Got Clutter? How Not to Attract the Attention of Your Web Visitor

If you're like me (and I know that none of you want to admit to that),
you're a web surfer. You happily click on every hyperlink you see.

You can't resist the temptation to check out the web sites of people
on various forums, links in ezines and newsletters, and even those
you see on television infomercials. (e.g., www.ronco.com)

There are a lot of web sites out there.
And there are a lot a really bad web sites out there too.

Some of them give me the heebie-jeebies.
Look at this site: http://www.kgoam810.com/home.asp

It's the home page of San Francisco's most popular talk-radio station.
Go ahead and look, then come back. Trust me, you'll run back.

Does anyone else feel that we should make that kind of web site illegal?
What is the webmaster thinking?

Sadly, I know what he's thinking.
He's thinking.."If I don't honor all of our advertising contracts,
I'll be fired!"

The West Coast's premiere talk radio station has a web site that drives
people away. Not exactly the strategy a web business owner would
want to emulate.

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Clutter: The Root of All Evil
===================
I hate clutter. It makes me crazy.
Looking around my office has this effect at times.
I always know when it's time to tidy up.

But when I see a web site like that one above, and I can't do anything
about it, I click away in 0.947 nanoseconds.

I don't care how much I like the person or the product behind the site,
I won't go back. What is it about clutter that repulses me and every web
visitor on the planet?

===========================
It's My Poor Overburdened Thalamus
============================
Your What-a-mus?
My thalamus. It's the portion of your brain that acts as a receiving
warehouse for every bit of input your senses take in every second
that you live.

A big job!

================
I am Janet's Thalamus
================
No, not me personally, but, er..you know what I mean.

Let's think about Janet; Let's think about Janet's thalamus as she's looking at
your web site on her computer while at work.

It any given moment, her thalamus is interpreting her internal body
temperature, the smoothness of the mouse button that sits under her right hand,
the bitterness of that last cup of Starbucks coffee, the song playing on the radio at her
desk, the fishy odor wafting from the lunch container belonging to her cube-mate,
the desire to leave her dead-end job (as well as her boyfriend), and the harsh brightness
of the fluorescent light that floods her cube-life.

Why this lesson in neuroanatomy?
Simply to illustrate that on top of all the sensations Janet is dealing with,
the last thing she needs is more clutter for her poor, overburdened thalamus
to sort through.

The more clutter on your site, the less likely Janet will stick
around long enough to read your messages...or buy your product.

How do you make sure your site
isn't over taxing Janet's thalamus?

===================
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
===================
Thoreau nailed it.
Simplification is the key to a clutter-free existence.
Though I doubt he grasped the significance of this mantra,
his words hold great wisdom for the web site owners of our day.

Here are four mini-audits to perform on each page of your web site
that will indicate whether or not you're guilty of overtaxing Janet's
(or your customer's) poor, pathetic little thalamus thereby reducing
the chance that she (or they) will ever return.

---------------------------
Audit 1: Flash or Animation
---------------------------
Without a doubt, Flash-enabled web sites irritate more than stimulate.
If your visitor wants animation, they'd be watching SpongeBob.
(If you haven't see an episode of SpongeBob, you're in for a treat.)

----------------------------------
Audit 2: Problem Oriented Headline
----------------------------------
If your headline is solution-based, you're missing out of so many customers.

Why?
Because people walk around all day long thinking about their problems.

Sean D'Souza says it this way: When you're driving down the freeway at 65 mph
and someone passes you at 70, it's no big deal. But when a red and blue flashing
light appears in your rear-view mirror, it's a very big deal! It's a problem.
Your brain wakes up and you forget all about The Stones raging against the
establishment on the radio.

Problems wake people up; solutions put them to sleep.

----------------
Audit 3: Clutter
----------------
Look at your web site. Is it cluttered?
Are you using more than two or three fonts?
More than three colors? The right colors?

Are the graphics labeled?
Is there a significant amount of white-space to balance out the text blocks?

Remember, you don't want to be another KGO!

-------------------
Audit 4: Navigation
-------------------
Does Janet know where you want her to go next?
Is there a friendly tour-guide type navigation system on your site
or just a stuffy butler with a tray of links offering no advice whatsoever?

Are you leading Janet to your most-desired-destination
or simply turning her loose to find her way (hopefully) to a product?

==========
Final Thoughts
===========
Clutter on a web site, on a business card, or a piece of marketing collateral
is a source of confusion for readers. Simplify your site, your materials,
your message, and watch your business find it's way into The Spotlight!

Thanks for reading,

Barry

Got Voices? How to Avoid a Multiple Personality Business

No, I wasn't hearing voices. But it seemed that way when
I recently took a cold, hardlook at my web site.

There seemed to be a Barry v1.0 on one page and then a
Barry v1.2 on another. If that weren't confusing enough, this
ezine represented Barry v1.3!

