Vol. 2, Issue 3

Increasing Business Through Print Media And The Internet

CONTENTS

NEWdezins

Article 1: Writing Marketing Copy That Sells BONUS FEATURE 11 Powerful Marketing Tips

dezinNEWS

Article 2: Understanding Web Logs And Why It Matters

dezinNOTES

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Writing Marketing Copy That Sells When your prospects see your marketing materials, your brochure, your web site or your ads you want them to read them. You want prospects to read not just the first sentence but the majority of your copy. Once they've read it, you want them to decide that they need your product or service and either make a purchase or contact you for more information. When prospective clients and customers see your web site, ads or brochures, you want them to be captivated and impressed. You hope they'll read not just the headlines, but all the way through the copy. And you want this scintillating copy to motivate them to take the next step, and make a purchase or contact you for more information. Is it Working? Do prospects read your marketing materials? Does the copy convince them that they need your products and services? Do they understand the value you provide? Do They Contact You? What's the key to writing marketing copy that grabs your prospects' attention, overcomes common objections and leads to a sale or an inquiry? When you finally call a plumber to fix that leak under the sink, does he spend ten or fifteen minutes talking about how long he has been in business, the wrenches he uses or the process he uses to solder a joint together? Of course not. You have a problem and, in most cases, you need it solved immediately. You don't necessarily care how he does it you just want your leaky plumbing fixed. Of course you want to spend as little as possible, but you see the plumber's fees relative to the damage you're incurring from the leak. Likewise, prospects' own problems and concerns precede their interest in your products and services. To capture their attention and get them to read your marketing copy; focus on what they want; don't begin your marketing copy with descriptions of the solution you provide or your credentials or processes. Prospects' problems come first, then your solution. Problem; solution. Prospects want to see themselves and their concerns clearly identified in order to feel confident that you understand their needs. By addressing this, you create the context so that when you do describe your products and services, they are the obvious solution to your prospectsÕ needs. Take a look at your marketing materials, including everything from your business card to your web site. Who and what are your marketing materials about; you or your prospectsÕ concerns? Make a list of five to fifteen things that your prospects want. Turn these into questi0ns or statements about your prospects' problems. Asking questi0ns is particularly effective in getting prospects to think about solving their problems. If you're a financial advisor you might ask, "Do you want to learn how to make more in both up and down markets?" If you help people with marketing their businesses you might ask, "Do you want to learn how to attract more clients and increase s.ales?" If you sell golf clubs you might ask, "Do you want to hit further and more accurately with less effort?" To attract new clients you need to get their attention, demonstrate that you understand their concerns and clarify the value your products and services provide. Focus your marketing copy on your prospects' problems, ask them questi0ns and couch your solutions in terms of their objectives. You'll start more conversations, sell more products and sign up more clients. By Charlie Cook 2005 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. www.smallbusinessnews.com

11 Powerful Marketing Tips Each of these 11 marketing tips is based on a marketing strategy or tactic proven to boost sales. How many are you using? Tip 1: Your customers buy your product or service to feel a certain way after their purchase. Keep this in mind as you develop your ads, web pages and other sales tools. Use vivid word pictures to dramatize the pleasant feelings your customers experience when they use what you are selling. It intensifies their desire to have it and motivates them to buy now. Tip 2: Continually test new advertising and marketing methods ...and old methods you never tried before. A good guideline to follow is to allocate 80 percent of your budget to proven promotions and 20 percent to testing new things. Most businesses using this formula keep growing regardless of changing market conditions and intense competition. Tip 3: Reduce the size of your ads so you can run more ads for the same cost. Don't be surprised if your short ads generate a higher response than long ads - giving you a bigger return for your expense. One of the most effective ads I ever used was only 11 words. Tip 4: Print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. People read postcards when the message is brief. A small ad on a postcard can drive a high volume of traffic to your web site and generate a flood of sales leads for a very small cost. Tip 5: Active, stimulating words and phrases keep prospects interested in reading your sales copy. Look for dull passive words and phrases and replace them with active ones. For example, change a phrase like "...it's practical and inexpensive" to "...it's fast, easy and you save $99". Tip 6: After telling prospects what they gain when they buy your product or service, tell them what they lose if they do not buy it. Most people fear loss more than they desire gain. Customers want your product or service so they can enjoy the benefits it provides. But they will want it even more if you remind them of what they lose by not buying it. Tip 7: You can eliminate any last minute hesitation prospective customers may have by announcing a pleasant surprise near the end of every selling procedure. For example, add an unexpected bonus to each transaction immediately before the final action that completes the sale. Tip 8: You can boost your total sales volume and your average size sale at the same time by combining 2 or more related products or services into a Special Combination Package. Set the price lower than the cost of buying each item separately. This "special deal" will motivate both procrastinators and bargain hunters to buy now. Tip 9: You always need to find new customers. But don't overlook the sales you can easily get from your existing customers. It's easier to get more business from them than it is to get any business from new prospects. Follow up with your existing customers to get more sales of the same product or to offer them additional products and services. Tip 10: How would you react if you got a personal "thank you" from a business several days after you spent money with them? You'd feel good and probably want to do more business with them. Give that same feeling to your customers. They will reward you with more business - and a flood of referrals. Tip 11: Convert your customers into publicity agents. Develop an incentive for them to tell associates and friends about the value of your products or services. An endorsement from them can produce sales you would never get with any amount of advertising. How many of these 11 marketing tactics are you using? How many have you overlooked? You are losing sales if you don't use all of them. By Bob Leduc www.smallbusinessnews.com

