Self-Published Author… Who Is Your Audience?

Are you saying to yourself everyday, “I need traffic to my website.“? Understanding the type of people who visit your site is a very important task because you can use that information to enhance your site to suit them. As a result, you will gain more loyal returning visitors that come back again and again for more.

What is the age level and what kind of knowledge does your audience have? An avid reader might linger around a general site on romance novels, but the average mystery buff might turn his nose at the very same site. Similarly, a regular person will leave a site filled with astronomy abstracts but a well educated university graduate will find that site interesting.

Take your audience’s emotional state into consideration when building your site. If a very irritated visitor searches for a solution and comes across your site, you will want to make sure you offer the solution right up front and sell or promote your product to him second. In this way, the visitor will put his trust in you for offering the solution to his problems and is more likely to buy your product when you offer it to him after that.

When you design the layout for your site, you have to take into account the characteristics of your audience. Are they old or young people? Are they looking for entertainment or are they just looking for information served without any icing on the cake? For example, introducing a new, exciting novel with a simple, straightforward black text against white background page will definitely turn prospects away. Make sure your design suits your site’s general theme.

Try to sprinkle conversation style language into your site where you see fit and you will create a sense that your audience is on common ground with you. This in turn builds a trusting relationship between you and your audience, which will come in useful should you want to market a product to your audience.

=================
About The Author
=================

And to help you learn more about reaching your target audience through book marketing and internet marketing, I’m inviting you to claim your Free Membership and Free Gifts when you visit http://www.VirtualTutorialCenter.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You May Also Enjoy:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How To Promote A Self-Published Book Online

Free Videos: Do You Need A Video For Your Book/Product?

Blogging Basics For Authors & Writers

Evaulating Your Book Marketing Success

When it comes to book marketing
online, often times something as
simple as a menu or navigation bar 
on your website that can and will
make a difference.

When it comes your visitor surfing,
navigating, and manuvering around
your website… Is it taking them to
the place you want them to land
and take the action you desire?

Where does your website take your
visitor as they land on your home page
wanting either to purchase, learn more,
or sign up?

 

Comment | Copy This

 

Continue to make it happen! 

Won’t Be Denied,
C.F. Jackson 

* Online Book Marketing: Is Your
Website Readable?

What Would a Domain Name Do For Your Book Marketing?

A question to ask ourselves when venturing into
book marketing online and offline: What Would
a Domain Name Do For Your Book Marketing?

Just like any business, the domain name also
called URL is part of branding and marketing. I
have seen many authors who insist on not taking
time to invest in their success.

Owning your domain is the first step of being successful and taken
seriously on the internet. It is security for your website visitor.

So step into creating a more successful experience with your book
marketing online and off with owning your own domain name!

Go to the link below and get started….

>> http://tinyurl.com/Get-Online-2009

Continue to have a successful 2009!

Won’t Be Denied,
CF-

P.S. Stop thinking about! Just jump to it and let’s start your
book marketing anew with your own URL! ;o)

>> http://tinyurl.com/Get-Online-2009

Book Marketing Strategies With Matt Bacak The Millionaire Internet Marketer & Author

Just a few weeks ago I engulfed myself into over
40 hours of seminars: personal, financial, business,
and internet developement.

The bulk of my 40 hours came from the three day
event hosted by Matt Bacak. It’s events like these
that have helped me gain a better understanding
when it comes learning how to sell your book
online, how to market a book, and website marketing
optimization tips.

I learned about Matt Bacak in 2005 when I attended
an event here in Atlanta. I’ve shared my story of how
it was this event where I learned that there was whole
lot of stuff I didn’t know when it came to being online
as an author. Just having a website with a book cover,
book excerpt and few reviews wasn’t enough.

 

 

After hearing Matt and several others successful people
back in June of 2005 is when I decided to learn more about what I
truly needed in order to be successful online. And since then I’ve
been studying, learning, implementing, and invested in coaching
from those who are successful online. I’ve enjoyed the results from
the knowledge I have and continue to gain.

Since 2005, I’ve had the pleasure to hear Matt Bacak speak and
teach many times. But on this day December 7, 2008 it was an
honor to have the opportunity to speak with him so I could
introduce him to you.