I was beginning to think my middle name was DOS.
(Only those old enough to recall that ancient operating
system will get that one.)

========
Disconnect
========
As I read through the site, the one theme that kept hitting me
on the head like Maxwell's Silver Hammer was disconnection.

I realized that I was disconnected from a variety of important
touch stones, among them:
*clarity of purpose
*consistent message
*honesty

Not that I've lied about anything, rather I came away with
a feeling that the entire site, and its message had become
convoluted and no longer reflected the presence I wanted
to portray online or off.

======================
A Multiple Personality Business
======================
My site had become Sybil.
And it was driving me crazy.
So I 86'd it.

I'm also not the only one effected.
There are a lot of businesses out there (maybe your's),
with too many voices.

One page says one thing, the next says another.
Their marketing materials give one impression,
while their business card reflects another.

And the kicker is, we're the last to know.
We're often too close to our own work to realize
that it is subject to 'extreme vacuum.'
(If you get my drift.)

===============
Contributing Factors
===============
So how does a business become so splintered?
What contributes to that disconnected and disjointed feel?

In my case, it was caused by shifting interests.
I'm a walking poster-boy for A.D.D.

Let me tell the tale.

I launched my online biz as a commercial writer.
I met with some success and then experienced a shift in
interest and ventured into another interesting area where
my expertise was growing: online marketing and exploring
ways to increase business visibility.

After building up quite a few web pages, and developing a
loyal readership, I then hungered for the simple life of
commercial writing, this time leveraging my health care background.

I kept writing the ezine but it's focus no longer
matched the focus of my web site which I changed to
serve a more general business audience.

Can you see why I'm hopelessly addicted to Starbucks?
It took a lot of late nights tweaking HTML code just to keep
up with my own shifting interests.

However, before I beat myself up too badly here,
I must admit that my creativity is fueled and my batteries
totally energized by solitary activities.

Therefore, writing my ezine, articles, and tweaking my HTML
wasn't a bother at all. And that was probably the problem.

I just can't leave things alone. I tweak and adjust and then
tweak some more. It's my nature. I'm an INFP, what can I say?

=================
An Ounce of Prevention
=================
Is worth a pound of cure, so the saying goes, and
here is how to prevent this from happening to your business.

(If it's too late for prevention, stay tuned: I'll address the cure in a minute.)

Step 1: Ground yourself.
------------------------
Ask yourself the following questions:
*What problems do I / can I solve?
*Who experiences these problems in the marketplace?
*What do I do that solves these issues?
*Am I energized by doing this work?
*Is there something else I'd rather do?

Spend some time with each of these responses,
noting how you feel emotionally and physically
when you uncover the truth.

Often it is both our emotional and physical
responses to issues that hold valuable clues
regarding the mysteries of our decision making processes.

Step 2: Go to a fortune teller.
-----------------------------
Kidding. But do take the time to write out a detailed
description of what your business will look like in
three years if everything goes according to plan.

Spend some time creating thislife on paper.
What will it look like? Feel like? Where will you buy your
clothes in three years? What Starbucks will you hang out in?
(OK, that's one off my list.)

But you get the idea. Create a detailed picture in your
mind of what your successful life will resemble in three years.

Step 3: Chart your course.
--------------------------
Now that you've got a mental picture, get a map.
Learn the territory from those who've covered the same ground.

Don't boldly go where no man/woman has been before.
Too many first-time business owners just get in the car and drive,
not knowing that a huge pothole is in the road about two months north.

With your three-year vision of that perfect business in hand,
ask yourself, "How will I make this a reality?"

Begin to chart a course based on accurate maps created by
those who've ben there. Don't buy a map from someone who's
never left their house!

Step 4: Form or join a mastermind group.
----------------------------------------
Traveling in a strange land with another person is always more
fun and usually involves less risk. Get about three to four other
first-time or experienced business owners together for a monthly
conference call and get feedback on your business, your web site,
your marketing materials, etc.

This is an invaluable experience.
In the words of Woody the Cowboy,
"If you don't have one, get one."

Step 5: Build in rewards for yourself.
------------------------------------
Whether you succeed or experience a delay in success,
build in a reward system so that you treat yourself to
positive reinforcements for action taken. Too often we only
reward ourselves for a job-well-done.

Hey, if I waited for a job-well-done before I rewarded myself,
I'd never get one. Life's too short.

Don't aim for perfection.
It unreasonable to expect you'll attain it.

=======
The Cure
=======
If you're more interested in how to correct errors already
made (you've totally identified with my dilemma), well,
I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is that you, too, need to start over!
The good news is that you, too, need to start over!

Huh?

Starting over is the wisest, most liberating choice you
can make if you're trapped in a Multiple Personality Business.

Unless your web site has 500 pages, starting over and really
taking the time to organize your business is relatively simple.

It's not easy, but the process is really pretty basic.
If you're in this boat, you've got to ride the rapids before
you enjoy the calmer waters downstream.

