The abilities of good web writers are often undervalued. That’s why so many websites – as good as they might look – don’t generate leads and sales. The web content doesn’t attract traffic nor does it convert.

This week, for example, a business owner wrote us:

“I spent on webcopy 3 times and not happy so looking for one more time before I give up. Your rate $500 is high though so if you are not flexible/negotiable, it is OK if you don’t respond.”

We did respond, suggesting he try Craig’s List. The referred to $500 is our minimum charge, which basically gets clients a comprehensive keyword analysis. His project, which comprised up to 20 pages, would cost several times that.

Meanwhile, say he was looking at spending about $300 for the 20 pages of web writing. That’s $15 per page. And that’s supposed to include planning, interviews, research, copywriting, tags and revisions?

What does a good web writer cost? A lot more than $15 per page. No skilled writer would agree to – or be able to – deliver quality goods at that rate.

Chances are this business owner will find someone who lacks the skills to produce effective web writing for the fourth consecutive time. The small sum of money he’s spending each time is being wasted on empty marketing hype that will continue to thwart and damage his business.

The fact that so many people want to or love to write does not make writers a commodity. As is the case with designers, musicians and athletes, the good ones get results, and must be compensated accordingly.

With too many people living each day in a hectic world, Marketing guru Seth Godin includes this in his blog: 

“Is cutting corners to make a buck appropriate when you consider what you could have done? What would someone with a bigger vision have done instead?”

We sometimes have to remind ourselves to dream harder, build a vision and strive to achieve grand goals.

During a recent meeting with Vancouver business consultant Mark Wardell, he spoke about the amazing results people get when they simply write goals and objectives down on a piece of paper.

I’ve seen it work, and have experienced it personally. I recall the story about comedian Jim Carrey replicating a cheque on a piece of file card for $10 million. It wasn’t long before he received it – and much more.

Next time you get the urge to cut a corner, stop and take a moment to dream bigger.

At a recent event in Vancouver, business coach Mark Wardell spoke about the importance of a business’ market position.

He suggested: ask yourself, do your customers clearly understand why your business is unique and why they need you?

“The answer to this question determines if they will continue to do business with you,” he said. “Conversely, if you are seen as part of a homogeneous category of business, your selling prices will be dictated by your competitors.”

And, he stressed, this is not a good thing — especially in our current economic times.

Wardell also makes interesting points in a market positioning video on his business consulting website.

Webcopyplus is involved with a Yale study and would appreciate your participation in a survey that takes less than 10 minutes to complete. There are 20 questions, and you could win a $20 Amazon gift certificate.

Just click on Soe City Survey.

– Thanks!

Author and marketing guru Seth Godin posted a sharp entry in his blog about the inbound phone call being a hugely valuable marketing event for a business.

He noted: “The goal of every single interaction should be to upgrade the brand’s value in the eye of the caller and to learn something about how to do better, not to get the caller to just go away.”

That seems to be the prevailing objective: do away with the nuisance, rather than learn something from the prospect or customer.
 
Also, almost every consumer would wholeheartedly agree with Godin’s statement:

“Your call is very important to us,”
does not jibe with,
“Due to unusually heavy call volume.”

Read his post: Who answers the phone

Or view a case study on how not to deliver
‘customer service’.

Here’s a Rogers customer service case study on how not to conduct business.

With my business phone and mobile with Rogers, I decided to bunch everything together and switch my home phone to Rogers as well. Here’s a breakdown of the events that spanned more than one year:

• After talking to two Rogers call centres for more than an hour in total, a switchover was scheduled for the morning of March 13, 2007.

• On March 13, no one showed, nor did I receive a call from Rogers.

• About a month later, Rogers called regarding a new promo. I mentioned the no-show and they promised it wouldn’t happen again. An appointment was set for the following Tuesday.

• It did. A second no-show.

• On June 21, 2007, I wrote to the Rogers executive team to advise them of my Rogers customer service experience.

• On June 25, 2007, I received a response via e-mail stating: “We have checked our system and we do have an order from you for service. The order is, however, incomplete at this time. As such, you will need to contact our customer service department directly for assistance with the status of your order.” It seems this experience is acceptable by Rogers’ standards. To top it off, the note ends with: “We are pleased to have been able to address your inquiry.” Not quite.

• Several weeks later (late in 2007), a third-party called on behalf of Rogers with a promo. I made reference to the two no-shows and was told there were “system errors,” and was “absolutely” assured they were resolved. I apprehensively agreed to make myself available for yet another appointment for a switch-over.

• Rogers never appeared. No-show number three. I didn’t bother writing this time.

• On Feb. 8, 2008, I received an unexpected voicemail from Rogers – several weeks after the third no-show – stating the migration to Rogers was “delayed.” Not wanting to sign on with Rogers after experiencing this service and the hassle of a switch-over, I called back immediately. I was stunned when I was told after being put on hold several times that it was “too late” for me to cancel the switch-over, apparently “due to automation.” My options were put forth: cancel Rogers after the switch and sign back on with my current provider; or agree to the service at a discounted rate. Not wanting to spend anymore time on this matter and deal with a “double switch-over,” I resentfully agreed to go with the discounted rate.

• On February 12, 2008, a contracted Rogers technician arrived, and eventually determined there was no live line to set me up with Rogers. Additionally, he stated I’d have to call my current provider to cancel my existing service, which baffled me. I was told by Rogers that it was automated and the cancellation with the existing provider “could not be stopped.” Following some confusing calls, the technician said he needed to go to his vehicle to retrieve some paperwork. He came back 20 minutes later shrugging his shoulders to advise me the request for Rogers home phone was cancelled. Annoyed, I wrote Rogers again to convey the events.