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BED & BREAKFAST - LOUISIANA STYLE Memories from the past...
are stirred for all those who visit Cabahanosse Bed and Breakfast and Antiques & Gifts. With expanded photos, testimonials and more, you'll want to visit www.cabahanosse.com again and again.


CONTRIBUTE - PRESERVE - SUPPORT ONLINE Dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting art, artifacts and buildings related to the history and culture of African Americans in the rural communities along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, you can help support the River Road African American Museum by making online donations at www.africanamericanmuseum.org.


IT'S JUNETEENTH TIME Donaldsonville will be the place to be June 10-12 as the River Road African American Museum presents the 2005 Juneteenth Festival. This year's theme is family reunions and special featured tents include the Children’s Village Tent with old-time games, folk art demonstrations, face painting, traditional African dress and storytelling. An interactive Genealogy Tent will allow visitors to log on and research family genealogy. The Black Inventions Tent will feature over 100 black inventions. The festival also includes a family reunion parade, food, arts & crafts booths, and live musical performances by gospel, jazz, and R &B artists. People of all ages, races, nationalities and religions are invited to join us as we celebrate and acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Find out more at www.africanamericanmuseum.org/events.html and read below about the art contest and show.


LIVE MUSIC AT STARLITE On May 26th, at the Gonzales location of Starlite Espresso Cafe, Jared Perk, Singer - Songwriter - Musician, will be performing original songs and popular retro country from 6-8 p.m. www.starliteespressocafe.com



LOUISIANA PLANTATION SCENERY & GREENERY EXHIBIT River Region Art Association and PARC announce the next Community Theme Exhibit at the RRAA Gallery May 5 -May 27 entitled "Louisiana Plantation Scenery & Greenery". Artists are encouraged to show off the beauty of Louisiana with their own special creativity. Get out your art supplies and paint a Plantation, make an antebellum doll, draw a scene from the past, show the flora of our state, just go GREEN if you wish. All Art forms will be accepted: painting, drawing, photography, and 3 -Dimensional. All ages with a limit of 3 entries per person. No entry fee. Take in for the art is May 1, 3, & 4 from 10-5 each day at RRAA Gallery in The Cajun Village at Sorrento. Call 675-6485 or email Donna Braud for information.


PROMOTIONAL ITEMS Unique Designs Embroidery have expanded their website to include a fully searchable database of online promotional items. Need cups, pens, rulers, something unique? Then check it out at www.cmude.com

SCHNEIDER ART EXHIBIT Steve Schneider, of Scott, Louisiana, is exhibiting his work at the Grand Contemporary Gallery in Lafayette, Louisiana. For the past 20 years Steve has experimented with a multitude of media including water color, pen and ink, oil, charcoal, and gouache as well as mixed media. He discovered that acrylics fit his style the best. Congratulations Steve! Find out more and see some of his work by visiting www.grandcontemporary.com


SUMMER PAINTING CLASSES will be offered at Purple Turtle Studio in Prairieville, Louisiana. Call or e-mail purpleturtle@eatel.net to reserve your space! (225) 622-5364 or (225) 954-0534. Ages 8-12; $50 / week. Each student will receive their own 16x20 canvas to create their very own painting as the instructor guides them through the composition. Introduction to acrylic paints, brushes, and other materials. Instruction on technique, perspective, color value, composition, and much more! All painting supplies provided. www.purpleturtlestudio.com

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Understanding Web Logs And Why it Matters

General web statistics give pertinent information about websitevisitors. Webmasters analyzing these statistics have a better understanding of who their website visitors are and how they perceive the website. A lot can be learned by evaluating navigation patterns, most-viewed pages and exit pages. Deciphering web logs could easily become a full-time job. The information that can be gleaned from close log scrutiny is extremely valuable.