So take a few valuaeable minutes to tune in and to learn a key
strategy you should be implementing online and how to put it
into action…. Today!

 

Resources Mentioned in Interview:
1. Aweber (Have Used)
2. 1Automation Wiz (My Provider)

Are you interested in learning more about how
autoreponders work and how they can benefit
you? 

Just enter you Name and Email below…

Name
Email

 

Talk back and share your thoughts, questions, and ideas.

Continue to make it happen through ACTION!

Won’t Be Denied,
C.F. Jackson

 

Website Marketing Optimization Tips For Unpublished Christian Authors

Website Makeover Monday -
In The Zone Segment

I hope you’ve enjoyed the series
we just wrapped up 6 Steps on
How to Market Your Book Online….

Today we’re back with a Website 
Makeover Workshop Mini Mini Mini
Session!

Not all writers are published authors
as of yet and that’s okay. Today we’re
looking into an unpublished christian
author / writer to learn how to market
a book.

Tune in now to learn a few website
marketing optimization tips… No
matter if you’re published or will be
in the immediate future.

Check Out Featured Author:
Ms. Korika Johnson at www.KorikaJohnson.com

Be sure to read the article: How to Market Your
Book Online

Make It Happen Monday!

Won’t Be Denied,
C.F. Jackson

Book Marketing: 12 Reasons Your Website Is Failing

Here’s a great article from an expert whom I’ve
had the opportunity finally hear LIVE & meet just
earlier this year!

So read the content of this article as if you were
in class because everything he’s sharing is worth
rereading….

Willie Crawford is a internet marketer at heart and
only just a few things may throw you off as an
author… Just continue to move forward and Just
Ask! We’ll provide you an answer!

Share you comments, thoughts, and ideas about
today’s Keys to Success Article… Won’t you do that?

Enjoy!

Won’t Be Denied,
C.F. Jackson
———

12 Reasons Your Website Is Failing

Most Saturdays I conduct a free networking and brainstorming call where we critique and give makeovers to 2-3 websites. On the weeks that we don’t review websites, the calls are generally “open discussion” of Internet marketing issues.

These calls are just another tool in my very effective marketing arsenal, and you can join them by registering at: http://WillieCrawford.com/free-brainstorming-calls.html

During most weeks, I get dozens of joint venture proposals, and several potential new clients who want me to evaluate the potential of a project that they’re working on.

Many of the joint ventures that I turn down, and many of the clients that I reject, are for the same reason. Their websites are so poorly written that I know that the websites won’t convert. I rarely do outside copywriting, but I often suggest revamping their websites before they move forward.

With the sites reviewed on my calls, and with the sites I look at for other reasons, I notice many of the same mistakes. Here are 12 of the most common:

1) The site has no focus. A website should be designed with its primary purpose in mind. You should have ONE thing that you’d really like most visitors to your page to do. Almost everything on that page should lead the visitors toward deciding to take that primary action. Nothing on the page should distract them and “lead them off down other trails.”

Common primary actions that you’ll want your visitor to take are to join your list, buy your product, download a free trial version, or join an online community. Make sure that you know what you want your visitors to focus on and get rid of the other distractions. It’s been proven that if you give your visitors too many choices or confuse them, they will simply choose to leave!

2) The site has no email capture mechanism. Most honest copywriters will tell you that in most Internet marketing type niches, a 1-2% response rate to a sales letter is VERY respectable. You’ve worked very hard to get visitors to your site, and if you completely ignore the 98% who don’t buy you’re not going to be in business very long.

Incorporate a form into your website that gets them into an autoresponder so that you can follow-up with them. Offer them a free report, access to an MP3 on the topic, or access to an exclusive community. Get them to opt-in, and then you can follow-up with them on their topic of interest.

Your opt-in form can be set up “in-line” as a part of the webpage, and even take them back to the point on the webpage where they were reading before they stopped to opt-in. You can also have an exit popup, or pop-under, that offers them a freebie as they’re leaving your site. Once they’ve decided to leave, you’ll probably NEVER see them again unless you have a way to invite them back. An autoresponder is the perfect way to do this automatically.

