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The Proper
Bait
© 2005 by Bob Osgoodby
Every year about this time, we
make our annual pilgrimage to the
waters of the Atlantic to go striped bass
fishing. Loading the
boat with all the essentials, such as something
cool to quaff
and piles of sandwiches, we grab our rods and
reels and sally
forth. But wait - did we forget something? Sure
did - we need to
have bait. What are they biting on this time of
year?
Fortunately there is a bait shop on the way out,
so we tie up to
the dock and go inside. There we talk with the
owner who tells
us they are biting on several different kinds,
so taking his
advice we buy several. At first we each use a
different kind,
and if they seem to favor one bait over the
other, we all start
using the one that is attracting the fish.
Hmm - sounds familiar doesn't it. We do the same
thing when
trying to lure customers into our online offers.
Like in
fishing, you need the essentials in your
business. Our web site
and email programs can be compared to the
fishing equipment, but
we have to have the proper bait. This is where
your advertising
comes in. Your ads are your bait, and you will
need to use
different ads to attract different customers.
Writing ads is a skill you must master if you wish your
online
business to prosper. There has been a lot written about
writing
effective ads. Sometimes what might be considered a bad ad
by
the pros is one that actually works. Why you might ask?
Different styles appeal to different people, and you have to
realize, that while the web might provide a level playing
field
for entrepreneurs, the likes and dislikes of potential
customers
are vary widely.
While "Glitz", and exaggerated earnings claims might appeal
to
some, to others it is a turn off. Wild claims about earnings
potential might gather some prospects, but will be an
automatic
"click away" for others who prefer a low key approach. You
must
experiment with different ad copy, and keep records of what
is
drawing.
There are many ways to do this, and some suggest that you
have
multiple web sites geared towards ads that are running. In
your
ads, you point your visitors to different sites and by
keeping
statistics, you can see which ads are working.
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But here is the dilemma. Depending on any number of
factors,
visitors could be coming from places other than your ads,
and
the results might be misleading. If, for example, a search
engine picks up one site and not the other, you will
obviously
have more visitors to the site that has been indexed.
Bluntly, hits to your web site don't really count - sales
do.
Your first job however, is to get visitors to your site.
This is
done through a variety of methods, including advertising,
the
use of search engines and email. Once you get them there,
you
must then sell them on your product.
On our web sites, we have an "after sale" questionnaire and
we
simply ask them how they found us. Now these people have
decided
to do business with us, and their answers will most likely
be
truthful. We then log this information, which helps us
determine
what advertising is working.
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Ads that don't appear to be pulling, we modify until we
start
seeing positive results. One of the best places to test your
ads
is in ezine publications that are highly targeted toward
your
potential customers. I don't recommend ads in publications
that
are not targeted to your prospects. Unless you have a very
generalized product, the return you get in these will most
likely be minimal. More importantly, you won't get
sufficient
information to determine if the actual copy is working.
Many people have been advertising in the same ezines for
years.
Remember that there is some "thrashing" that occurs, and
some
people drop off the subscription list for the publication,
but
others are added. This gives you a constant new group of
people
who will read your ad every time it is published.
Experienced online entrepreneurs will even keep the same
copy
year after year if it is pulling. It usually takes 5 to 7
exposures anyway until they receive "brand identification".
When
someone is willing to "bite", if they have the proper ad,
they
will remember them. To land your customers, like in fishing,
you
must have the proper bait.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's
Free Ezine the
"Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their
Business at his Web
Site? Great Business and Computer Tips - Monday.
Wednesday. And
Friday. Instructions on how to place an ad are
in the Newsletter.
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