Why do 50 free podcasts?

• We started doing podcasts in Feb. 2006.
• Our company focus is on training.
• People can multi-task as they listen.
• We want to help people understand the Web, most don’t.
• Some hire us to implement, but most just listen to the podcasts.
• Provides us with credibility and a chance to show that we know this field.

What have been a few of the key learning points from the podcasts?

• The comprehensive nature of the podcasts and Web marketing.
• The four step processes is covered in detail.
• Much information in a complex area of Web marketing.

More questions: Do Intuitive Websites’ clients do podcasting?

Why or why not?

What are future plans for the podcasts?

We end each podcast with an action item plan. What are the key action items for the listener?

• Go listen to our podcasts and take notes.
• You can find the podcasts on iTunes and our Websites.
• Start your own podcast channel and blog.
• Contact us with topics for future podcasts.

This has been the Intuitive Websites Internet Marketing Podcast. For more information and to see all the available podcasts and much more, visit IntuitiveWebsites.com.

Web professionals should know marketing terms:

• Demographics – Objective and measurable data on the user.
• Geographic – Location and what their location means.
• Psychographics – Approaches, opinions and thoughts that are not measurable.

Understand where your users fit in these areas and then tailor the Website to meet what is important to them. The better the site hits the bulls eye, the better the results.

What is important to know about Website demographics?

• They drive the brand, conversions, ROI and the overall success of the Website
• This data can be found in Web stats and through market research with users.
• The better aligned with your demographics, the better your overall Web results.
• Position the site to push hot buttons and drive conversions.

How do you go about understanding these marketing areas?

• You may need additional marketing training.
• Most Website developers have no understanding of how marketing and branding works.
• Marketing is not a hobby or something learned by instinct.
• In a tough economy, businesses with poor marketing suffer the worst.

Every part of your Website can impact these three demographic areas

• Every photo, color, font and tagline and every other part of your Website communicates to your demographic.
• The better this is understood the better your return or Web marketing ROI.
• Also, how well does your site target the user through design and usability?

Key action items

• Look at your stats and conduct user testing to research your demographics.
• Consult a brand expert and usability consultant to make sure you are on track.
• Set-up your Website design and messaging to meet those specific demographic needs.
• Study marketing and branding fundamentals and apply them to your Website.

This has been the Intuitive Websites Internet Marketing Podcast. For more information and to see all the available podcasts and much more, visit IntuitiveWebsites.com.

First have a great product or service, good marketing strategy, strong brand and a fair budget or plenty of time for Web marketing, including development, design and driving traffic.

1. Start by getting inside the head of the Web Visitor

• Why do users buy your product?
• How do they use the product?
• What do they tell their friends and family about your product?
• Look at what they do, more than what they say.
• Help the Web visitor meet their needs on your eCommerce site.

2. Navigation and Search

• Starts with the user connection with and branding on the home page.
• Communicate that the site is easy to use.
• Use a clear tagline and product photos on the home page.
• Develop consistent navigation menus and overall search capabilities.

3. Product Presentation

• Simple and clear product presentations.
• Great photos with bullet point details and lots of back-up copy.
• Clear pricing, including shipping options.
• Easy to see “Buy Now” buttons.
• Multiple contact methods.

What about the actual buying experience?

This is where conversion rates and sales can really be improved.

• One click to BUY and send shopper to the shopping cart.
• Give the option of registration or purchase without registration.
• Don’t force the pre-selection of menu items prior to purchase.
• Keep shipping fair and free as much as possible.
• Follow the expected standards for Web eCommerce.
• Drive repeat visits to your Website and use email to spark a purchase.
• Many people research thoroughly and consider more options.

Key action items

• Set a thorough process for tracking stats and usability on your eCommerce site.
• Don’t copy another site because you like it, do what helps users and drives conversions
• Realize that an eCommerce Web store is always under construction and being improved upon and set-up systems to do that.
• When in doubt, make things more simple.

This has been the Intuitive Websites Internet Marketing Podcast. For more information and to see all the available podcasts and much more, visit IntuitiveWebsites.com.

• Always easiest to talk about yourself.
• Develop an “About Us” page.
• This is the place where people come to learn more about your company.
• Take it seriously.
• If done right, it can drive conversions.
• Users look for value first then want to learn more about your company.
• Opportunity to build trust and credibility.
• The “About Us” page reinforces the brand.

