Marketing Archives - Jeanette Cates

Oct
8

Your Website Blueprint

by Jeanette

I recently had a client ask this question: I was talking with a group of smart young techies about my upcoming website. They immediately asked if I had my “Systems Plan” (a 17-page in-depth blueprint) for my website finished already. I had never heard of this before, but I do want to be sure I am covering all my bases, especially when it comes to creating a good user experience. Do I need a Systems Plan before I go any further?

My response: The type of Plan they were referring to is one that you would put together for a large corporate type of site. It involves a lot of “path analysis” (the different paths users could take through the site) and detailed descriptions. I’ve been involved in several of these. It’s a lot of work but necessary when you are turning over the programming of the site to multiple teams of people. If you were going to develop a site for a large multi-national corporation, you would use a Systems Plan.

You already have a plan (aka website blueprint) for your website, but it’s based on others’ experience and testing. In the typical one-person, one-product type of site we create for online marketing, there is generally only one path – optin page, sales page, payment page, delivery page. Naturally there are variations of this, but it’s all very simple.

If you are building an authority blog, then it takes a bit more planning, but even then it is very simple, with multiple branches based on keyword families.

Generally there is only one person directing the website development. There may be one or two other people involved. But it’s a simple process to outline and manage.

So no need for a Systems Plan. You already have the plan!

Would you like to ask me YOUR questions? Then join AskJeanetteCates.com today – and get personal answers to YOUR questions!

0 Categories : Blogs, Webmaster

May
22

Email Management: Fear of Disconnect

by Jeanette

I receive too many emails! On any given day I may receive 1,000 emails. Yes, you read that right. Of course, many of them are totally unwanted and unsolicited. Most of those are caught by my Spamarrest account.

Even with weeding out those first 800 or 900 emails, I still have 100-200 arriving in my inbox. This is a result of having been in business online for the past 17 years – and from the Fear of Disconnect. Perhaps you suffer from it, too?

As I tried to clean out some of my email subscriptions lately I found these thoughts going through my head.

Thought: I really like this person. I hate to unsubscribe from their list. It might hurt their feelings.

Response: It’s okay. They will not take it personally. If they are an actual friend, you’ll hear from them on social media or personal email. If they’re an online business person you like, you can always find them again online.

Thought: I’m on this list because I bought something from them. If I unsubscribe, I won’t get product updates.

Response: Is this product critical to your success online? If so, you may want to continue to receive hundreds of marketing messages “in case” there is an update message.

If this product is not something you use daily or it has a built-in updater, then unsubscribe.

Thought: I have no idea who this person is or what I may have bought from them.

Response: Unsubscribe immediately!

Thought: I enjoy the emails from this person and always find them valuable. They help me build my business, even if they are marketing something in every email.

Response: You may want to keep it for now. Just pay attention as to whether or not you actually READ the emails.

Thought: This is part of a series of emails. They are even numbered! And I would hate to miss any of the series.

Response: If you are reading them, great. But if you are saving them so you can read them back to back, go ahead and unsubscribe. You can always start the sequence over if you really miss it.

Thought: This email is from Jeanette.

Response: Well of course you can’t unsubscribe! I WOULD miss you.

Actually, I’m grinning because I know that sometimes you DO need to unsubscribe. Sometimes we’re not going the same direction. I know that I have certainly changed MY direction several times. If you are one of the many subscribers who joined me in 2001, you have seen that.

Just know that if you need to unsubscribe for a while, I understand. You can always find me here at JeanetteCates.com and get reconnected.

Your Action: Go clean out your inbox. Unsubscribe from at least 5 emails today.

I hope to see you in my next update!

1 Categories : Email Marketing

Nov
15

15 Ways To Recycle Your Content

by Jeanette

As we celebrate America Recycles Day, it seems appropriate to talk about recycling in your business. In this case, we’re talking about recycling your content.

When I first came up with the idea to write an article on how to recycle your content, I outlined several methods. But then, my good friend Jim Edwards came out with a video that lists 15 ways to recycle your content. And I decided that instead of creating an article from scratch, I would share (aka recycle) his video!

So how do YOU recycle your content? Share your ideas in the comments below.

