From Ben Hunt: Secret #25 - “Consider Untouchable Keywords”

October 7th, 2011
You may not thank me for this. I’m going to invite you to do something kind of yucky, unpleasant, distasteful.

When you’re marketing your business, it’s important to use the language that your potential customers would use, not the language you’d use.

That’s easier said than done. Sometimes it can feel wrong to use the incorrect terminology, compared to the proper vocab that everyone in your industry understands. But if the people out there on the street don’t use those words - don’t use those words!

So if they’re talking about “best way to save money”, don’t talk about “flexible investment packages” on your web site.

Keyword research is your key to finding out what people are actually looking for. You should definitely invest in a powerful research tool like Wordtracker to help you uncover the keywords that are really being searched for and have relatively low competition.)

But sometimes the keyword research will show up words that you just don’t want to know about. Words that make you cringe, that make you want to put your fingers in your ears.

Words like “cheap”.

Very few businesses would want to be identified with “cheap” but a LOT of people out there are looking for it.

I had a client who provides low-cost web hosting. When I did their keyword research, “cheap hosting provider” came out as a winning phrase. A lot of searches, and - guess what - not too much competition.

I just did a presentation for a bunch of people in the printing industry. When I did some sample keyword research for my seminar, using “leaflet printing” as my starting point, guess what came up again as a little seam of stinking gold? That’s right, “Cheap leaflet printing”!

Do you have the guts to be open to any keyword, even if you can’t personally say it without looking like Scrooge?

Here’s a little secret. Your web pages don’t have to identify you as cheap! Of course, you probably don’t want to associate your brand with… that word. And you don’t have to.

You can talk about cheap hosting/printing/etc and talk about the risks and pitfalls of going for really cheap options, how they can cost you more in the long run. Create a page that’s covered in “cheap”.

Then, you can position your own offering relative to “cheap” and say why your low-cost / affordable / value-for-money solution is so good and doesn’t cost the earth.


Best wishes,
Ben

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From Ben Hunt: Secret #24 - “Give Away Your Knowledge”

October 7th, 2011
It’s hard to build trust on the web. I believe that one of the best ways to earn people’s trust is to be generous with your knowledge.

This applies particularly if you’re in a service industry, but it can also help if you sell products, just because it helps people feel safe with you.

The common objection is, “If I tell people what I know, won’t they just use that knowledge and not hire me?”

If they are going to do that, do you think they would really have hired you in the first place?

When I write about how to create web pages, I’m giving information on several levels. Some of that information will be useful to someone who wants to create a web page. Those guys were never going to hire me.

But it’s also telling people that I know how to create web pages that work. It tells them that I am so confident in my skills, that I can share it freely. And it gives them a clear signal that they can trust me. Once you have trust, much of the battle is won.

So, if you’re a financial advisor, just blog about what you know. Tell people what to look for, and what to avoid. You are as likely to create a demand for your service as you are to make it so that someone doesn’t need to hire you.

If you specialise in cleaning carpets, blog about ways to clean carpets. Tell people what they can clean easily themselves, and also tell them what they should *never* try to clean themselves (creating opportunities). You never know, they may be in a rush, and prefer to call in the trusted expert instead…

If you teach yoga, why not make some videos and show people a basic daily routine? Then, when they’re ready to learn more, maybe they’ll get in touch with you.

All this information is putting your brand in front of potential customers who may not even be ready for you yet, but may be soon, and may be crafted into customers through your generosity.

Best wishes,
Ben

Scratchmedia Limited
Floor 3, 111 Buckingham Palace Road
London, SW1W 0WQ
UK

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From Ben Hunt: Secret #23 - “When Saying NO is Powerful”

October 7th, 2011
When can saying “no” to someone be the most effective tool?

In my experience, it’s great in sales, and it’s great for client management.

Personally, I feel that saying “yes” to the wrong project is the worst mistake I ever make; worse than turning down something that could have been good (because I wouldn’t find out anyway).