What should be included in the “About Us” page?

• Philosophy and business approach.
• Company history.
• Bios and photos of team members/staff.
• Client lists, case studies, and testimonials.
• Location photos.
• Videos, photos and other content that describe your company

But, how does the “About Us” page drive conversions? First, a visit here shows a high level of interest. The visitor is highly qualified; a trip to this page is likely, not random. Build the credibility and trust the visitor is looking for, then make it easy for them to convert from this page.

Action Plan:

• Create, write or improve your “About Us” page.
• Make the “About Us” page visible on the main navigation.
• Get user feedback on the page and edit as needed.
• Include the items mentioned in this podcast.
• Keep the page current, review it often.
• Measure the stats and conversions from this page.

This has been the Intuitive Websites Internet Marketing Podcast for more information and to see all the available podcasts and much more, visit IntuitiveWebsites.com.

Your Website is an Investment, how much should it cost?

• Build a Website: $5-20,000
• Market and maintain a Website $500-$1000+ a month
• Every dollar should be tracked and return measured
• You should see significant return or ROI
• The key is in how you establish and define return?

Conversion Strategy Defines Return

• Leads, sales, email subscribers and more
• Consider referrals, branding and competitors
• Small changes greatly impact Website ROI

Must Have Web Stats – Google Analytics and Goals

• Unique visitors
• Bounce rate
• Pages visited
• Traffic sources
• Time on site
• Conversions Goals and funnels  

Action Plan:

• Set strategic conversions and offers
• Set-up Google Analytics to measure those conversions
• Build accountability through staff, external consultants and in meetings
• Set conversion goals and run numbers
• Expect a return and make it happen

Let's take a look at www.PlusMoreMedia.com

Website Audits Review Each of the Four Steps :  When looking at a site we review all four of the steps to a successful Website. 

1. Strategy:  
2. Design and Development
3. Driving Traffic
4. Website Performance

Strategy and Design

• Message is not direct enough to tell us what the site is about in 5-10 seconds.      Perhaps choose a tag-line that follows the navigation.  Focus on  Web graphic design and video production and show differentiation -what makes your company different. 
• Professional design, clear navigation and layout. 
• Suggested a rotator image to get across your message : a "big" image to communicate quickly what your business is offering.
• Simplify the home page and tell the rest of the story within the site.    Scale back on homepage content.
• Focus on conversion point- they are using "Deal of the Month" , this is a good offer and shows a good impression.    The offer should be duplicated throughout the site. 
• Banners are often hidden to a users.   Many graphics are often not seen. 

Driving Traffic:

• The site is using very competitive and generic keywords. They are missing 'where you live' in the title tag to narrow focus.   Use niche words. 
• Resource tab is missing – place for free stuff and more content.
• Blog link difficult to find, on the New navigation.    Did a good job putting the articles on separate pages.  Long scrolling page, it would be helpful to make all links blue and underline.     Brief description then lead to complete article. 
• There is a lot of good content on the site, work on the organization and accessibility of it. 

Performance:

• How many leads are coming to the site and how many are converted to customers?  Difficult to find the Contact information.    Recommend phone and Email on every page with prominent placement.    
• Form on contact page is great but could add area to find out what the potential client really needs or present them an offer for completing the form.      Add information when customer what time frame they will be contact. 
• An About Us page with photos and information about the people that make up the company/service is what users want to see.  People also want to see the client list and what you have done for them.   Present credibility as well as the people/personal side of your business.
• Avoid blocks of text.  Use bullets or at least headlines over the blocks of text. 

 Action plan

• Simplify and make content more direct.
• Make conversion points more visible and easily found. 
• Focus the graphic images.
• More local focus and niche categories/keywords/strategy to drive traffic – use stats to help make these decisions
• Change conversion points  to an "offer of the month" and reinforce that you have  service to offer.

If you'd like your site audited go to IntuitiveWebsites.com.

6. Have user testing done
7. Work on and offline
8. Get excellent ROI
9. Be the best in your field
10. Be content rich – use all media to add great content and detail to your site

Website Examples:
MySpace
YouTube
Facebook (150 million users)
Second Life
Twitter
LinkedIn (Business Networking)
Plaxo

What are the key action items for the listener?

