work at home
Question: What's the best way to sell online?
Do you need a content based site? Or will web pages designed
as sales letters work just as well?
I'd say I'm in the minority on this one. I've spoken to lots
of online marketers, many of them experts, and most disagree
with me on this. But today I'd like to state my case and
look at both sides of this issue...
For the record, I'm on the content side of the debate. I
feel that there are major benefits gained by offering a
content based site to your niche market, no matter who that
niche may be.
Yet there are plenty of marketers who do well using simple
direct sales copy websites and virtually no content. They
contend that a site loaded with content is no more effective
at selling than a carefully crafted sales letter website.
I'll get to their side of the coin in a minute, but first
let me explain why I'm for content...
You see, there are a few things that a content based site
can accomplish, which a non-content based site cannot. And I
feel that they are important enough to sway the debate.
Content sites can generate...
-
Lots of repeat visitors and a 'following'
-
More incoming links and high volume traffic from search
engines (for free)
-
Increased chance of free publicity via other media
-
Lower cost per visitor!
Let me touch briefly on each of these items above...
Number one, "lots of repeat visitors and a following" is
quite simple. Web surfers who find a site that helps them
learn about their interests usually bookmark the site and
return to it. They also are more likely to opt in to receive
more information via email, whether it be a free email
course or an email newsletter. In time, this factor will
grow a customer base substantially.
Number two above, "more incoming links and high volume
traffic from search engines" is also something sales letter
sites don't usually get much of. After all, most webmasters
want to link to sites that help their visitors. Those are
usually content sites. The one exception is affiliate links
but many search engines do not give them enough merit to
help search engine ranking. More incoming links means
content sites get more free traffic, via the links
themselves, AND the via search engines. Engines rank
popular sites higher. Just look at all the content based
sites near the top of the major search engine returns. That
does not happen by accident. Oh sure, you'll find many sales
letter sites near the top too, but many times the webmaster
is paying dearly for every click, via some pay-per-click
engine that has partnered with the major search engine.
Let's move to number three above; "increased chance of free
publicity via other media". Have you ever seen any sales
letter sites written up in newspapers, magazines, trade
periodicals or the like? Not likely. Most free publicity
goes to the sites that share valuable information, tools or
services for FREE.
Finally, number four says it all. "Lower cost per visitor!"
This is the resuls of items one through three above,
working together. Content based sites simply enjoy a lower
cost per visitor. I know this first hand because I have cut
my advertising spending literally to zero many times in the
past and still watch traffic pour into my sites.
That's right, it is my content that significantly lowers my
cost to acquire new website visitors, and in turn,
customers. This is far too important for small businesses to
overlook. Most businesses fail because of poor marketing or
lack of marketing dollars. So unless you have very deep
pockets to promote your site with, you may actually NEED
content to grow your business.
So why do so many experts and proven marketers contend that
a site loaded with content is no more effective than a
carefully crafted sales letter website?
Perhaps they are measuring conversion rates, or visitor to
sales ratios and NOT cost per visitor.
But cost per visitor is just as important in my humble
opinion. And I maintain that the cost per visitor is ALWAYS
lower for content based sites. That's because content based
sites always have those four factors above working for them!
OK, now let's let the other site of the debate and share
their viewpoint. Here are two major arguments made by
non-content site proponents...
The first one is the obvious; it just takes too much time to
construct a content based site. And that is indeed a valid
point. Many marketers simply do not have the time it takes
to put together a site with lots of content.
My take on that is, why not add content on a regular basis,
say weekly or even monthly. Over time your site can begin to
slowly to take advantage of all the benefits listed above.
The other main argument made for simple sales letter sites
contends that a content based website attracts too many
"freebie seekers". Again, a valid point, however...
I maintain that ANY targeted visitor is valuable to you as a
website owner, even if they are so-called freebie seekers.
After all, aren't we all freebie seekers at one time or
another? I search for free information on the web on a daily
basis. To me, that's the very cornerstone of the web itself.
It's a place where you can learn about anything, simply by
searching for it and weeding out the results.
Oh sure, there are lots of people who will NEVER buy
anything on the web. But there are also lots of people who
start out as freebie seekers then end up buying. Where do
they buy? In most cases they buy from a site they are
familiar with. A site or person that has already helped
them. And gaining that customer is MUCH easier with a
content based site.
Here are two letters I received just last week that back up
this theory...
>"Jim, I just wanted to let you know I just bought your new
>Make A Living Online package. I've been getting your
>newsletter for two years now and have been to your
>bizweb2000 site probably 100 times. I'm finally ready to
>start my venture and you've proven to me that you have the
>help I need! I look forward to working with you and
>picking your brain even more."
>
>- Name Withheld
>Jim,
>I've been on your list since way back when you had 5000 or
>so subscribers. I don't know why I didn't take the time to
>look at your www.Make-A-Living-Online.com site a LONG time
>ago! I sat down tonight and read completely through it
>ONCE... I was immediately convinced I needed to buy your
>package and do it right this time! I'm tired of fiddling
>around with "opportunites" and making mistake after mistake
>trying to get a business going.
>
>By the way, I am very interested in the affiliate program
>for this package! Have you launched it yet? In addition to
>the financial products I plan to create, your Make A Living
>Online package is absolutely PERFECT for my visitors who
>might be looking to start a home-based business.
>
>Thanks Jim! Of all the online business people I know, you
>are definitely #1 and have earned the most respect in my
>book!
>
> Best Regards,
> Dave Mauder - Mauder's Money Matters
> http://www.mauder.com
I know, those are just two letters. But I get stuff like
that all the time. I don't think I would get much of that at
all had I not concentrated some effort on providing content.
Finally, I contend that many well-known marketers are
beginning to realize all of this. I'm seeing more and more
of them adding free content, tools and more to their sites.
And while I certainly do not recommend every webmaster try
to turn their site into a 100+ page mega site, perhaps you
should consider adding SOME content to your site too.
And one last thing I want to make clear... sales letters are
NOT a bad thing. Carefully crafted sales letters should play
an integral part of your site's makeup. But should your
sales letter BE your site? I think not. Of course, I'm just
one so-called online marketing expert. The decision is yours
and yours alone. At least now you know both sides of the
debate.
* This online business tip by
Jim Daniels of JDD Publishing Co., helping webmasters prosper since 1996. If you
want to work at home here's all
the help and expert advice you need.
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