3) The owner is “hiding behind the website.” Web surfers are skeptical and distrusting. You need to let them know that there is a real person behind the site. Give them contact information, show them your photo, and even let them hear you. You can easily add audio or video to your website, and allow it to “touch” your visitor on such a deeper level. When people hear your voice or see you talking and get to watch your body language, you communicate so much more effectively than just the written word.

To add audio to your website, all you need is a microphone plugged into your computer. To add video to your website, all you really need is a webcam plugged into your computer. There are services that will take this audio or video, allow you to edit it with a few clicks of your mouse, and then stream it from their servers or upload it to your server.

A totally amazing service that I use is called Audio Acrobat. I use it to have customers, subscribers, etc., call in and leave testimonials. I use it to record some teleseminars, interviews, product recommendations, and for dozens of other purposes. I do record video from my webcam to this service too. You can also upload video recorded on a regular video camera to this service, and then stream it from their website.

As I said, I LOVE Audio Acrobat. If you want to check it out, you can get a free 30-day trial from here: williec.audioacrobat.com It’s where I have dozens of testimonial lines, dozens of audios, and a few videos. It’s also how I save on my web hosting bandwidth

4) The owner of the site offers no credentials. The very first question I ask when reading a magazine article, watching a television show, or reading a webpage, is “What makes this person qualified to teach ME this topic.” Most web surfers don’t trust you and believe that most Internet sites are out to rip them off. You need to show them that your experience and training make you qualified to teach them the topic. In addition to formal credentials, a professional looking website also shows that you are a serious businessperson. Don’t skimp on your website’s design!

5) Not offering proof of statements. It’s natural for you to say how great you and your product are. That means nothing to potential customers. Get others to share how your product improved their lives. Use media interviews and statements by officials in professional organizations to provide third-party validation.

Testimonials with photos, audio, or video, are very powerful. Testimonials with just a set of initials, or with just a first name, have NO credibility.

6) Offering the wrong payment options. The majority of Internet users prefer to pay via credit card. If your product allows you to do it, and still make a satisfactory profit, consider taking orders through an answering service or call center, via fax, via snail mail, and through third party processors such as Paypal as well. Evaluate each of these options and decide which of these make sense for you.

As an aside, I once considered even offering my customers the option to order C.O.D. (cash on delivery). My local postmaster strongly suggested that I NOT do that and also pointed out that it’s almost never done these days. He convinced me that it was more trouble than it was worth

7) Using the wrong or too many fonts. When you use different sizes and colors of letters on your webpage you need to have a real reason. When you highlight or underline text on your webpage you need to have a logical reason.

As your site visitor reads your webpage, he will subconsciously ask himself why you emphasized a certain word or sentence on the page. If you had no logical reason, you pull him out of your message as his mind “wrestles with the why.”

You page should be structured such that a “skimmer” could just read the headlines and sub-headlines and get the message. He should be able to read just the highlighted text and get the gist of your webpage. He should be able to just go to the bottom of the page, read the “P.S.” where you’ve restated your offer, and order without being forced to read the rest of the page . . . if he’s in a hurry.

Using header graphics that distract from the message. Your header graphic should spell out or emphasize the main benefit of your product. It should be simple enough that the visitor is not forced to waste time trying to decipher its meaning.

Sometimes it’s better not to even have a header graphic. This is something you should test. You want to get your visitor reading the text on your page and discovering how your product can help him as soon as practical. This is what will sell him . . . not cute or fancy graphics.

9) Not focusing on benefits rather than features. Don’t tell your visitor how great the product is; tell him how it will improve his life. Your testimonials should also provide concrete, and very specific, examples of how it improved someone else’s life.

10) Focusing on “I” rather than “you”! Look at your webpage and make sure that it talks about the customer and his problem more than it talks about you, your company, and your products. Your customers don’t really care about you. They care about how you can help them! Read through your copy and make sure that it answers that question. Make sure that you’re not talking about yourself too much and that when you do talk about yourself, it’s answering the question of how you can help the reader.

11) Not emphasizing the guarantee. When a customer purchases with a credit card, or through certain third-party processors, the guarantee is implied anyway. So, why not make your guarantee a selling point? If a customer goes to Visa or MasterCard and states that they are unhappy with their purchase from you, they will get their money back in most cases… and you’ll pay an extra fee for the “chargeback.” If a customer goes to Clickbank or Paypal with a complaint, they will end up issuing a refund in many cases.

