The issue of music sharing over the internet is one of the most controversial disputes raging in the industry today. This issue particularly pits big record companies, recording artists and other people involved in the production, sale and distribution of music against the general public who want to access these music files for a low cost, if not for free. Large record companies decry the rampant online music sharing websites so popular nowadays, saying that these sites eat up a large chunk of their sales, and thus adversely affecting the earnings of the poor recording artist. In fact, many lawsuits have been filed in connection to this issue, and many countries have declared online music sharing as unlawful. Such a situation can be a literal nightmare for the music lover who regularly obtains and shares music over the internet. Fortunately, there are still some ways by which you can effectively share music over the internet without running the risk of being sued by those big music labels. Read on to find out more.
First of all, do your best to steer clear of illegal file sharing sites. The temptation to patronize these websites can be quite overwhelming but do your best to avoid them. Remember that by downloading songs illegally, you not only run the risk of being sued out of your skin, you are also cheating your favorite musician of the royalties that he or she should rightfully earn. Educate your friends and colleagues about the evils of illegal file sharing too. Once you’ve convinced your friends to go “legal”, the temptation to download songs from illegal websites will ultimately subside.
However, if you simply want to share or exchange files with some of your friends, there are still legal software that you can use for this purpose. An example of this would be Opera Unite, a program which allows you to access the music files of your friend’s computer, provided that you know the password that your friend has. This music swap can work both ways, and is a great way to discover new artists and musicians. Lala.com is a website that basically operates under a variation of the scheme used by Opera Unite. However, instead of the troublesome process of setting up a secure filesharing mechanism for you and your friends on Opera Unite, Lala.com allows you to post a list of all CDs or music files that you want to get rid of, as well as a list of the ones that you do want to acquire. If there are takers, the website will grant you one CD from your wishlist. This is a good way to utilize all those old unused CDs and turn them into CDs that you will actually listen to.
Last.fm is also another way to effectively and legally share music online. This website allows users to create and customize their music playlists according o their personal taste and preferences, and to share these playlists on social networking sites like Facebook.
I just recently discovered a cool site called Keek.com. Though it is not really a music sharing site, I felt that it is worth a mention. This site allows its users to post short video clips (about 36 seconds long). There is no limit on the number of videos that a user can upload. I have been watching videos on Keek almost everyday since I joined, and I think that Damon Fizzy is hilarious. You should also watch SMPfilms, who’s a little older but just as funny. Don’t worry because the site is 100% legal and most videos posted here are self-made so you won’t be facing legal issues.
Nov 11
20
5 Steps To A Better Landing Page
If you sell products or services online, you can look forward for visitors to come to your website and expect to get information that is straight to the point. Because of the huge amount of content, your homepage won’t serve the purpose, so creating a landing page that provide specific information to targeted visitors is vitally important.
If you expect your site to get better conversions, you should set its purpose and decide what actions your visitors should take. To help you do that, here is a five-step guide for a better and more effective landing page.
#1: Give Emphasis on Your Sales Copy
A practical tip is to concentrate on your sales copy or text first and the web design second. Search engines love written content and they will rank you for a well-optimized website. With landing pages, however, we deal with people, and they appreciate good copy. The best way to convey to people what action you want them to take is through copy.
Unless absolutely necessary, use a sales copy to describe the product or service you are promoting instead of pictures and animation that can bog your site down.
#2: Ensure That Your Site Loads Fast
Make sure that the landing page you create loads quickly. Do not weigh down your site with heavy graphics and fancy flash animations that take forever to load. In other words, most online visitors would exit your site quickly rather than wait, and you do not want that to happen.
Sell a product or service that people need to solve specific problems. Highlight the benefits of that product or create a bullet list of its advantages and benefits. People love to read bullet lists as they are direct to the point and easier to read.
#3: Include Direct Product Links
Provide your visitors a direct link to the product you’re promoting. People would be in a better mood to buy if they do not need to drill down deep just to find the product you’re selling.
