Marketing Tips

You are currently browsing the archive for the Marketing Tips category.

Is Your Web Site User-Friendly?

June 22, 2010 in Marketing Tips | Comment

Web site usability and Jakob NielsenYour small business may have the flashiest Web site on the planet, but you discover it’s just not generating bottom-line results. You’ve done some killer SEO. You’ve nailed your “unique selling proposition.” So why isn’t your Web site performing?

Maybe your Web site just isn’t user-friendly.

Say what?!

Enter Jakob Nielsen, a Web site usability expert obsessed with human-computer interaction. Nielsen dissects how Web site visitors relate to a site: How do they navigate? What parts of the page do they view? What do they ignore? How do they read? What do they read? What Web design features turn them on? What Web design features turn them off?

And that’s just the start. Nielsen has answered hundreds of questions about the human-Web relationship based on user studies. He’s nailed what users actually do when they visit a Web site. So if you want your Web site to be truly user-friendly, put Jakob Nielsen’s recommendations to work.

Nielsen offers to-die-for trainings, seminars and reports, but his expertise doesn’t come cheap. If those items are beyond your present budget, subscribe to Nielsen’s bi-weekly Alertbox. It’s free. Yes, these Alertboxes are teasers for the big-ticket items, but they’re packed with no-nonsense nuggets that identify what users want—and don’t want—from a Web site.

Soak up the Alertbox archive to get a quick education on why Web site usability really matters. And while Nielsen can get a bit technical here and there, he also delivers pure practicality. It’s amazing stuff.

I can tell you that I started writing Web content from a smarter perspective after studying Nielsen’s Alertboxes. It wasn’t exactly serendipity—but it was close. The Alertboxes should be required reading for every Web site designer and copywriter.

So take an honest look at your Web site from your visitor’s viewpoint. Make it easy for him to do business with you. Keep the human side of the relationship engaged. You’ll get better results with a user-friendly, user-driven site.

And be sure to thank Jakob Nielsen all the way to the bank!

Ramona Goutiere

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

Contact Me

Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved
  • Share/Bookmark

Business Leads: Research your Internet prospects

June 1, 2010 in Marketing Tips | Comment

Research Your Internet Business LeadsWe get business inquiries from a lot of different directions these days.  One of the biggest sources is leads obtained through our Web sites and our online advertising.

But the Internet is rife with spammers and scammers. So how do you evaluate what looks to be a promising business lead?

 

Rule #1 about working with Internet prospects: Do your homework before you respond. Do it to find the ”red flags” and to give yourself some “inside” ammunition if the prospect turns out to be hot.

Master the research power of the Internet, and be relentless. Dig until you’re satisfied you have what you need. Some tips and tactics to get you started:

  • Google everything—name, address, telephone, anything you have. Be creative. Don’t give up if there’s nothing on page 1; what you need to know may be buried on page 8 or 9. Keep looking!
  • Check the online telephone directories to verify the phone number—and who’s attached to it. I like AT&T and SuperPages. If you get one of those “unlisted” 800 numbers, check 800Notes.
  • Check online licensing boards and professional associations. Verify licenses and memberships for engineers, CPAs, attorneys, real estate agents—you get the picture. In some cases you’ll also be able to find out if there’s been any disciplinary action.
  •  Check state business registration/business name sites. This approach can be frustrating because you may have to drill down through state and local government layers to get to the good stuff. Worth a shot if you have the time and your lead is promising.
  • Check some of those “background search” sites. I usually come up with additional tidbits that help me put other info into perspective–without paying for a report. Try My Life or 123pe0ple.

Rule #2 about working with Internet prospects: Most will tell you—including me—to “go with your gut.” If that squeaky, annoying internal voice is telling you something’s out of whack, you’d better listen. Intuition, premonition or any other “-ition” trump Internet research every time. Don’t hesitate to walk away if the situation doesn’t feel right.

Bottom line: The Internet is a great way to get clients—and a great way to size them up. Just remember the 2 rules about evaluating online business leads:

  • Do your Internet homework.
  • Listen to your internal warning system.

Ramona Goutiere

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

Contact Me

Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved 

 

  • Share/Bookmark