Make it easy on yourself by offering and honoring a guarantee. It will increase your conversion rate; and unless your product is total JUNK, it won’t increase your refund rate.

12) Not using a P.S. Many busy surfers will jump right to the end of your webpage and read the P.S.(s). If they were somewhat pre-sold before they arrived at your page, many will go ahead and purchase at that time. Use the P.S.(s) to restate your offer, emphasize the guarantee, showcase your bonuses, and to emphasize any scarcity factor in the offer.

The bottom line is that if your sales page is horrific, it’s pointless to drive traffic to the site. Fix the page before you do anything else, or you’re just wasting time and frustrating yourself.

A well-written webpage is so pivotal to the sales process that many professional copywriters will often rewrite bad sales letters. When they discover great products that they KNOW would sell if the products’ owners just had better copy, they will often rewrite bad sales letters, pre-sell the products, and then send the “ready-to-buy” customers directly to the order form.

My friend and colleague, Dr. Mike Woo-Ming, recognized the value in revamping bad sales letters so much that he went as far as to set up a membership site, offering members rewritten sales letters for Clickbank products in hot niches. You can check out what Dr. Mike has done and join his site, if he hasn’t already closed memberships, at: FixingTerribleWebpages.com Tell him that I sent you.

Fix the 12 common errors covered above, and your website will be more effective than 99% of direct sales websites out there. Don’t fix these mistakes and your sales won’t increase, but at-least now you will understand why.
Willie Crawford has taught thousands how to build successful online businesses since late-1996. His membership site contains over 40 interviews of leading online marketers sharing their views on “How To Break Into The Internet Marketing Inner Circle.” You can access those powerful and shocking interviews at: TheInternetMarketingInnerCircle.com

You May Also Enjoy:

6 Steps On How To Market Your Book Online
>> http://tinyurl.com/Book-Marketing-Video-One
>> http://tinyurl.com/Book-Marketing-Video-Two
>> http://tinyurl.com/Book-Marketing-Video-Three

or

Website Marketing Optimization Tips/Techniques

This writers’ resouces is the foundation of
Website Makeover Workshop. This video
will help bring the content of this site together
for you…

Listen to the audio… I think I can say better
than write. ;o)

Comment | Copy This

ATTENTION Mac Users:

To view the video you will need to
click the link below to get Parallels
Desktop 3.0 for Mac trial version.Continue to make this your moment!

http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop

It’s used by more than half million Mac
user worldwide. 

Won’t Be Denied,
C.F. Jackson

 

• Download your FREE workshop makeover session to discover
  Crutially Important Techniques & Strategies For Your Website
• Do you know what TWO things your website MUST do?
• Learn the simple insider’s tip of your website layout
• Do you know what you’re asking of your website visitor?
• Does your website convey your ultimate desire clearly?
  … and more 

What If Your Website Visitor Goes No Further Than Your Homepage?

Website Makeover Monday -
In The Zone Segment

The question proposed in this Website  Makeover
Workshop Mini Mini Mini Session:

What if your website visitor goes no
further than your homepage?

Video below to learn how to sell fiction online today….

Watch Video Now For The Answer!

Check Out Featured Author:
Ms. Savannah J at www.TheSavannahJPublications.com

Be sure to read the article:  Why Are Authors Stuck on a Pretty
Website vs. an Effective Website? 

Make It Happen Monday!

Won’t Be Denied,
C.F. Jackson

Free Online Appointment Scheduling Resource

This week is a resource for
a topic I’ve covered on a
previous Website Makeover
Monday Podcast…

Are you elusive? Are you
missing contact information
on your website?

Then this FREE writers resources will be of value to you!

Comment | Copy This

Jump over to the Writers Resource Page to grab this
FREE resource. Just take 2 minutes and sign to learn
what benefits and features it has to offer.

If you haven’t tuned in to hear: How Can Your Customer
Reach You?  Website Makeover Monday segment then you
need to. Because it’s a MUST when it comes to being on
the internet!

Make It Happen Monday!

Won’t Be Denied,
C.F. Jackson

P.S. Download Your Free Website
Makeover 101 Session . . .

How Knowing “2″ Simple Things . . .
Can improve your website. . .
Create more readers . . . and more!

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