|
The challenge for many webmasters and Internet
marketers is certainly that of ensuring a site communicates
effectively to its audience -- especially when communication is at the
heart of making profitable online sales. Of course, less than a decade
ago the need to communicate in a language that the vast majority of
people can understand was not an important element -- technolese was
commonplace since the web was mostly used by programmers.
Today, however, things have changed. The population that surf the
Internet and shop online is growing by leaps and bounds. And a good
portion of newbies are, to some extent, computer-illiterate as well.
In other words, the web catered mostly to innovators and early
adopters during its introductory stage. But now its growing population
consists of segments of the marketplace that would, for one and in
large part, have never used computers otherwise.
You Ought To Be in Pictures
I once took a media
communications course in which I discovered an interesting example of
the way the mind works. As part of a given lesson, a videotape was
shown of a televised newscast during which a journalist was about to
give a live report on a forest fire that was devastating the midwest.
The news anchor in the television newsroom said: "We now take you to
Sally -- she's in the station's helicopter flying above the scene of
the fire."
He then turned around to face the background screen, which gave a live
bird's-eye view of the raging fire, and asked: "Sally, how big is the
fire?" In a voice partially drowned by the whizzing sound of
helicopter blades, Sally reports: "John, it's so big it's covering
well over 140 acres of land -- if I'm not mistaken, for you and me
that's about 200 football fields back-to-back."
As you can sense from the above example, people think in pictures --
not in words and certainly not in numbers (unless it is told to do
exactly that). The mind is a simple organ and it hates confusion. It
will naturally translate words or phrases into their visual
equivalent. For instance, if I told you to think of a garbage can,
you're not going to think "G," "A," "R," "B," etc. Your mind will
automatically visualize some sort of garbage can.
Why do you think Microsoft Windows and the MacIntosh computer dominate
the marketplace in operating systems? It is because, rather than
having to type an elaborate command for your computer to execute, you
can simply use your mouse, point to an icon, and click. Icons
basically represent programs or a string of numerous commands, which
are in fact translated into a language (or code) that the computer can
understand once they are clicked.
The mind works in almost the same way a
computer does. Like a microprocessor, the brain instantly translates
what it is being told to do into something it can easily understand
and execute. Some people who know little about computers may have a
hard time understanding the various written commands, scripts and
codes that the computer needs to process. But on the other hand most
people can easily identify the icons that symbolizes them.
Use "Upwords" To Move Upwards
Therefore, because of the
growing online population (which consists more and more of people that
are new to the web, let alone to computers or technology in general)
it is important to communicate using as simple a language as possible
-- one that most people can easily understand. It is Mark Twain who
once said, "Numbers don't stick in the mind; pictures do."
Consequently, use upwords in your web copy. "Upwords" is an acronym
that stands for "Universal Picture Words Or Relatable, Descriptive
Sentences." Stated differently, upwords are words and phrases that
help messages to be easily interpreted by the majority of people to
whom the message is targeted, such as with the use of examples,
analogies, metaphors, picture words, etc.
For example, a challenge among cosmetic surgeons is the fact that
people will call for a quote over the phone when obviously the doctor
needs to see the patient beforehand (an initial assessment is always
required, even by law). Obviously, cosmetic surgery is an uncommon
process. Doctors will therefore use a more common approach, such as
cosmetic dentistry, as an analogy.
Unlike surgery, most people have had their teeth done at some point in
their lives. So doctors will say: "Like a dentist, I can not give an
estimate over the phone without any x-rays of your teeth let alone the
knowledge of how many cavities you actually have." People who call a
cosmetic surgeon for a quote now understand not only the reason but
also the importance of seeing the doctor, in person, in order to
obtain an accurate estimate.
Web marketers are certainly in a similar
position. Many tend to communicate in a language that only a mere few
will fully understand. For example, if you're a computer programmer
trying to sell your services to clients who have recently connected to
the web, and your copy is laced with complex technical jargon that
only veteran surfers could understand, you will obviously do very
poorly. You must therefore mold your message in a way that it can be
easily understood by your target market. Speak their language, in
other words.
