Web Wars: When Competition Ends and War Begins

Usable Web Pages as Explained by Your Web Hosting Provider

What makes a web page usable? The fact is, even SEOs can’t pin down exactly how to define page usability. Some professionals describe a usable web page as one that generates an order or a request for additional information - web hosting provider explains. Okay, but what about site visitors conducting research and comparison shopping online. Is informational content usable if it doesn’t lead to a sale?

Other SEOs measure success by Google PageRank (PR). A site with a PR8 is considered a well-optimized (read usable) site. Why? Because in the site owner’s mind, a high PR equates to success – even if the site doesn’t convert!

A usable site page must accomplish several important functions in a few short lines:

• Successfully encourage further site exploration. This is called a site’s traffic rank – the number of page views plus users. Obviously, the more page views the better – and the higher the traffic rank.

• Page usability must encourage more site visitors in general. This measurement is called a site’s reach, a measurement of the total web-user population that visit a site, usually measured in miniscule increments, i.e., 0.00006% 

• A usable page must be clear and transparent to the visitor. Unambiguous navigation, up-front information, straightforward and complete product or service descriptions and prices. Yes, prices. Visitors sometimes have to view five or six pages before getting down to business. How much?

• Finally, a usable page must have a defined mission and that mission should be achieved at a pre-determined rate – quantifiable objectives for sales, opt-ins, subscriptions or even a telephone call with the local company representative.

The fact is, even SEOs can’t decide what a useable page is. A usable site only increases the difficulty of defining usability by increasing the number of variables – the number of pages and their relationships to each other.

Why is page usability important? Regardless of what you sell, what services you provide or what message you deliver via your web site, you’re in a highly-competitive market and increased functionality of each page is part of site success. Let’s face it. Well-designed sites motivate the user to action. Well-designed sites also beat the competition. These are the winners in the web wars that take place 24/7/365. It’s not like the old days. Your site – your online presence – is there all the time. Same is true of the competition.

Web Wars Versus Competition

There is a difference – one that will have an impact on the success of your site.

Web wars employ aggressive sales tactics – the long-form sales letter, the 20-point type and the hard sell. These tactics are often intended to frighten the buyer into taking action.

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THE STIGMA OF BANKRUPTCY!!!!!!!!!

Nobody wants a bankruptcy on their credit report so a site visitor, facing the prospect of bankruptcy or foreclosure is going to want this e-book download from the debt consolidation company or re-fi lender. There’s no persuasion. No marketing. No sales. Just the blunt force trauma of a guide to save your home – for only $179. Chances are, if you’re facing a bankruptcy or foreclosure, the last thing you need is a $179, 200-page download.

Even so, these tactics of web wars work well enough that most of us stumble on one of these single-product sites during our daily browsing.

Other tactics employed in web wars:

• bad-mouthing the competition

• deceitful selling practices

• loads and loads of fine print and disclaimers

• onsite redirects (taking the visitor to an unexpected sales page)

• deeply embedded site links optimized just for search engines

• PPC (pay-per-click) fraud

• site hacking

• cross-server attacks (X-server)

• email blasts from phony IP addresses

• endless auto-responders

• fake opt-ins

And there are plenty more black hat and gray hat tactics employed in the battlefield environment of the W3.

Competition Is Better

Competition involves demonstrating that your products are better, your services more complete and utile, your message more on target. Competition is about persuasion, suggestions and, above all, value added.

Hype isn’t required for valuable products, services or ideas. The quality of the services, the low, low prices (and the quality of the service) the attention to detail and client care – all of these sell quality and real usefulness.

The difference between web-based battle tactics and competition is (1) an indication of product or service quality and (2) an enhanced online persona.

Competition doesn’t require hype. It requires a clear understanding of the client’s needs, the site owners’ needs and the benefits the web-business can deliver.

The Site Owner’s Needs

Forget them. They’re hurting you. Your needs are pretty simple to describe: make a sale, close a deal, publish a message to the world. That’s it. That’s what the site owner needs. And if the web site focuses on the owner’s needs, visitor’s won’t convert. That’s why the “value added equation” is so effective. It appeals to the buyer’s intellect and reasoning skills, not to the site owner’s emotions. (Greed? Tsk.)

The Visitor’s Needs

These are the focus of all site text. It may be necessary to define those needs. Remember, the web is used to conduct product research by 81% of us. This means that, often, the prospect is looking for information – NOT HYPE!!! Especially over morning coffee.

Your site text, in a competitive race, should:

• define the buyers needs.

• expand the buyer’s needs (up sell).

• provide solutions without requiring a purchase or opt in.

• define prospect’s benefits NOT product features (don’t assume the prospect will “see” the benefits so spell them out in terms of the site visitor, e.g. “Your administrative staff will increase office productivity by 54% using the medproRX software and wireless system.”

• The text mentions wireless, but the focus is on the benefit – a 54% increase in productivity. Now that’s something sure to catch the attention of any small medical delivery service owner.

Benefits are stated in terms of the potential buyer:

You’ll knock an hour off that weekly lawn mowing.

Your family receives benefits for as long as 25 years.

Your business will see lead generation jump 100% without spending millions on mainframe software upgrades.

You get the idea. Competition defines benefits and value added without the screaming hype. Sometimes, in narrow markets, web wars break out quickly but you can stay above the fray by competing with quality services, products, attention to client care and, of course, the value-added benefits of your goods.

Competition works when web warfare fails. Compete. Don’t do battle.

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