Re: web marketing results

[Kat Nagel/MasterWork <katnagel -at- EZNET -dot- NET>]

Richard Foley writes:
>In my case people/potential clients (?) are viewing my web site, _they_
>then contact _me_, with a view to discussing illustration work.  Fine so
>far.  Then we get into some email exchange and, after perhaps a week or
>two, the prospect fizzles.
>:-(
>Remember, THEY contacted ME, & THEN changed their minds.

>Now then, why is this?
>Perhaps they:   a. Find my "email-party-talk" not quite what they exp
>ected?


>                                b. Don't like the ".uk" at the end of my
>email a
>ddress?

>                c.      Decide not to use the Internet after all?


>                                        d.      Any other suggestions?
>(polite p
>lease)  :-)


I have a couple of ideas why you might be having problems with this.

The first problem is the way your email message (this one, at least) looks
on the screen.  I checked it with three different mail readers:
  (1) my shell account (PINE on a unix system, with a monospaced font)
  (2) my PPP connection (Eudora, proportional font)
  (3) AOL (graphical reader, proportional font)
In all three cases, the message was very difficult to read because of
uneven spacing and line feeds in the middle of words.  While this may have
just been a cyber-hiccup with this particular message, it's possible that
your potential customers may be discouraged by the difficulty encountered
in reading your messages.

Another possibility might be inherent in the nature of all mass marketing
efforts.  A web site is similar, in this respect, to an ad in a trade
journal.  The majority of the people who see it are browsers who may be
curious, but have no real need for your product at this time.  They just
stumbled across your web site on their way to somewhere else <grin>.  A
small percentage of viewers (1-2%)  -will-  be interested in your business.
They will explore a little further, exchanging email and asking questions
about services and rates.

Out of these exploratory contacts, only a few will be interested enough to
ask for a quote on a job --- and this will happen  -only-  if you present a
competent, professional image and if your rates are well in line with what
they expect for your type of service.  Even this is no guarantee of a
contract, though.  These forlks will be comparing your bid with several
others that they received through more traditional channels, and may very
well decide to give their business to another firm.

There is an electronic newsletter called Internet Marketing Digest that you
might be interested in.  I don't have the subscription information handy,
but the listowner is Glenn Fleishman <glenn -at- popco -dot- com>.  They have had some
very interesting threads lately on website marketing techniques, including
ways to measure the effectiveness of electronic marketing.


@Kat_____ Kat Nagel
          MasterWork Consulting Services     Rochester, NY
          LIFE1 (techwriting/docdesign) katnagel -at- eznet -dot- net
          LIFE2 (vocal chamber music)    PlaynSong -at- aol -dot- com