Webification is the Most Efficient Use of All the Multi-Media and Interactive Technology Available, Without Letting it Outshine the Sales Message on Your Landing Page
By “webification” we mean the most efficient use of all the multi-media and interactive technology available. This does not, however, mean using technology just because it’s there.
Kris Asquith, owner of InstantRealEstateNewsletter.com brands herself with a personal audio clip speaking directly to her audience. See the Instant Real Estate Newsletter landing page review.
The Investment U Course landing page also makes good use of interactive technology. The page includes a site search function, and a link to a “Get a Stock Quote” function. Additionally, there are hypertext links to a couple of archived editions of The Investment U eLetter.
The American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) landing page is a great example of how you can use Internet-based technology to apply the tried and true principles of direct mail copywriting. Instead of opening an actual mail package and sorting through the contents, the AWAIonline landing page directs the reader from one section to another. The site offers lots of ways to explore and plenty of hypertext links from one feature or benefit to another, all without losing the continuity of a good DM package.
Creative online publishers have discovered numerous ways to use technology on their sites, from offering valuable file downloads and full text archives of all past issues, to simple site search functions and printer-friendly page view options. Others offer on-demand webcasts and interactive tools. Even “click to email an article to a friend” is good webification.
Landing Page Guidelines – Additional Noteworthy Examples of Webification
While not located on the landing page, here are some other examples of great webification:
Morningstar.com offers 16 interactive tools well targeted to the audience needs, along with easily sortable tables and charts throughout the site, and a rather amusing self-study classroom complete with quizzes.
Lawyers.com provides multiple ways to search for an attorney, including search by type or area of practice, search by name, search by geographical location, search by language and search by practice type (i.e., firm, individual lawyer).
AdAge.com offers users RSS (Really Simple Syndication) news feeds from nine of its online properties. There’s even a QuickTime plug-in video that pitches Advertising Age’s Point magazine for CMOs (chief marketing officers).
BabyCenter.com offers three interactive tools to play with, including such fun topics as predicting your child’s adult height, calculating the amount you’ll spend on your child throughout his lifetime, and ovulation charts for the still-trying crowd.
MoneyLaundering.com offers five free online videos that exemplify suspicious customer activity at banks.
WebMD.com offers an interactive “symptoms check.”
Insurance.com offers online calculators that enable the user to enter the criteria necessary for the agency underwriters to prepare a price quote.
DeniseAustin.com offers an interactive self-assessment questionnaire. The visitor must complete the questionnaire before she is offered a fitness plan (for which she must pay). This creates the perception that the site is delivering personalized advice, not boilerplate content.
The Daily Reckoning website incorporates an interactive, online game. “Mancala Gold,” for one or two players, provides users with an unexpected diversion.
A Word of Caution
Never let the technology outshine the sales message. Don’t let your readers be so dazzled by the bells and whistles on your site that they forget to buy. Technology should be used to enhance the sales message, not to replace it.
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