and quality of web content. Consumer WebWatch4 surveyed 2,600 internet users in 2002, and asked how they evaluated websites for credibility. On the subject of ecommerce websites, comments from respondents related to: Design look (46.2%). Information structure (26.5%). Information focus or depth (24.7%). Information usefulness (16.3%). Information accuracy (15.5%). This research clearly indicates that visitors rely heavily on visual design including layout, typography, white space, images and colour scheme to make credibility judgements on websites. Visitors also seek information that is wellorganised, focused and useful. Consumer confidence and product knowledge will increase with the provision of accurate information. In January 2003, Harris Interactive found that 35% of the 2,221 US respondents were annoyed with unreliable and inaccurate information found online. “An informed consumer is likely to be a satisfied consumer”. (Better Business Bureau) Visuals Sound Visual information captures attention, clarifies text and positions products in the competitive web environment. ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ but sound adds another dimension to the website, engaging the auditory sense and sustaining the visitor’s interest.
This practical and concise guide contains ideas extracted from over 2,000 websites reviewed especially for this book It explains the marketing benefits of the selected ideas, includes tips and guidelines and refers to 262 web examples, including 50 screenshots, to demonstrate their application Discover various ways to • Attract and retain visitors • Project your expertise and authority • Build your reputation and inspire confidence • Present favourably your products and services • Sell and cross-sell your products • Build a database of qualified leads • Elicit and utilise feedback astutely • Give visitors reasons to bookmark your site • Improve your customer service • And much more 200 marketing ideas for your website Do you need new ideas for your website? 200 marketing ideas for your website These pages are bursting with constructive ideas Put one idea into practice to get your money’s worth from this book, or implement several ideas to transform your website into a powerful marketing tool Henriette Martel-Lawson Author speaker & consultant ISBN 0-9752186-0-3 Henriette Martel-Lawson ‘The Australian Web Marketer with a French accent’ runs her own online business and teaches website strategies to small and medium enterprises, including web designers and developers Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website Henriette Martel-Lawson 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website by Henriette Martel-Lawson Published by Marketing Cues 21 Sandover Drive Karrinyup WA Australia 6018 http://www.marketingcues.com ©2004 Henriette Martel-Lawson This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter covered It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book Every effort has been taken to make this book as complete and accurate as possible All information used has been referenced when details were available Whilst written in good faith, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, e.g mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review Cover design: Design City Editor: Derek Martel-Lawson Ebook ISBN 0-9752186-1-1 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com About the Hyperlinks About the Hyperlinks To facilitate the navigation of this document, five types of hyperlinks are provided: Glossary terms: links to definitions Table of Contents: links to headings and ideas PDF Bookmarks: These navigation bookmarks are buttons that launch pages If you can’t view them, click on the tab called “Bookmarks’ on the left side of the navigation pane The bookmarks menu can be expanded or collapsed Index of websites: links to references to websites within the document (http://www.URLs.com): links to websites from which examples have been drawn An URL is not linked to the website when: The website owner has requested not to be linked The website is no longer operational The example is a short-term event or promotion e.g a special offer or contest, that is no longer current The details provided in the example are self- explanatory and give the gist of the idea without warranting a visit to the