Tue 9 Mar 2010
Does it make sense to invest time and effort in an SEO project, get readers to your page and let them drop off for lack of interest or confusion? Of course not competing for attention once you have captured a reader on your site is equally as important as getting him there in the first place.
A clear and articulate value statement regarding the company products and services must be delivered quickly. As with face to face sales relationships, the sales person generally only has a few seconds to convince a prospect to keep listening. The same principle holds for web page presentations. Fail to hold reader attention and the investment in gaining internet traffic is worthless.
So in the wild world of Search Engine Optimization, where the author may have unlimited space on her/his business blog, is this 30 second pitch still important? Of course the answer is ‘yes’ but the reader dynamic is somewhat different. Not only do you have to capture enough of the reader’s attention to convince him to click on your page, you have to continually compete for his attention to convince him to keep reading! So your thirty second pitch on your business blog or web page has to be carefully organized - even scripted - to first capture the reader’s attention and then continually campaign to keep it.
Internet readers don’t have to be nice or courteous when reading a web page. As no personal interaction exists, it is easy for a reader to click onto another page when distracted. The web page owner only has a few seconds then to provide value to the reader so that the reader will remain on his page. The internet constantly competes for your readers’ attention, so your page must continually compete against the larger web world.
Achieving the #1 search result ranking on Google is worthless if the reader just clicks off the page and onto a competitor’s site. Organizing the value statement around four key ‘30-second pitch’ rules then centers on four elements:
Information Organization Description Tagging Value Statement Humor and Wit
Organization - Quickly state the value proposition and frame it with a bold claim or reason that readers should stay on the page. Organizing information using bullet points work well as they quickly communicate the main bits of value the reader would receive by continuing. For some, organizing information in this fashion is a painful exercise, but it is essential to remind the reader why he/she should keep reading.
Description Tagging - The description meta tag is what search engines present when users are seeking information. There really isn’t much room to work - usually only a few characters - but a way must be found to make the value statement so that readers can understand why they should click onto your page and not another one. Bold but logical claims help here. Statements similar to “decrease your travel costs by 25%” are quick invitations to prospective readers offering them an opportunity to learn how to enjoy a great benefit. The following text must then validate that claim.
Value - Continually make the case that each reader can expect value from reading on. Provide quick examples of that value in each paragraph. What exactly is your page’s value? Will the customer earn more revenue? Will he/she have more fun? Whatever it is… make it clear to the user that he/she needs to keep reading to learn more about all the benefits you intend to provide. When organizing your composition, think carefully about the different bits of value you provide customers. Then simply tell the reader about those benefits one statement at a time.
Wit - Charm and wit are useful in disarming the defenses of a critical and reticent reader. Making serious matters seem less intimidating can encourage your reader to initiate a business relationship with you. Reaching out to a prospective service provider is a difficult task - especially when the prospective customer has his guard up against being used or oversold. Wit usually fits better in the latter parts of your post, as you have already grabbed the readers’ attention with the value proposition and are attempting to respond to whatever call-to-action you are using.
Sales of products and services via the internet can greatly benefit by using principles of the ‘30 second pitch.’ What benefit is there for your company in convincing a reader to look at your page and then quickly losing her/him?