• Task someone with the action plan of social marketing.
• Find your target market on these sites.
• Build and support your community or build one.
• Be appropriate, don’t let it backfire, don’t be rude.
• Doing what has been done offline well, online.

• Software tools for user testing
• Planning and recruiting tips
• How to run a quick and simple user testing session
• User testing videos to improve a site's conversions

To do this, simply ask yourself the question, "Will ten out of ten people understand this part of the Website?"  Ask this about the Website's navigation design, usability, content, photos, graphics, links and other critical areas most commonly visited and seen by users.

The bottom line is this:  the more people understand your Website, the higher the conversion rate.  Set a target that ten out of ten visitors to your site will understand the Website's messaging and how to use the Website to meet their needs.

• More than ever people are shopping on the web.
• More potential business partners/clients are using the web as a first evaluation of your company. Businesses can no longer afford to have subpar look and feel.
• Most individual web users make credibility/trust judgments based on the look and feel of your Website.
• 55-60% of shopping cart visitors abandon the cart. On average over 50% of web users "bounce" – leave a site without looking at another page. Web marketers need to take steps to make their sites "sticky".
• Web marketers must analyze their statistics and do user testing to see where users are having difficulty and correct these obstacles.

1. What do you want visitors to do on the page they are on?

2. Use large fonts and very few messages that direct them to that thing.

3. Do not give them many other things to do that may confuse visitors and take them off the page.

Avoid clutter and embrace simplicity to get more results from each page of your Website.

We have seen two important trends in user testing around people thinking too much and failing at a Website task.  The first is large blocks of content that says nothing.  Here is an example from a real Website:

ABEL is a non-proft service that improves results through its professional learning curriculum and its virtual community were members share knowledge and collaborate with each other. Through the implementation of information communication technology (ICT), the ABEL program transforms learning by connecting people.

Browse our website to access a variety of learning resources, ABEL-designed programs, including the professional learning program, and to learn about our past events and current opportunities.

What are they saying?

Use clear bullet points that can be scanned by users in the language they speak.

The second area is confusing navigation and links.  Users simply will not click on something they have to think about too much.  They just leave and go to another Website. Use one central navigation system with easily understood link titles.  If you have difficulty deciding on your link titles, visit Wordtracker.com to see the most popular search terms.

One of the best compliments a user can say about your Website, or any technology, is that they don’t have to think to use it.

Tom Young 

The major premise of the book is how to avoid the red ocean of highly competitive company’s struggling to survive and move into the blue ocean of unlimited market space and business success.  Few companies can make this leap.  The book outlines how some have done it and the steps to make it happen.  Examples of red ocean companies would be Ford and GM or United and American airlines.  These corporations are fighting for market share and offer very little unique benefit for customers. Examples of blue ocean strategies include Apple’s iPod or Cirque du Soleil.  They have very little competition and dominate their market spaces with unique offerings.

The Internet has tremendous blue ocean potential as most Websites swim around in a red ocean competing against each other in the wrong areas!  Here are a few examples of red ocean versus blue ocean strategies on the Web.

Red Ocean – Competing on who has the best graphic design.

Blue Ocean – Making it simple for users with clean, professional and basic designs.

Red Ocean – Using marketing speak and sales content in an attempt to impress visitors.

Blue Ocean – Communicating directly, with bullet points and avoiding marketing-speak.

Red Ocean – Adding bells and whistles to the Website for flash and sizzle.

Blue Ocean – Understanding user needs and giving them what they want.

Red Ocean – Using photos as design elements, branding and placeholders.

Blue Ocean- Using meaningful photos with captions that tell a story and benefit visitors.

The list can go on and on.

The good news is that your Website can easily move into a blue ocean by meeting the needs of users, keeping it simple and communicating directly.  This is such a powerful step it can provide a competitive advantage for your business and get you one step closer to a blue ocean strategy.

The good news is that we will soon be launching Webinars and an interactive slide presentation to educate Web marketing professionals on the four steps to success on the Internet.

In the meantime, keep listening to our Podcasts and look for a lot of new content coming soon about the four steps to online success.