If your market consists of artists, use art examples. If your market
consists of managers, use business analogies. If your market consists
of florists, use metaphors that florists can understand -- such as
"email messages from your clients are like fresh-cut roses; they need
to be handled efficiently and, if handled improperly, can prick you
and hurt your business."
Of course, there are many more ways of applying upwords to your sales
or website copy. Here are some brief examples of how to mold your
online message in order to communicate more effectively to your
market.
1) Repetitious Words
As the adage goes, "Repetition
is the parent of learning." Repetition aids comprehension especially
of complex, critical or important ideas. However, the key here is not
to repeat the same words over and over but to use different examples
to illustrate your point. To that end, substitute certain words with
synonyms and add new pieces of information each time the idea is
repeated. For instance, in order to drive the message "privacy
policies promote purchases" home, it can be repeated with the
following:
- "Privacy statements increase sales,"
- "Confidentiality is a key to online success,"
- And "respecting visitors' privacy is
profitable"
2) Emotional Words
Again, words are not messages in
themselves -- they are merely symbols. As such, they have different
meanings to each of us and therefore can be interpreted differently.
While many words can be used to communicate a single message, your
choice of words can actually alter the emotional impact of your
message. For example:
- Instead of saying "cost," say "investment,"
- Instead of saying beautiful "teeth," say
beautiful "smiles,"
- Instead of saying "skinny," say "slim" or
"slender,"
- Instead of saying "products" or "services,"
say "solutions,"
- Instead of saying "cost-effective," say
"return on investment,"
- And instead of saying "house," say "home."
3) Positive Words
As copywriter and
IMC Private
Site contributor,
Rachel McAlpine, often says, "Avoid using negative words --
say what it is, not what it isn't." Cosmetic surgeon Maxwell Maltz,
who wrote the bestselling book "Psycho-Cybernetics,"
states that the brain is a goal-seeking organ -- it needs a goal in
order to function. For example, if I told you *not* to think of a
white carnation you will have hard time since your brain needs a goal
-- it will naturally picture what it is supposed to avoid because the
mind can not function when blank.
On the other hand, if I told you to think of a pink carnation, you
will naturally think of a pink carnation -- I gave your mind a goal.
As a result, by stating what something isn't can actually be
counterproductive since it is still directing the mind, albeit in the
opposite way. If I told you that dental work is painless for instance,
your mind will still focus on the word "pain" in "pain-less." Here are
some examples of using positive words:
- Instead of saying "inexpensive," say
"economical,"
- Instead of saying "this procedure is
painless," say "there's
little discomfort" or "this procedure is quite comfortable,"
- And instead of saying "this software is
error-free" or
"foolproof," say "this software is consistent" or "stable."
Nevertheless, one of the most
negative words we often use in the English language is surely the word
"but." "Buts" can turn any message, which in essence may be positive,
into a negative. In addition, a statement followed by the word "but"
often subtly communicates to others that what was said up to that
point was really a lie and what follows is the truth. Do you remember
when a former girlfriend or boyfriend dumped you? They probably said:
"You're a really nice guy and I like going out with you, but..." (You
know the rest.)
Consequently, leave the "but" out -- instead, use "and" and focus on
the positive. If you're a website designer for example, then instead
of saying "it's a great website BUT very expensive," say "it's an
excellent website AND worth every cent." Instead of saying "it's a
versatile website BUT it's going to take at least a month to put it
together," say "it's a versatile website AND it will only take thirty
days to get it up and running." Can you see the difference?
Keep in mind that the online population is diverse. We all come from
different backgrounds -- our education, experiences and environment
help to condition our thinking over time. Therefore, in order to be
understood by your target market, use analogies, metaphors and picture
words that will make your message easier to understand by their
personal set of circumstances -- because, as
Jack Trout once said, "A word is worth a thousand pictures."
|
