In the Box Thinking Works...

Why do most people struggle with developing "Out of the Box Thinking" before they take care of "In the Box Thinking" issues first? There is a misconception that "In the Box Thinkers": 1) accept the status quo, 2) are idea killers, 3) accept mediocre solutions, and 4) are indifferent to innovation. In the extreme case, we can imagine there are some people in the business world that think in this manner; however, it is our experience that Internet marketing people and Chief Marketing Officers [CMO] are just the opposite.

This document is focused on bringing to the reader’s attention the "normal" things a marketing person should think about and do in order to improve their Internet marketing programs. More specifically, doing the marketing research thoroughly prior to embarking upon any phase of the project. Search Engine Optimization [SEO] is an integral part of this successful equation. SEO means the website needs to conform to certain techniques and approaches to optimize the website’s performance. So where do we begin? How about listing the basics first…

We know that visitors to a website are seeking a good experience; therefore, it is our job and opportunity to make sure they have the best one possible. To accomplish this feat, we need to understand why visitors either return to a website time and again or feel comfortable enough to take a step to contact the website owner or purchase a product or service for the first time. That is a "mouthful"; however, it is the primary challenge all Internet marketing personnel face on a daily basis.

Since most of us are interested in what it takes to motivate a website visitor to buy from us or at least contact us… it is worth taking a close look at some results that were described in a Forrester Research article regarding the factors that make website visitors to buy:

-High-quality content: 75%
-Ease of use: 66%
-Quick to download: 58%
-Updated frequently: 54%
-Pricing value: 41%
-Coupons and incentives: 14%
-Favorite brands: 13%
-Cutting-edge technology: 12%
-Purchasing capabilities: 11%
-Customizable content: 10%
-Chat and blogging: 10%
-Other: 6%

Let’s make a couple of lists that are focused on the things that PEOPLE consider and the other focused on technical or computer reasons that have an effect on website performance. Some Internet marketing people consider these areas as "In the Box Issues"…

PEOPLE Related Issues

Navigation: Selection and use of the most often searched keyword phrases. Dropdown boxes using plain English to assist visitor with finding what they are seeking. Offering the logical method is key getting visitors to go further into the website.

Color: We all know that color has both an emotional and psychological impact. Color can have an immediate effect on our mood. It can make is feel good or not so good about a website as soon as we land on a web page. Select a color combination that reflects the best characteristics of your business.

Images: Images [pictures] are similar to color when it comes to their impact on the visitor. Presenting the visitor with images that make the person feel like he or she is "home" is the key to selection of for the Homepage and other page headers within the website.

Ease of Use: Making sure the visitor does not have to work hard to locate what they are seeking. Create website pages containing data, images and offers that are simple and straightforward.

Content: Content is directly related to ease of use issues. Give the visitors what they are looking for so they will either purchase a product or service or take a next step toward contacting the owner of the website. Most visitors do not read all the words on a page. Make the most of bold and color in guiding the visitor.

Price: Price is more often thought of as value to the buyer when making an Internet purchase. Even though price is often one part of any buying decision, it is often NOT the most important one. Being reasonable in pricing and offering a good buying experience will improve revenue generation opportunities.

Call-to-Action: CTA is extremely important. Internet buyers are inundated by many offers while trying to select the website from which to purchase. We must give them reasons to buy and then tell them to do it… NOW!

Financial and Shipping Fees: Again, making it easy to buy the product by offering many purchase options is recommended. Further, pay close attention to how competitors handle shipping fees. Some bundle them with the price of the product while others charge shipping & service fees.

Trustworthy: Providing a visitor with the feeling that the website owner is a trustworthy organization is a very important conversion factor. Implementing services and displaying the logos of companies like VeriSign, Thawte, GeoTrust, and other SSL Security Certificates helps put the put the potential buyer at ease.

Recommendations: Most website visitors like to browse short statements made by previous customers. Making them short and to the point is important. Don’t let the fact that some people think these statements are created by the website owner prevent you from using them when appropriate.

What Makes Us Different: Answering this question is often a very key ingredient in making the website productive.

