We just had a failed mailing. Well, it was not quite that simple... The advertiser had a good click through rate (559 from 3000 for 19%), excellent feedback, but just two orders with a ROI of -80%, and his comment, although polite, was "The above data speak for themselves. For the time being, we won't continue our marketing via opt-in lists."
Not a surprising conclusion, the whole process cost him money.
I had a re-look at his site, because my impression was that it was a very professional site, very well designed and presented, and all the feedback I had seen from HTMail visitors had been very good.
The web site offered a free preview of the product - and an excellent flash movie presenting it. The method of ordering was clearly marked. Everything said 'professional web site, safe to buy from' - and the list was carefully targeted.
What went wrong?
The offer
Well, in my view the missing link was a clear offer. A reason, and a way to buy now!
Everything was perfect, but the first time visitor arrived at the web site and had no clear idea of what to do. The front page tells you about the product. It does not tell you why you want the product. There is a clear link to the ordering page, but it's only when you click there that you find a price, and the link to the ordering page is not emphasised in other places. Even with the current front page, the order link should be at the end of the text describing the product, with an instruction - 'Like what you see, you could be enjoying this product within the next five minutes, just click here to order'.
The same instruction needs to be at the end of the movie, at the end of the free sample and so on. You need to tell your customer what to do and not leave them floundering. Guide the visitor through the route you want them to take using the main text on your page. Otherwise they will click where they want, or even worse click away. Always provide them with an ordering link at an appropriate place. Don't leave them to think 'I want to order now' instead ask the question, 'Do you want to order now'.
The next point is the offer. Why buy now? You need to offer the visitor a special reason to buy now. It may be a free limited time 'extra', it may be a special discount only to certain visitors - but there needs to be something. Otherwise lots of people who might have bought on impulse will simply think, that's nice, I'll come back later - and never do.
So you have a limited time special offer, lots of links in appropriate places to tell people how to order, and reasons to buy now. What else was missing?
Well in this instance the answer would be testing. A single mailing misses an opportunity to test, and one of the key things to test is price. The email ad and the list performed well. A good click through rate, and good feedback proved the interest of the list and the effectiveness of the email. However, the price quoted only had one chance to work. You need to test different price levels, both lower than, and higher than your ideal price. You need to understand the effect of those price levels on your conversion rate, and only then can you decide the price level to offer for your full mailing.
The other thing I always recommend is to display the price prominently. Don't be ashamed of your price and hide it on an ordering page - tell the customer up front what the cost is, and avoid disappointing or frightening your customer at the point of ordering.
So if you have tried a method of advertising your product, and come to the conclusion that the method does not work, maybe you should relook at what your offer was!
Dave Broadway
January 2000
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