1. Limited Screen Real Estate Computer screens have increased in size over the years but website designers still have to deal with the problem of how to get all a client's information presented 'above the fold' so visitors don't have to scroll too much. It's hard enough to get prospects to read anything, let alone copy that drones on. This problem hasn't been helped by SEO tacticians promoting inflated text presentations often amounting to exercises in key-phrase chatter. Whatever you have to say, turn some of it into audio, so your visitors can sit back, listen and absorb what you have to offer, rather than hunting desperately for the information they're looking for. According to studies [Testing the Three-Click Rule By Joshua Porter Originally published: Apr 16, 2003], the single most important thing that effects a user's Web-experience is how fast they find what they came for, Make it easy. Let your website do the talking. 2. Computer Screen Readability We have all been raised with the eight and half by eleven format permanently implanted in our heads. Unfortunately computer monitors' four by three aspect ratio is horizontal and the new breed wide-screen monitors use a sixteen by nine format - great for timeline editing and spread sheets, not so great for reading. Computer monitors have never been all that easy on the eyes and the new flat screen LCDs are brighter and display more contrast-- great for graphics but not so great for reading. Offer your prospects an audio alternative, a much more user- friendly experience. 3. Skip, Scan and Skim Searching We have learned from usability studies [Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox for October 1, 1997] that 70% of Web-users scan and skip words on the screen, paying attention only to captions and bulleted points Burying your message in reams of text leads to confusion that will ultimately cost you money in lost sales and disgruntled clients. If your web-logs show a majority of visitors are leaving your site shortly after entering, it is probably because they can't find what they're looking for, buried in your SEO-friendly jungle of text. If you've invested a significant amount of money attracting visitors to your site, you owe it to yourself to deliver the information they came to find. Allowing visitors to click an audio button to receive your core marketing message in sixty seconds of professionally delivered voice-over will do more to turn prospects into customers than a thousand words of boring, hard to read text. 4. Consistency of Message Delivery Anyone who has run a sales department knows that different people deliver the same message differently. Some sales people have a greater grasp of your marketing message, and others are just going through the motions 'taking orders' rather than 'selling.' Even good sales people often find that key information gets left out or ignored because the client asks questions, gets interrupted, or just plain isn't concentrating. When clients are left on their own to browse your website, you never know how much of your copy they actually read and how much of that they really understand. It's called 'browsing' for a reason - not 'studying.' By presenting information in audio, you deliver a consistent, error-free message without anything left out. The human voice cuts through a multitude of barriers, leaving an indelible brand impression.. When you deliver your solution in audio, everyone hears the same message, in th e same way. If content is king, consistency is the kingmaker. 5. Multitasking Most of us are answering the phone, writing emails, surfing the Web and dealing with colleagues and clients in an ever-increasing whirl of activity. Asking a multitasking executive to stop and concentrate on your beautiful prows is not exactly realistic. Executives want it short, quick, and precise. If TV advertisers can deliver their marketing messages in fifteen- and thirty-second spots, imagine what you can deliver in sixty seconds of finely crafted audio delivered by a professional broadcaster who knows how to grab your prospects attention and make an impression. 6. Memory Retention If you want to be heard, there is no better way than with the sound of the human voice. The human voice penetrates the clutter and embeds itself in your prospect's consciousness. 7. Branding - Creating a Corporate Personality You spend thousands of dollars on how logos, print material, emails ads, and websites look and so you should, but giving your business a personality is more than deciding that everything on your website should be blue. Differentiating your company from the competition is about creating a memorable business persona. One of the best illustrations of this is the J. Peterman story. Anyone who watched Seinfeld remembers John O'Hurley's J. Peterman character. O'Hurley's interpretation of Peterman was so strong, so memorable, and powerful that when the real J. Peterman company went under, it was the actor, John O'Hurley, who was able to resurrect the brand based on his fictional presentation of the real J. Peterman. That is the singular power of voice. 8. Persuasive, Provocative, Compelling Competition is fierce and getting noticed in a crowded marketplace is difficult. We cannot afford to let any opportunity to communicate effectively with prospects get by. You are not the only one with a website, blog, or product that meets your prospects needs. It only takes 136 words to write sixty seconds of audio. With the right 136 well- written words, delivered by a carefully chosen, professional voice-over artist, you can deliver more than just a pitch: you can deliver your entire marketing message, corporate personality, and brand image. 9. Cost Effectiveness Many people assume that multimedia solutions, such as audio, are expensive. They aren't. Audio is far more cost-effective than video, animations, and other labor intense rich media creative. If you hire the right people who know what they are doing, you can have an audio presentation professionally produced and incorporated into your website for a budget within the reach of any serious marketer. |
