Because the Internet is a new medium for doing business, people tend to think that doing business on the Internet requires a whole new set of rules. In part, this is true. Twenty-four hour access, interactivity, the ability to track consumer behaviors that were previously untrackable, the potential for doing business on a global scale-all these things and more do indeed demand a rethinking of some traditional business practices, especially marketing. The key word here, though, is some. For while it is true that search-engine optimization, banner-ad placement and other Internet marketing strategies should be designed and implemented by people with expertise in the field, it is also true that you can accomplish a lot by following the same principles that direct marketers have been following for decades. Take sales letters, for example. There are now books you can buy and experts you can hire to make sure that your online promotional material follows the "rules" for writing on the web. Those "rules," however, are often not much more than the traditional guidelines for effective direct mail dressed up with new jargon and fancy illustrations. Perhaps the most prevalent rule the experts cite when they talk about promotional writing on the web is to keep things short and simple. Given the size of the screen people will be reading on, the logic goes, you can't present them with too much text or you'll lose their interest. This is true, of course, but it's also not new. Look at the average length of most paragraphs in a direct mail marketing letter; they're rarely more than three or four sentences. The only difference is that the number of paragraphs that will fit comfortably on a web page is smaller than the number that will fit on a page of paper. To take another example: Research has shown that people read direct mail in the following order: With the exception of the order card and the PS-both of which may be placed very differently in web marketing given the differences between print and digital media-people will most likely read a web page or online sales letter in the same order. The following tried and true direct mail techniques, therefore, are likely to be just as effective on the web as they are in print: Follow these guidelines and your online marketing letters are that much more likely to be successful. Don't make the mistake, however, of thinking that online letters are all you need. Depending on the industry you're in, the product or service you're selling, and the size of your business, a full-blown Internet marketing campaign, complete with all the bells and whistles I mentioned above, may be just what you need. David Stein is president of Automatic On-Line System, a full service web design, marketing and maintenance company. He can be reached at (718) 361-3091 or by e-mail at internetdoctor@autoonline.net.
2. Any Captions for Photos or Drawings
3. Any Large Text Subheads
4. The PS
5. The Order Card
6. (Finally!), the Actual Text itself
2. Use headlines and sub-headlines.
3. Use bullets, numbers, and dashes (-) to further break up copy, allowing plenty of white space to make reading your offer even easier on the eye.
4. Use arrows (->), boxes, color or shading, graphics, indentations, bold lettering, CAPITAL LETTERS, italics, and punctuation!! Note: use a light touch here, rather than the 'HIT them over and over 'til they beg for mercy!' approach.
5. Emphasize the word FREE wherever it applies.
6. Use fast-loading graphics that actively support your message. Avoid generic clip-art 'success' graphics if you can.
7. Urge 'Immediate Action'. State a time limit to your offer (note: many marketers offer their premiums only if prospective customers buy within a window of 3-14 days).
8. As with any marketing campaign, know your market and make sure you can deliver on what you promise.