0 Categories : Content Marketing

Sep
23

Stuck For Ideas: Where To Look

by Jeanette

We all get to that point where we are stuck for ideas. When I first started publishing information products online, I thought that certain people had a crystal ball they gazed into to find their next great idea. Or some top-secret contact who was providing them with inside information.

Over time, I realized that it wasn’t magic that allowed these people to come up with red-hot ideas on demand. It was simply that they knew where to look.

I soon discovered many places where ideas seemed to always be found. I call these places “idea hangouts”. Here are three of my favorites where you can find ideas for your next article, blog post, or book anytime you want. Almost like a genie granting you three wishes…

1. GOOGLE.COM

Google is the ultimate “idea hangout”. There are so many ways to mine the gold in Google’s amazing search database that it would take another article to graze the surface of this enormous iceberg.

However, here are three quick ways to find ideas by searching Google.

– Watch While You Search

Google provides a “suggestion tool” that is ideal for finding the right keywords and the phrases commonly used. Just start typing your search phrase into the box and you’ll start seeing the most popular ideas right there!

You can take these very listings and create an article that answers the question, using the search phrase as the title. You can also incorporate these into a book as chapter titles or keywords in the book listing.

– Identify Listings.

Search for a broad topic related to your area of interest or expertise. (I.E. “Tennis”, “Weight loss”, “Homeschooling”.) Look at all of the web sites listed in the index of returned results. You’ll likely find some ideas for information products right there in the first couple of pages.

– Identify Advertisers.

You’ll probably notice small ads either at the top of the page or to the right of the page (or both!). These advertisers represent your competition. They also represent your thermometer for taking the temperature of your market and gauging interest in specific topics. Chances are, what they’re selling you should be selling.

In both of these examples, you can click through to the web pages of the sites listed and study their respective sales pages. Look specifically at the “bullet points”. Each of these represents a potential idea for your next content piece.

These are also ripe for affiliate marketing. If it’s something that appeals to you, it will appeal to your audience as well. So keep a running list of these sites as potential products to recommend.

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2. AMAZON.COM.

From the world’s largest search engine we move to the world’s largest bookstore. At Amazon.com you’ll really get your creative juices fired up.

Again, you’ll want to search the listings by entering a keyword or keyphrase into the search box on the main page at Amazon.com.

You’ll get a returned listing of numerous books, courses and other periodicals. Search these listed items for ideas for your own ebook.

— Example —

If you were to search for “Homeschooling”, you’d find a variety of ideas just waiting in the listing of books available, including: homeschooling for special needs children, getting starting in homeschooling, choosing curriculum, homeschooling field trips, homeschooling support groups, homeschooling for various ages (I.E. Pre-K, Elementary, Junior High, High School, etc.), homeschooling for Christians, etc.

Any of these listings (and the dozens of others listed) would be great ideas for the topic of your next book or product.

Pay particular attention to the first page of the listing. Amazon ranks their listings based on popularity of actual sales volume. In other words, #1 is a better seller than #50. This is a ready-made indicator of demand!

3. MAGAZINES.COM

After visiting the world’s largest search engine and the world’s largest bookstore, it’s time to take a quick stop at the world’s largest periodical store, Magazines.com.

You’ll find every imaginable magazine listed at this site. The interesting part (and useful to you as a research tool) is this: you’ll also find the COVER of a recent copy of each magazine.

For example, you can search for “Parenting” and the engine will return a listing of magazines related to that topic. You can then click on the image of the magazine cover and you’ll be shown a larger copy of that cover where you can read the contents. (I.E. “How To Raise A Stubborn Child”, “27 Ways Discipline In Public” and “The Real Key To Your Child Getting Better Grades”.)

Each of these “cover stories” represents an idea for your next article or book.

The best part about it is this: the publishers of these magazines have done the research for you! It’s like using the custom dissertation writing service for a student. They’ve measured the level of interest for these ideas and found it high enough to warrant not only writing content about them, but referencing that content on the cover of the magazine!

That’s your hint. People want this information.

So, there you have it, 3 “idea hangouts” where you can find ready-made, in-demand, red-hot topics for your next content creation. Regardless of what you are trying to create you’ll find good ideas on three websites.