website Please report any broken link to improve the ebook to mailto:hmartel@marketingcues.com 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com Table of Contents Table of Contents About the Hyperlinks Table of Contents Table of Figures 13 Acknowledgements 15 Introduction 16 PART Product Information 19 Visuals & Sound 20 10 11 12 13 14 15 Product ‘in context’ 21 Multiple angles 22 Tangible clues for quality 23 Individual versus group shots 23 Thumbnails 24 Product composition 25 Product colours 25 Unique attributes 25 ‘Feel’ 26 Location shots 26 Lifestyle photos 27 Meaningful pictures 28 ‘Service’ shot 28 Sound 29 Audio introduction 29 Product Details 30 16 17 18 19 20 Benefits & features 30 Target market 30 Substantiation 31 Graphs & charts 31 Exclusivity & customisation 32 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com Table of Contents Information Structure 33 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Hierarchy of information 33 Product groupings 33 Categories 33 One-page information 35 Product ranking 35 Comparison shopping 36 Backup information 38 Mouseovers 39 Problem & solution 39 Supplementary Information 41 30 31 32 33 34 35 PART Product use 41 Product in action 42 Product history 43 Product applications 45 Virtual tour 45 Fun facts & curios 46 Editorial & Tools 48 Editorial Information 48 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Blog 48 Tutorials 50 Articles 51 White papers 51 Webinars 52 Step-by-step guides 53 Glossary 53 Library 53 Interviews 54 Reviews 55 Elsewhere 55 Useful links 56 Directory 57 Self-service Tools 59 49 50 51 Buyer’s guides 59 Product content tools 60 Calculators 60 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com Table of Contents 52 53 54 PART 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 PART Self-assessment tools 61 Design tools 61 Virtual models 62 Credentials 63 Testimonials 63 Experts & customers reviews 65 Portfolio 66 Case studies 66 Client list 68 Story selling 68 Makeovers 69 Endorsement seal 70 Expert endorsement 71 Celebrity endorsement 71 Product awards 72 Sales Strategies 73 Selling Approaches 73 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 Unique Selling Proposition (USP) 73 Pricing 74 Packaging 74 Bundling 75 Solution & prevention 76 Projects supply 77 Ask the expert 77 Fear 78 Worthy cause 79 Pre-selling 80 Cross-selling 81 76 77 78 79 Complementary products 81 Target products 82 Accessories 83 Affiliate program 84 Sales Promotion 85 80 81 82 83 84 Top sellers 85 Web exclusives 86 Coupons 86 Hot prices 87 Free offers 88 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com Table of Contents 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 Free samples 89 Bonus packs 90 Joint vouchers 91 Volume discounts 91 Cumulative discounts 92 Purchase plans 92 Rebates on next purchase 92 Loyalty programs 93 Last minute deals 93 Clearance outlet 94 Chance to win 94 Gift Ideas 96 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 PART 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 PART 116 117 118 119 Types of gift certificates 96 Gift giving solution 97 Gift advisor 97 Gift wrapping 98 Gift search options 99 Gift plans 99 Corporate gift certificates 100 Gift registry 101 Database Builders 102 Product registration 102 Event registration 103 Registration incentives 104 E-newsletter 105 Daily tips delivery 106 Daily audio tips 107 Memberships 107 Tracking trade with customers 109 Email notifications 110 Free e-course 111 Series 111 Contests 111 Community 113 Art gallery 113 Community photo gallery 114 Forums 114 Community product reviews 114 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com Table of Contents 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 PART Community news & articles 115 Favourite links 116 Production involvement 117 Free personal webpages 117 Classified ads 118 Networking 119 Tributes 119 Calendar 120 Guest books 121 Event sponsorship 121 Community contest 122 Charity contest 122 Freebies & Games 124 Fun & Freebies 124 132 133 134 135 136 Cartoons 124 Daily quotes, facts & tips 126 Freebies 126 Desktop calendars and wallpapers 127 Greeting e-cards & postcards 127 Competitions 129 137 Scavenger hunt 129 138 Joint scavenger hunt 129 139 Competitions 130 Games 133 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 PART Sliding