DIVADIGEST: NOVEMBER '05, ISSUE 23

Women and Online Shopping Trends

Selling a product or service to a woman in the offline world has always been tricky, and selling to a woman online is just as tricky, but somehow different. You need to understand what women are doing online, how and why they surf, and what persuades them to buy from the websites that they buy from.

 

Monique Danielle, of Diva Design World studies marketing trends of both men and women, which enables her to better serve her clients. She knows what works and what doesn't when it comes to selling products and services to women both online and offline. She offers the following information about the habits of women online:

 

For more information about the buying and surfing trends of women on the Internet, contact Monique Danielle at Diva Design World.com.

 

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Advertising Success Strategies: Making the Most of Printed Ad Copy

Part of being at the helm of a successful business is siphoning some of your energy into advertising. No sales can be expected without the benefit of a marketing campaign that's designed to reach out to the public and present the product in such a way as to entice consumers to purchase what you've put on the proverbial table. We've all seen ad copy for everything from toothpaste to power saws - and beyond - but we don't always respond to the message that the advertisement is sending; that's because not all printed ad copy is successful. If you find that you're in a similar situation, here are some tips that might help you to launch a successful ad campaign using printed copy.

 

Capture the Target Audience's Attention. When you're dealing with printed advertisements, it's important to remember that you're working within a visual arena. That means that you're going to have to succeed in capturing the attention of potential customers through creative visual strategies in order to turn their attention toward reading the information that's being presented. Utilize all of the visual tools that are considered pleasing to the eye and make the graphic presentation creative and unique.

 

Use a Variety of Artwork Styles. Clip art, drawings, photographs and other types of illustrations will help to attract the consumer's attention and send a specific message. By integrating the right images with the text of the advertisement, you'll have the opportunity to create an effective and successful ad that will generate high sales.

 

Make Your Ad Creative, Not Crowded. In an attempt to attract the consumer's attention, some people make the mistake of overdoing things and end up with an ad that's far too crowded with visual images. When the visual environment is too busy, potential customers can become confused by the message that's being sent and/or become overwhelmed with too much visual stimulus. Be sure, then, that the text and graphics which are being used stay within reasonable guidelines and that they don't express more than one message. The most successful ads avoid these snares.

 

Highlight the Benefits to the Consumer. Of course, every potential customer wants to know that the product that's being advertised will benefit them in some way. Otherwise, there's no need for them to consider buying the product. The best advertising approach involves drawing the consumer into the ad by speaking to them in a language that they'll understand and appreciate: what they'll get out of the deal.

 

Prove that You Have the Competitive Edge. Most people are in the habit of comparison shopping. As a result, the one who can offer solid evidence that they have something unique to offer the consumers' market which stands head-and-shoulders above their competitors is going to be the one who enjoys the most sales. Including things such as endorsements by notables or testimonials and other pertinent information will help to establish you as the leader in production and sales of whatever commodity you're offering to potential customers.

 

Utilize the Reward System in Your Advertising Campaign. Consumers are always on the look-out for "extras", such as coupons, discounts, trials or free demos. Including items such as these in your advertisement will help to ensure some sales down the road. People are more inclined to purchase an item when they think that they're getting something for free - or, at least, at a reasonable discount.

 

Learn From Others' Mistakes. Before putting together a printed advertisement, you'll need to know what appeals to your target audience. That being the case, one of the best ways to determine the market trend is to watch similar products and notice the reaction of consumers to their marketing approaches. Strive to adopt similar techniques when you see a product whose marketing has been effective, and avoid those which don't seem to appeal to the crowd.

 

Creating a successful printed advertisement doesn't have to be difficult. For those who are new to the marketing arena, or are interested in consulting with professionals who have a history of success in the area of advertising, there are firms that specialize in the creation of printed material which can provide the types of services that you need in order to reach the widest audience in the most effective way possible. Perhaps the best contemporary firm in the advertising arena is Diva Design World of Portland, Oregon. Monique Danielle and her staff offer modestly priced, highly creative advertising concepts that can easily be put into effect, as well as a history of highly satisfied customers. Dollar for dollar, contracting Diva Design World for your advertising needs is the most profitable decision that a business owner can make.

