Your FAQ Page - A Sales Tool? You Bet!Written by Karon Thackston
by Karon Thackston © 2002 http://www.copywritingcourse.comThe FAQ page… a standard addition to almost any site. It usually lists questions customers ask on a regular basis, and answers to those questions. But what befuddles me is that hardly any sites I’ve visited use this page as a sales tool. Did you think of that? If not, you’re losing out on use of some valuable real estate! FAQ pages are generally well-trafficked areas of your site. With just a few adjustments, your FAQ page could become one of your leading sources for sales conversions. Let me give you a before and after version of one site I visited. I’ve changed some of information so as not to promote (or embarrass) site owner. BEFORE What is source of minerals used in your supplements? We use all-natural minerals from sources such as limestone and dolomite. Nothing artificial. [back to top] What is source of Vitamin C? Ascorbic acid, which was originally gained by isolation from fruits and plants, is produced today by an industrial process. The basis for industrial ascorbic acid synthesis is D-Glucose (grape sugar or corn sugar), one of most common organic compounds in nature. [back to top] Informative? Yes. Does it answer question? Yes. Does it contribute to making sale? Not really. Now, let’s change these two answers just a bit, add a link or two, and see how much more powerful they can become. AFTER What is source of minerals used in your supplements? We use all-natural minerals from sources such as limestone and dolomite. These 100% natural minerals are then carefully processed under low heat to remove impurities and preserve quality. Many minerals are processed under high heat, which literally kills beneficial elements of mineral. Because of our devotion to producing quality vitamins and minerals, we take additional precautions that other manufacturers skip. To ensure you receive most potent supplements possible, choose XYZ Vitamins.
| | Book Summary: Secrets Of Word-Of-Mouth MarketingWritten by Regine P. Azurin
Book Summary: The Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing By: Regine Azurin and Yvette PantillaThis article is based on following book: The Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing "How to trigger exponential sales through runaway word of mouth" George Silverman, Amacom 2001 ISBN 0-8144-7072-6 272 pages Spread word about your hot new product or company! Word-of-mouth marketing is most powerful and persuasive weapon you can use, and it won’t cost you anything! Based on George Silverman’s years of consulting with successful word-of-mouth campaigns of his own clients, here is one of first resources on how to harness often underestimated power of word-of-mouth, and be heard above media noise. 1. Word-of-mouth is actually center of marketing universe. 2. Just as it is untrue that sun revolves around earth, marketing does not really revolve around advertising, selling, and promotions. Much of marketing actually centers around illusion-creation. 3. Word-of-mouth offers an authenticity to it because source is normally independent of company, he or she is offering his or her own candid opinion and therefore, marketing appears credible. 4. Advertising is renting of a medium to send out a carefully crafted message to a specific audience. Everything is paid for, whereas word-of-mouth is a more effective tool; and best of all, it is absolutely free. 5. Word-of-mouth can take on a life of its own. There are no limits to how far-reaching it can be. Just study how fast a good joke on e-mail circulates. 6. Studies have shown that a satisfied customer will tell an average of three people about a product or service she likes, and eleven people about a product or service with which she had a negative experience. 7. Because this is age of Internet, e-mail, websites, chat rooms, and video teleconferencing, word-of-mouth is even more important to businesses today than ever before. 8. The most important way by which sales can increase is by increasing speed with which decisions are made. Decision speed is time it takes for your customer to go from initial awareness to enthusiastic use and recommendation of your product or service. Simplicity, ease, and fun govern decision process. 9. Marketing success is determined more by time it takes for your customer to decide on your product than by any other single factor. Decision speed is more powerful than positioning, image, value, customer satisfaction, guarantees, or even product superiority. 10. Shortening customer’s decision cycle means your product’s benefits, claims, and promises must be obvious and compelling; information must be clear, balanced, and credible; comparisons must reveal meaningful differences, your trials should be free and easy, your evaluations, clear and simple. Guarantees should be ironclad and generous. Testimonials and other word-of-mouth marketing must be relevant and believable. Delivery, training, and support offered must be superior. 11. A good way to spread word on your company is to circulate true, positive stories about it. FedEx is famous for its legendary employee who hired a chopper just to deliver a package forgotten on tarmac. People love a good story, and that is essence of word of mouth. 12. There are 9 levels of word-of-mouth. They range from public scandal of minus 4, product boycott of minus 3, to raving customers/advocates who tell you how great
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