Tom

Make sure the Website has very clear call to action buttons or clear and easy to read phone numbers. Connect call to action items to the content on the Web page and make it useful or valuable, not a tease. Experiment with call to action items in your navigation system.

Are your navigation link titles intuitive? Make sure users understand where they are going when they click on a link in your navigation system. They should not have to guess.

Convey product and service value through photos, audio, video, written content, specs, testimonials, customer rankings, information on product uses, product care information and other ideas you can come up with. Set up a cross-sell and up-sell strategies and use product and service information to increase sales.

Thomas Young

When we speak of a user-friendly shopping experience, what does this entail?

Keep it simple and ask the prospect or customer. Don’t make assumptions, because most people are too close to their company to accurately see things through the eyes of their customers or prospects. How much do customers have to think about the process and accomplishing the details of their shopping and purchasing actions? Was it intuitive or clumsy? Users do not want to think too much, they simply want to get their needs met around buying and/or shopping. The easier the better!

Oftentimes, companies have a hard time making their complex offer simple. The results are a confusing process and barriers put in the way of a sale. For example, a confusing, difficult to use Website, will not produce sales effectively. Yet, this happens because many Websites are built without the proper research and planning, which includes understating the needs of the Website visitor. Your customers and prospects can describe what makes sense to them, why they buy and how to simplify your offer and shopping experience.

Another way of defining a shopping experience is to watch the shopper as they go about their activities either in a store or on a Website. These observations will define obstacles to the sale and motivators toward a sale.

How can a company determine whether they have holes in their shopping experience that potential buyers are falling through?

Watching customers and prospects and talking to them about their shopping experience is the best way to remove holes in the process. Also, research your competitors and their best practices. Look at your Website statistics, which are very revealing. An especially important page, is the most common exit page on your Website. Finally, mystery shopping is another way to find holes. Impartial, research professionals should go through the steps your customer follows and report on holes in the process and motivators that can be built upon to close the sale. A common hole on the Web is prospects waiting too long for email responses. This hurts sales and the company’s brand.

Provide an example of a poor shopping experience and how it could be improved.

On the Web, people respond well to navigation systems and action buttons. Also, the majority of Website users scan and do not read blocks of text. Websites that use a lot of written content, do not have static navigation systems or have hard to find clickable buttons do poorly converting visitors. Users also look for key content under photos or on the left side of the page. This will help the online shopping experience.

Putting important buttons below the fold also hurts online conversions. The area below the fold is the part of your Website that is below the user’s screen. What do users see above and below the fold on your Website?

Just because the IT or development team gets the Website and how it operates, does not mean your target market will understand how to use the site.

How can a company bring different areas (and often different teams internally) of shopping together to make a coherent experience again and again, no matter what your entry point? (From print advertising, to window displays, to online, to catalogs, to purchasing, to merchandising, store layout and ambiance, and packaging?)

The key here is consistency. All customers and prospects should be able to understand and recognize the company’s offering from any point of contact. It not only makes it easier to understand for the prospect, but it shows that you are a trustworthy company that is organized.

Another helpful idea is to write a tag line of 8-12 words that identifies your business offering accurately and leaves no doubt in the mind of your target market about what you are offering and how you can meet their needs. This tag line should be on all your materials. Here is an example:

Vistage.com: Enhancing the lives of CEOs, the world’s largest CEO membership organization. Better leaders, decisions and results.

I’ve heard that some stores maintain a haphazard look because that’s what their customer’s expect from a discount retailer (although this clearly doesn’t apply online). How would you respond to this thought?

I can’t think of any instance when this would be appropriate online or offline, unless you are trying to loose money.

Are there simple, basic rules to follow when creating a user friendly shopping experience?

On the Web, there are certain standards that are familiar to Web users. These standards can be seen on the large, ecommerce Websites that receive millions of visitors. Follow these standards online and you have improved the online shopping experience.

Here are just a few of these standards:

• Logo in upper left hand corner
• Consistent design throughout the site
• Static navigation system
• Easy to find search box that produces relevant results
• Contact information on every page
• Phone number in the top masthead
• Extensive use of photos and video if possible
• Scannable text
• Avoid flash and too many design elements

How do these rules apply to service providers and B to B?