 

 

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Brainstorming: Straining Your Brain for Effective Ideas

There are many different ways to conduct a brainstorming session, and the ones that involve sitting with your employees and going over items listed on a flip chart is among the least effective ways in which to conduct such a task. In order to inspire and gather truly creative ideas, there are more productive methods that can be used which will encourage employees to generate suggestions that can add some pizzazz to the problem-solving environment.

 

While you may think that asking a group of people to pool their thoughts in an effort to generate new ideas is the best approach, there's one that's better. Before launching the meeting, ask your employees to think of ideas of their own, and then give each of them the opportunity to introduce them during the meeting. This will give you a number of possibilities that can be used as stepping stones toward the final result. After everyone's put their suggestions on the table, then the members of the group can work together to build on those ideas or isolate one that seems to be particularly effective.

 

Every now and then, people need a bit of a boost in the creativity department. Your employees are no different, and it's up to managers to spur them on to more novel thought patterning. One way this can be done is through the integration of one or more individuals whose thinking tends to be more innovative or less traditional than that of the others in the group. Since most people tend to get caught in the rut of their own way of seeing things, someone who has a different perspective on things might be just what they need to get them moving in a different - more creative - direction.

 

Let's face it, if a problem didn't exist, there would be no need for a brainstorming session. Therefore, something specific needs to be addressed within the confines of this type of meeting, and the best way to approach the means to a solution is by breaking the process down into categories. First, you'll need to identify the problem. Don't be surprised if each of your employees perceives the problem in a different way, since no two individuals think in exactly the same way. Next, you'll need to encourage them to produce some creative solutions to the problem. This will be easier for some than for others, but the more unique thinkers will serve as motivators for the others. Finally, you'll need to settle on an idea that's most likely to bring about the solution to the problem. You may prefer to agree on a couple of possible solutions, and then explore them more thoroughly at another time.

 

Goal setting is extremely important - both for individuals and for the progression of the project. Be sure to set short term goals, as well as the overall long-term expectation. When employees are given a set of well-defined short-term goals, they're more inclined to be productive, since they're working within a shorter deadline, and since they're most likely to kick their creative juices into overdrive. By implementing nothing more than one long-term goal, you're condemning your employees to a long process of waiting and, perhaps, becoming lax, without the benefit of realizing a number of small successes along the way - not the best fodder for creative productivity.

 

It's far too easy for people to become competitive within a group environment - especially when the race is on to meet a particular goal. What typically happens next is that the members of the group begin to faction off and compete against each other. This grade school mentality - which segregates into “cliques” - disrupts the flow of the creative process and causes a diminished capacity to conceptualize constructive ideas. Managers should be prepared to foster an environment that's conducive to collaboration. In the collaborative mode, individuals can come together to brainstorm in a more effective manner and strive to meet a common goal as a team.

 

By their very nature, most people need to see the tangible results of their efforts. If this doesn't become apparent at some point after the brainstorming process, employees may become lax - or, at least, discouraged - and stop generating new ideas. In order to expect them to meet their goals - whether they're short or long term - they need ongoing incentive. One of the responsibilities of the manager is to provide visual milestones throughout the course of the process.

 

If you're in the habit of relying on employees who are known to be creative, you're making a mistake. Just as anyone, at any point, is capable of coming up with a novel idea, those who have a reputation for creativity may hit a dry spell in their creative thinking process. The philosophy of not putting your eggs all in one basket certainly applies here. What you should be aiming for in this type of environment is stability and dedication to meeting the goals. Characteristics such as motivation and aptitude in certain areas are the cement that will hold your team together and produce a successful result.

 

Though brainstorming sessions can be quite productive, don't limit yourself to that and nothing more. Encourage other methods of jump starting the creative thinking process. Remember, too, that some individuals don't flourish in a brainstorming environment. Those who are uncomfortable with open participation, as well as those who may perceive a slightly less enthusiastic reception of their idea as rejection don't tend to bring as much to the table as other participants. An effective manager will find other ways in which to encourage such individuals.

