What's in a name?
By Henry Winter. Copyright 2006
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Money, that is what's in a name. Good old fashioned money.

I am not talking about "Brand" here but a persons name.

If you capture a name in the right way it can be worth oodles.

As a copywriter and marketer I come across all sorts of problems when I visit clients.

When I am asked to do my "bit" I try to concentrate on the areas
I am asked to work on and get paid for.

But, no .......

You see I have an affliction - it's called "The Curiosity Gene".

And I got it bad.

You see, like fellow great copywriters and marketers I am not really happy until
I have looked under the bonnet to see the overall picture,
to make sure my client has a cohesive strategy that my work is to be part of.

Otherwise I can produce the best lead gatherer, the
best sales appointment generator, the best conversion tool, ever -
but if the overall context it appears in does not "fly" it can mean
even my best work won't help.

And when looking at many a clients web site, the most common error I see,
time after time, relates to names. Or, to be precise:

The lack of them.

What do I mean? Here is an example:

I have a friend. He has just changed his web hosting, and his web company.

He sells products that create great mood lifts and different room atmospheres.
From starlit ceilings to flashing carpets, romatic moods to party time.

And he has been working it hard to be successful.

I asked him how his new advisers were working out.

He was full of praise for the changes they were making.

I thought "Great, at last!". My friend had the type of support
he so badly needed, a well known web firm to help him with his web site.

So I had a look. Yep, the look and feel was better.

Yep, the products were displayed better.

Yep, I could now download a catalogue of the products and a newsletter.

BUT, and a big but if you are selling ANYTHING, I could download it
without him gathering my name or any details about me. Mega Mistake.

Not gathering any information is a mistake. As we know many people "browse".

Some may be in buying mode when they come across his site
but many will be in the "just NOT now mode".
If he cannot communicate with them after their visit he is wasting an awful
lot of time and money on driving traffic for no gain whatsoever.

He has a fantatic personality, he has subject matter knowledge deeper than the
Grand Canyon, he has brilliant products, yet without the name he cannot
communicate all these great attributes about how his business is great for his visitors.

I say, "Hell and damnation" on his web company for missing such
an obvious and immediate improvement to the sales cycle.

My friend works really hard, has limited time and money and
needed to have spent just a few pennies on a contact form to
make a difference, not the £000's for no difference whatsoever.

I am glad to say, after months of trying, he is taking some advice from me.

Have another look at your web site and make sure while others are looking at it too
you are gathering their email address. It can make a massive difference.

What's more it is a simple to do yet devastatingly effective in later sales.

Until next time,

Henry Winter,
Founder - Writer - Marketer - Adviser - Livewirebusiness.com