FunMarketer Lesson of the Week

Craig, how do I boost my company’s legitimacy?

The FunMarketer answer is: Let the world see what others say. Here are four powerful techniques:

#1: Ratings. If you sell products, it’s hard to beat the “Five-Star” rating system. Put a rating system on your website, then setup Google Analytics on your website, and see how many visitors immediately nav to the ratings system. Why? Because consumers need to be reassured they are making the right purchase decision, and they know that everything else on your site is carefully crafted advertising.

#2: Testimonials. Let’s face it – a ratings system isn’t the best fit for many local service companies. It’s one thing to rate a product, it’s another to rate a service, like dry cleaning or tax preparation. Here about the best you can do is a testimonial.

Don’t discount the power of a testimonial. They are not as powerful as a five-star rating system, but for many small service companies they can still boost the legitimacy of your website. Also, if you are selling to business owners, then it’s vital to have the person making the testimonial person put supply the name of their business on the testimonial. You need to quickly bond the website visitor to the person who made the testimonial–and you need to do it in a “Blink“.

Obviously, if you are selling to consumers, you won’t list the name of a business but rather some other kind of title or qualification, such as “mother of two” (if you run a daycare) or “age 65″ (if you provide services for seniors) or “long-time runner” (if you are a personal trainer). This “Bonding in a Blink” is critical – because it cements your website visitor to the testimonial writer and hence to your site and your service. You want identification – that’s the first step in gathering trust, generating a quick feeling of “this person is like me”.

3. Press or News. Powerful press is great. People will listen to their peers, but they will also listen to those in authority. The media is viewed as a less-biased authority than any of your advertising. If you have specific press releases or any articles written about your company make sure you mention them or have pdfs of them or links to them on your site.

What if you don’t have much? Then a backup – not as desirable but better than nothing – is to legitimize your industry or the type of service you are providing. Sometimes your industry or your method of service can come under attack. Use the power of the press – link to positive articles about your service or the industry you are in.

4. Industry Info or Government Info. In addition to other consumers and the press, there is always authoritative information that is published by either a government agency or your industry trade group. Used properly, this can lead to additional legitimacy for your group. Also, don’t forget the BBB. If your business is in good standing, make sure you put it on your site.

Many times you are looking for the tiebreaker – that little piece of information that, in your customer’s mind, will put you ahead of your competition. Go the extra couple inches that your competitors don’t and make your site stand out in the eyes of your prospect.

FunMarketer Free Campaign Idea of the Week

Hey, if your company really goes the extra mile in providing great customer service, here’s a concept for you:

Photo: Istock #4846536

Headline: Just Another Day at Our Customer Service Center

SubHead: Because Every Customer Deserves the Royal Treatment

Got any great ideas of your own? Just reply to the blog with your istock number and your headline and subhead (Clean Only, Please).

Oh, if you do use the campaign, make sure you give credit where due.

FunMarketer Tip of The Week

Build up a good backlog of ideas. Many times one client will shoot down that brilliant marketing idea you’ve had. Maybe the client is right, and \your brainstorm wasn’t the best fit for their business. However, that doesn’t mean the idea can’t ably serve in some other client’s marketing arsennal. I’ve had client A that rejected my “Brilliant Idea 1″ only to present it later to Client B who though it was an excellent fit. Industries vary, as do client’s individual tastes and their audiences.

FunMarketer Phrase of The Week

“Microhoo”. May 3 – Yes, the Microsoft/Yahoo deal is dead. May 15 – no wait, maybe it’s not. Whatever the outcome of the union, the phrase “Microhoo” was used millions of times over the past few months. It does roll off the tongue, well. However, there is an even better lesson here for marketers – both companies have easily prounouncable names. This is a huge advantage, one pointed out by Ries and Trout years ago in Positioning. Microsoft’s three syllables and Yahoo’s two both easily roll off the tongue.

Remember – if you are picking a new name for a product or service, fewer syllables is better. And, you MUST speak the name out loud; because that’s how people are going to ‘hear’ it in their head.

Happy Marketing!

Craig Lutz-Priefert