 

In some cases, managers will include members of a marketing firm in the creative loop, if the problems are related to the marketing and/or advertising end of the business. These creative professionals have a great deal to offer to such a scenario and possess both the training and the talent to provide unique perceptions and ideas, and see the project to its fruition with highly successful results. A good example of this type of firm is Diva Design World of Portland, Oregon. As a highly successful company with a burgeoning client list, Monique Danielle and her staff can provide the direction, inspiration and unique ideas to resolve all of your marketing problems. The bottom line is, when in doubt, call in the professionals, and the best of those is Diva Design World.

 

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Search Engine Text: Adding Keywords without Compromising Style

Most of the time, when you read a keyword enriched article, you get lost in the peppering of those words until the meaning is gone forever. For those of you who are frustrated by having to choose between loading your article with keywords that will give you a higher search engine rating and writing in a style that's both comfortable and natural, you know exactly what that's all about. The bad news is that you'll still need to pockmark your text with keywords and phrases that are sufficient to earn your web pages high ranking on the search engine - and, yes, it's the pages that count, not the websites. The good news, however, is that there's no need to sacrifice your writing style in an effort to be a search engine kingpin.

 

The trick is to simply stick to your subject matter without straying too far off the beaten path. If, for instance, you're writing about poodles, then be sure to stay focused on the topic by introducing certain characteristics, behaviors, types, sizes and colors without digressing into conversation about other breeds. By using keywords that relate to what it is that you're discussing, the flow of the article will come naturally while offering keyword-rich content.

 

The first thing to do, of course, is to choose a title that will capture the attention of the target audience while inserting keywords or phrases that will raise your search engine ranking to the top of the proverbial heap. For most people, a bad (or weak) title is enough to keep them from going on to read the article itself. Once you've tackled the title, you'll need to be sure that you've identified all of the necessary keywords, and then begin to write the body in a style that's comfortable. If you stay with the subject at hand, the keywords will work themselves in quite naturally.

 

Since it's fairly rare that the first attempt to write an article will be polished enough to be presented to the public, you'll need to work through a series of drafts. For the first draft, be sure to begin with a simple outline format - beginning, middle and end, with the highlights in the center of the body's text. When writing the content, keep it simple. Some of the best works are conversational in nature and don't require John Q. Public to call up the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary in order to understand what's being said.

 

By the time you're ready to tackle the second draft - yes, you'll need more than one! - it should be a simple matter of revision. There's no need to clutter it up with bits of literary flotsam. Prune it a bit and drop any of the unnecessary fluff so that the points of the article stand out. Try to avoid using the same word repeatedly - there are lots of synonyms out there that can be used to provide a better flow without corrupting the meaning. Check for sentence and paragraph structure to see if you need to expand on your thoughts or, perhaps, pare them down a bit to avoid excessive wordiness.

 

When the time comes to work up a third draft, it's really just a matter of looking over the elements of the article to make sure that the flow, grammar, relevant information and logical patterning are all good. One of the most vital areas to examine is the critical information that you've presented. Make sure that you've made your points well and haven't excluded anything. In other words, if it flows well and gets the information across, you've done a good job. If not, this is your chance to make any necessary changes before its publication.

 

By this time, you've spent a good deal of time and effort working and reworking your article and must now face the task of applying it to the web. This means uploading it and then finding a way to test the keyword effectiveness on the major search engines by setting and resetting various keywords and phrases until you find the ones that help you to achieve top-notch ranking. There are certainly programs out there than can be utilized to discover this information - such as Submitexpress.com_Analyzer, but there are much easier ways to get the job done without all of the work that's involved in using this type of method.

 

Advertising and/or Marketing firms typically offer packages that include both writing and publication services. These are real gems to the online business entrepreneur, because they take on the formidable task of writing - specifically with the type of web content in mind that will catapult you to the highest range of search engine ranking, without your having to worry and fuss about all of the writing, keyword peppering, testing and rank achievements. Of the firms that are currently available to do such work, Diva Design World is the best that this author's seen so far. Based in Portland, Oregon, they staff experts in each area of design, marketing and advertising that bring the appropriate college degrees and practical experience to the online table. Another perk that they offer is a very reasonable pricing schedule.

 

Whether you choose to do the work on your own or employ a firm such as Diva Design World, you won't have to sacrifice a comfortable - and natural - writing style in order to gain a high-profile internet standing. If you stay focused on the subject matter, a keyword-rich article will be a natural by-product of your writing plan.

 

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