Common Web Marketing Mistakes

This is actually one of the most common marketing mistakes, whether online or on paper. The reason is that many small businesses get so excited about their own business and the products they sell, that they forget to think about it from the customer's point of view.

Talk to them about things they care about - earning more, saving more, having more time, or doing hard things more easily.

There's an old "riddle" in marketing circles: Question: "What's the world's oldest radio station?" Answer: WIIFM (what's in it for me).

Let's say you really sold drills.

The features might be:

It's cordless, weighs only 2 pounds, one-button operation, runs for 12 hours on one charge. Has a safety switch.

The benefits?

Carry it everywhere. You won't be exhausted from lugging around a 12 lb drill. No worrying about losing power in the middle of working. It's easy to use (only one button!). You'll never hurt yourself using it.

Zero in on the solution and the results (the holes), not the drill itself. People aren't really buying a drill, they're buying holes.

Another common mistake is using a lot of jargon or gobbledygook. For example, there's a real estate agency near me that advertises heavily. All their ads talk about their "cutting-edge marketing" and "years in the industry."

It doesn't really mean anything, it's just a bunch of words. So is "we specialize in industry-leading techniques to ensure design integrity and CSS compliance."

If your web designer told you that, you'd probably scratch your head and give her a blank look. But, if she said, "I can help you rank better in Google" you'd smile (and do a happy dance).

Spraying and praying means closing your eyes, spinning around and hoping to hit something. It's like playing pin the tail on the donkey. You have no target, no focus, and anything you hit is pure, blind luck.

Instead, think about the products you sell, and the people most likely to buy them. Create a profile of your ideal customer. What do they like? What do they hate? What problems do they have? How can you fix those problems?

You wouldn't trust this guy would you? Especially at night. He's a blood-sucking scary vampire!

It's easy to spot a vampire in person. He's the one with the fangs and the cape. Online, it's a little harder. People coming to your site from a Google search or a link they found elsewhere, they may not know much about your business or what you do.

Make them feel comfortable. Welcome them. Reassure them that you're definitely not a blood-sucking vampire.

Here's one way to do it. There's an electrician who has an online site where he talks about common electrical problems, gives how-to advice, and answers questions. If you want his undivided attention, he'll help you for $50 per half hour (I think). Do people pay it? Sure they do. He's already been helpful, provided lots of free information, and proven his expertise.

Some years ago, I spotted a banner ad for a great-looking pair of boots. Deep in the grip of "shoe lust," I clicked on the ad. I wanted those boots and I wanted them NOW. Unfortunately, I found myself on the company's home page. No boots in sight.

I looked around, used the search box. No boots. I left. No sale.

If people are confused about what you sell, or can't find what they want, they will leave and look elsewhere. If you're not sure, have someone else look your site over and tell you what they think. Or watch them as they use it.

It may seem like a small thing, but being accessible can make a big difference.

For instance, I was just reading a blog and found an error. Not wanting to embarrass the author in public, I searched for a contact button. And searched. And searched. I couldn't find one. It was a small thing, but frustrating.

Another time, I tried to buy some fax toner from a company online. I searched for the make/model on their site, and couldn't find it. The search box was broken. I emailed them for help, and never got an answer (except an automatic reply). I raised my hand and asked for help, and they ignored me. I got my toner elsewhere.

Add contact information to each page. If you're hard to reach, and invisible, you'll lose sales. Put your phone number, email, fax, twitter address, etc. in plain sight.

You might even get a surprise. Someone found my blog, liked it, and used the snail mail address on my site to send me fan mail.

Asking for something, or using a hard sell right away (follow me! buy my book!) drives people away. They don't know you yet (see #4). Introduce yourself first. Tell them what they'll get (not about yourself).

When people ask questions or comment on your blog, take the time to answer. Skip the blinking text and the bright yellow highlighter. Be nice.

Here's a true story I'm borrowing from Bob Poole (author of a great book called Listen First, Sell Later}. Long ago, Bob was a copier salesman. There was one guy on his route that just seemed to hate him. Bob couldn't figure out why, but he noticed that the other guy smoked a pipe. So Bob bought one. Then he started asking the guy about pipes and different kinds of tobacco. Suddenly the grumpy man's face lit up. He went from silent and grouchy to happy and animated. Pretty soon, Bob had a new friend. Sometime later, Bob had a big order for copy machines.