Search engine news of the week

“Ask.com Internet search service could grow its share of the market to 8 to 10 percent from a current level around 2 percent [...] Online advertising rates, which are often determined by the number of times users click on a Web ad, will increasingly move to a model of payment-per-action, where advertisers pay, for example, only when a Web user buys a product or signs onto a mailing list.”

9 Practical Reasons Why

By Jerry Bader (c) 2006

1. Limited Screen Real Estate

Computer screens have increased in size over the years but website designers still have to deal with the problem of how to get all a client’s information presented ‘above the fold’ so visitors don’t have to scroll too much.

It’s hard enough to get prospects to read anything, let alone copy that drones on. This problem isn’t being helped by SEO tacticians promoting inflated text presentations often amounting to exercises in key-phrase diarrhea.

If you have a lot to say, turn some of it into audio, so prospects can sit back, listen and absorb what you have to say, rather than hunt desperately for the information they’re looking for. The single most important thing that effects a user’s Web-experience is how fast they find what they came to learn and what could be easier and faster than pressing an audio button.

2. Computer Screen Readability

We have all been raised with the eight and half by eleven format permanently implanted in our heads. Unfortunately computer monitors’ four by three aspect ratio is horizontal and the new breed wide-screen monitors use a sixteen by nine format – great for timeline editing and spread sheets, not so great for reading.

Computer monitors have nevër been all that easy on the eyes and the new flat screen LCDs are brighter and display more contrast which is great for graphics but again not so great for reading. So instead of giving your potential clients eyestrain and a headache, deliver the information using audio, a much more user-friendly experience.

3. Skip, Scan and Skim Searching

We have learned from usability studies that seventy percent of Web-users scan and skip Web-copy paying attention only to captions and bulleted points. If your information is the least bit complicated or sophisticated, your Web-visitors are probably not getting a complete or accurate story. Ignoring the fact that prospects misread your copy and scan for highlights can be a costly mistake in miscommunication.

Burying your message in reams of text leads to confusion and misunderstandings that will ultimately cost you monëy in lost salës and disgruntled clients. If your web-logs show a lot of visitors are opting out of your site shortly after entering, it is probably because they can’t find what they’re looking for, buried in your SEO-friendly jungle of text. If you’ve invested a significant amount of monëy attracting visitors to your site, you owe it to yourself to deliver the information they came to find.

Allowing visitors to clíck an audio button to receive your core marketing message in sixty seconds of professionally delivered voice-over will do more to turn prospect into customers than a thousand words of boring, hard to read text.

4. Consistency of Message Delivery

Anyone who has run a salës department knows that different people deliver the same message differently. Some sales people have a greater grasp of your marketing message, and others are just going through the motions ‘taking orders’ rather than ’selling.’

Even good salës people often find that key information gets left out or ignored because the client asks questíons, gets interrupted, or just plain isn’t concentrating. When clients are left on their own to browse your website, you nevër know how much of your copy they actually read and how much of that they really understand. It’s called ‘browsing’ for a reason – not ’studying.’

By presenting information in audio, you deliver a consistent, error-free message without anything left out. The human voice cuts through the concentration barrier and leaves an indelible impression of who you are and why prospects should be customers. When you deliver your reason-for-buying in audio, everyone hears the same message, in the same way. If content is king, consistency is the kingmaker.

5. Multitasking

Today’s modern work environment is hectic. It would be nice if we could all act like doctors and lawyers with secretaries to screen our calls and organize our days so we can concentrate on what we are doing. Unfortunately, that’s a pipedream for most modern day business people, especially the entrepreneur.

Most of us are answering the telephone, writing emails, surfing the Web and dealing with colleagues and clients in an ever-dizzying whirl of activity. Asking a multitasking businessperson to stop and concentrate on your beautiful prose is not exactly realistic. People want it short, quick, and precise. If TV advertisers can deliver their marketing messages in fifteen- and thirty-second spots, imagine what you can deliver in sixty seconds of finely crafted audio delivered by a professional announcer who knows how to grab your prospects attention and make an impression.

6. Memory Retention

Years ago commercials were sixty seconds, kids played board games for hours; life was simpler. Today commercials are fifteen seconds, kids play video games with incessant audio and visual stimulation, and we are perpetually on-call with our cell phones and Blackberrys. Our ability to retain information is severely compromised by a new world order of constant contact. Instant messaging has even created a whole new short-form language that brings sophisticated communication down to a new low – where is John Simon when you need him.

