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5 Mistakes to Avoid when Marketing Online

February 9, 2011 By Joe Rawlinson

As a technical writer and software developer, over the last 10 years I have seen many many clients come to me with the same set of problems and questions:

  • I’m confused: why isn’t my website generating qualified leads for me?
  • I’m so frustrated! We’ve spent all this money with an SEO firm and we’re not even on page three of search results!
  • My boss has just asked me to formulate an outline to fix up our internet marketing strategy but I have no idea where to start finding solutions….I feel stuck!

When I sit down with them, there are a few common mistakes that the majority of the clients have made on their website. Here are the top five:

  1. the home page doesn’t identify what problem the company solves
  2. there is little or no urgency in the copy on the home page
  3. there is no suggestion made within the content of what the reader must do next to solve the problem
  4. there is no visible or obvious contact information
  5. the copy is written in one font style, size and color throughout the copy, and the copy is written in essay-style

Are you thinking that you have some of the same problems or have made some of the same mistakes? That’s okay. There are so many misconceptions among entrepreneurs and small businesses about what constitutes good marketing. Good marketing format – no matter what the marketing method is – includes:

  1. asking questions to find out if the reader has the problem you solve
  2. giving reassurance that your prior and current clients face the same problem
  3. explaining how you or your business have helped others facing similar problems
  4. offering assistance in a non-threatening, low-risk way

About the Author
Alison Silbert is the CEO of Passionate Web Creations, author of the books “Winning Websites” and “Boost your Revenues by Turning People Away” and has assisted hundreds of clients to generate more qualified leads from their website- and online-marketing initiatives. For more information, contact Alison at [email protected].

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