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Can You Give Me
Directions, Please?
by Michel Fortin
A recent article (http://www.emarketer.com/estats/080999_activ.html)
revealed that online orders will grow from 12% of all transactions in 1998
to 30%, among direct marketers. The study, commissioned by both
ActivMedia and the Direct Marketing Association, assessed how
well direct marketers are doing online. (And by the way, they're doing
rather well, thank you).
The study concluded that, because of the Internet, traditional direct
marketers (i.e., the kinds that send you their coupons, offers or catalogs
in the mail) are expected to see a whopping 150% growth in their overall
businesses by 2000.
In an unrelated article, Red Herring -- a leading IT industry
maqazine -- says that while direct marketing may not be among the most
glamorous marketing techniques used online, it is nonetheless quietly
becoming "one of the leading tricks of the trade." At a recent worldwide
online advertising conference, Herring reports that both marketing and
advertising professionals admitted the fact that online marketing is
slowly shifting from branding to direct response (see
http://www.redherring.com/insider/1999/0817/news-jupiter.html).
Even more surprising -- or not so surprising, depending on which end you
happen to be -- department store giant Nordstrom recently formed an
online direct marketing subsidiary for their catalog sales. Explained in a
recent issue of the Target Marketing Tipline ezine (see
http://www.targetonline.com), Nordstrom Inc. announced that
it will establish etailer Nordstrom.com (amalgamating both its
current Internet and catalog efforts into one).
In the final analysis, institutional marketing -- the kind that only says
"I'm open for business" -- may very well have its place offline.
Undeniably, it may also work online for some. But aside from the
considerable advertising dollars it requires and the fact that it is
totally immersed in a never-ending ocean of information, "warm, fuzzy
feeling" kinds of marketing online is very risky -- especially for small
business owners who tend to want to imitate the big guns.
With the Internet comes the ability to gain the attention, consent
and response of a click-happy audience -- at least in some way. (Whether
or not one succeeds is a whole different issue.) But nevertheless,
netizens are more intimately involved with the product or company they
encounter on the web, which is why direct marketing online makes all the
more sense.
In the Internet Business Informer ezine (at
http://www.ibizcenter.com), a great article stated that the
principles of direct marketing apply more so online. "While there is
debate on whether the web is all about direct marketing or branding,"
claims its editor Rick Olson, "the fact is that you probably want to
elicit some kind of response from your visitor." I couldn't agree more.
The bottom-line is that the Internet marketer, web designer or ebusiness
owner must understand how to make effective sales presentations aimed at
getting the surfer to take some kind of immediate action -- be it to buy
into an offer, order a free report, subscribe to an ezine, refer a friend
or click to another page. Beyond the obvious need for good marketing copy,
there are many other aspects that a web marketer must take into
consideration.
For instance, ease of navigation, proper linking, accessible forms, sales
infrastructure, ecommerce capability and so on are just a few of the many
preeminent components of a successful online business. In the end, they
all help to lead visitors to specific outcomes and, concurrently, provide
them with the necessary support in such outcomes.
As Donny Askin, founder of CommercialWare, said in a recent issue
of Tipline, "E-commerce is a classic direct marketing transaction,
and the awareness of this is growing" (rapidly, I might add). Therefore,
ebusiness owners have a lot to learn (and gain) from direct marketers.
Their visitors should -- no, make that must -- do something. And
all too often however, this is what most sites unfortunately lack: A very
specific, clearly defined objective.
"What exactly do you want your visitors to do?" is the ultimate
question to ask. Not only must webmasters work around the answer as
specifically as possible, but in order to take full advantage of the
potential presented by the web they must also THINK like direct marketers.
Without a response-oriented, user-driven objective, web sites will often
leave their visitors clueless.
And strangely enough, the Internet marketer's worst enemy is not his or
her competition but in fact the visitor that cries out: "What do I do
next?"
Ultimately, it is safe to conclude that an ecommerce-enabled website is
more than a mere digital brochure with sales capability. It's an intimate
medium. It's a relationship vehicle. And more important, it's a direct
response process. Even if the site's primary goal is to expand a certain
brand or to merely inform its market, it should still somehow take the
visitor by the hand and gently direct them to specific, favorable outcomes
-- be it as simple as subscribing.
Enter "directional" marketing.
On a lighter note, read Linda Cox's article, "Better Marketing Through
Modern Mind-Control," in which she takes a humorous look at the
differences between direct marketing and branding (see
http://www.lindacox.com/a-brand.htm). While she appears to favor
branding, let me ask you this:
Did she get you to subscribe while you were there?
About the Author
Michel Fortin, of
http://SuccessDoctor.com/,
is a marketing professor and a highly sought-after consultant whose advice
has helped countless clients earn millions in record time. His latest
book, "Power Positioning Dot Com," reveals how to keep your business or
product indelibly carved into your prospects' uppermost consciousness at
all times -- see
http://successdoctor.com/pp/.
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