Posted on November 13th, 2008 in copywriting and marketing with Comments Off
The smallest things make a big difference.
Take the word ‘just’.
Just is great for indicating how simple an action is; just send us your email address and we’ll send you a million pounds or whatever.
But it can be dangerous too.
All WordPress-hosted blogs come with the text Just another WordPress Blog in the header. Ouch.
Why ouch?
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I’m busy setting up a few personal Wordpress blogs for fun. That ‘just’ devalues my ideas instantly and effortlessly.
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WordPress blog software is simple, intuitive and flexible. There’s no ‘just’ about it. It is excellent. So they’re doing themselves a disservice too.
One four letter word. A tiny thing with a dramatic impact.
My advice to WordPress? Drop the ‘just’.
Simply saying ‘Another WordPress blog’ would help, although it’s neutral and dull. But saying something like ‘Another wicked WordPress Blog’ would make their whole offering shine a lot brighter.
WordPress; lovely people and a brilliant product. Let down by uninformed copywriting and lacking a direct marketer’s keen and beady eye!
Posted on November 10th, 2008 in copywriting and marketing with Comments Off
If a website visitor asks you a question, you’ve hooked ‘em.
Obvious, right? Not necessarily.
I found a great picture frame site last week. I was all set to place an order. But first I had to ask a question: can I buy frames without glass? I reckoned their range made the answer worth waiting for. So I emailed customer services.
A day later I was on the ecommerce warpath again, this time on a mission for window insulating tape. One supplier stood out, with the best range at the lowest prices. Before buying I enquired - again by email - which kind of insulating tape was most appropriate for our particular windows.
A week later, no reply from either.
But this is marketing madness!
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How many businesses can afford to ignore a genuine request that will result in a sale?
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How many think it makes commercial sense to put off a prospect who’s on the verge of becoming a customer?
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And how many think it’s OK to alienate a visitor who’s mad keen to buy?
Plenty, it seems.
I’m miffed. I spent time and effort tracking down the best supplier for the job. I asked each of them a perfectly reasonable, very simple one-line question. I used the customer contact interface that they’d provided. And I exercised an appropriate amount of patience… surely a week’s enough time to respond?
In a wobbly economy the strong survive and thrive. But the cowboys and lazy arses fall by the wayside. Does anyone dare bet me a tenner that these two won’t be out of business this time next year?
Posted on October 30th, 2008 in copywriting and marketing with Comments Off
Here’s a tip to help make your website more visible to search engines.
I’ve explained Page Rank in a previous post… just scroll back if you don’t know what a PR is.
New discovery: a cool PR6 site where you can request links. Rumour has it that this site has helped a couple of businesses improve their search rank significantly.
Follow this link to Favelets and grab yourself a link. If you do, you can vote for my site while you’re at it. Otherwise, go direct to www.favelets.co.uk.
If you get a link for your business, email me at info@helpinthecity.com and I’ll vote for your site to return the favour.
Posted on October 28th, 2008 in copywriting and marketing with Comments Off
A lovely piece of direct mail arrived this morning.
That’s not a sentence you hear very often! So much DM is poorly targeted rubbish.
But online shop and gallery exoticindia.com’s mailing is different. What a beauty.
Why’s it so good?
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It has been targeted perfectly. I’m a frequent customer and I’ve opted in
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The last time I ordered I had a wonderful customer experience
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They send offers very rarely. This is my first mailed campaign and I was really chuffed to get it
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It arrived in a beautifully thick, pure white non-window envelope, absolutely top quality
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It is printed in full colour and - remarkably - the logo is delicately embossed
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The paper is such good quality it’s almost edible. At least 150gsm
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The letter is short, straight to the point and personalised
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It is really well written with a strong call to action and clear instructions
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The offer is simple, straightforward and well worth taking advantage of
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The timing is spot on, Christmas being eight weeks away
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At the bottom there’s a neat little summary of what the site offers to whet the appetite
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They reiterate their excellent delivery services: 48 hour despatch, no shipping or handling fees and Fedex 3-5 day delivery. Cool
‘Nuff said. They’ve hooked me. I capitulate happily without a murmur. As soon as I’ve finished copywriting for the day I’m going shopping. Yay!
When direct mail’s good it can be very, very good.