puzzles 133 Memory games 134 Word search games 136 Hangman 137 Daily games 138 Quizzes 139 Crossword puzzles 140 Customer Service 141 Customer Support 142 147 Technical support 142 148 FAQs 142 149 User manuals 144 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 10 Table of Contents Communication 145 150 Discontinued product alert 145 151 Reminder messages 145 152 Wish list 146 Cross-channel Services 147 153 154 155 156 Catalogue 147 Offline & online traffic 147 Offline classes 148 Print documentation 150 Policies 152 157 158 159 160 Security 152 Privacy 153 Internet security options 154 Guarantees 154 E-commerce Functions 156 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 PART Niche inventory 156 Catalogue quick shop 157 Order form 157 Currency converter 157 Shipping & delivery 159 Shipping options 160 Tracking system 160 About Us 161 Who You Are 161 168 169 170 171 172 173 Your team 161 Your organisation 162 Business history 162 Awards 165 Partnerships & alliances 165 Featured employee 166 Recruitment of Staff 167 174 Job opportunities 167 175 Employee benefits 167 176 Premises virtual tour 168 Public Relations (PR) 169 177 Media corner 169 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 194 Glossary Glossary Affiliate: associate in an affiliate program Affiliate program: partnership in which a webmaster drives traffic to the associate’s website using outbound links and receives a commission for sales, subscriptions, site visits or any other agreed actions resulting from the referral Anchor: source or destination of a link The anchor can be a word, phrase, graphic or URL Audiocast: short for audio broadcast: online live or delayed transmission of an online event, e.g press conference, lecture An audiocast is a one-way communication medium using audio and slides but no video as in a webcast See also Webcast, Webinar Blog: short for web log: online diary or journal updated regularly and organised chronologically Used as a verb, blog means to author a blog There are two types of blogs: Personal and Business B-Blog: short for Business-Blog: blog used for business purposes Blogger: person writing the blog or the name of a web-based tool to create and publish instantly the blogs on a website Bookmark: link to a webpage saved in Bookmarks (Netscape) or Favorites (Internet Explorer) Breadcrumbs: navigation tool that indicates the trail of webpages to the homepage 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 195 Index of Websites Cross-sell: sales technique used to increase the total value of an order by suggesting additional related products during or soon after the purchase process Deep link: outbound link to a webpage other than the other website’s homepage FAQs: short for Frequently Asked Questions: common questions with their answers Forum: online discussion group in which visitors communicate with each other by posting comments on a message board Inbound link: incoming link from another website See also Deep link Internal link: link to other parts of the same website Link popularity: search engine ranking criteria based on the number of quality inbound links Mouseover: also called Rollover: technique used to cause a page element to change or to appear when text or an object is ‘rolled over’ with the mouse, rather than being clicked Newbies: inexperienced internet users Opt-in: request to be included on a mailing list See also Permission marketing Opt-out: request to be removed from a mailing list Outbound link: outgoing link to another website PDF: short for Portable Document Format: file format that captures all the elements of the document as an electronic image To view PDF files you need Acrobat Reader— free download is available from the Internet 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 196 Index of Websites Permission marketing: online sales approach whereby people agree– give permission– for the sender to email information, newsletters, notifications or promotional material to them Post: notice, comment or message that is broadcast Used as a verb, post means to broadcast a notice, comment or message on a webpage Reciprocal link: outbound link in exchange for an inbound link or vice versa Search engine: program that indexes internet files and stores them in a database When a search is performed the program retrieves a list of