Dear Reader,

I'm pulling together this issue quickly, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes/typos I may miss.

My mom had cancer surgery yesterday (Dr. thinks 80% chance everything will now be fine, but we have to wait about five days for test results to be sure.). Going to mostly sit with her this week.

Creative use of resources...

Kim Griffiths' story about generating more leads from her Client's Website shows that sometimes, success is a matter of perspective.

Research and Email...

Kim's story brought to mind an article on Market Research. When developing your marketing plan or any project, conducting some upfront research can dramatically improve your results (317% in Kim's case!). "Affordable Market Research" explains ways to conduct research online.

Today's second article, "Direct Email - Thou Shalt Not S*P*A*M" is based on the "Direct Email Messages" chapter or my Marketing Plan guide. More info. here:

http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/MarketingBook

Enjoy,
Bobette

P.S. I can better tailor the newsletter contents if I know your interests. Please take a moment to flesh out your profile through the link at the bottom (This is also where you can change your newsletter format or - gasp! - be removed from the list.).

Here are my profile responses:
- Name: Bobette Kyle
- Zip: 63126; Country: USA
- Occupation: Marketing
- Job Title: Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
- Education: Graduate Degree
- Found me through: Other...Actually, I didn't find it, I made it. :-)
- My work: Self employed, B2B focus, Internet marketer
- Interests: All of them

P.P.S. If you like what you are reading, please forward this newsletter to two like-minded friends or associates.

*********************************************

You Can Put a Smile on the Face of a Needy Child this Christmas!

We are proud to be a partner with the official U.S. Marines "Toys for Tots" program in The Second Annual Internet Toy Drive.

It's a sad fact that millions of children in the United States will NOT have a single gift to open on Christmas Day! We aim to change that and make sure EVERY child has at least one present 'from Santa' under their tree.

Help a needy child in YOUR community right now:

http://www.internettoydrive.com

***********************************************
Articles

Affordable Market Research

Until recently, limited budgets kept most types of market research out of reach for entrepreneurs and other small-budget businesses. Today, through the Internet, small-budget businesses have more research options. Secondary research sources are easier to find. More affordable primary research methods - both qualitative and quantitative - are available online as well. Read the full article here:

http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/Arts/MktRsrch.htm

Direct Email - Thou Shalt Not S*p*a*m

If you are new to Internet marketing, you might equate direct email to direct postal mail. The concepts are very similar; in both you broadcast a standard message to a large number of individuals in hopes of receiving positive responses. To the uninitiated, it is logical to assume you can approach the two in the same way. It seems like the only difference is the means of communication. If you are thinking this way, STOP! STOP! STOP! Read the full article here:

http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/Arts/Spam.htm

About the Author

Bobette Kyle has more than a decade of experience in Corporate Marketing; Brand and Product Marketing; Field Marketing and Sales; and Management.

She is author of the Marketing Plan Guide "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing". Read more about the guide here:

http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/MarketingBook

*********************************************

Search Engine Conundrum

Will submitting to hundreds of engines cause traffic to pour into your Website? The short answer is NO.

Learn the real secret to driving targeted traffic to your Website. Download a WebPosition Gold trial today!

***********************************************
Story on creative use of resources.

from K. Griffiths

I was given the task to generate more electronic leads for a sales staff of approximately 100 people. To approach this challenge, I decided that there was only two critical components of the Website that I would focus on -- registrations and the shopping cart. Nothing else mattered for the next few weeks. I evaluated everything I could think of that would drive traffic to the site including search term placements, email marketing initiatives, content syndication and sponsorship opportunities.

It wasn't until I took a step back and a fresh look at the customer's experience internally instead of the external traffic being driven to the site. The only way I would succeed at my challenge was to generate more completed registrations. I hadn't thought of doing a simple usability exercise since all the registration forms had been standardized a few months before. I assumed that the usability was considered during this process and the mediocre registration results had more to do with the media mix being used -- I was wrong.

I did an unofficial focus group evaluation by asking a few people to register for me. After watching three people in the office (chosen at random), I suspected I knew the answer. A "cancel" button was placed on the right hand side of the screen whereas the "submit" button was on the left. After reviewing the metrics, I was convinced this little button was causing customer frustration.

The entire "fix" took a total of 15 man-hours, but within the first four weeks, the tweak skyrocketed registrations by 317%!! Needless to say, I was thrilled with my positive contribution.

About the Contributor

K. Griffiths is an Independent Business Consultant and Writer, specializing in B2B and B2C eMarketing strategy. She may be contacted via email at kgriffiths@swfla.rr.com