If you want to be heard, there is no better way than with the sound of the human voice. The human voice penetrates the clutter and embeds itself in your prospect’s consciousness.

7. Branding – Creating a Corporate Personality

Successful businesses all have personalities and there is no better way to transmit that personality to your prospective clients than with audio. You spend thousands of dollars on how logos, print material, emails ads, and websites look and so you should, but giving your business a personality is more than deciding that everything on your website should be blue.

Differentiating your company from the competition is about creating a memorable business persona. One of the best illustrations of this is the J. Peterman story. Anyone who watched the Seinfeld show remembers John O’Hurley’s J. Peterman character. O’Hurley’s interpretation of Peterman was so strong, so memorable, and powerful that when the real J. Peterman company went under, it was the actor, John O’Hurley, who was able to get it back in business based on his fictional presentation of the real J. Peterman. That is the power of voice and it’s ability to create personality.

8. Persuasive, Provocative, Compelling

Competition is fierce and getting noticed in a crowded marketplace is difficult. We cannot afford to let any opportunity to communicate effectively with prospects get by. You are not the only one with a website, blog, or product that meets your prospects needs, You must do more than just state your offering or even provide some me-too promotion, you must be persuasive, provocative, compelling, and concise.

It only takes 136 words to write sixty seconds of audio. With the right 136 well-written words, delivered by a carefully chosen, professional voice-over artist, you can deliver more than just a pitch: you can deliver your entire marketing message, corporate personality, and brand image.

9. Cost Effectiveness

Many business people are scared-off by an assumption that multimedia solutions like audio are expensive – but that is just not the case. Audio is far more cost-effective than video, animations, and other labor intense rich media creative. If you hire the right people who know what they are doing, you can have an audio presentation professionally produced and incorporated into your website for a budget within the reach of any serious marketer.
About The Author
Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia, a Thornhill, Ontario based website design firm that specializes in delivering their North American clients’ marketing messages using the latest audio, video, and interactive Flash presentation techniques to create compelling, informative and memorable Web-experiences that enhance brand personality and increase salës and profíts. Visit MRPwebmedia.com, 136Words.com, SonicPersonality.com. Contact at info@mrpwebmedia.com or telephone (905) 764-1246.

WHAT DOES ‘RICH’ MEAN TO YOU?

WHAT DOES ‘RICH’ MEAN TO YOU?“I remember in an anthropology class in

college where I learned that cultural

anthropologists calculate wealth by

subtracting how many hours a day the average

person in a specific culture need to work to

provide the essentials that keep him alive

and satisfied. The end product is the time

left over to pursue what someone WANTS to

pursue, instead of HAS to do.

“By that standard, the Kalahari bushmen were

the wealthiest people in the world, working an

average of two hours a day, I believe.

Interesting!”

I ran across that fascinating bit of info in an online forum for

cruising sailors (like me) and it got me wondering once again

about how we define “rich.” Money is what we use to buy back our

time — our lives — it seems to me. Folks who take off on

sailboats to see the world often refer to dollars as “freedom

chips.” And that’s exactly what they are!

How do YOU define “rich” for yourself, my friend? If, like so

many people, the first thing that comes to your mind is a

specific amount of money, then ponder the simple question, “Why?”

Why do you want that particular amount? What freedom will it buy

you?

I invite you to contribute your personal definition to the

enlightening (and extremely USEFUL) ongoing global conversation

on The Science of Getting Rich NETwork Discussion Forum:

–> http://forums.scienceofgettingrich.net/eve

You’re sure to get new insights, answers, “aha’s!” and more. And

someone, somewhere needs to hear what YOU have to say, too!

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TRUST THE PROCESS!

Speaking of the Forum, take a look at the great news SARA in Lake

Jackson, Texas, USA, shared with us all there recently:

Ten months ago I had no income of my own and more credit card

debt that I wanted. A book review on Amazon.com mentioned Wallace

Wattles and I Googled the name and found this site. After reading

the free text that Rebecca provides, I wanted to learn more.

I spent some time contemplating my desire to take the course and

decided to go ahead and accept Rebecca’s generous offer to set my

own tuition. I completed the course, continued to read the text,

and participated in the discussions.

I very quickly landed a part-time job, in an organization that I

was interested in, at a decent wage, within easy driving of my

home. After the first paycheck, I was able to make an additional

couple of payments for the course. I already knew that everything

I had received from this course, the text, the newsletters, and

the site was so valuable.