webpages from the database in which the entered keywords are found The web search engine indexes a large proportion of the files found on the web but a site search engine is limited to pages found within one or more specified websites Search engine optimisation (SEO): use of strategies such as choosing targeted keywords and strategically positioning them on webpages in an effort to improve the ranking in the search engine results and therefore increase the likelihood of attracting more visitors to the website Spam: electronic junk mail or unsolicited bulk email Thumbnail: thumbnail-sized (i.e miniature) version of a picture Thumbnails are used to display a large group of pictures and still maintain a relatively short download time Thumbnails are often linked to a webpage that contains the enlarged version of the picture Up-sell: sales technique suggesting the purchase of a more expensive product, usually with additional features, to increase the value of the transaction 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 197 Index of Websites URL: acronym for Uniform Resource Locator: unique address of a file on the Internet The URL of a webpage is displayed in the web browser’s address bar (Internet Explorer) or location field (Netscape) Viral marketing: also called online word of mouth or word of mouse: promotion via email between internet users To encourage viral marketing, webmasters provide an ‘Email to a friend’ button on webpages Webcast: short for web broadcast: online live or delayed transmission of an event, e.g press conference, lecture Webcast is a one-way communication medium using video, audio and slides See also Audiocast, Webinar Webinar: short for web-based seminar: online live or delayed transmission of an event, e.g workshop, seminar Webinars are similar to webcasts except that they are a two-way communication medium which means that the presenter and audience can interact See also Audiocast, Webcast Webmaster: person responsible for developing and maintaining a website White paper: detailed and authoritative report 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 198 Index of Websites Index of Websites 0-9 0800flowers.com, 74 1to9.com, 100 Wheel Parts, 91 A Allete, 171 Alpha Sigma Kappa, 121 Amazing Designs, 88 Amazon.com, 65, 115 AMD, 185 Anything Left-Handed, 21, 162 Apple, 142 Aqua Falls, 46 Aquazoo, 33 Aspen Mortgage, 53 Ausfish.com.au, 114, 127 AutomationDirect, 147 B BabyTrain, 93, 112 Balloons Over New England, 43 Barbara’s Bakery, 79 Bed Bath & Beyond, 59 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 199 Index of Websites BizRate, 36 BizReport, 152 Blogger, 49 BodyTrends, 75 Bottle Domains, 143 Bravenet, 114, 116, 118, 121, 125, 128, 174, 179, 190 Britishcarforum.com, 113, 120 Buckle Babies, 22, 23, 74 C Capital Bank, 60 Chandra X-Ray Observatory, 46, 50, 122, 127, 136, 139, 150 Cheapskate Monthly, 126 Classic Aero Models, 92 Cleveland Nursery, 87 Coach, 119 ComScore Media Metrix, 124 Connect Away, 107 Consumer Internet Barometer, 36, 87, 98, 159 Consumer WebWatch, 20, 172, 176, 182 CoolPick, 126 CoolSavings, 85, 86, 110 Curtin University of Technology, 94 D Del Rey Books, 130 Deloitte, 96 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 200 Index of Websites Diamond.com, 59 Did you know?, 47, 126 Discovery Channel Store, 36, 93 Disney, 145 DistinctDeliveries.com, 74 Do it Best, 76 Doctors Foster & Smith, 32, 34, 53, 68, 154 Driza-Bone, 100 Drugstore.com, 73, 78 E Ebags, 85, 155 eHobbies, 88 eMarketer, 31 Entech Group, 71 Esplin Architects, 66 Expedia, 110 F Femail Creations, 45, 80, 120, 182, 188, 189 Ferl, 115 Fiona Maclean Designs, 186 Fish Link Central, 192 Flowers.com.au, 130 Freefind.com, 179 Frontgate, 27 FTD Florists, 175 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 201 Index of Websites FTD.com, 98, 100, 145 Fulton Lane Inn, 46 G Gap, 98 Garnet Hill, 45, 82 Gas Technology Products LLC, 166 GHI, 79 Glidden Paint, 52 Godiva, 46, 91 Goodguys.com, 74 Google.com, 179 GrailQuest Industries, 126 Green Home, 75 Gucci, 26 H Hallmark, 127, 128 Hancock Fabrics, 77, 123 Harris Interactive, 20, 152 Harris Poll, 19 Head & Shoulders, 106 Heala, 90 HerbaCall, 64 Hershey, 26, 46 Home Trends, 86, 155 House of Tartan, 61 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 202 Index of Websites I IBM, 171 ICOS, 167 Iguana, 80 