0 Categories : Content Marketing

Jul
29

Marketing Lessons From Buying A New Car: Emotion

by Jeanette

It’s just a car. It’s something we drive to and from destinations. It’s something that makes it faster and easier than walking or riding a bicycle.

But buying a car is so much more. And as it turns out, it is sometimes an emotional experience.

First there’s the feeling that you feel when you sit in the new car. Does it make you better happier? More alive? Excited? Like you could tackle anything? Don’t laugh – these are all typical reactions when someone is considering a new car. Even if the car isn’t new – just new to you – you will feel different emotions in different cars.

Then there is the feeling when you tell other people about it. These are your bragging rights. Do you feel proud to tell others about your choices?

Most importantly there are the feelings you have as a result of having the new car. These often carry over into other areas of your life. It’s not unheard-of for drivers to lose weight, go on a work-out regimen, undertake new challenges – all because of reflections of the feelings they get from the new car.

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So how does all of this translate into marketing lessons, particularly for your online business?

First, recognize that buying anything is an emotional experience. There is a reason people want your product. If you can tap into the emotions that people have in wanting a solution for their problem (aka your product), then you can emphasize how they will feel when they buy your product.

For example, people who are frustrated with the amount of paper on their desk, frantic about what to do next, or mad because they’ve just lost their password for the third time this week often buy my organization product.

They want the feelings of calm control and being on top of things in their life. By tapping into their frantic feelings, then showing them the calm they can feel when their business is organized, I am able to show them that Organize Your Online Business is THE soluton to their needs.

Second, people are more likely to share their experiences when they are proud of their associations and their decisions. This is particularly important in this time of social media sharing.

Rarely do you hear about the bad decisions your Facebook friends made. Instead, they share their excitement about joining the hottest program from a marketer with a great reputation. That’s who you want to be – the hot marketer with a great reputation.

It’s not just because it helps you sell more products. It’s because your customers appreciate you (emotion) and are proud (emotion) to be associated with you. So it behooves you to be THAT marketer.

Finally, emotion causes change. If you’ve ever been to a self-help program or a religious service, there is always emotion involved. Why? Because emotion causes more rapid change.

So when you are able to build in an emotional component to your program (your training, your book, your webinar), it will have a bigger impact. Whether it’s excitement, reflection, or humor, use those emotions to create rapid progress – thus enhancing your product even more.

The next time you look at buying any new product, consider the emotion involved. From groceries to cars and houses, there is always an emotional component.

2 Categories : Marketing

Jul
21

Marketing Lessons From Buying A New Car: Timing

by Jeanette

It started with tires. That was the first time I noticed that there are a LOT of tire commercials on TV and a lot of tire ads in the newspaper. But you don’t notice them – until you need tires.

It’s the same with all cars, be it a used Camry in Albany, NY
or any of the new-model cars. It seems that every other commercial on TV is about new cars. But you don’t pay attention to them until you are looking for a new car. Then suddenly EVERY commercial is one you watch. When purchasing a new car you should get a car vacuum to help with cleaning.

Of course, if you already have a car brand preference, then you tend to only “see” those commercials. You may even replay them just to be sure you got all the details on your potential car.

Then there are the car sites. Kelly Blue Book, new cars, carmax, auto-trader. If you’re truly looking at cars, you will be searching each of those.

As you narrow your search, you will only focus on the brands that interest you. But when you are looking and wanting those details depends on timing.

And when the timing is right, you will buy your next car. After that, you’ll go back to not searching the online sites or watching the commercials. You won’t need what they are offering at the present time.

So how does the concept of timing apply to marketing your online business? What you sell and when you sell it is all about timing.

You may send an email to your list, telling them about your latest product. But if they don’t need it right now, the timing is off and you won’t sell many products.

Likewise, if another product, perhaps from a bigger name in the industry or with more emotions tied to its sales, has recently been released, then you may not sell many products.

It’s all about timing. And that’s the importance of follow-up in your sales cycle.

Smart car sales professionals know that a timely phone call, a postcard, a letter, or an email can make the difference in whether or not you see that prospective car buyer again. The same applies in your business.