They apply to both. Business to business customers may require more research and the Internet is an excellent resource tool. Have scannable content on the front-end pages and volumes of content on interior pages. Business to business prospects are looking for less complexity in their work lives just as they do in their personal lives. The shopping experience with your company should make things easier, not more difficult. We recently ran an email campaign that mentioned “no-hassle” and “make your life easier” promotions and conversions soared.

Give your customers and prospects a break and simplify your shopping experience so they can think less and buy more.

Ability to Use the Web

The competence level of users can vary from novice to expert and their ability online does have an impact on the effectiveness of your Website. Websites should be usable by a wide variety of abilities. For example, many novice Web users are over 45 years of age, have a strong desire to use the Web and money to spend online. What is the ability of your average site visitor in your target market? Do they understand the basics of Web navigation and searches engines? Can they use a browser’s functionality? How well does your Website appeal to the novice user? Most Web users are somewhere in the middle, but the trend is toward a higher level of online competencies.

Readers vs. Scanners

Does the user take the time to read instructions or blocks of text on the site? Do they scan quickly for overviews? Websites should be designed for both scanners and readers. The user should be able to scan the surface of the site and dig deep for volumes of content to read if they like. Most Web users are scanners first and readers second. Also, scanners are more likely to click on text links while scanning content.

Click vs. Scrollers

Many users will not click on a link for fear of being taken to another Website, losing their progress or getting lost. Do your site visitors favor scrolling and the safety of a long page? Or are they comfortable clicking? It is important to know what appears above the fold on your Web page and how this appeals to clickers who may not scroll below the fold.

Shoppers (browsers) vs. Target Buyers

Is the user comfortable browsing the site for various items or do they come with a specific product or service in mind? How well does your site do with shoppers and browsers? Most Web surfers have a very specific task they are looking to accomplish online. Your site should understand what that is and lead them in the right direction.

Click on Graphic Ads vs. Will not Click on Ads

Is the user willing to click on ads and large graphics? Or do they ignore these graphics and use text and the navigation system to find what they need? Many Websites contain large clickable graphics and ads. Most users ignore these ads.

Will Call a Toll Free Number for Help vs. Will Never Call

Many Web users prefer not to deal with the hassles of calling a toll free number. They are on the Web to buy or get information online and would rather not call. Does your Website function as a tool to drive people to a toll free phone number or is it easy to get information and purchase online? Most users would rather not call a toll free number for help, although they do like knowing how to contact your business if needed. Website users prefer to get their information and tasks completed on the Website.

Read Privacy and Policy Statements vs. Briefly Scan or NOT Read

These statements are very important and every Website should have them. It is also important to know if your visitors are reading them and how they are reacting. Most Website visitors do not read policies, yet it should not be a barrier to users that do read this important content. Sharing or marketing to their email address is a key factor for users that review privacy statements.

Will Buy Online with Credit Card vs. Never Buy Online

Some, novice Web users are likely to use the Internet to get information, but not put their credit card online because of a lack of understanding about security issues. It is important that you understand what percent of your visitors will not buy anything online. These site visitors need easy access to your phone number.

Look at Graphics and Photos vs. Look for Content

Just about all Website users love photos and static visual images that are not perceived as ads or clip art. Many users are also interested in specific written content. What are the key areas of interest for your site visitors? Are there enough photos on the Website to build interest and enough written content to explain your offering?

Use of the Search Function vs. Navigation Menus

The majority of users do not use a Website’s search function because it is difficult to get results. Many search queries on Websites are unique and often difficult to produce intended results. Users have learned to avoid searching on a Website and stick to the navigation menus. Make sure all the pages can be reached from a well-structured, static and intuitive navigation system.

Look for Deals vs. Looking for Quality

Most users look for great pricing on the Web; however don’t forget the market for hard to find items or quality goods. These user types are not necessarily looking for a great price, but rather a great buy. Which marketplace is your site targeting?

Default Settings or Customize

When a user shops on your site are they more comfortable with the site showing them the options and leading them through a process? Or do they want to drive and customize what they are doing on the Website?

The better you can understand you site visitors’ preferences, research your marketplace and understand your Web stats, the better you can convert Website visitors into sales leads or customers. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through well-planned usability testing. Get inside the head of your site visitors to better meet their needs and design a better Website.

