How does
a traditional publisher set up an effective website? Internet
models: why most Internet business models don’t make a profit; Where’s
the money? Converting leads to paid-for subscribers; Online
subscribers: persuading new subscribers to sign up online ; Short or
long copy? Why long copy can kill response; Case
studies: Peak Performance, Electric Word, Marketing Profs.
Dear
Colleague,
The
school of failure is probably our best teacher.
We see
publishers, however, making the same mistakes again and again. Learning, it
seems, is not for everyone.
For
example, most publishers now have a presence on the Internet. But the
effectiveness of most websites is poor, despite the fact that these days web
design and other expertise is readily available.
So how
does a traditional publisher set up an effective website?
The main
problem, as with any new discipline, is that setting up and running your
website can take up an awful lot of your time. While your attention is
elsewhere, your usual marketing activity will suffer -- and marketing is where
you make your money.
Although
you may not know much about programming or coding you can be sure that the more
you look into them the more you will be diverted from your vital focus on
revenue.
So how to
avoid mistakes? The answer is to look at successful Internet operations and
follow by example – which is where this issue of Subscriptions Strategy can
help. As long as you know what’s working and exactly how it’s done, you can
speed up your rate of learning and graduate early.
Why most
Internet business models don’t make a profit
Most
publishers’ websites give something away. They see it as the best way to
generate prospect email lists. But it’s
very difficult to convert free subscribers to profitable customers. The case
studies we feature in Subscriptions Strategy are exceptions to the rule. For
example very few publishers are achieving anything like the success of Electric
Word, featured in this issue.
So how is
it done? The most effective and profitable Internet models I work with operate
a four-stage sell ...
Peter
Hobday
Members-only section Subscriptions Strategy issue 61 >>>