Imaginarium.com, 83 Innovations, 79, 95 Insider Viewpoint of Las Vegas, 129, 154 InsightExpress, 51, 52 iSUBSCRiBE, 92 J J.C Penney, 166 Jakob Nielsen, 51 Jefferson Lab, 135, 137, 140 Jelly Belly Bean, 47 Journée, 168 JSC Dasfa, 92 Jupiter Research, 49, 85, 159 K Karate Planet, 39 Kingman Area Chamber of Commerce, 91 KJE Computer Solutions, 90 Kodak, 45, 87 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 203 Index of Websites L Lands’ End, 25, 62 Learning Resources, 72 Loralie, 82 Louisianatravel.com, 105 M Magellan’s, 65, 88 MARBLELIFE, 70, 86 McCormick, 112 Miles Kimball, 147, 157 Mindwerx International, 71 Mizambar, 132 Musician’s Friend, 153, 165 Myer, 175 N Nature's Rx, 91 NB Web Express, 25 NCEE, 147 Neiman Marcus, 80 NetIQ, 65, 66, 103, 111, 152 New Zealand Post Stamps Centre, 78 Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage, 133, 134, 137 NFO, 153 NITLE, 49 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 204 Index of Websites NOP, 102 Nordic Track, 41, 102, 144 Nordstrom, 146, 181 Novell, 185 NSAA, 119 Nurse Entrepreneur Network, 111 O Olde Timers’ Herbals, 163 Outback Emuzing Ranch, 31 P-Q Para Publishing, 29, 89 Pets Place, 57 Pew Internet & American Life Project, 19, 192 PhoCusWright Inc, 76 Preactor International, 66 Precision Information, 170 Promotion World, 54, 55 Purina ONE, 60, 78 R Reading Room, 68 RedBalloon, 97, 99 RedSheriff, 19 Rei, 94, 153 Rembrandt, 107 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 205 Index of Websites Road Runner Sports, 61, 145 Roc Candy, 24 S Science Blog, 56 Simon Delivers, 68 Stop Laughing This Is Serious Gallery, 175 Sumerset Houseboats, 117 Sun Microsystems, 94 Sundance, 27 Sunspirit, 164 Susan Sweeney, 169 Swift CD, 160 Symynet, 70 T Taming the Beast, 55 The Groby Directory, 118 The Home Depot, 60, 61, 96, 149 The International Art Contest, 122 The Knot, 117 The Scrapyard, 93, 148 The Sharper Image, 70, 88 The UCard, 43 TIPWORLD, 106 TopKayaker.net, 156 Toys“R”Us, 160 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 206 Index of Websites Trax, 75, 108 Tropical Quilting, 101 Truckaddons.com, 97 TRUSTe, 153 TSI, 167 Tuross Marine, 28 U-V-W University of Birmingham, 70 University of Western Australia, 38 Vividence, 76 Wal-Mart, 34 Web and Print Design, 35, 37, 53 West Country Violins, 29 Wiggly Wigglers, 42, 90 Williams-Sonoma, 77, 83, 160 Women’s Network Australia, 109 X-Y-Z XE.com, 159 X-rates.com, 158 Xtreeme, 176 YACHTe, 115 Yonex, 72 Yves Rocher, 40, 127 Zdaily.com, 139 ZDNet, 105 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 207 About the Author About the Author ‘The Australian Web Marketer with a French accent’ Henriette Martel-Lawson is an author, professional speaker and web marketing consultant based in Western Australia She specialises in website strategies for small and medium enterprises, including web graphic designers and developers To organise a critique of your website, discuss website strategies or to schedule a seminar or workshop, Henriette can be contacted directly at: mailto:hmartel@marketingcues.com 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 208 Contact Us What’s next? Subscribe to our webmarketingcues newsletter for occasional book updates and lots more tips It’s free You can also join our affiliate program for referral commissions and apply for bulk purchase discounts Contact us Visit http://www.marketingcues.com/ to read the articles, join the affiliate program or subscribe to the newsletter Marketing Cues 21 Sandover Drive Karrinyup WA Australia 6018 mailto:books@marketingcues.com Phone Fax (08) 9243 1260 (08) 9243 1290 For International callers Phone +61 9243 1260 Fax +61 9243 1290 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com ...2 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website Henriette Martel-Lawson 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website... to a Friend 191 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website © Henriette Martel-Lawson www.marketingcues.com 15 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements Thank you, thank you, thank you? ?? To the 3-Ds: Delphine,... strategies Unfortunately, you may find that some examples used to illustrate the ideas have disappeared from websites by the time you read this book That is 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website