Traffics Nice... But Whos Driving?

In the competitive marketplace of the new millennium, the demand for specialized products or services will increase. If your site sells everything or to everyone, chances are that your audience will not perceive a value in shopping from you any greater than from anyone else. Keep in mind that price is *never* an issue -- it is the value behind the price that is.

Price is an arbitrary figure that merely represents the value of an offering. Here's an example: You walk to your local home furnishings store. You ask the sales clerk, "How much for that washer?" to which he responds, "$600." "Wow! That's a lot of money," you exclaim. "The price is way too high for me. I just can not afford that." This is a typical knee-jerk response.

Moments later, you walk by a car dealership and notice that favorite new car you've been itching to buy for the last month and a half. You walk in. "It's $25,000," says the salesperson. "Wow! That's great!" You drive it off the lot that same day.

If you could not afford the $600 washer, why could you afford the $25,000 car? So price is never an issue. In the case of the car, the value (and that's perceived value) matched or surpassed the price, which wasn't the case with the washer.

Therefore, if *your* value is perceived as equal to that of others, naturally the cheapest alternative will win. Price is only a metric -- a symbol, if you will. And it is only used when there's nothing to which one can compare your value. (Price is not the only metric either.) Thus, if you're too similar to your competition, price will always be an issue.

So, if you try to copy your competition, or trying to promote your offering as one that's better than your competition, like it or not you're only reminding people of that which you are better ... Your competition! So don't compete. Differentiate! Or as Earl Nightingale once said, "Don't copy. Create!"

Admittedly, being all things to all people is not a negative concept -- of course, you will likely stumble onto some people who will visit your site and respond to your offer. That's not the problem. The problem is that you must generate a fairly large quantity of hits in order to produce a certain result.

The more general or broad you are, the more you will need to paint your website, content and marketing messages with broad brushstrokes in order to appeal to everyone. In the end, the traffic you do generate will be just as general or broad.

Even if your product is a perfect fit for some visitors, it will only be a fit for a small percentage. Additionally, the "generalness" you project will likely convey that your value is equal to that of others and that there's no added value in buying from you than in buying from others. Therefore, out of those qualified prospects that hit your site, a large number of them will likely leave your site due to your apparent lack of understanding of their specific needs, goals and concerns.

In short, the more general you are, the less value you have.

However, the sales you generate will increase dramatically if your site is narrowly centered on a specific theme, product category or outcome. And niche marketing has an added benefit: The need to produce a sufficient quantity of website visitors to produce similar results will lessen considerably.

Here's an illustration: Let's say that your best client is the corporate executive earning $50,000 annually or more, and that your site receives approximately 200,000 hits per month. If your website's message aims for the public at large, you have a problem. There will only be a small percentage of that ideal market (i.e., corporate execs earning $50,000 or more) that will hit your site (and an even smaller percentage that will genuinely be qualified for, and interested in, your offering).

For the sake of example, let's say that this percentage is around 0.1%. That means that, out of 200,000 monthly visitors, only 200 will fit your perfect customer profile (and that's a very optimistic figure). And since your site is too general or too vague, an even smaller percentage of those 200 executives -- let's say about 0.5% -- will be truly interested in your offer and eventually buy. In this case, 0.5% (of 200 qualified visitors) would equal to a mere client for an entire month.

Looking at it in reverse it means that, if you want to achieve at least a single sale per month from this ideal market, your site will thus require at least 200,000 visitors on a monthly basis. If you want to generate at least one sale per day, it means that you will have to generate over 6 million visitors monthly. So based on the law of averages, your promotional efforts will need to multiply exponentially as to create a high enough quantity of traffic and yield acceptable results.

Now take the example of another website dedicated exclusively to corporate executives earning over $50,000. However, this site receives a meager 5,000 hits per month -- of course, it's not a whole lot especially when compared to the other. But the percentage of those 5,000 visitors falling into one's target market will be 100% in this case -- a 10,000% improvement!

Furthermore, the percentage of interested leads that are in a much better position to buy will be far higher by virtue of the fact that the site centers on their specific needs, goals and concerns. The perceived value of the site, in other words, will be greater in the mind of those prospects.

To be conservative, let's say that this percentage is only 5%. It means that out of 5,000 visitors per month, one can achieve 250 sales -- that's 249 more sales than the other (and, on top of that, with only a quarter of the traffic). But let's be a little more conservative for a moment. Let's say that only 1% buys from you. It's still a 500% improvement over the other, as 1% of 5,000 visitors equals to 5 sales per month.

Of course, the above example is when all things considered are equal -- there are many variables here. But the spirit of this illustration is clear: It's the fact that it took an equal if not lesser investment of time, effort and money to achieve 250 sales per month than it did to achieve a single one.

So, there is much truth to the statement that you will get more with less. And online, where there is so much more of nothing, less is indeed more. Therefore, by narrowing your focus, you will likely broaden your chances of online success. And remember, "Don't compete. Differentiate!"

About the Author

Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter, author, speaker and consultant. His specialty are long copy sales letters and websites. Watch him rewrite copy on video each month, and get tips and tested conversion strategies proven to boost response in his membership site at http://TheCopyDoctor.com/ today.

