Let's get creative in 2009...
Aside from economic renewal and success for all of us in 2009 I wish that...
Internet marketers would get more creative and embrace the incredible amount of rich media at our disposal. I'm getting really tired of seeing the same old sales letter formats, formulas and cliches repeated ad nauseum.
Some people think that video is a step forward. Yes, it is, but what do we do with it? We put it in an ugly box in the middle of a bog standard static webpage. Hell, nowadays you can make your entire webpage into a video... or a movie even!
Why not think bigger... why not think cinematically? The success of video on the web shows that people want to be entertained and if you can entertain them you can sell more too.
Even on a modest budget many of us now have the ability to use the full range of muti-media: music, graphics, video, and interactivity, which can all be woven into entertaining and even dramatic presentations.
The last three or four generations have grown up on movies, music and video images that entertain and tell a story. Why not attempt that with our websites?
I'm sure there are exceptions out there but generally the only ones you see doing this sort of thing are designers showcasing their talents or big corporations who are more interested in branding.
Why not harness these advanced design skills and use them to help sell? I've seen some incredible flash websites but rarely if ever for an IM venture. Marketers say that Flash is crap and a disaster for SEO. That's yesterday. There are various creative ways to combine html with Flash so as not to sacrifice SEO.
And Flash is just one tool, though surely one of the best.
Of course, you can go over the top with this stuff. I'm not suggesting some overblown music video to sell a $7 e-report. The tried-and-true salesletter will still be with us for a long time to come. I don't want to reinvent the wheel or change a proven formula.
However, the formula is always there to be applied in fresh, new ways. What I am suggesting is for some of the more ambitious and adventurous marketers among us to experiment more and push the boudaries with suitable products and services.
I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is. I'm working on some new website concepts that could be either a mind-blowing success or a major disaster... but I'm tired of standing still! I'll let you all know when my project is ready early in the New Year.
I hope others will come up with some surprises for 2009 too!
Internet marketers would get more creative and embrace the incredible amount of rich media at our disposal. I'm getting really tired of seeing the same old sales letter formats, formulas and cliches repeated ad nauseum.
Some people think that video is a step forward. Yes, it is, but what do we do with it? We put it in an ugly box in the middle of a bog standard static webpage. Hell, nowadays you can make your entire webpage into a video... or a movie even!
Why not think bigger... why not think cinematically? The success of video on the web shows that people want to be entertained and if you can entertain them you can sell more too.
Even on a modest budget many of us now have the ability to use the full range of muti-media: music, graphics, video, and interactivity, which can all be woven into entertaining and even dramatic presentations.
The last three or four generations have grown up on movies, music and video images that entertain and tell a story. Why not attempt that with our websites?
I'm sure there are exceptions out there but generally the only ones you see doing this sort of thing are designers showcasing their talents or big corporations who are more interested in branding.
Why not harness these advanced design skills and use them to help sell? I've seen some incredible flash websites but rarely if ever for an IM venture. Marketers say that Flash is crap and a disaster for SEO. That's yesterday. There are various creative ways to combine html with Flash so as not to sacrifice SEO.
And Flash is just one tool, though surely one of the best.
Of course, you can go over the top with this stuff. I'm not suggesting some overblown music video to sell a $7 e-report. The tried-and-true salesletter will still be with us for a long time to come. I don't want to reinvent the wheel or change a proven formula.
However, the formula is always there to be applied in fresh, new ways. What I am suggesting is for some of the more ambitious and adventurous marketers among us to experiment more and push the boudaries with suitable products and services.
I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is. I'm working on some new website concepts that could be either a mind-blowing success or a major disaster... but I'm tired of standing still! I'll let you all know when my project is ready early in the New Year.
I hope others will come up with some surprises for 2009 too!
"It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. -- Mark Twain