SEVEN KEYS TO A
SUCCESSFUL SITE
• Build off your persona. Allow your
visual communications strategy to
reflect;who;you;are;in;front;of;an
audience. If your presentations are
uplifting and humorous, use playful
graphics. If your material is more sci-entific;or;technical,;go;with;a;more
conservative, elegant approach.
• Get great visuals. Hire a professional
photographer and get some cool
shots of you in action. Ask clients
for a copy of photos and video taken
during speaking engagements and
the right to use them for promotional purposes.
• Organize your content. Create an
information;architecture;flowchart.
It will clarify the scope of the project
and serve as a roadmap for the writer
and designer.
• Tell your story. Spectacular live presentations don’t always translate well
into the written word. In addition
to video, consider working with a
writer to make sure that the copy on
your site is easy to read and written
to your target audience.
• Establish a consistent style. Good
branding = Consistency. Use the
same color palette, typography and
design elements for your Web site,
presentation slides, business cards
and any other promotional materials
you create.
• Provide a clear call to action. Your
site is designed to establish credibility, but it should also be getting you
more speaking engagements. While
showing off what a great speaker
you are, make it easy for your guests
to contact you or request more
information.
• Keep it fresh. Once your site is live,
give your clients a reason to come
back. Add a new video clip, update
your testimonials or incorporate a
blog and update it often.
Patrick North, owner of Pride Designs LLC, has over 15 years of experience in the design and production of award-winning communications for print, Web and video. He offers the
perfect balance of creative and technical
skills. Clients range from one-person start-ups
to Fortune 500 companies such as Xcel
Energy, 3M and Qwest Communications.
Visit www.pridedesigns.com.
Communicate
Like Crazy
Larry Blankenship,
Digitaldoginc.com
Good Web sites
aren’t about technology; they’re about
communication. Try to make it as easy
as possible for the meeting planner to
learn about you and make a decision.
Create or redesign your Web site based
on how people process information.
Good Web
sites aren’t about
technology;
they’re about
communication.
Oh, you want to see a video?
Got it.
Oh, you want to print something
out? Got it.
Oh, you only have 60 seconds? Got it.
Think about how you want to
package your content. Speaker Web
sites are often reviewed by committees
of;two;to;five;people;sitting;around;a
table discussing the speaker’s content.
So why not control the content they
talk about? Often, they will print and
distribute your information so, to meet
that need, we created The Package.
It;consists;of;five;to;six;pages;of
everything you need to know about the
speaker. And it prints out in the order
you want them to read it.
The great thing about this approach
is that it helps you champion your
site and organize your content in the
correct order. If meeting planners are
comparing speakers, they’ll download
whatever pages they think are
important, which puts them in control
of your content—not you.
You also should provide The Package
as a PDF, so it’s easy to forward to
another decision maker. Everyone
involved looks at the material in the
same order.
Most speakers already know this,
but video is huge. Billions of videos are
viewed every month on the Internet,
which;can;be;a;benefit;or;a;liability;to
you. Buyers now have an expectation
that there will be high-quality video.
Consumer behavior research says
that sophisticated buyers can’t get
past poor-quality video and, from
an;attention;standpoint,;four;to;five
minutes is all you’ve got. Make it good.
Our No. 1 suggestion is to embed
video in your site. This connects
directly to consumer expectations. If
your video is embedded, it doesn’t
require a planner to open the video or
download a program.
We’re also big fans of interviews.
This can be a very effective way
for a prospect to get to know you.
After all, speakers are professional
communicators, so use your skills!
Larry Blankenship, owner of Digitaldog Inc, is a 15-year veteran who offers workshops and seminars teaching clients how to use the Internet. Visit
www.digitaldoginc.com.
