Arrow Productions

Author and Theological Doctor Grace Burke published her second book, a children’s novel. She wanted a new website to house and display her current and upcoming book releases along with other products. She partnered with Scribere Creative to create a web presentation that would attract new readers as well as keep her current fans and readers plugged into her projects. SC chose complementary colors and a heavenly style to showcase Dr.  Burke’s newest book release, a novel called The Stranger’s Son and her associates products. A slideshow of book ads and an ad for her blog leads off the site. Also, on the front page SC displayed a graphical list of the projects, events, testimonies and more to entice the website’s visitors to explore. Visit the solution for Dr. Grace A. Burke at http://graceaburke.com

Testimony: First of all, let me say that the website looks beautiful. You really did a great job on it. I like the color, the interactiveness, etc. My husband likes it too. –Dr. Grace A. Burke

Be Free Ministries, Inc., a jail and prision ministry wanted to broaden their horizons with a website and a presence on the Internet. They commissioned Arrow Productions to help them put their best face forward to attract new donors and volunteers to their non-profit organization. They especially wanted a  commerce button and a contact form so that potential partners could donate or contact them. 

Arrow Productions provided them with a fresh clean look with a flash show incorporated to add interest. They chose compelling photos to cycle through and speak the message on the home page. Threading the Be Free organization’s theme message ‘Christ Discipleship Leads to Regeneration’ throughout helped speak the message. Visit the solution provided for Be Free Ministries, Inc. at http://www.befreeministries.org

Now your small business web site can be used as an effective marketing tool. Used in the right way, it can spear-head many successful marketing campaigns for you in the near future. Are you making this mistake with your small business web site? Too many small business owners look at their web site as an online brochure. They use it as little more than a place to store their office hours and service list.

A different way has emerged. Now your small business web site can be used as an effective marketing tool. Used in the right way, it can spear-head many successful marketing campaigns for you in the near future.

To begin, effectively use your web site to attract leads and customers; use it to let prospective clients know who you are. Offer valuable content related to your expertise. Attract them back over and over like bees to honey. Soon you will become Top-Pick over your competition.

Did you know that many of your prospects (even locally) will type your business name or web site name in Google to see what you offer? Often they are looking to see what you offer compared to your competitor. Recently, Calif. based USC Annenberg School said from 2005 research, 78.6 Americans go online. An almost equally large percentage 72.3 say that the search engines provide whatever information they are looking for.

To make your small business Web site more effective, go through this short checklist and tweak it for better results. Or if you are just starting, now is the perfect time to put your Internet marketing plan into place to see new quarter profits.

Stay open to learn what it takes to put the right sales language and content on your site bringing more targeted visitors (visitors looking for what you have to offer.) Know the robots of the various search engines examine web sites daily looking for good key word food, free information, and content.

Correct these small business web site mistakes and make more profit:

Mistake 1 No sales letter(s).

Solution: Novice Internet marketers don’t even know they need a sales letter for their services and products. They missed the foundational marketing message that said, “Only words sell. Flashy even great looking websites don’t convince anyone to call, email you and foremost of all buy. Only words can do that. Write a sales letter for each service or product you offer. Give your web site visitors a reason why they should buy from you.

Mistake 2 No or poorly written headlines to point the way

Solution: Put headlines filled with benefits on your home page to direct people to your sales letter. Develop the skill of writing headlines. Provocative titles will stir interest. Provocative statements capture our attention like a fish on a hook. They throw out the baited hook and reel a captive audience in every time. For example, here’s a shocking statement one sex therapist used ‘Wives Who Don’t Want Sex.’ Even if his web visitors didn’t have this problem, it got the attention of the curious. Rewrite your headlines. Make sure they lead your prospects to your sales page.

Mistake 3 No testimonials or case studies

Add Testimonials. Most everyone wants to know who else has used your service and had a good experience. Testimonials speak up for your product or service. They act as a referral and even an endorsement. The compliments from another customer help melt away your prospect’s fears and doubts about trusting you.

Mistake 4 No compelling reason to keep reading

You may have been awarded for the most beautiful site. Congratulations! But if your web site copy is weak it may not translate to sales. Check your copy for dud phrases. Are you using trite phrases like Welcome to the official site of _____, to find out about ME, MY Company, My Achievements click here, or Sign-up for my FREE ezine. Use wording that will convince your prospects to keep reading, trust you and take action. Insert benefit loaded headlines, bullets and even links.

Mistake 5 Not enough benefits (what in it for me) on home page

Put your resume, bio and credentials on your About Us page or even the Contact page. You customer wants to know the answer to this question first. “what’s in it for me?” Don’t get me wrong; put them in their proper place on your site. But your audience will most want to know the value of your product to them. You must answer questions like, “Will it solve my particular problem?” “What will I gain?” “What will I lose if I don’t use your service?”

If you are serious about making your website a more effective marketing tool, begin by correcting the top five mistakes above. Even one or all of the principles in place will help make your website one that your visitors will contact you from, proudly refer, and come back to over and over again. Write compelling copy and grow your business today.

