife had a client whose website offered natural
supplements.

It offered a free bottle (i.e., 30-day supply). But response was
abysmal. Aside from being in a highly competitive industry, the
copy failed to allay the prospect's fears. They thought it might
be a scam or that there's a catch.

So all she did was tell her client to add the following
paragraph:

  "Why are we offering this free bottle? Because we want you
   to try it. We're so confident that you will see visible
   results within 30 days that you will come back and order
   more."

Response more than tripled.

Similarly, add "reasons why" to your copy. To help you, make
sure that it covers all the bases by answering the following "5
why's:"

  * Why me? (Why should they listen to you?)
  * Why you? (Who is perfect for this offer?)
  * Why this? (Why is this product perfect for them?)
  * Why this price? (Why is this offer so valuable?)
  * Why now? (Why must they not wait?)

4) They Lack Scarcity

Speaking of "why now," this is probably the most important
reason of all.

A quote from Jim Rohn says it all, and I force myself to think
about it each time I craft an offer. He said, "Without a sense
of urgency, desire loses its value."

People fear making bad decisions. With spams, scams and snake
oils being rampant on the Internet, people tend to
procrastinate, and they do so even when the copy is good, the
offer is perfect and they're qualified for it.

Most websites I review fail to effectively communicate a sense
of urgency. If people are given the chance to wait or think it
over, they will. Look at it this way: if you don't add a sense
of urgency, you're inviting them to procrastinate.

Use takeaway selling in order to stop people from
procrastinating and get them to take action now. In other words,
shape your offer - and not just your product or service - so
that it is time-sensitive or quantity-bound.

More important, give a reasonable, logical explanation to
justify your urgency or else your sales tactic will be instantly
discredited. Back it up with reasons as to why the need to take
advantage of the offer is pressing.

Plus, a sense of urgency doesn't need to be an actual limit or a
deadline. It can be just a good, plausible and compelling
explanation that emphasizes the importance of acting now - as
well as the consequences of not doing so.

For example, what would they lose out on if they wait? Don't
limit yourself to the offer. Think of all the negative
side-effects of not going ahead right now.

5) They Lack Proof

Speaking of the fear of making bad decisions, today's consumers
are increasingly leery when contemplating offers on the
Internet.

While many websites look professional, have an ethical sales
approach, and offer proven products or services, the lack of any
kind of tangible proof will still cause most visitors to at
least question your offer.

The usual suspects, of course, are testimonials and guarantees.
Guarantees and testimonials help to reduce the skepticism around
the purchase of your product or service, and give it almost
instant credibility.

(I often refuse to critique any copy that doesn't have any
testimonials. It's not just to save myself time and energy. I
would be wasting my client's money if the only recommendation
they got from me was to add testimonials.)

Elements of proof is not just limited to guarantees and
testimonials, either.

They can include the story behind your product, your
credentials, actual case studies, results of tests and trials,
samples and tours, statistics and factoids, photos and
multimedia, "seals of approval," and, of course, reasons why.

Even the words you choose can make a difference. Because, in
addition to a sense of urgency, your copy also needs a sense of
credibility.

Today, people are understandably cynical and suspicious. If your
offer is suspect and your copy, at any point, gives any hint
that it can be fake, misleading, untrue, too good to be true, or
too exaggerated to be true...

... Then like it or not your response rate will take a nose dive.

So, help remove the risk from the buyer's mind and you will thus
increase sales - and, paradoxically, reduce returns as well. Plus,
don't just stick with the truth. You also need to give your copy
the ring of truth.

To help you, follow my FORCEPS formula
(http://www.michelfortin.com/what-surgery-taught-me-about-copywriting/).

6) They Lack a Clear Call to Action

Answer this million-dollar, skill-testing question: "What
exactly do you want your visitors to do?" Simple, isn't it? But
it doesn't seem that way with the many sites I've visited.

The KISS principle (to me, it means "keep it simple and
straightforward") is immensely important on the Internet. An
effective website starts with a clear objective that will lead
to a specific action or outcome.

If your site is not meant to, say, sell a product, gain a
customer or obtain an inquiry for more information, then what
exactly must it do? Work around the answer as specifically as
possible.

