The Net is a great place to learn about anything from
aardvarks to zucchini. And while this information superhighway creates a great
opportunity to discover new things, it comes as a bit of a double-edged sword.
From day one it was inevitable that "Information Overload" would creep
into the equation, and it has.
People are simply bombarded with information and too much of a good thing can be
bad. This trend will continue to grow, and if you're doing business on the web
you need consider solutions. Not only for your own peace of mind, but for your
customers.
Here are some tips that will help you to:
1. Locate information quickly on the web and in your email.
2. Make your website a safe haven for frazzled web
surfers.
3. Make sure your ezine is one that gets read.
LOCATING KEY INFORMATION:
When searching the web, use effective search techniques.
Instead of bouncing from engine to engine. I use the multi- search engine
Dogpile so much I posted it at my site. (here)
- it is ideal for finding things in a hurry. It's also a good idea to take two
minutes and learn the Boolean search terms. Boolean searches result in more relevant returns so you'll find what you're
looking for faster.
Use your email program as a powerful archive.
This is as simple as saving every email message you ever send. A
program like Eudora is ideal for this. Simply create a mailbox called outgoing
archive and rather than deleting old outgoing messages, transfer them all to
this mailbox. People are amazed when you "recall" conversations you
had with them years before. What you're really doing is using the powerful
search tools that scan years of old messages in seconds. You can find
conversations, old passwords, business deals and any other detail in just
seconds.
MAKE YOUR WEBSITE A SAFE HAVEN FOR FRAZZLED SURFERS:
At your website...
Tell your visitors why they should stay, as soon as they arrive!
Don't make your visitors guess what your site will do for them. Prominently
display a reason for them to stick around. Most successful sites go as far
describing their site content right in their URL, so visitors know what to
expect BEFORE they get to the site. If your URL doesn't do that, consider
getting a few domains that do, then redirect them
to your main site.
Once your visitor has arrived, get them to the most popular areas of your site
without delay. You have less than 20 seconds to make an
impression. Most visitors will be gone if they have not found something of value
within that time frame.
Ask for a visitors email address as soon as they arrive.
The very next thing you should do is ask visitors for their email address.
They'll love you for giving them a way to stay in touch and your business will
grow endlessly. Not asking right away was a mistake I was making for years. A
recent adjustment at my home page has
resulted in double the number of subscribers to this newsletter
each day. Consider this one-two punch of attention grabbing and address grabbing
as critical to your long-term success.
Be brief.
Nearly everything you write at your site can be said with half the words.
Remember, paragraphs that are longer than 60 words are too long, particularly on
your main page. (This little paragraph is 60 words!) A wall of text scares web
surfers away. Stick to the point. Use bulleted lists if you can, they make for
an easier read.
MAKE SURE YOUR EZINE IS ONE THAT GETS READ:
Describe each issue in the subject line.
I learned this lesson personally. My own readership increased when I stopped
naming each issue "BizWeb Gazette" and started telling my readers what
each issue contained, right in the subject line. Don't wait to get your readers
attention. Grab it before they decide whether or not to open your
message. Take a few minutes to name each issue with a subject that you yourself
would be interested in. It should be intriguing and relevant to your subscribers
Shorten your newsletter.
I see more and more publishers streamlining their e- publications because of
information overload. Even established ezines like Chronicles
are realizing that less is sometimes more. When subscribers have 100 messages
waiting in their in box it is hard to set aside 15 minutes to read one
newsletter. Try to publish something that can be devoured in five minutes or
less. A good rule of thumb is to keep it under 20k in size. Your readers will be
more likely to read it from top to bottom and you'll earn a faithful following.
* Article by Jim Daniels of
JDD Publishing. Jim's site has helped 1000's of regular folks profit online.
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