When a visitor comes to a website, the site has just a few seconds to grab the visitor's interest. Slow-loading pages or broken graphics will send visitors and potential customers looking elsewhere. In order to make sense of web statistics, consider using a log analysis program. These programs tend to format the information in an easy-to-understand way, often providing graphs or visual representations that make understanding and seeing patterns that much easier.

The downside to using software for web log analysis is that webmasters can easily be confused about what the actual results mean and which results matter the most. The information contained in the log file should be analyzed in conjunction with other information.

DETAILED WEB REPORTS AVAILABLE NOW, you can get detailed, in-depth web stats to monitor web traffic including: Top Keyword Usage Top Referring Search Engines Top Entry Pages Top Exit Pages Top Referring Browsers Top Referring Sites Much More FIND OUT HOW!

Let's take a look at some of the critical areas. How many unique visitors visit the site each day? This statistic, by itself, is not terribly important, but when compared to a previous week's or month's logs, patterns will generally emerge. Sudden declines in site visitors might be indicative of downtime or dropped links, while sudden increases might be indicative of a successful ad campaign or improved search engine ranking. This assumption can only be made if sales for the corresponding time period haveincreased as well.

Traffic alone is not the goal; qualified website traffic that converts a visitor into a buyer is generally the goal of most webmasters. Web statistics on their own do not always paint a true picture. Webmasters need to use logs to validate advertising campaigns and track where traffic is coming from. While details in a log file alone are not conclusive proof of an ad campaign's success or failure, general assumptions can be made based on the patterns. General statistics will help determine who your visitors are and what habits they have.

Specific areas to take a close look at:

How long are users staying on the website or a specific page? This question addresses a website's "stickiness". Stickiness gives webmasters an indication of how important their content is. If users return on a regular basis or remain on a specific page for an extended period of time, generally the content is
considered valuable.

Site Entry Pages?

What pages in a website are visitors coming into? Is a specific page on the site drawing an unusually high amount of traffic? Do users come back to the website? Is there a reason for a visitor to come back to the website? Generally, content that is refreshed often will attract return visitors. What specific areas on the site are of interest to web visitors, and can those content sections be expanded to increase the overall value of the website?

Site Exit Pages?

What pages in a website are visitors leaving from? If a specific page has a large number of visitors leaving the site, perhaps the content needs updating. It is critical that you consider the source of the traffic. Are visitors coming to the website through a pay-per-click campaign with a landing page that does not relate to the initial search terms? Directing visitors to content-specific landing pages will help reduce quick site exits.

Who is Making the Referral?

What kind of website is sending traffic to your website? Assumptions can be made based on the quality of the referral source. Let's face it, if a crack site is the leading referral generator to a software site, it is unlikely that the bulk of visitors will be interested in purchasing.

Bad Requests?

Are visitors attempting to access pages on your website that are no longer active? Be sure to check logs for any pages or graphics that are generating errors for visitors.

Number of Unique Visitors?

Don't get too hung up on the number of "hits" a website has, as this can be interpreted differently. Sometimes logs interpret graphic access as a hit. A more accurate reflection of traffic can be seen by tracking unique visitors.

By evaluating web logs webmasters can continuously improve their site and measure their success. Online or off, tracking results is critical to achieving success. If you don't track, you don't know what works. How can you improve what you don't measure?

By Sharon Housley
http://www.sitepronews.com

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DEZINS DONATES LOGO DEVELOPMENT When asking ten different people what Volunteer Ascension does, you would probably get ten different answers. In an effort to better communicate Volunteer Ascensions mission and show the caring and impact of our programs in Ascension Parish, Volunteer Ascension recently unveiled a new logo and slogan.

