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Title:
Cashing in with Content: How Innovative Marketers Use Digital
Information to Turn Browsers into Buyers
Review:
The key to effective and profitable web marketing is a focus on
substance over style. Flashy visuals and ad-ware aren't what sell and
generate customer loyalty online: content does.
What is content? Content is targeted information, tuned to the needs
of each user, and designed to draw users into purchases. Effective
website publishers understand the needs of the customer at every
stage of the decision continuum, through passing interest to warranty,
and provide content to inform and supplement that decision every step
of the way.
Meerman Scott has selected twenty establishments whose content on the
web is effective at moving visitors to action, whether it be to buy,
subscribe, or donate. The range of companies include e-commerce,
business-to-business, non-profit, educational, and even political
entities, providing an exemplar reference for every type of
enterprise. Each has its own chapter that begins with an executive
summary and the key takeaway on effective use of the content ideas on
the site. This makes it easy to skim and skip to the examples of
interest.
The details of each chapter mix narrative description with interviews
of the people responsible for the company web content, who provide
various insights behind the content decisions and content strategy
process. One drawback is sometimes the narrative and interview
comments are repetitive, but this definitely hammers home the
concepts. The generous amount of screenshots are sufficient to
illustrate the text and not leave one feeling the book needs to be
read in front of a computer.
So what is content? Some of the salient examples include:
- White papers, articles, and prose that educate. Sharing subject
matter expertise with the beginner as well as the professional, with
the person with a simple curiosity as well as the serious spender.
The content is highly segmented and seamlessly organized for the
wide range of visitors, and covers not only the products themselves,
but also the field of specialty.
- Simplified access to products. For example establishing a taxonomy
to add focus and aid searching.
- Interactive components, like quizzes, chat rooms, and blogs, to
sustain interest and provide feedback on visitors' needs.
- Tools like estimators, calculators, and worksheets, to aid
purchasing decisions.
The last two chapters of the book bring together the best practices
gleaned from the preceding examples and comments on lessons learned.
It is paramount to take the time to really understand the needs of the
constituents, apply the correct segmentation, and cater content for
each segment. This is not a quick exercise and some of these
best-in-class companies took one to two years to profile their
customers accurately and understand how to nourish the relationship
throughout the buying cycle.
Another common factor of success is a commitment to a content
strategy, focusing not on web tools, databases, and programs, but on
the substance of the information on the site. It is important to take
on a publisher's perspective, rather than a marketing one, and include
a team of dedicated writers and creators of content.
Overall, the techniques described to attract browsers and buyers are
not new, but this book brings the focus on content to the fore. It is
a quick-read compendium of effective examples and proven ideas in
action.
Free Pint Reviewer:
Patricia Daze works as a Business Systems Analyst and Project Manager
in the Information Management group of a network communications
company in Canada. Her previous experience includes work as a
corporate librarian. An avid reader of non-fiction, she can be
contacted at pgdaze@yahoo.com
.
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