#4: Know What Your Target Audience Want
Think the way your prospective buyer would think. See the question they will ask through their mind’s eye. Copy that doesn’t provide clear answers or solutions to their problems will only succeed in driving these disappointed viewers away from your site.
#5: Keep Site Information Brief and Concise
Make your landing page is easy to scan. Provide information that’s concise and straight to the point and use only a few links to make navigation easier and less time-consuming. Keep your order button or opt-in form in a conspicuous area above the fold so people won’t have to search for it.
Perform split testing of different versions of your landing page. Doing so will help you make the necessary tweaks and modifications that will improve your chances of making a sale.
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Whether you are a seasoned internet marketer or a complete newbie, you would likely want your visitors to take some form of action after they view your landing page. The landing page’s purpose is to hold your visitor’s interest to make them read your sales copy and encourage them to buy your product or service.
Since the success of your landing page can be determined by the amount of traffic it gets on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, you will want to know how efficient it is in traffic conversion. You will also want to have different versions of your landing page to determine which one works better.
How can you make sure that the landing page is doing the job that it’s supposed to do? You have spent a lot of time tweaking your landing page to perfection to compel the viewer to take the desire action. However, is there any way for you determine the success of your landing page?
One of the basic ways to find out the amount of traffic your landing page receives is to use Google Analytics. All you have to do is set up your account in Google Analytics. The site provides a complete instruction. It will then provide a code that you can copy and paste on your landing page so you can keep track of visitor to your site.
When the tracker has been placed, you can now find out where your visitors come from, how much traffic your site receives, how many page views, and other information. On average, a sales landing page converts 1 or 2 out of a hundred visitors into leads or sales. A higher conversion rate than that can be considered a success.
If you think that your landing page does not receive enough visitors to make it profitable, you can modify or optimize those pages to make them convert.
In many cases, finding the most effective landing page requires some trial and error. Out of different versions, you need to determine the effectiveness of a particular landing page through A/B Testing, also known as a split test. This type of testing involves two versions of your landing page, versions A and B, and requires directing traffic to each of these pages through signup or purchase. With this process, you can determine which landing page version turns up a higher conversion rate.
You can use the Google Web Optimizer to conduct A/B testing on your landing pages. By using this free tool, you will know specifically which version compels more visitors to do what you want them to do. Perform occasional split testing on all your landing pages to make sure that they are still converting effectively.
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Your landing page could be guilty of driving your prospects away instead of turning them into buying customers. If this is the case, then you need to get rid of the common mistakes on your landing page that can turn off potential customers.
Cluttered Graphics. Minimize the use of graphics. They can cause your landing page to load a lot longer, which annoys most
visitors. People visit your landing page to get information they need, and not to admire fancy graphic design.
Outside Links. Let your visitors focus only on your product or service. Don’t offer links to external sites that will distract or even lose your visitors. If possible, do not give your viewers an opportunity to click away from your page. Once they are out of your site, most will stay out for good.
Inaccurate Links. Do not sell one item and send them to another product link. If you are promoting a Canon PowerShot SX30 camera, for example, then send them directly to the specific product page instead of a page featuring various Canon SLR digital cameras. Eliminate the hassle for them to dig deeper to find the advertised product.
Too Much Content. While SEO’d pages can make the search engines happy, they can certainly turn off a lot of your visitors, particularly those who do not like to read a lot of content. Use an attention-grabbing headline and bullet list, and get to the point. If you want them to learn more about the product, then provide a “more product info” link. You can SEO that page instead.
Overuse of Flash. All that flashing, blinking, and distracting animation can do very little to sell your product. They take an eternity to load, expensive to design, and difficult to modify if needed. Unless your product concerns animation and graphics, then chuck the flash animation.
Asking Too Much Customer Details. Ask only the information that is needed to satisfy the transaction. Asking for additional information can make your visitor skeptical especially at a time when identity theft is rampant online. An email address and perhaps their first name will do.
