| |
| |
|
Ecommerce Information |
|
|
|
Tell Them Whats in The Can!
What does 'the can' mean? Well, its literal meaning relates to canned goods on supermarket shelves. If your can is up there among thousands of others, the label had better state pretty clearly exactly what's in the can. Sliced peaches? Peas? Coffee? Really, it would be unthinkable for a can label designer to feel that any job was more important than simply describing the can's contents. So here's the question...if your Web site were up on a shelf among tens of thousands of others (it is!), do you tell people what's in the can? How quickly can a first-time visitor find out exactly what's in your 'can'? In general, I think most Web sites do a horrible job in this regard. If a Web group were given the job of designing the label for a can of chili, it would probably read something like this: "Family Meal Solution" And if they were sent away to improve on this, they'd come back two weeks later with something like: "Robust Family Meal Solution" It seems as if we go to extraordinary efforts to disguise what can be found in our sites. It's almost like we turn all our cans around, so they are facing away from the aisle. We fill that first screen with the contents, the ingredients and other non-critical information... But we fail to achieve the most important task of all - telling our visitors what it is we do and offer. We don't tell them what's in the can. Here's a quick example. I recently went to a site called plaidonline.com. The name and tagline that jumps out off the screen at you is this: PLAID. Do you have any idea what they offer through their site, based on those words? Neither did I. So here, drawing on my many years of copywriting experience and a sock-drawer filled with awards, is my suggested alternative: PLAID And no, it doesn't take any great copywriting talent to write a simple line like that. In fact, the temptation to 'copywrite' can often get in the way of clarity at a time like this. Remember, visitors come to your site with the hope of being able to achieve a specific goal. They want to do something. They want to get a task completed. Whatever the dominant tagline or copy block on your home page may be, it needs to be written with a view to helping your reader get started towards achieving her task. Don't think of your home page as 'ad space'. Think of it as one can, on a long shelf, in an aisle in a huge supermarket that stocks millions of cans. Don't assume that everyone knows what it is you do. They don't. Don't assume that every visitor will take the time to dig deeper and work out for themselves what you offer. They won't. The responsibility to describe the contents of your site is yours alone - and you need to achieve that within the first two seconds. Job one is to tell people what's in the can. Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocat of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his Excess Voice site. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at his Freelance Writing Success site.
MORE RESOURCES:
Web Hosting Offered to Non-Profits, with Ecommerce Software - WebSite Host Directory (press release)
Ecommerce - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Ten Reasons Why Online Surveys Are The Future of Marketing Customers are tough cookies. They're extremely media aware and increasingly cynical - it's a clever marketeer who can get under their skin. How to Boost Conversion Rates, While Lowering Merchant Account Fees! Using an Address Verification System (AVS) when processing your online credit card transactions can help to reduce the number of fraudulent transactions you receive. However, most online merchants don't know that using AVS can also reduce your number of legitimate orders. Creating Legal Framework for E-commerce Taxation; non-tax statutes We have to make amendments in existing substantive and procedural laws to make it compactable with changing technological advancement of e-commerce?Amending Contract Act, 1872I recommend the amendments in section 3 and 4 of contract Act 1872 so as to make the compactable with section 13, 14 and 15, of the electronic transaction ordinance 2002 related with attribute of communication, acknowledgement of receipt and time and place of the communication between the parties. Either additional section should be added for acceptance device of 'electronic communication', or words be added in matter connected with electronic communication relevant section 13,14 and 15 be evoked while interpretation of section 3 and 4 of contract Act 1872. Keep Your Customers Happy by Organizing Your Payment Options Anyone using a slow, or an awkward payment processor had better wake up!There are some very slick ways to transfer money around the globe, in todays, lightning fast world, both your customers and your suppliers demand payment in the click of a mouse.The processing companies have been fiercely competing with each other for years now, every so often, they revamp and recalibrate. Projecting Your Image Whether you sell a product or merely sell time to your employer in your labor, your main product is you. You sell yourself with every move you make, every word you speak or write, every attitude you display. A Beginners Guide To Setting Up A Successful Online Store A beginner's guide to setting up a successful online store Online selling is by no means a simple task. To sell products online not only requires making use of high end marketing strategies but also involves lots of planning. Get Out of The Way Get out of the way and make it easy for your visitors to find what they want.Recently I completed a report for a site that was the most 'peaceful' and among the most 'useful' I had seen in a long time. Is Your Website Credit Card Friendly? In my last column I discussed the process of credit card enabling your brick-and-mortar business. I pointed out that research has shown that accepting credit cards can help increase revenue and enhance cash flow. Shop: Is Shopping Online Secure? Is shopping online becoming popular and safe enough for you and I to do the vast majority of our shopping on the Internet?As I contemplated, when I initially set up my website: www.shopshopshop. Online Lead Generation: Can it Work for My Business? Business-to-business service providers have a wide range of tactics they can deploy to gain new clients or customers. Direct mail; cold calling; TV, radio or print advertising are all ways in which B2B services gain new customers. Credit Card Merchant Account Basics Knowing which credit card merchant account to get can be very confusing. There are thousands and thousands of banks, merchant account providers and third party sales teams that can offer you all kinds of incentives. 5 Powerful Ways to Make Money Online with a Website There are many ways to make money online and the best way for you is to simply be creative with your skills, knowledge, and abilities. However, the following five options are powerful ways to make money online with a website and definite something you should consider. Turn Your Rusty Junk Into eBay Gold Often times people to stop to realize the income potential of their "junk". And, when they DO decide it might be worth selling, they never give eBay a second thought. Managing Project Risks and Issues Inherent (or Business) RiskInherent Risk is the risk that exists in the environment around your portal project. It will tend to be unique to your organisation; it's culture and politics. Does Your Shopping Cart Have a Squeaky Wheel? Have you ever gone grocery shopping just before a holiday? The aisles are packed with people pushing carts, shelves need restocked, all the checkout lanes have long lines.. Online Florists - Send Flowers Online When Youre In a Hurry You did it again, didn't you? Forgot until the last minute that birthday, anniversary, graduation, promotion, or fill-in-the-blank-here. No fear, online florists are here. Coupons & Rebates Yes, it's true, coupons are not just for newspapers anymore. Not to be a downer, but I personally hate the things. 10 Reasons Why People Wont Buy A Second Product From You 1. You didn't follow up after the first sale. Ecommerce Marketing Plan Concept of ServiceThe current work deals with marketing offer of e-commerce service. It highlights the essential steps of marketing of a brand-new firm offering services of website construction, design, programming, development, and promotion. Using Credit Cards Securely Online Nowadays, shopping online is a very common thing. Making your purchases without leaving your house is an attractive option for many of us.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