Here’s a story, which may or may not be true…

There was a lady who wanted to date a certain gentleman. But this man had a reputation. He’d been out with all the other ladies. His cell phone was full of numbers with names like “Do not answer 15″ and “Do not answer 21″.

This lady did not want to become “Do not answer 35″ (or whatever number), so she did the opposite of what the other ladies had done. She said, “No” and “maybe” and “I’ll think about it” and the gentleman got very interested and they lived happily ever after.

Saying “no” can be really effective, and - as the story shows - it’s an opportunity to distinguish your offering from the other offerings out there.

Someone recently asked me to submit a home page design along with my proposal for a competitive pitch. I said no. I said that my rates are my rates, and if I started doing design for competitive pitches, I would have to put my rates up, and I didn’t want to do that. (I didn’t get the project. Sometimes, it pays to fold early.)

Clients have asked me “How many designs are you going to show us?” Clearly, a lot of designers out there do 3 different designs and make the client choose which they prefer. This is disempowering for the designer and shows the client how little they respect their own skills and judgement.

So when I hear that question, I reply “Hopefully one!” I try to get design right first time - and I like that my clients have that same expectation.

When a client asks for something we don’t do, I just tell them we don’t do it. I can then explain what we do specialise in, and how much work we put in to doing what we do really well, and how if we spread our skills out too thinly, we wouldn’t be able to deliver the high standard of results they expect.

Whenever I say “no” to a prospect, or to a client, I do it with integrity and it seems to build trust, not diminish it.


Cheers,
Ben

p.s. Want to learn how to make money in web design? I’ll teach you… http://webdesignfromscratch.com/ben-hunts-pro-web-design-course/

Scratchmedia Limited
Floor 3, 111 Buckingham Palace Road
London, SW1W 0WQ
UK

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From Ben Hunt: #22 - “Don’t Ignore Old Media”

October 7th, 2011
It’s very tempting to think that the Web is the only way to get eyeballs, traffic, and conversations.

Well, these things were not invented with the web browser. Marketers have been reaching, convincing, generating action, measuring and improving for over a hundred years without a Web.

And… they’ve been making a profit.

There’s a sobering realisation for me here. In the rush to adopt “New Media” we can overlook the lessons of the past.

All that’s really new about the web is the speed at which it’s possible to test stuff, count results, think again, try again, and - uh - repeat..

That’s all marketing is really about. It involves two things: creativity and analysis.

Who’s my market? What do they want? What’s going to get their attention? What appeal will work for them? What info do they need to see to build trust?

These questions are not new. They’re the same questions that made millions for people like John Caples and Eugene Schwartz.

And they’re simple, aren’t they? Perhaps we think our New Media world is too sophisticated for those simple ol’ questions.

You know what the weird thing is? Somewhere we stopped teaching those questions. Well, I made it through over 10 years as a pro web designer before someone taught me. (Nod to Mr. Ken McCarthy.)

So what’s the secret? There’s nothing new under the sun. People are the same as they’ve always been. They need the same marketing they’ve always needed.

And it’s so much easier and quicker to market now, we have no excuse not to make money!
Cheers,
Ben

p.s. For a solid foundation in how to make money on the web, see my course (whether you want to be a web designer or not). It’s built on all the foundations of powerful and profitable marketing.

Scratchmedia Limited
Floor 3, 111 Buckingham Palace Road
London, SW1W 0WQ
UK

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From Ben Hunt: #21 - “Speak to Your True Prospect”

October 7th, 2011
Many different types of people will come to your web site.

Some have already decided they want what you’re offering. We don’t need to worry about them. Whatever you do, they’ll proceed anyway.

Some are definitely not in the market for what you’re offering. They want something else entirely. We can ignore them as well. Whatever you do, you’re not going to convert them.

Others may want what you offer. Let’s focus on these guys.

What do you actually know about the people who actually accept what you offer (customers etc.)?

What kind of people are they? Are they teachers, parents, housewives, professional lawyers, teenagers..?