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©Earma Brown, 15 yr. Web Developer, Author, Service Business Owner. Helps service business owners, and writers with full featured hosting, domain names, websites and a host of other web solutions. Send any email to webwit@arrowproduction.com for free ezine Web Wit and mini-course ‘Jumpstart Your Website to Success’ or visit http://www.arrowproduction.com

How to Attract People to Your Business Web Site and Prosper! Would you like to create a magnetic Web Site home page, one that magnetizes your visitors? Webster’s Dictionary defines magnetic as ‘powerfully attractive.’

What will make your web site’s home page interesting? Good design plays an important part in your site’s overall effectiveness. But it’s not the flash that will interest your audience. It’s not the jingles that will connect with your visitor. It’s the customer benefits – the ‘what’s in it for me’ list that create interest and even desire. Create a home page filled with benefits and it will pull your visitors in. What you say your product/service can do is much more attractive than a beautiful web page with weak copy.

Promote with benefits instead of your bio, your credentials and even the features of your product/service. Put them in their proper place on your site. But your audience will most want to know the value of your product to them.

You must answer questions like, “Will it solve my particular problem?” “What will I gain?” “What will I lose if I don’t use your service?” Some universal benefits answer the how tos: getting more passion, more energy, less fatigue, more money, good relationships, more time, less trouble, less stress, less drama and trauma. Here’s a quick tutorial on magnetizing your home page:

1. Develop a list of 10-20 benefits of each product and service posted on your web site. For example, a client of mine realized her audience didn’t just want to know how to get articles written, they wanted to know why should they write them?

So on the home page selling her article writing ebook, she started with a list of good reasons to write short articles to promote: For the serious marketer this ebook explains step by step how to promote your business, build a gigantic Opt-In List, increase your traffic, get qualified links, increase your page rank, grow your affiliate base, become a recognized expert, and collar more sales.

2. List specific benefits on your web site. List specific benefits. Describe how your customer will feel after buying your product. For example, after you buy my service of teeth whitening, you’ll look and feel 10 years younger without plastic surgery. Then post a picture of what your client looks like before and after the teeth whitening service. Let them see how happier and more confident they look with whiter teeth. Make your page magnetic with specific benefits.

3. Let the passion for your topic show in your web site marketing copy. Which arouses your interest more? “A 9-Step Power Plan to decimate and dominate the Consultant’s Marketplace” or “The 9-Step Plan to Become a Better Consultant.” “How to Convert More Buyers Into Customers” or “How to use the ‘FTP’ factor to pull amazing clickthrough rates that most marketers will only dream about!” Magnetize your web page with passion that creates desire and sales with your audience.

4. Develop the skill of writing headlines to lead your web site visitors. Provocative titles will stir interest. Provocative statements capture our attention like a fish on a hook. They throw out the baited hook and reel a captive audience in every time. The shocking statement ‘Wives Who Don’t Want Sex’ even if they don’t have this problem will get the attention of the curious.

Use the Command statement for an immediate effect, ‘Become an Internet Millionaire!” Even if it’s a well worn claim, it still captures a large share of attention. Don’t forget the power of the simple ‘How To” information title. It alerts your audience that the information that follows will be simple and easy to digest. Capture the attention of your audience with a home page filled with magnetic headlines.

5. Give your links the power of benefits. We have added magnetic pulling power to our bulleted list, headlines, and titles. It’s all good. But there’s one more area that will give your home page even more pulling power. I got this tip from Allen Says’ “The War Report.” Many unseasoned site owners create links that say things like, “Get your FREE ebook here!” or “Sign-up for our FREE ezine!”

When first exposed to this tip, all I could say was, “Ouch!” I know my sites were filled with links like that. Perhaps we thought the magic word was FREE and people would automatically click on it and download. The truth is ‘Free ezine” tells our audiences nothing. Impart life to all your links with benefits. Those left over benefits and titles you developed earlier in this article. Review each link and pretend you have to get every visitor to click on it.

6. Add Testimonials. Most everyone wants to know who else has used your service and had a good experience. Testimonials speak up for your product or service. They act as a referral and even an endorsement. The compliments from another customer help melt away your prospect’s fears and doubts about buying from you online.

7. Add Subscription Form. You want the ability to pull your targeted audience back to your site again and again. For if they don’t buy the first time (most don’t), online researchers say they will after the fifth to seventh time of being exposed to your sales message.

8. Add the Pop-Up. Use; don’t abuse the pop-ups, slide-ins, hover-ads, etc. In case, you didn’t know there’s a new generation of pop-ups: scroll pops, float-ins, fly-ins, spin-ins, impact pops, etc. With the popularity of pop-up blockers, one might wonder if the pop-up still works. It still works. Use it in moderation and watch an increase in your subscribers. The bottom line is summed up in an old adage that says, “If you don’t ask, you won’t receive.”

Don’t wait. If you wait you could be starting the next year without the explosive sales and traffic your site deserves. You have invested time and perhaps money into making your site the best it can be. Now, create a magnetic home page by giving your bulleted lists, headlines, subscription forms, pop-ups and links the power of benefits. Magnetize your home page and prosper!

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© Earma Brown, 15 yr. web developer, author and business owner Most professionals need more exposure. Your product or service deserves extra attention too! Earma is Principal Developer at Arrow Productions, a web development company. AP’s mission is to help entrepreneurs and professionals in realizing their book and web dreams. Subscribe
to the free ezine “Web Wit” for other insightful articles and resources webwit@arrowproduction.com
Visit her at http://www.arrowproduction.com or http://bookmarketinghelp.com