Lack of Value. If you are offering a free report, make sure that it is useful and offers a lot of value. Do not give out freebies that have been rehashed many times over and easy to find on the web. Offer them without charge something you paid for yourself. You won’t lose anything as the report will contain links to your sales website. What’s more, people will trust you more if you offer them something of real value.
Remember people visit your site for a reason, therefore, you have to give them what they came for.
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Your landing page could be the reason why you are not having any success in your online marketing. While this may not be the only reason, a landing page is where you should capture the visitor’s attention to make them want to read more. It is also where website traffic should convert into sales and leads. A badly-designed landing page can turn off a prospective customer instead of turning the opportunity into a sale.
Your landing page could be hurting the visitor’s eyes. Remember that your landing page is not your main website so forget about the heavy graphics and flash animations that blink, move about, and generally annoy the viewer in every way. This one-page site has only one purpose and that is to generate leads, so keep the page simple yet informative.
A site that is graphic-intensive takes an eternity to load. Bear in mind that more than half of website visitors have very short attention span and if your site loads for more than 10 seconds, then a potential customer can just click out of the page.
Your landing page may not be providing the information that the visitor needs. If you want to generate sales, make sure that you have a great pitch. Make a compelling copy of your sales offer that the consumer will find hard to resist. They won’t buy or sign up unless they have very good reasons to do so. Hence, make them an offer they need, something that will solve their problems. Sweeten the deal by offering something of value for free, like a bonus or incentive.
Your marketing message may be vague. Be sure that the visitor knows what they are going to get and why they have to act right away. Stay focused on your selling proposition and do not create any distractions.
Your headline may not be catchy enough. Your headline must jump right off the page with a Unique Selling Proposition that will catch the viewer’s interest. You want to hold their attention long enough for them to read every word. Create headlines that are well-emphasized, easy to read, and grab attention immediately.
Don’t forget that a landing page is for your visitors, so view your page through their eyes. Is your sales proposition well-presented and enticing? Do you find the page layout attractive, interesting and easy on the eyes? Is the page focused on the product or does it ramble every which way?
Make your page short, clear, and understandable. By understanding your visitor’s experience and point of view, you will have a better chance of succeeding in your marketing campaign.
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Sep 11
25
A Beginners Primer For Landing Pages
If you are new in affiliate marketing and want to sell your product or service on the web, one of the best tools you can use to increase
sales is a landing page. A landing page is a one-page “capture” website which encourages or compels the visitor to either make a purchase or provide information for your future sales. These are basically the options involved.
Many affiliate marketers today make use of landing pages because it is one of the most effective ways to promote. It provides a potential customer with the information they need and spurs them to click on the Buy or Join Now button.
The large amount of information contained in your main website may confuse a potential customer, while a simple one-page site with all the necessary information can improve the chances of making a sale. Instead of directing your visitors to your main website, direct them to an attractively-designed landing page that will encourage them to purchase your product or service.
All successful online marketers are aware of the benefits of a well-crafted landing page. These pages provide a Unique Selling Proposition, or USP, that perks the consumer’s interest, and a call for action that compels them to buy. Landing pages do not usually let a prospect off the hook until they act on the sales proposal. This generates more conversion than your contact form on the sidebar which almost nobody ever notices.
The primary purpose of a landing page is for the visitor to purchase or become a subscriber, or both. This is what defines a good landing page and distinguishes it from other types of web page.
A typical landing page includes a picture of the seller of the product or service, a Unique Selling Proposition that is hard to resist, several calls to action, and an opt-in form for email or newsletter subscription.
Knowing which version works best can be determined through trial and error. You can even use some codes that change the text play and let you know which one generates the most number of responses.
The content of your landing page must concentrate on just that one sales proposition and not confuse your prospective customer in what it really wants to do or sell. The desired effect should be a willingness to buy after reading the USP.
By creating a clear and concise landing page, you will have a bigger chance of converting a skeptical visitor into a customer who is eager to buy.
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