What is their previous experience of your product/service, and others like it? Are they fresh, exploring options, or cynical?

What really motivates them? What are the specific problems that they need to solve?

The key to how to speak to your web site visitors lies in the answer to these questions. Let your web site’s content resonate with a consistent tone of voice, brand, look and feel that’s 100% focused on what you KNOW about your visitors.

That’s why you hear advertisements start with, “If you or a loved one…” — Just one example among millions… What that line is doing is saying, “If this is you, you need to hear the rest of the message.” it’s as simple as that.

When you can create a page that seems to speak directly to me, the visitor, you’ll get my attention. That actually generates more attention, which gives you more opportunity to convey your message to me. I’ll be more engaged, more switched on, and I’ll feel more confident that I’m going to find what I came for on this site.

Cheers,
Ben

See my Pro Web Design Course (http://prowebdesigncourse.com/) for the very best training in web copywriting, design, and marketing.

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From Ben Hunt: #20 - “Stop Being Clever!”

October 7th, 2011

Cleverness is a handicap in many areas of life, and certainly in design.
Nearly all the answers you need in life are simple. The problem is, we tend to ask complicated questions.
Here are some simple secrets - 6 for the price of one today!
The Secret to Business - Find out what people want, and give it to them.
The Secret to Selling - Find out what people value, and show them that your solution is worth more to them than it costs.
The Secret to Customer Service - Listen, empathise, and tell the truth.
The Secret to Success - Find something you enjoy, that you do well, and which is valuable… and stick to it.
The Secret to Wealth - Spend less than you earn.
The Secret to Happiness - Spend your time doing what you love, with people you like.

Your friend,
Ben

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From Ben Hunt:#19 - “Every Web Site Is Selling Something”

October 7th, 2011

Every web site is selling something. It may be a product, a service, an idea, a subscription, or it may be advertising something.
All these goals require visitors to take some kind of action. To pay money, to hand over personal details, to read a full article, to download a PDF, or just to stay online and be exposed to stuff.
The only way you can sell anything to anyone is to convince them that what they’re getting from the site is worth more to them than what they’re investing.
They may be investing money, time, personal details, and attention.
If you abuse the attention you get, and expect them to hand over more than they’re willing to hand over, they won’t do it.
You have to build attention, build desire, and build trust, so that the actions you require people to take make sense to them at the point they’re required to take them.
That’s what web design is all about. You’re trading value for value. The only thing you need to do to succeed is: to make the trade worth it.

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From Ben Hunt:From Ben Hunt:

October 7th, 2011

Conventions are great. They’re essentially solutions that have been designed before, and which have worked so often that they’re now part of the general tool kit.
Common web conventions include:
  • Placement (logo in the top-left, login stuff in the top-right)
  • Colours (text is black on white background, links are blue)
  • Iconography (look at the toolbar above, you don’t need to think to know what most of that stuff does)
There are literally thousands of conventions, which we don’t realise are conventions. We don’t think about them, which is exactly right. That’s why conventions work!
Conventions work because:
  1. You can use them in your web design without too much thought or work.
  2. The people who visit your web site can understand what’s going on without too much thought or work.
Some “creatives” think that it’s their job to create new stuff all the time (that’s what “creative” means, right?) They think it’s all about surprising web site visitors, wrong-footing them, making them think.
This is quite a short-sighted approach. Actually, most new things fail. That’s just a law of Nature. There are common design patters for most things, which already work well.
It’s hard to create something that works as well as a recognised convention - even a bad convention (and there are plenty of those around, but they still work because they’re familiar).
So when do you follow the convention, and when do you try something new?
I believe you should use a convention wherever it completely suits your needs. That saves you time and creative effort, which you can then apply to the problems that really matter.
Where there is no conventional solution, or there is no convention that does what you know your design must do, then use all that stored up creativity and come up with something that works - beautifully!

Warm regards,
Ben

p.s. If you haven’t read “Save the Pixel” yet, you could be losing time and money. Get it today, and make your web site smarter.

