Is Promoting Online That Different Than Promoting Offline?
Is Promoting Online That Different
Than Promoting Offline?
This month is all about promoting and you can’t talk about promoting your business without including the internet. Is promoting online that much different than our traditional advertising? Yes and no. Let me explain — the web offers ways of telling your story, your advertising and promotions in multiple formats. You can easily record a video or audio explaining the promotion. That’s not difficult or expensive today and you don’t have to buy an expensive camera either. Actually almost any digital camera works. I compiled a list of the 7 Rules to Online Promotions. Many of these points will apply to offline advertising as well.
1. Know the Visitor’s Mindset:
The following are questions that customers ask themselves online. They ask similar questions offline, but they are not as pronounced. This is because online we are exposed to new businesses in seconds and make decisions much quicker than offline.
a. Why are they there?
b. What do they want?
c. Does it make sense?
d. Does it look easy?
e. Do you trust them?
2. Above the Fold:
This is just like in a newspaper. When you do any promotion you want to make sure the reader doesn’t have to scroll down the page because if they do, you will probably lose them.
3. The Offer:
Is your offer clear and understandable, short and simple to use? We can’t confuse the customer because if you do, you have lost them. Here is an example: a Coupon for $5.00 without restrictions is understandable, where $5.00 on a $50 purchase and a list all of the restrictions can be confusing. The customer wants it their way and too many restrictions create the wrong image for your store.
4. The Blink Test:
Customers rarely read copy. Customers skim pages. Customers read headlines. Look at your offer as the customer looks at the offer with a “blink of an eye.” There is no time for week headlines and copy.
5. Going Naked:
This means there is no way off of a webpage. There are no links. The only way out is to use the back button on the reader’s computer. This eliminates all distractions. It’s as if you have reached a dead end and you have to make a decision
6. Graphics Matter:
Pictures, Icons, & even Charts work well but offline they are expensive. It is inexpensive online. We always knew that color was important and helps to sell and it is easy and inexpensive to use online.
7. Alignment with Your Brand:
It is critically important that your website represents the same look and image of your store. You can’t represent one thing in the store and another on your website. Yes, if you are just an online merchant, that’s one thing but for the rest of us who are multi channeled retailers, we must make the look and feel be the same.
This is just a small taste of this new world of promotion. Next week we are going to start my look at Social Marketing and what it means to you.
Keep your minds open and start to embrace the change, because it will benefit the smaller and independent. I will start to demystifying Facebook and what it should mean to you. If there are any Successful Facebook users, please email me. I want the success stories to shares. Write to me at Anthony@LearnToBuildCash.com and let’s share your experiences.
