Blogging for jewelers and metalsmiths made easy! (and for those interested in jewelry and gemstones)

Do you have a favorite website that used to be commercial free?  And then, BAM! one day it was covered with annoying strobe-light flashing banners that drove you crazy? I do.  I used to love checking in at Weather.com until it became a feeding frenzy of particularly annoying banners.  Now,  I only go there if I absolutely have to. 

Well, that’s what happens when Marketing folks find websites that are attractive to a huge group of people.  “Aha,” they say, “this is a good place to display our message!” And they are happy to pay for the privilege. 

Some companies use banner ads specifically for “branding” to keep their name out there - everywhere possible, in fact - so you are constantly reminded about them.  Some companies use banners to promote special offers that drive you to their website.   BUT, many banner placements are experiencing lower click-through rates due to “banner blindness” in the viewing eyes of the general public.   See?  We CAN ignore those pesky ads and make Marketing Folks pay attention!  Hah! 

So now what?  Should companies quit using banner ads?  “Hardly!” according to a panel of Marketing Specialists from Microsoft who claim that “banner ad blindness is a good thing.”  Their point was that banner ads need a new approach in order to grab your attention.  (Have you seen the comical Microsoft ads featuring Bill Gates and Seinfeld?  And, recall the BIG DEAL about Super Bowl ads!)

New marketing research shows that banner ads that “personally interact” with the viewer work!  And, the climbing click-through rates prove it. 

“So,” you ask,  “how do I get a ton of viewers to click-on my banner ad?”  In a nutshell, if you want to run a banner ad to get your message across, design it to “involve the viewer.”  For example, one banner ad that was particularly successful, challenged the viewer by asking a question,

 “Do All Blue Fraggle Widgets Turn Green At Night?  True or False?” (You get the idea.) 

 And sure enough, the viewer is challenged to interact and will click on the answer to see if he is right.  Immediately he is greeted by a very interesting landing page that praises him for knowing the correct answer and offers him a deal he can’t refuse.  He feels all warm and fuzzy about this product and has personally responded to this cleverly designed “interactive banner.” 

The average viewer wants to know, “What’s in it for ME?” and “How can you solve my pain-points?”  So, if you can appeal to the viewer one-on-one, on a very personal level, they will respond to your banner and generate a much higher percentage of click-throughs to your site.

What are some examples of banner ads that you find appealing?  Or, annoying?  I personally am offended by strobe-light ads and immediately leave the site if they are present. 

If you are in a jewelry-related field and are considering a banner ad on Ganoksin.com, but have no idea where to start, please feel free to give me a call (or email) and I will be happy to help you with suggestions on ways to design your own banner.   

Clever banner ads DO generate traffic to your website!  

Virginia L. Vivier
Online Media Consultant
The Ganoksin Project
Office:  520-616-8683
email:  virginia@ganoksin.com
Tucson, AZ
http://www.ganoksin.com

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When was the last time you examined your website from the point of view of a First-Time-Viewer?  It’s so easy for all of us to take our websites for granted, thinking they are working 24/7 as our silent Sales force. 

Do you want to keep your website user-friendly for the First-Time-Viewer? Here are 5 (free) tips. 

1.)    Invite a neighbor, or someone from an office down the hall (someone who knows nothing about your business), to sit in front of a computer and quickly navigate through your website without any prompting from you.  Stand behind them and watch how they navigate through the site.  Then, ask them to tell you what your business does?  Did they immediately “get” what you do from the information on the HomePage?  Or, did they have to search further to figure it out?

 2.)     Does your website HomePage speak to the First-Time-Viewer “personally?”  In my experience, as I open a HomePage for the first time, little questions pop in my head - “What’s in it for ME?”  “Why should I buy from this company?”  “What do they offer that I can’t get elsewhere?” 

If the site contains chest pounding words like:  “Best in the World,” “Award Winning,” or “Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread,” (you know the drill), I click on the “BACK” button.   I want specifics!  WHY should I buy from you?  What VALUE proposition do you offer me?  Speak to me on a personal level.  Don’t just scream how great you Think you are!

3.)      Is everything up-to-date?  It always bugs me when I open a site’s News and Events section with the “latest” Press Release dated 2005.   Or, the bottom of each webpage says ” last updated:  11/5/07.”  Hello — Is anybody home?

4.)     Make sure your Shopping Cart works for everyone.  I purchase a lot of stuff online and hate it when they don’t include specific Shipping Information.  I have to fill in a different address if it is going to be shipped via Fed Ex or UPS.  If it is shipped via US Postal Service, then I need to know.  If I don’t see the info I need, then I will buy somewhere else. 

5.)     Test the credit card submission page.  I have experienced many sites that don’t accept my zip code or address the first time.  I have to play detective and try to figure out how they want it entered, even though I have entered it correctly, it comes back as an “invalid address.”  That always drives me to someone else’s site to buy.  Especially if their Customer Service office is closed and no one answers the phone!

When was the last time you took a look at YOUR website from the eyes of a First-Time-Viewer?

And, as a First-Time-Viewer, what’s your Pet Peeve about websites with Shopping Carts?

Virginia L. Vivier

Online Media Consultant

The Ganoksin Project

Office: 520-616-8683

email:  virginia@ganoksin.com

Tucson, AZ

http://www.ganoksin.com

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