• Rogers’ Customer Service response: “Thank you for taking the time to write to us, we appreciate your use of online customer service. We are very sorry to hear of the difficulties that you have experienced in using our service.  We would like to offer you an apology on behalf of Rogers.  We would ask that you contact Customer Service directly to schedule the next available appointment timeframe that would be convenient for you.” Did they read the e-mail? Do they care? To top it off, the note ended with the following point: “You are a valued customer and we thank you for your business.”

• I wrote back immediately suggesting a cut-and-paste response wasn’t necessary, and directing me to Rogers’ customer service number was absurd.

• Rogers responded: “Thank you for taking the time to write to us, we appreciate your use of online customer service…” Almost the same letter was re-sent.

• April 3, 2008, Rogers was leaving me automated messages to call them back, and eventually I did. After being transferred a couple of times, I was advised I was late on payments for the home phone service I never received! I chuckled in a bid to maintain sanity and explained the events yet again to a Rogers employee. The agent, very kind, promised she would review the file, talk to the appropriate manager(s) and call me back the very next morning with an explanation.

The Rogers agent never called the next morning. Two weeks have passed, and still no call. Is this the type of service Rogers wants to be known for?

*On April 24, I received yet another invoice for home phone services never rendered.

*On May 19, after allegedly correcting their billing errors twice, Rogers Customer Service strikes again. Another invoice for services that were not delivered. What’s the cure for the Rogers customer service syndrome? Any suggestions?

*June 2: Rogers Accounts Receivable starts calling again for yet another outstanding balance for a phone line Rogers isn’t providing. After explaining the series of events, I was asked if I’d like to be connected to Rogers Customer Service to straighten things out. I kindly declined.

*June 13: Another voicemail warns the phone service (that Rogers is not providing me) will be interrupted if immediate payment is not made. Once again, I call and explain the events to the Accounts Receivable rep, who suggests I once again talk to Rogers Customer Service. I do, and this time receive a cancellation confirmation number. The representative ended the call with their scripted line: ”Thank you for choosing Rogers.”

By now, I have wasted well over a dozen hours on the phone with them, much of it on hold, trying to resolve their erros. Rogers obviously doesn’t value its customers’ time. Rogers customers could make a point by frequently calling Rogers Customer Service and then putting their employees on hold for 10 minutes or so. If the tables were turned, and customers wasted thousands of Rogers’ hours, they would surely take swift action.

While speaking at a recent Web forum in Vancouver, a web writer from the audience approached me with disheartening stories about how his skills were not valued at his workplace.

Part of the reason web writers are under-valued extends from the fact managers often get excited about new technologies. They believe employing new software and applications demonstrate they’re on the leading edge, creating an opportunity to score points with their superiors. As a result, the employees who handle design and development tend to gain more attention and recognition.

However, many managers forget an important factor. While technology is wonderful, its greatest asset in the digital world from a communications perspective is getting information to the right people at the right time.

But, if technology doesn’t deliver the right information, the entire effort, investment and process is essentially pointless.

The words you choose and how you use them is fundamental in your bid to engage consumers, and persuade them to make a purchase, pick up the phone, subscribe or what have you. Internally, effective web writing can help employees gain clarity, improve productivity and morale, and help build a winning culture.

Technology is powerful. But it needs to deliver the right message. And that’s why web writers are an important part of a winning online equation — whether managers recognize it or not.

Learn how to protect your business and your customers from identity theft.

As part of National Fraud Prevention Month, Small Business BC, the Better Business Bureau, Competition Bureau, Bank of Canada and BC Crime Prevention Association are gathering a panel of experts to challenge your fraud IQ.

Gain insight on small business frauds and scams, particularly those involving payment cards (debit & credit), travellers’ cheques and phoney identification. Also learn how to identify counterfeit cash.

Plus, experts will speak about the Personal Information Protection Act and its relationship to reducing the risk of business identity theft, as well as robbery and crime prevention in the workplace.

Where:
Small Business BC
#390 – 601 West Cordova St., Vancouver, B.C.

When:
Monday, March 17, 2008 — 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

More details:
http://www.smallbizeducation.ca/seminars.php

Have you ventured ‘outside the box’ today? Check out an “ideas studio” that essentially makes it a policy, plus get advice from marketing connoisseur Seth Godin and a brilliant brainstorming tool to boot.

Read Breaking barriers on the Web.

Webcopyplus recently had the pleasure of participating in a creative session with Canadian marketing communications consultant Brian Follett, who ingeniously demonstrated the value of branding.

He talked about a plain, white Styrofoam cup on one end of a line, followed by several other cups, each more elaborate than the prior. The last cup was a Starbucks cup.

“Each one’s filled with brown liquid,” he said, promptly pointing out few would pay for the first cup, but many pay upwards of $5 for the last cup.

Without a doubt, branding has the power to shape our perceptions, heavily influence our buying decisions and inspire loyalty.

But is the Starbucks brand flawless? Not by a double shot, suggests branding consultant Rob Frankel, noting the coffee giant’s value has dropped by almost half in the past year. He claims it’s because Starbucks has no “genuine brand,” and asserts it never did.

Frankel argues “Fivebucks” (coined by Jerry Seinfeld) fails to make people understand why the brand is the only solution to their problem.

He stated: “To this day, there is not one person who can accurately and consistently articulate why Starbucks is preferable to other competing brands. Not the average yutz in the street . Not the vice-president of their ad agency. Not even the CEO of Starbucks himself. And you can bet that if they can’t articulate why Starbucks is ‘the only solution,’ nobody else in this great land of ours can, either.“

Some weeks ago, Sharon Zackfia, an analyst at William Blair & Co. in Chicago, commented: “Investors are going to have to digest the fact that there’s no sacred cow left in retail.”

Will the Starbucks stock continue to leak? Not if its brand can help it.