Thomas Young

Make it clear that your Website is the official Website for your brand. There are many copycats and competitors that look to steal other’s brands. Users need to know they are at the right place.

Twenty-five percent of online shoppers and browsers will never use a credit card online. This is due to lack of education about Web security and trust issues. Many of these people have no problem using a credit card in a restaurant, which is a much less safe environment. These people will buy on the phone however, so make sure your phone number is prominently displayed on the upper right part of your Website. Put the number on all site pages, because when they are ready to call, the phone number needs to be easy to find. This makes it easy for the user to buy. The good news is 75% of Web browsers will buy online and use their credit card.

Include privacy statements on your Website because they are read by 60% of visitors. They will often make their decision based on what they read in this section.

Nothing on a Website should look like an ad, unless it really is an ad. People ignore online ads and see them as a distraction. We have seen this repeatedly in user testing sessions and it is confirmed by many usability studies on the Web.

Assume people don’t know. Companies get into trouble when they assume visitors to their site will know what they mean, when in fact many will not have a clue. Keep it simple. Explain your business in a simple, clear and concise way.

Twenty-five percent of Web surfers are visiting blogs on a regular basis. They don’t always expect information to be truthful or accurate and tend to intuit whether something is fact or an opinion. When people read universal truths, they believe them. Keep your blogs focused on facts and reveal your sources when possible.

Tom Young
Source: Consumer Reports’ Web Watch

So the market is in place, now there needs to be good content for these listeners and that is what you will find in our podcast. In fact, it is our goal to be the best podcast on the subject of Internet marketing.

Check it out here at intuitiveblog.com or at iTunes. Let us know what you think and we will improve the podcast as we go along. But most of all enjoy, and learn how to be successful online.

Tom Young

While it was easy to find a “day pass” to get online at Starbucks, actually paying took forever! Everytime there was an error in the form, all credit card information and security information had to be retyped “for security reasons.” First, there was a problem with my not reading the fine print on the number of characters needed in the username. Retype all my information. I’ll take the blame on this one. Second, someone had already used the name I chose. Retype all my information. Third, don’t use the same username as password (ok, that was a dumb try on my part, but I was trying to take the easy way out….not). Retype all my information. Fourth, someone had already used the name I chose again (I did not think lisalisa would be that popular…). Retype all my information.

The moral of the story…don’t make your users WORK to pay you. Most of them are not as desperate as me.

A poll of 775 consumers by Allurent, Inc. shows that 82 percent would be less likely to return to a site where they had a frustrating experience. Thirty-three percent say they may not shop at the company’s brick and mortar store after a bad online experience. “And 55% of consumers surveyed said that a frustrating shopping experience online negatively impacts their overall opinion of that retailer.”

In addition to issues with high shipping costs, pricing, and inventory problems, other issues that led to negative online shopping experiences included:
-poor site navigation
-problems with checkout
-inadequate browsing capabilities
-not enough product details to close the sale

And, 51% said they abandoned their shopping cart because the checkout process was too lengthy.

Lisa

Lisa

So the challenge is to get out of your head, out of your own work, and into the head of the user.  It is almost like you are in a different country and you are learning new customs and languages.  Unfortunately, there are no handbooks that translate the language of your customer’s and targeted user’s usability.  You have to find out for yourself by observing them in action.  This may involve letting go of a few things that seemed extremely important during the development process.

If you want your Website to get results, listen to the user.  I recommend having someone in the development meetings actually represent the user.  A staff member form sales or marketing should be good at this role.  Keep in mind your Website users will out number you many times over.  Ultimately, the users will determine the fate of all the planning and work that went into the Website development, so why not make it easy on yourself?

Tom Wood-Young

A fundamental rule of Web usability is aligning the needs of the user with what you are offering as a company.  Anything else could well be a distraction and hurt your Web marketing efforts.

Tom Wood-Young

Obviously, making technology simple has been a challenge for years.  We would love to hear your ideas for making the complex simple and making the Web easier to use and therefore provide more benefit to businesses and consumers.

Take advantage of the Web’s biggest benefit to business and society and add your comments to help communicate this knowledge.

Enjoy the Intuitive Websites Blog!

Thomas Wood-Young, CEO

Intuitive Websites, LLC