Point-of-Action Marketing

Point-of-Action Marketing

If you are trying to sell your service, drive people toward it. A good technique for improving subscriptions, for example, is to place a “We Value Privacy” statement near the sign-up form. This is called point-of-action marketing.

Assure people that it is safe for them to do what you want.

Recently, Bryan Eisenberg, author of Persuasive Online Copywriting, made the statement that placing a secure checkout symbol near the checkout typically improves conversion rates between 5% and 15%.

Establishing Trust

Unbiased reviews and “We Value Privacy” help to build a strong trust element in your relationship with your site visitors. In addition, logos from companies such as the Better Business Bureau, TRUSTe, and Public Eye can help build trust.

If you have a secure part of your site in frames, the lock (secured) symbol may not show in the browser. When you are performing online transactions, it is a good idea to avoid frames and display the VeriSign or Thawte secure symbols (as applicable).

Revenue Generating Programs

Some popular revenue programs are Google AdSense, Amazon Associates, and other major affiliate program networks such as Commission Junction, LinkShare, and Performics and perhaps CafePress for smaller, personal websites.

ClickBank is an affiliate program that works well for selling electronic information. PayPal is also an easy-to-use third party payment processor. Affiliates Alert tracks new ClickBank products for sale. All of these websites are listed in the resource section at the end of the chapter.

If you monetize your site using AdSense, it may be worth it to limit the number of ads that appear on the page, as more ads means you will be showing cheaper ads, and, in some markets, the cost per click quickly drops off rapidly. I also believe the first AdSense unit called from your source code will display the most expensive ads possible.

Some topics may make next to nothing from pay-per-click ads, while other industries (such as California mortgage) may earn over a dollar a click. If you can create an idea that generates a decent amount of syndication and attracts a few good links, you may be able to make money selling text link ads or leveraging that authority to get pay-per-click contextual ads indexed.

If you know your industry well, then you should have a few friends in it. If your site directly sells ad space, it is best to place a link or a few links to some of the top sites in that space. Most people are afraid to take risks and do not see value in something until some of their competitors do. Why not show a few fake ads so people assume the ad space is valuable? After you gain a few advertisers, you can take the fake ones down. It is important to understand who the important players and aggressive ad buyers are in a market before doing this ad display technique.