We consider all of the above points as "IN the Box Thinking"! You don’t have to be extremely creative to come up with methods to answer these issues for the website visitor. The important thing is to discuss them and create programs that directly address them before building a new website or updating an older one.

TECHNICAL Related Issues

As was discussed in the people area above… creating a superior website that performs well requires the organization take many technical issues under consideration. Many of the techniques discussed below do not require a technical person; however, they are implemented via technical means.

Highly Searched Keywords: Selecting the most highly searched keyword phrases is extremely important in creating a productive website. Internet tools are available to assist the Internet Marketing person to accomplish this task. A significant amount of time MUST be invested in keyword research in order to confirm and select the ones that are most likely to drive the highly relevant traffic to the website. The words must reflect how the potential visitor thinks!

Keyword Density & Placement: Keyword density is simply stated as the number of times the keyword phrase is found on and behind the website’s page. Selecting the correct quantity is a combination of marketing and science inputs. Placement of keyword phrases within the website page is another key ingredient in ensuring that the search engines determine the page’s content to be relevant.

Geo-Targeting: This is often a key factor in businesses that are most likely to sell their products and services within an area local to their office or physical stores. Certain techniques can be added to web pages that make them more likely to be returned within the search engine results [SERPS] for a potential visitor searching on the Internet.

Page Copy Design: This is an extension of the keyword placement mentioned above. There are specific techniques used by copywriters and page content designers that improve the web page’s ability to create interest of the visitors as well as appeal to the search engine spiders. People don’t like to take the time to read long paragraphs. We must consider the fact that visitors will only visually scan the page thereby looking at the bullets and headlines first.

Navigation: Navigation techniques from a technical point of view are an extension of the previous discussion in the people area above. Linking pages with other pages within the website via Bread Crumb Links is important. It helps with attaining higher SEO rankings as well as providing the visitor more insight into the logical layout of the website. Good navigation directs the visitor through the website and hopefully gets them to contact you or make a purchase.

Site Map: The Site Map is one of the most sought after pages by the search engine spiders. Landing on this page allows the spider to navigate and index most important pages within the website. Many visitors often look for the Site Map link in the top and bottom navigation in order to save time in locating what they are seeking. Site maps are critical to the success of the website; therefore, they require thoughtful consideration and use of keyword phrases within them.

Website Analytics: Placing an analytics program on the entire website is critical to the overall success of the Internet Marketing program. Knowing how visitors come to land on the website pages and what they do when they land on a specific page is a very important ingredient in the website owner’s decision making process. The website owner must determine what information is necessary for them to create, modify, measure and analyze from the website visitors in order to maximize the website’s potential

Pay-Per-Click: Implementing a PPC campaign for specific keyword phrases is often a very productive way of driving the right traffic to a website. PPC programs can be tailored to accommodate almost any size budget since they are completely controlled by the website owner’s agreement to invest a certain amount on a monthly basis. Geo-targeting the showing of ads and implementing day-parting techniques will minimize the expenditure and maximize the ROI results.

ALL of the above technical points are "IN the Box Thinking"! The website team needs to implement these and other common strategies in creating a website that will be productive. It is very important that the Internet Marketing Team include not only the webmaster, but also another person [or persons] who will be implementing the changes into the website. Maximizing a website’s potential is a big job!

Final Comments

The statement… "Take care of your customers and they will take care of you!" applies here. In the Box Thinking works since it is focused on properly handling the most obvious and basic components of a website. Thinking like a potential first-time visitor to your website before building it will start you on the track to producing the superior results you are seeking. Thinking about the basic components contained within a website development program will deliver good results. Once the above issues are addressed and implemented, the Internet Marketing Team can then begin Thinking Out of the Box! We can help you identify and leverage your In the Box Thinking to crate a more productive website.

Finally, be sure to hire Internet marketing professionals to do the job if you don’t have the capabilities in-house. Too much is at stake to leave this part of your business to chance! We are pleased to provide you the insightful comments contained herein. Please contact us at www.InternetConsultingAndCoaching.com/internet-marketing-services.html or call us at 631-423-0815 for further discussion on how we might be able to assist you and your team or to review the Full list of PDF documents on Internet Marketing and Conversion techniques.