Orhan McMillan, owner of Dezins - Print & Web Services, LLC, worked with Volunteer Ascension Executive Director, Audrey Boudreaux, and members of the Board of Directors Public Relations Committee to redesign the logo and slogan that projected the look and feel they were seeking. “I am so excited about the new changes,” states Audrey Boudreaux, Volunteer Ascension’s Executive Director. “The new logo will help the organization re-brand and effectively communicate to its donors and the community. When comparing the new logo with the old, you immediately have more of a feeling of warmth and sincerity. This is what we want others to experience through our programs and services.”

Orhan McMillan, who volunteered as a Mentor in Volunteer Ascension’s Mentoring Program in previous years, found it hard to find the time to contribute as a volunteer as the owner of a new business. He saw this as a great opportunity to give something back with the limited time now available to him.

“To have the opportunity to do something I love, to create, and produce a visual representation for such a great organization as Volunteer Ascension… what else can I say… I am happy,” states Dezins’ owner, Orhan Mc Millan.

Dezins provides print and web services in the forms of print materials which includes everything from business cards to billboards and web development which includes hosting, design, maintenance and marketing with the focus being to provide end results which far exceed initial expectations.

“Although the physical location of Dezins is located in Baton Rouge and I was born and raised in Baton Rouge, the true heart of Dezins is in Ascension Parish and it is due to organizations such as Volunteer Ascension and individuals like Audrey and Kendal that it will always remain in Ascension,” adds Orhan.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors at Volunteer Ascension, I would like to thank Orhan for donating his time and expertise to this organization. He truly knows the meaning of “volunteer,” adds Kendal Matassa, Volunteer Ascension Board Member.

TELEMARKETING ON YOUR CELL Did you know that in a few weeks, cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls on your cell phones. Call this number from your cell phone (1-888-382-1222). It is the national Do Not Call list. It blocks your number for 5 years. You must call from your cell phone. It took me just one minute to do. You may want to distribute this information to your friends and family. Or go to www.donotcall.gov


REFERRALS EARN CASH In appreciation for web referrals, Dezins is now offering a cash thank you for those who refer us and whose referrals end in signed contracts. THANK YOU VERY MUCH Anna Brignac and Joann Fox who both received a cash reward from Dezins. Just think of it... cash rewards with no interest.


CELEBRATING FAMILY IN ART The River Road African American Museum and Dezins – Print and Web Services, LLC announce an art show and contest for the 2005 Juneteenth Freedom Festival, June 10 – 12, in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. The theme for this year’s festival is “Family Reunions” and artwork presented should represent this theme.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery in America. In Donaldsonville, Louisiana, we commemorate freedom by emphasizing education and achievement. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing.

Artwork presented can be of any medium including but not limited to painting, drawing, sculpture and photography. Entry forms are due May 20th and artwork is due June 3rd. This is a free art contest open to all ages.

Cash prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. Artwork will be judged according to relevancy to the theme of this year’s festival, family reunions.

All entries will be displayed during the festival in a special booth celebrating all that participate in this event.

For complete rules and information please contact Orhan Mc Millan of Dezins (225) 324-7075 or go to www.dezins.com/juneteenthcontest or download contest packet by clicking here.


DETAILED WEB REPORTS

If you host your site with Dezins, you are already familiar with the online web statistic service. NOW, you can get detailed, in-depth web stats to monitor web traffic 24-hours a day. This web stat service is an expanded version of the freeware product already available to Dezins web hosting clients. Expanded features include: Top Keyword Usage, Top Referring Search Engines, Top Entry Pages, Top Exit Pages, Top Referring Browsers, Top Referring Sites And More. Full Color Graphics and easy to follow reports make this feature a must have for those who are serious about monitorin their web traffic. ALL FOR ONLY $5.00 A MONTH! Contact us today for more information!



WEB HOSTING - RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE How's your web host? Where's your web host? Not sure? Then contact us and let's talk about it. Web hosting starts at only $20.00 / month and some of the features include:

HOSTING INCLUDES:
Unlimited Web Space* Unlimited Emails Guestbook** Unlimited Free Web Stats Miva Merchant(secured)**		Animation/Audio** Shop Monster** Free Monthly Search Engine Submissions Secure Socket Layers And More...

*** Some restrictions/fees involved. Please contact Dezins for more information.***

AND THAT'S NOT ALL! When you host your site with Dezins, you also get:

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dezinSOURCE is a dezins publication - 2005 All Rights Reserved