I very quickly decided I hated that job for a variety of reasons.

I stuck with it because I really wanted to live SOGR and start

where I was. Not only did I not like the job but I felt like it

was taking so much energy that I wasn’t doing things I loved! But

it DID provide an income, there were aspects I DID like, I was

good at it, I was truly helping people, and I was learning new

things.

After about seven months I finally got in my groove so to speak.

I kept at this job and kept trying to make the most of it. Even

not loving it, I was making more of it.

I started bringing in ENTHUSIASM (thanks to the discussion boards

and newsletter for that reminder). I noticed that almost no one

else was actually enthusiastic about their jobs! At first I felt

a little strange being the only one being enthusiastic. There

were parts of the job that I did enjoy and I built on that.

There came a time a couple of months ago where I was asked to

take on more responsibility. Something that I had been studying

on my OWN time provided me with just what I needed to do that

well and I received a lot of positive feedback and attention.

More importantly, I felt fully engaged, creative, and happy with

my work.

I have been given more hours, more responsibility, and last week,

a raise. (There are things and people I don’t like but I don’t go

there in my mind much.)

Around me at home, my husband received a

great bonus, my daughter a great scholarship,

and it seems like we get good deals on things

we buy. I received a couple of noteworthy

gifts of money and a free vacation.

I wrote a few months ago that I was worried that my husband’s

bonus was going to be quickly spent and then gone.

It was. And it was okay.

Then a couple of weeks ago I was given, what

up until this time, was the biggest check I

had ever been given from a person that I love

but that had never been one to just give me

money.

I carried it around for a week enjoying the

feeling of being able to buy anything that I

wanted or share it in any way I desired.

Absolute joy!

My first big pay out? To Rebecca in sincere appreciation for the

immense value of this Course AND all the things she does that

people can enjoy and learn from at no cost. SOGR provided me with

the information that made me able to put into practice everything

I had learned previously over the years.

Thank you Rebecca. Everything about this work of yours provides

great value to our world.

Thank you to every person that has been a part of these boards. I

appreciate your contribution to my growth as well.

Keep believing!

*****

Wow, thank YOU, Sara. And congratulations! You are off to an

awesome start and have shown us all a great example of what Mr.

Wattles means when he tells us in Chapter 13 that if you have a

job you don’t much like, “you can make the doing of it pleasant

by knowing that it is making it possible for you to come to the

doing of what you want to do.”

As you do that, you are definitely becoming “larger than your

present place” and so will soon find that you have

attracted/created circumstances that please you greatly. Good for

you!

Now, my friend, why don’t YOU join Sara and lots of other

extraordinary people from all over the world?

The Science of Getting Rich for Practical GeniusesTM — the only

online course where you SET YOUR OWN TUITION — is a great way to

take stock of your prosperity progress and then beef up or

totally transform the results YOU’RE experiencing.

Is The Science of Getting Rich for Practical GeniusesTM Online

Course right for you, too, my friend? Come take a look and judge

for yourself …

–> http://www.scienceofgettingrich.net/geniuses.html

=================================================================

THAT’S IT FOR NOW …

As you read this I’m about to go hurtling through the atmosphere

at very high speed in a thin metal tube. Sounds more exciting

than just getting on an airplane, doesn’t it? ;-D

I’ll see you again in a couple weeks with a new full edition of

The Certain Way and a new feature article, AND something new,

fun, and entirely different from anything we’ve done before!

‘Til then …

EXPECT Success!

Rebecca

P.S. So many Certain Way readers have raved about our exclusive

“Positive ReflectionsTM” that a couple months ago I had three

brand-new ones added for you to download, print out, and put to

work in your daily driving.

I love all three of them, but the one that makes me laugh out

loud is my personal favorite. And hey — when you’re laughing

you’re definitely NOT focused on LACK of anything, right? ;-D

Of course, they’re still right there on the Update Page — along

with LOTS of other great stuff! — just waiting for YOU to show

up and grab ‘em:

–> http://www.scienceofgettingrich.net/update.html

Enjoy!

=================================================================

The Certain WayTM, Practical GeniusTM, and Practical GeniusesTM

are trademarks of Certain Way Productions Inc.

–> www.scienceofgettingrich.net/contact.html

Copyright (c) 2006 Certain Way Productions Inc.

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