Pros and Cons of a Stand-Alone Sales Page

As a product developer and seller, it can be a challenge to determine where you want to promote your products (or services). What is THE best option is to create and promote a sales page or sales letter.

Below are some pros and cons on why you should consider using a stand-alone sales page with its own domain name versus one that is listed on your website domain name.

The PROS:

• A product page or sales page having its own URL would be indexed separately and having a better chance to be searched and clicked on using major search engines.
• You would be able to track your traffic statistics and effective marketing strategy having a separate product page.
• You can showcase your compelling offer, coupled with client testimonials to strengthen your sales pitch, which is separate from the kind of content you have on your website pages.
• Starting your product page with an eye-grabbing headline and pay button could easily make the purchase.

The CONS:

• Unless you do not have a link to the sales page on your website or have it as a navigation button on your website, then it can easily be buried.
• If you are not marketing your page using your subscriber list or using social media marketing techniques, again, that stand-alone page could truly be standing “alone”…collecting dust.
• Be aware of the length of your product page. Your readers could become bored or frustrated with the content and leave the page without making a purchase.
• Having only one page creates less of a chance of visibility and purchase success. Developing more than one product and marketing the sales page(s), gives you more visibility and more traffic, thus increasing the chances of orders.

I have been selling products of my own for over a year now and I have actually created both a stand-alone product page and a product page on my main website. What seemed to have worked better for me was having the sales page as a separate web page with its own domain name. I had more product orders by keeping my product page separate from my main website.

But this may not be the case for each product. What could make the product sales difference is how you are promoting your product beyond the page or website. That’s a great topic for another article regarding promoting your product online and offline!

Here’s How You Can Plan Your Next Website Layout

Before you decide to create your first business website…or even upgrade your current site, be sure to take into consideration the layout of your site first. It’s really important that you develop your site so that it’s easily accessible and easy to read for your site visitors. You want to make sure your visitors stay beyond the first few seconds that they land on your home page and review what you have to offer. If they are not interested, immediately, they exit out of your website!

So consider these few important points when planning your website layout:

• Grab a piece of paper and pencil & sketch out several layouts
• Choose the layout you like the most
• Find a WordPress theme that closely correlates with your layout
• Name your website and purchase your domain name

Here are just a few samples of layouts you can use as a guide when you are crafting your site layout:

Now that you have mapped out your website layout design, your next steps will be whether you want to create your website using a traditional HTML program or WordPress. Well, it’s a given what I’m going to recommend to you. Build your dynamic marketing-magnet website using WordPress, or course!

Start off by reviewing the different pre-made themes that hundreds of developers have created for you. My top themes list can be found here. Be sure they match up with the layout you chose for your website. Then once you have chosen a theme you want to use for your site, you are ready to move forward with the development. If you are interested in having WordPress to Website build your next website, feel free to visit the PLANS page here.

Can Someone Tell Me What Video Blogging Is?

As I visit more and more blogs on the internet that interest me, I see more of them posting videos rather than providing content. And I have also heard that by adding video, you are opening up yet another SEO opportunity for your blog or website. So I decided to research and find out more about video blogging, and this is what I found.

What is video blogging?

A videoblog is a blog that uses video rather than text or audio as its primary media source. Cell phones equipped with cameras, digital cameras that can record short video sequences, or inexpensive video cameras equipped with microphones make it easy to acquire the raw content of a videoblog. I personally use the Flip camera to record my short videos with.

Videoblogs are usually accompanied by text or still images, and some include metadata or keywords to further annotate the site and to aid in SEO techniques. Digital video-editing software allows videobloggers to cut and paste sequences and integrate audio (background music, special effects, etc.). Like a text blog, a videoblog is updated regularly, typically includes personal or business reflections, often contains comments on other sites, and offers a simple web form for subscription and delivery through RSS feeds. Very much like a regular blog does.

How can a video blog benefit me?

Individuals like myself are finding that video allows them to express themselves more naturally and with greater facility than static, text-based sites. As video software and hardware capabilities advance, and as the medium matures, video enthusiasts could have significant influence on web site design and development for instructional purposes. I find it a way to gain trust from my current and potential clients as they can see me in action through my training courses and tips that I offer.

So if you are considering starting a video blog, be sure you have the right tools to get started. As I mentioned before, I invested in a Flip video camera to record my videos, then I can go in and edit them. Once I’ve edited them, then I use Vimeo to store them on so that I can embed them into my blog or website. A great example of one of my videos can be found at http://mywordpressmembership.com.

WordPress Website Creation Online Workshop Preview Call Scheduled

Join me, Aletha McManama, your WordPress Expert, Designer and Trainer, where I will be hosting via a FREE 60-minute live webinar…

“The WordPress Website Creation Online
Workshop Preview Call”

This info-packed webinar will take place on Thursday, May 13 at 12 PM EST (11 AM CST, 10 AM MTN, 9 AM PT)

You will come away from this webinar call with an understanding of:

• How to plan and map out your website layout

• What to look for when choosing a theme for your website

• What are the best enhancements (or plugins) to make your website more appealing

• What effective marketing techniques to use for your website

There will be time at the end of the call for questions, so please come prepared to have your most challenging questions asked and answered by me.

Hey, and if for some reason you miss the live webinar call, I’ll be sure and send you the recorded video/audio in your inbox shortly after the call ends. But I would certainly love to have you there “live” so you can ask questions and gain the most out of this webinar session. And did I mention that the call is FREE?!

I wouldn’t pass up this opportunity as I reveal tools and tips to maximize the effectiveness of your website creation and marketing efforts.

More information and registration HERE.

WordPress 3.0 Beta Has Been Released

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