Reprinted from DM News, April 7, 1997

Apply the Direct Marketing 'AIDA' Rule Online: Attention, interest, and desire can lead to action on your Web site by Debra A. Jason, The How-To Writer

AIDA is a powerful 4-step direct marketing formula that also can be applied on the World Wide Web. By drawing attention, building interest, creating desire, and calling for action, you too, can create a successful cyber site.

Attention

Your goal is to catch prospects' ATTENTION at the home page long enough for them to want to see what else your site has to offer. How do you do this?

Create a strong benefit-oriented headline, one that touts the strongest benefit of your product. How about this one for single people? "How To Marry Money: A must read expert guide to love and glory." You'll find it at www.galaxymall.com/shops /money.html.

Promise something magnificent BUT do not lie. Don't make a promise you can't keep or you'll lose customers. At the Art Soup site (www.artsoup.com), they promise to "enhance any project. . . give your proposal a lift," and they show you how they do so with `before' and `after' photos.

Tell a story like sitcom writer Gary Apple did. As you progress through his online "saga" at www.verbaljudo.com/apple, you reach a page that reads, "As he stands at death's door the writer reflects on his inability to land a sitcom staff job . . ." He's about to jump and you decide his fate.

Interest

Once you catch prospects' attention, you must evoke their INTEREST. You can do this when you:

Use SHORT, SIMPLE sentences. CLARITY is critical. Talk to your prospects not at them -- as if they're sitting next to you. Use `you.'

Detail additional benefits, after your headline. Prospects want to know "what can you do for me?" Eastern Mortgage Services (EMS)  -- www.eastmortg.com -- tells them with a list that reads, "buy the home you've always wanted . . . refinance your current mortgage . . . take advantage of low interest rates . . ." and more.

Offer something for FREE.As direct marketers, we're more than aware of the power behind the word `free.'

Make your page easy to read. Your page may be viewed on a 10-inch, 14-inch or 17-inch screen. The easier on readers' eyes, the better. Use bullets. Keep paragraphs to 6 lines or less.

Desire

Entice your prospects not only by saying you can satisfy their needs, but by proving that you can by:

Offering advice or tips. Mortgage Market Information Services (www.interest.com/mmis.html) includes a "Tip of the Day" such as "the four elements that make up your mortgage payment are . . .."

Providing authoritative content. Helpful how-to articles, histories, case studies, and recaps of leading-edge developments will enhance your reputation and engender consumer trust.

Using testimonials. At "How To Marry Money" site the copy reads, "Explosive Proof It Really Works." This is followed by a list of endorsements that lend credibility to the product.

Action

Don't assume that prospects know what to do. Tell them. Should they send an e-mail requesting more information? Should they place an order? To make it easy for prospects, make sure you:

Provide your e-mail address. This makes it easy to respond to offers, request more information, ask you a question, and more.

Tell them if you are a "secured server." Ease the minds of `Net buyers by saying, "We are a Secured Server. This ensures your credit card number is kept confidential and encrypted before it's sent over the Internet."

List your toll-free number, fax number and street address. Since online security is still a concern for some buyers, provide the information needed to phone, fax or mail orders. Create an order form like The Angel Store did (http://www.angelgifts.com/order.htm). Customers print it out then complete and return it in an envelope if they desire.

Give them an incentive to respond NOW. Offer them a premium for responding by a certain date or a discount for being among the first 100 people who order. Nabisco (www.nabisco.com) encourages response by asking prospects to e-mail before a certain date. Those who do, qualify to win a "FREE Nabisco Classic Favorites Gift" with over 50 treats.

Whether you're updating an existing site or creating a new one, you'll find AIDA will help you plan a better site even before you sit down at your keyboard. And, if you're working with an independent or an agency copywriter, you'll be better prepared to relay all the information they need to create an effective responsive site.

[WRITER'S NOTE: Content of Web pages mentioned herein were cited as of 3/3/97. Since savvy marketers continually update their pages, content may change by the time this feature is printed.]

Debra A. Jason is principal of The Write Direction, which specializes in Web and direct marketing communications. Formerly based in Boulder, CO, she is now located on the island of Kauai, HI. The company's Web site address is http://www.writedirection.com.

©Copyright 1997-2003 Debra Jason dba The Write Direction. All rights reserved. P.O. Box 608, Hanalei, HI 96714.

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