Here are some thoughts on the power of demonstration which very much apply to our business - in our case it is streaming which places minimal on the visitor ( nearly everyone has Flash installed in their browser):
The Proof Is In The Power Of Demonstration!
My large, kindhearted dog isn't particular about what he
consumes. Hence, his nickname is "The Canine Vacuum".
Does he care if I put before him a hot dog or a juicy steak
bone?
It's highly unlikely. But, being the smart dog he is, he'll
probably gobble up the steak first and then inhale the hot
dog.
Yes, even a canine shows preference and is moved by choices.
Online marketing often calls this tactic "demonstration",
which involves a psychological power that influences a
visitor to take part in a decision-making process.
Live presentations and media like television and brochures
use demonstration to make a powerful impact. In this
approach, the audience is asked to go past being passive and
actually take a position for one way or another. In the
process, the audience's stance for one way that is closely
linked to your product or service will be strengthened.
A website demonstration goes beyond making a point in
writing. Online, you can go beyond listing pros and cons
and move into demonstrations that show proof. For instance,
in writing, you can tell why a dog chooses one food over
another and online, you can ask the visitor to guess which
food the dog will pick and then visually demonstrate the
answer.
Will your visitor need a flashy media player in order to see
your site's demonstration? This isn't necessary. You can
effectively use simple demonstrations online with the same
results. All you have to do is present a dilemma, two
pictures and ask the visitor to solve the problem. When the
visitor clicks on one of the pictures, you have engaged the
visitor in the tactic. For example, if your website sells
doggy treats, you can ask the visitor to pick the treat that
is healthiest for your dog's teeth from two choices: a
dentist-approved doggy treat with special ingredients and a
big juicy steak bone. Whichever picture the visitor clicks
on will explain the benefits of your product and support the
visitor's decision to get your product.
The main ingredient behind using demonstration is
involvement. Demonstration works well with even abstract
services that otherwise would be difficult to capture a
visitor's involvement. The trick to this type of service is
finding the drama or benefit behind the service. A "prop"
also can transport an abstract service into a concrete
object that the visitor can easily identify with. Many
"props" require use of the senses - experiencing, feeling,
tasting and touching. For instance, a prop for accounting
may involve numbers and savings. Pictures for accounting,
then, could be a person working a second job and a person
standing in front of a vacation home. The dilemma could be
"Where do you plan to spend your retirement years?" A prop
is a great aid that permits the visitor's mind to grasp much
quicker.
Your demonstrations don't have to reinvent fire or involve
creative masterminds before these tools will work in your
website. While it may be true that the mass majority of
visitors will show greater selectivity than my simple
canine, visitors will be moved by the power contained within
demonstration as long as they sense a good feeling about
their decision to participate and buy from you.
Copyright 2005 Riki Trafford. All rights reserved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Riki Trafford shows you how easy it is for you to find
low cost, keyword-targeted,
pre-qualified web-site visitors for your business.
For more information,visit http://www.1dmom.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evidence suggests we need to do a little more on the good feelings front but I think we are on the right track.
The Proof Is In The Power Of Demonstration!
My large, kindhearted dog isn't particular about what he
consumes. Hence, his nickname is "The Canine Vacuum".
Does he care if I put before him a hot dog or a juicy steak
bone?
It's highly unlikely. But, being the smart dog he is, he'll
probably gobble up the steak first and then inhale the hot
dog.
Yes, even a canine shows preference and is moved by choices.
Online marketing often calls this tactic "demonstration",
which involves a psychological power that influences a
visitor to take part in a decision-making process.
Live presentations and media like television and brochures
use demonstration to make a powerful impact. In this
approach, the audience is asked to go past being passive and
actually take a position for one way or another. In the
process, the audience's stance for one way that is closely
linked to your product or service will be strengthened.
A website demonstration goes beyond making a point in
writing. Online, you can go beyond listing pros and cons
and move into demonstrations that show proof. For instance,
in writing, you can tell why a dog chooses one food over
another and online, you can ask the visitor to guess which
food the dog will pick and then visually demonstrate the
answer.
Will your visitor need a flashy media player in order to see
your site's demonstration? This isn't necessary. You can
effectively use simple demonstrations online with the same
results. All you have to do is present a dilemma, two
pictures and ask the visitor to solve the problem. When the
visitor clicks on one of the pictures, you have engaged the
visitor in the tactic. For example, if your website sells
doggy treats, you can ask the visitor to pick the treat that
is healthiest for your dog's teeth from two choices: a
dentist-approved doggy treat with special ingredients and a
big juicy steak bone. Whichever picture the visitor clicks
on will explain the benefits of your product and support the
visitor's decision to get your product.
The main ingredient behind using demonstration is
involvement. Demonstration works well with even abstract
services that otherwise would be difficult to capture a
visitor's involvement. The trick to this type of service is
finding the drama or benefit behind the service. A "prop"
also can transport an abstract service into a concrete
object that the visitor can easily identify with. Many
"props" require use of the senses - experiencing, feeling,
tasting and touching. For instance, a prop for accounting
may involve numbers and savings. Pictures for accounting,
then, could be a person working a second job and a person
standing in front of a vacation home. The dilemma could be
"Where do you plan to spend your retirement years?" A prop
is a great aid that permits the visitor's mind to grasp much
quicker.
Your demonstrations don't have to reinvent fire or involve
creative masterminds before these tools will work in your
website. While it may be true that the mass majority of
visitors will show greater selectivity than my simple
canine, visitors will be moved by the power contained within
demonstration as long as they sense a good feeling about
their decision to participate and buy from you.
Copyright 2005 Riki Trafford. All rights reserved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Riki Trafford shows you how easy it is for you to find
low cost, keyword-targeted,
pre-qualified web-site visitors for your business.
For more information,visit http://www.1dmom.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evidence suggests we need to do a little more on the good feelings front but I think we are on the right track.