Focus on the "power of one." That is:

  * One message
  * One audience
  * One outcome

If your copy tells too many irrelevant stories (irrelevant to
the audience and to the advancement of the sale), you will lose
your prospects' attention and interest.

If it tries to be everything to everyone (and is therefore
either too generic or too complex), you will lose your prospects
completely.

And if you ask your prospects to do too many things (other than
"buy now" or whatever action you want them to take), you will
lose sales.

Use one major theme. Make just one offer. (Sure, you can offer
options, such as ordering options or different packages to
choose from. But nonetheless, it's still just one offer.)

Most important, provide clear instructions on where and how
to order.

Aside from the lack of a clear call to action, asking them to
do too many things can be just as counterproductive. The mind
hates confusion. If you try to get your visitors to do too many
things, they will do nothing.

Stated differently, if you give people too many choices, they
won't make one. So keep your message focused or else you will
overwhelm the reader.

7) They Lack Good Copy

It may seem like this should be the number one mistake.

While it's still one of the top seven mistakes, it's last
because the ones above take precedence. If you're guilty of
making any of the previous six mistakes, in the end your sales
will falter no matter how good your copy is.

Nevertheless, lackluster copy that fails to invoke emotions,
tell compelling stories, create vivid mental imagery, and excite
your prospects about your product or service is indeed one of
the most common reasons websites fail.

Top sales trainer Zig Ziglar once said, "Selling is the
transference of enthusiasm you have for your product into the
minds of your prospects."

Copy is selling in print. Therefore, its job is no different. In
fact, since there's no human interaction that you normally get
in a face-to-face sales encounter, your copy's job, therefore,
has an even greater responsibility.

It must communicate that same enthusiasm that energizes your
prospects, excites them about your offering and empowers them to
buy.

Aside from infusing emotion into your copy, give your prospects
something they can understand, believe in and act upon. Like a
trial lawyer, it must tell a persuasive story, make an airtight
case and remove any reasonable doubt.

Above all, it must serve your prospect.

Many sites fail to answer a person's most important question:
"What's in it for me?" They get so engrossed in describing
companies, products, features or advantages over competitors
that they fail to appeal to the visitor specifically.

Tell the visitor what they are getting out of responding to your
offer. To help you, first write down a series of bullets.
Bullets are captivating, pleasing to the eye, clustered for
greater impact and deliver important benefits.

(They usually follow the words "you get," such as "With this
product, you get.")

But don't just resort to apparent or obvious benefits. Dig
deeper. Think of the end-results your readers get from enjoying
your product or service.

Do what my friend and copywriter Peter Stone
(http://www.peterstonecopy.com/blog/) calls the "so that"
technique. Each time you state a benefit, add "so that" (or
"which means") at the end, and then complete the sentence to
expand further.

Let's say your copy sells Ginko Biloba, a natural supplement
that increases memory function. (I'm not a Ginko expert, so I'm
guessing, here. Also, I'm being repetious for the sake of
illustration.) Here's what you might get:

  Ginko supports healthy brain and memory functions... so that
  you can be clear, sharp and focused... so that you can stay on
  top of everything and not miss a beat... so that you can be a
  lot more productive at work... so that you can advance in your
  career a lot faster... so that you can make more money, enjoy
  more freedom, and have more job security... so that (and so on).

That could have turned another way depending on the answer you
give it, which is why it's good to repeat this exercise. Here's
another example:

  Ginko supports healthy brain and memory functions... so that
  you can decrease the risks of senility, Alzheimer's disease,
  and other degenerative diseases of the brain... so that you
  won't be placed in a nursing home... so that you won't place
  the burden of your care on your loved ones... so that you can
  grow old with peace of mind... so that you can enjoy a higher
  quality of life, especially during those later years... so
  that (and so on).

Remember, these are just examples pulled off the top of my head.
But if you want more help with your own copy, my FAB formula
(http://www.michelfortin.com/the-oft-confused-features-and-benefits/)
is a useful guide.

Bottom line, check your copy to see if you're committing any of
these seven deadly sins. If you are, your prospects won't
forgive you. By not buying, that is.
================================================================
Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter, author, speaker,
and consultant. Visit his blog and signup free to get tested
conversion strategies and response-boosting tips by email, along
with blog updates, news, and more! Go now to
http://www.michelfortin.com. While you're at it, follow him on
Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/michelfortin).
================================================================