Change is never easy. Those who embrace it are courageous.
Those who commit to it are brave. Those who resist it, when they
know in their heart-of-hearts that they shouldn't, are destined to
be miserable and will, most likely, delay success inevitably.

==========
Final Thoughts
==========
In this issue, I've shared with you my pitfalls.
It's probably not what you expected to hear.

But to be less than forthcoming would be a untruthful.
My experience may be familiar to you. If so perhaps you'll learn something
in the process that you can apply to your own business.

As I decide on my own next steps, the only thing I know
for sure is that I love writing this ezine.

Is it the most brilliant piece of eWriting in your in-box?
Nope. But I'll continue writing it each week until I feel
I've no longer got anything of substance to say.
(Hard to imagine.)

Unless I receive massive unsubscribes in the next few days,
I'll assume you approve of my forthrightness and wait to see what
I do next.

Thanks for reading;
I appreciate each and every one of you.

Barry

Forget Brochures: Nine Ways To Leverage A Professional Case Study

I refuse to write brochures for clients.
No matter how much they offer to pay me.

I look them in the eye, nod my head slightly from side the side,
shrug a bit, and say "No Way!"

If you're thinking that I callously or arbitrarily refuse a paying gig
just on principle...you're right!

And you should too!

=======================
The Method Behind the Madness
=======================

Instead of going along with writing a brochure for a client,
I suggest its more versatile, and ultimately
much more effective cousin, the case study.

A case study, when properly researched and crafted,
can perform leaps and bounds beyond the simple brochure.

Why? Let's read how a case study's message flows:

A customer is telling a powerful story about a perplexing personal
or business problem that they were tearing their hair out trying to solve.

Then, this lucky customer found my client's business.
O Happy Day!

Through the application of my client's product or service,
this lucky customer is now a raving fan of my client.

They can't stop recommending my client to their business associates!
My client is very happy!

Because the case study is written from the point of view of
my client's most satisfied customer, it jumps buildings in a single
bound, is faster than a speeding train, and comes disguised as a mild,
mannered piece of marketing collateral.

Because of its unique characteristics, the case study is a powerful
ally in any client's marketing plan.

Now I'm going to show you nine ways that a case study can be
leveraged for even more effectiveness.

But first...
================================================
Want to Know how to Research & Write a Professional Case Study?
Don't Miss Next Week's Edition When I Spill the Beans!
================================================

...OK, we're back with the 9 Ways to Leverage Your Case Study:

1. The Ultimate Networking Tool
Instead of handing out business cards at a networking event, imagine giving your conversation partners a one-page Case study on heavy paper that tells the story of your most satisfied client. Think they'll read it later? You bet they will. Why heavy paper? It doesn't get thrown way. :-)

2. An Effective Opt-In Offer
A case study makes a valuable opt-in Free Report. It can be offered as a bonus for a purchase of a product, or as copy for an autoresponder.

3. Business Talk Topic
When you need to give a talk on a certain topic, a case study can often serve as an excellent way to illustrate your points. It's builds credibility like a testimonial but offers greater detail.

4. Use it as a Success Story in your Ezine
Case studies are really stories about satisfied customers, valuable product experiences, and a way of validating marketing claims. Presenting a brief case study in your newsletter can give your credibility an extra boost.

5. Post It on Your Web Site
New copy on a web site always attracts more attention. A case study is great copy for an
"About Us" page. It's always a good idea to talk abut your customers instead of yourself.

6. Use It as Sales Aid.
If you employ a sales force, give your salespeople copies of several case studies. They will soon ask for more because they'll find that case studies resonate with buyers much better than fact sheets do.

(Ever had a warm and fuzzy experience from a fact sheet?
I just love curling up with a good fact sheet on cold night.
Don't you? ;-) )

7. Mail or Email It to Your Past Clients
Include a handwritten note and watch how the combination of the case study and the note gets the phone to ring. A handwritten note is a simple, proven way to generate interest.

8. Use It in a Press Release
Case studies can be rapidly converted into a pressrelease format. You can increase your chances ofeditors picking it up if it also mentions that a more detaile dversion of the release exists in the form of a formalcase study.

9. Up-sell Your Brochure Clients
As I mentioned in the beginning, I won't write brochures any more. Instead, I'll suggest a collection of case studies that do a much more effective job of marketing my client's business.

Now let's see... 1 brochure or 3 case studies.
Hmm, you do the $$ math!

==========
Final Thoughts
==========
Because case studies drop your reader into a snapshot of your business success, it gives them the feeling of being there. When a reader feels like they're with you, they are very susceptible to your message.

The case study is a versatile, multifunctional marketing tool. It's a perfect addition to the marketing collateral of almost any business.

But there is a secret to researching and writing an effective case study.
Next week, I'll show you how in a simple three-step process.

Thanks for reading,
Barry