Scratchmedia Limited
Floor 3, 111 Buckingham Palace Road
London, SW1W 0WQ
UK

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From Ben Hunt:#17 - “Break Out Your Testimonials and FAQs”

October 7th, 2011

Testimonials and FAQ (or Q&A) content are extremely important tools for getting people to trust your offering. They work in slightly different ways.
Testimonials offer third-party validation. When someone’s on your site, they want what you offer to be right, but they need to be convinced.
Seeing a quote from someone who’s like them (another customer), which is credible and seems honest, is a great way to raise the prospect’s trust.
FAQs are also useful for raising trust. They do it by filling in the gaps - the little questions that could make the difference between choosing to proceed or not to proceed.
Even if the questions you see answered on a web site are not the ones in your mind, they can generate trust in the brand. When you see other customers’ concerns being treated with respect and thoroughness, you can assume you can worry less about your own concerns.
Now… many web sites have a page for FAQs, and a page for Testimonials.
This is the WRONG WAY TO DO IT.
Can you remember the last time you clicked on a FAQs or Testimonials link?
Here’s the rub. Nobody wants to read FAQs, or quotes from other people. You don’t go online in your lunch hour and think, “You know, I’ll spend some time reading testimonials.” There’s no benefit in it.
The times when a testimonial or Q&A may helpful is when you’re doing something that’s relevant to that message. When they’re all grouped together, most of the content is going to be irrelevant to most people, most of the time.
So having a page dedicated to these powerful messages is really just a good way to file them away where nobody needs to see them

Testimonials and FAQ pages are archives
What’s the right way?
The right way to use this content is - at the point it’s needed.
Use this content within your other content. Use it within your sales funnel, where it can positively help. Don’t make someone have to leave the flow in order to find the information they need.
If you’re talking about your delivery promises, show a testimonial that tells the visitor how happy your other customers are to receive their deliveries so promptly.
While you’re there, counter a possible objection by showing a Q&A on “What happens if my package doesn’t arrive?” with a positive answer. That way, you’re giving your prospect every reason to trust you, and you’re telling them at the exact moment they need to hear the message.

Cheers,
Ben

p.s. If you sell stuff from your site, this is a great book, packed with tips and strategies for improving your conversion rates: Call To Action, by Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg

Scratchmedia Limited
Floor 3, 111 Buckingham Palace Road
London, SW1W 0WQ
UK

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From Ben Hunt: #16 - “Be Human”

October 7th, 2011

People are interested in people. Dogs like to sniff other dogs, because it’s in their genes. People respond to people. We can’t help it. We are people, and we’re motivated by competition and the urge for safety and companionship, and the urge to breed. That’s what being human means.
Human Language
Your visitors are human, so are you. So speak as what you are - human. Everyone seeks connection, something they can trust, particularly online (where trust is naturally low). If you put your humanity into your web site, you will connect with more people.
Speak as yourself, as though you were talking to a friend. Do YOU like reading jargon? Do you connect to it? No, me either. So don’t use it.
Human Images
If you sell services (which are almost all delivered by people), show them in context. Show people.
Pictures of people convey a lot of information. Images tend to give softer information (more feel than fact), but we can read a LOT into a face. So pictures of people can be very good value content-wise.
Eye tracking studies regularly show that our focus is drawn to faces. We can’t help it.
Pictures of people should (usually) smile & make eye contact. We connect to smiles, and we connect to eyes. The size of the smile depends on the context.
  • Someone working in a store should have a bright, attractive, open smile.
  • Funeral directors should wear slight, sympathetic smiles.
  • People looking after nuclear reactors should be focusing on their job - not on the camera!
One of the all-time masters of selling through talking to people naturally is legendary copywriter Drayton Bird. His book “Commonsense Direct & Digital Marketing” is hands-down the best guide you can have to the art of marketing to humans. Highly recommended.

Cheers,
Ben

Scratchmedia Limited
Floor 3, 111 Buckingham Palace Road
London, SW1W 0WQ
UK

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