By setting up an automatic set of email messages spread over a period of time, you are more likely to remind the prospect of your product when the time is right. That’s one of the reasons we send 10 messages on the first 10 days after someone has asked for more information about the product. That’s when they are looking for that type of information and therefore, it’s more likely the timing is right for them to buy.

Timing also means that you should not beat yourself up if people are not buying your product on the day you announce it. It could be the timing is not right. Be patient and follow up.

Finally, because timing determines when they are interested (although you can help create that interest with good marketing), you want to be available when they are ready.

One of the strangest trends in recent years online has been the “scarcity” tactic of offering a product for a week, then taking it off the market. What are the chances everyone who could buy that product is ready for that product during that one week. Sure you can sell more because of the fear of loss, but that’s not how you build a long-term business.

Instead, have a steady site (generally your main blog) where people know they can always find you. Have a list of your products, with links to each of them. Be there for them so that when the timing is right, you ARE the solution!

If you don’t yet have your autoresponder follow-ups written and in place, then you need Autoresponder Basics. If the timing is right for you today, pick it up now!

9 Categories : Email Marketing

Jul
17

Keep Your WordPress Blog Safe

by Jeanette

If you have a WordPress blog or a website, you may be wondering how to keep it safe from hackers and from accidental changes or deletions. There are four things everyone needs to have in place to keep your WordPress blog safe.

These are a few easy steps you can take within the next few minutes to make sure your WordPress website is secure.

1. Only connect to WordPress on a secure WiFi connection.

Did you know that when you connect to a website using unsecure WiFi, such as airport WiFi, Starbuck’s WiFi, or public WiFi, that anyone can see your username and password? That means when you connect to your website via FTP or simply log into your WordPress dashboard anyone can see exactly what your username and password are and use those names for themselves!

That’s why it’s important to only connect to your WordPress site and only connect to FTP if you have an SSL connection. This can be a “real” network or you can connect with a cellular 3G network instead of WiFi (I use the one on my iphone or you can buy a mifi separate device. It’s like having your own portable network!). If you don’t know what any of those things are, then simply make it a point to only connect to your FTP website and WordPress from home instead of in public.

2. Only use plugins that you trust.

Are you aware that any WordPress plugin, if it so chooses, can have access to your entire WordPress site? All of your users, all of your content, and most of the time, to every single file on your website!

That is the reason why it’s very important that you only use WordPress plugins that you trust. Don’t go out and install 200, 300 plugins just because they all seem like they have cool features. If a plugin is brand new, if no one seems to be using it, that is not a good sign. It may be a Trojan Horse type of plugin where someone has simply put it out in the hopes that someone else will install it on their website, and now you have given the hacker complete access to your files and your content.

3. Keep WordPress up to date.

People find security holes all the time, and WordPress is quick to fix those holes, but it does you no good unless you update your blog to the current version which is safeguarded against most attacks.

Luckily the most current versions of WordPress have a single button you can click to update it, which means it downloads and installs the most recent version so you are now protected. I generally wait a week or so after a new update comes out before updating – that way if they find problems with the update, they can fix that, too!

And here’s a time-saving tip for you: I ask my webmaster to do the updates. He’s much faster at it than I am AND he can immediately fix anything that breaks in the process.

4. Back Up Your Blog Regularly!

I use a plugin I love and trust from a reputable programmer. My blogs backup every Saturday night – and store the backups where I ask them to. It all happens automatically, while I sleep.

Click here to backup your blog quickly and easily.

1 Categories : Blogs

Connie Ragen Green: So much excellent and actionable information here, Jeanette! Thank you for sharing.
admin: Stacy I understand. It’s always easier to write in the way you are comfortable. So I would recommend...
Stacy: I am writing book which is my autobiography. My daughter think it would be better to write on my first...
Darrell Williams: What formatting company do you use for your ebooks? I love your books and the way it’s...
Janet Wahl: Hi Jeanette, Thanks for your response. My books are “textbooks” or books that will be used...

Archive for Marketing

Your Website Blueprint

Email Management: Fear of Disconnect

15 Ways To Recycle Your Content

Stuck For Ideas: Where To Look

Marketing Lessons From Buying A New Car: Emotion

Marketing Lessons From Buying A New Car: Timing

Keep Your WordPress Blog Safe

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