---

Hook Your Direct Mail Sales Letter Readers With Good Transition Sentences

Anglers in Maine catch trout using dry flies with barbless hooks. Unless they keep tension on the line all the way to the net, they lose the trout. Your sales letters must do... Read More

Working With a Freelance Editor

If you are interested in creating information products, you will very likely deal with editors throughout your career. You may need someone to edit a book, review a special report, or tighten up... Read More

Impulse Writing for Better Ad Headings

Writing headlines for your ads is the most important part of your online presence.When posting your ad to classified sites, directories, message boards, newsgroups or mailing lists, the only part of your ad... Read More

Designing for a Non-English Audience

Having worked as a digital publishing specialist at a large corporation at my previous job, I did not think being in charge of foreign language typesetting would be too difficult. After all, the... Read More

So Youve Decided to Hire a Freelance Copywriter - A Guide to the Collaboration Process

Whether you're an executive or a small business owner, chances are you will have to hire a writer somewhere along the line to create your marketing material. Here is some insight into the... Read More

Buy My Book for $27 and Ill Give You Bonuses Worth a Gazillion Dollars!

Subhead..How to bundle for valuable results without devaluing your productI almost clicked. Really, I did.The ad copy was compelling, the content focused. This was exactly what I was looking for. Yes, I was... Read More

3 Copywriting Tips - How To Edit For Mass Appeal!

Web copy that's intended to sell or generate leads needs to quickly reach out and grab attention and build rapport with a target audience. You can connect with your audience more effectively if... Read More

?Super Adjectives? Boost the Power of Your Copy

Pretty or elegant? Good or scrumptious? Nice or delightful? There is power in the adjectives you choose. Just like Clark Kent and Superman or Bruce Wayne and Batman, some adjectives are plain, ordinary,... Read More

Memorable Sales Copy -- How to Write it

Want to know the secret of creating MEMORABLE promotional copy? Sales copy that actually stays with your customers long after they've finished reading it?Then master the art of using words to create pictures... Read More

10 Eye Popping, Jaw Dropping Ad Copy Secrets

1. Use a hand written letter on your ad copy instead of text. Write the ad on a piece of paper, scan it and publish the ad on your web page. Adding a... Read More

The Secret to Web Copywriting Gurudom

Have you seen those copywriting gurus, working it on the web? How'd they get so darned famous? How can YOU get what THEY have? Here are some creative ideas for you to kick... Read More

Writing Copy for Voiceovers

As with any of the performing arts, an effective voiceover begins with a well-crafted script. You don't have to have many years of writing experience to create copy that is both effective and... Read More

Increase Freelance Sales With an Online Resume!

Freelancing is a competitive business, especially in today's fast-paced, e-focused world.Often there are hundreds of writers competing for the same, limited number of assignments, and the writer who can best showcase his or... Read More

Web Copy ? How Much is Enough?

These days, there's widespread acceptance that a website is an integral part of the marketing plan of any business. Likewise, it's commonly accepted that web copy is a vital component of any website.... Read More

Engage Your Customer ? Write About Benefits

Think quick. In 10 seconds, can you list the 5 key benefits you offer your customers?I bet you said "Yes". But are you sure you listed benefits? If you'll bear with me for... Read More

Touching the Prospect?s Emotions in Your Sales Letter

Your prospect has emotions? and you MUST touch these emotions in your sales letter. Your copy has to excite. Stir curiosity. Generate fear. Create deep desire.If it doesn't your copy will fail.The reason... Read More

Internet Marketing 102: Copy What Works

Internet Marketing- Forget the experts, latest software program or even that book that someone is selling to get on the "best seller list" and the 200 free ebooks they are offering you. Here... Read More

Its Time To Start That Swipe File

Just as great fiction is an art, so is great copywriting. Beneath the art, however, there's a foundation of basic knowledge and skills. The craft that goes into your writing.Craft comes first. Art... Read More

Organizing Your Data to Write Better Copy

Last quarter I talked about interviewing / gathering data. So now you've got several thousand words of notes, hopefully digitally recorded. What comes next?GETTING ORGANIZEDI suggested organizing your interview questions into 4 groups.... Read More

Writing For Sex Markets

Many professional freelancers will go their entire career without ever once writing a story about sex. Oh, they may craft a racy scene or two in the course of writing the next Great... Read More

How to Make the Most of Your Website Copywriter

Many people feel uncertain when dealing with copywriters. Like any artform, writing is subjective; instead of black and white, most business owners and marketing managers see indistinguishable shades of grey. But copywriting possesses... Read More

8 Reasons to Outsource Your Copywriting

Thinking of hiring a staff writer? Think again. Below, I will give you eight geat reasons to reconsider and outsource instead.1. Save MoneyBy hiring a professional writer to handle your project, you will... Read More

Top 7 Things To Do Before You Hire A Copywriter

Now that you've decided to hire a copywriter, how do you go about finding one? Here are seven things to look for to make sure the match is a good one.#1 ? Define... Read More

How To Write Headlines That Get Attention

No doubt, the headline is the most important part of any advertisement or sales letter. The reason is very simple. The headline is the first thing your prospect sees when he or she... Read More

Four Simple Steps to Improve Your Sales Copy

You know what it's like, you're reading the sales material about a product you're considering buying, but, as you read, all these questions seem to pop into your mind, but there's no-one there... Read More

Its Not What You Say But How You Say It

Copy is all about words. Or is it?Copy is about using words to describe the benefits of your offer. About using words to paint vivid mental imagery. About using words to stir the... Read More

Freelance Writing As A Career

Most people would love to make a living from freelance writing. If you tell people that you are a freelance writer, chances are that they will respond by telling you about their own... Read More

How To Find Freelance Jobs - Writing About Food

Did you know that jobs writing about food are available? These opportunities are available in a variety of areas. Employment in these fields is an exciting concept. For many, getting their foot in... Read More

How To Personalize Your Headlines For Increased Profits!

Personalizing your headlines to your target audience can significantly improve your sales response. You can do this by mentioning a person by name, their city, their career field, their job title, or group... Read More