Revised Marketing Strategies

[bovinehost]

Okay, I figure Dude does all the hard work, usually, and I'm just rolling along in the exhaust, but I'm trying and here is my possibly misguided effort. It's pretty basic, I know, and I'm not expecting you guys to fall all over yourselves, and I would imagine that I am about the least high-pressure sales monkey on earth, but I'd appreciate some input or criticism or ideas on what I can do to make the process more attractive.

Also, I am drinking!

Input appreciated because I hardly ever really start a thread.

Jack

 

[Aussie Mark]

A couple of suggestions Jacko ..

1. Maybe a link to that Photobucket album that littlehorse created that has the various EBMM color examples

2. The notes at the bottom of your List Price page should state that you can't ship overseas

 

[midopa]

Looks good. Nice and simple, plus a bunch of pics of basses!

What'd be interesting is to have the webpage randomly select pictures from an archive, so there's a rotation of pics going on. That involves some coding and I'm not sure how to do it myself, but it'd be nice!

 

[Colin]

I like it, it also shows what positive things happen when you drink

Colin

 

[Randracula]

Very nice Jack. Good sample of models/colors/pickup config although mabye a picture of a lefty would be nice. With all your sweet talking on that page you make it hard not to buy a bass from you.......BTW did you check out that band(Hank Floyd) I told you about?

 

[limitk7]

Hello Jack,

I'm a business major here at my univ., which doesn't count for much compared to those with actual, real-life experience...but one thing that got drilled into our heads in our Marketing classes was the importance of considering if or not your advertising is hitting your target market.

Right now your page offers information about your company. It has a lot of text that describes who you are. So if your target market is those people who want more information about you, your page works well.

If, however, your target market is those people who want more information about the products you carry, to possibly decide if they want to purchase something, then you might want to consider orienting your page around the basses themselves. To do so, you could shorten the text in the beginning to a simple one or two sentence introduction, then show the basses individually and give more details about them. This doesn't have to be terribly complicated – your customers can go to the EB website for all that info – but you can offer a short blurb with your personal perspective about colors, configuration options, etc. That's information unique to you and your site. At the bottom of the page (or in a separate section) is where you could add more information about who you are, and make the final sales pitch. This would make your page product oriented. People considering a purchase would have an easy time finding more information about the products they'd like to buy.

Hope these suggestions help. Again, I'm just going by the book here, with the knowledge that real-life experience tends to be more accurate and practical. Chances are your page is just fine as is. In any case, best wishes to your marketing endeavors.

Cheers,

 

[radiotrib]

mabye a picture of a lefty would be nice.

Definitely - my sentiments too. (is that what +1 means in American English ??)

Jack - critique in a PM on the way

##edit##
Thanks for the link to the list price page too .. now I know 2 new things ...
exachtly what good value new EBMMs really are
exactly how much I can't afford ... <sniff>

 

[Aussie Mark]

you can offer a short blurb with your personal perspective about colors, configuration options, etc.

But then there would only be photos of Bongos with tort guards

 

[strummer]

Jack
I second what Limitk7 said, and I have another suggestion. Maybe it's just me, but I'd really like a description like this:

MusicMan StingRay 5
Price: $2150 retail

 

[Psycho Ward]

Very nice Jack. Good sample of models/colors/pickup config although mabye a picture of a lefty would be nice.

Jack, you know I've got the picture, it's yours if you need it.

 

[Jazzbassman23]

I guess a scantilly clad babe with real boobs standing next to the bass would be out of the question. The color of her cropped top could match the color of the bass. Just a suggestion.

I do like Strummer's suggestion, though, if you're not going with mine.

 

[JB1]

A couple of suggestions Jacko ..

1. Maybe a link to that Photobucket album that littlehorse created that has the various EBMM color examples

2. The notes at the bottom of your List Price page should state that you can't ship overseas

+1 (boo hoo on point 2!)

Otherwise, a veritable beaut, Jack.

 

[koogie2k]

Jack
I second what Limitk7 said, and I have another suggestion. Maybe it's just me, but I'd really like a description like this:

MusicMan StingRay 5
Price: $2150 retail

I like what strummer is doing. Maybe instead of all the writing showing when the page comes up, use the pic of the bass as a hyper link to the information. You don't have to describe each one that is the same....but for different colors, let a link pop up with a close up of the bass and a color description.

Also, where are all the guitars? Or is it basses only?

My 2 pennies....

 

[strummer]

I like what strummer is doing. Maybe instead of all the writing showing when the page comes up, use the pic of the bass as a hyper link to the information. You don't have to describe each one that is the same....but for different colors, let a link pop up with a close up of the bass and a color description.

Yeah, you get a bass and when you click on different parts you det discriptions and pricing when applicable. I'm not too good with internet stuff, but I think there is something that is called mouseover where you could get momentary popups just by moving the cursor over the right area.

 

[radiotrib]

Yeah, you get a bass and when you click on different parts you det discriptions and pricing when applicable. I'm not too good with internet stuff, but I think there is something that is called mouseover where you could get momentary popups just by moving the cursor over the right area.

it's not too hard to put together. If you want it Jack, send me a picture, the various texts, and which bits of the image to make "hot" and I'll throw it up for you fairly soon.

Taking it to an extreme, I really fancy doing a "build your own bass" setup like EB has on their site, but interactive rather than a fill-in-form/load-page arrangement, and with on-the-fly pricing (list price of course) ... but that would need a fairly high bandwidth site, and a lot of exactly-the-same images. Maybe Beth or one of her colleagues in marketing could arrange for a set of images to be provided. if so, it might be fun to do as a play exercise ... just a few "full frontal" photos of one particular model in different colours/pickguards might be enough for a proof of concept.

##edit## I had a play with p-shop and got this crude version together (I can do better). It's all done as separate components, switched on and off as required, not just pictures of each combination .. so now I know it can be done at least ... of course, a real one would be interactive so you counld select the slices and display the results as you wished .. and a real one wouldn't have the text mixed up in certain ssituations ... enjoy ... (i did) ...

Hmmm .. i still recon the natural unlined fretless 2eq looks the best of the lot


K4

 

[Golem]

Hello Jack,

........drilled into our heads in our Marketing classes was the importance of considering if or not your advertising is hitting your target market.

Right now your page offers information about your company. It has a lot of text that describes who you are. So if your target market is those people who want more information about you, your page works well.

If, however, your target market is those people who want more information about the products you carry, to possibly decide if they want to purchase something, then you might want to consider orienting your page around the basses themselves. ........

I'm tending to agree with your raw data but not with an assumption you might be making. Yes, the page sells the vendor more than the product. I don't see that as a faulty approach. It is not the task of the dealer network to create product awareness.

Generally, by the time a buyer is ready to spend money, they know what they want in a broad sense. Color and PU config may be open to discussion but they know they want a Sterling FL or a Ray 5 or whatever. So, with funds at hand, the buyer's real current decision is not "Fender or Musicman or Ibanez", it's "Who will I bless with these funds? Do I trust them, like them, and am I comfortable with how they help me with the final details [color, config, etc]?"

So, some actually available merchandise on the page keeps the buyer from cooling off, but I'd argue that the main commodity being *sold* on the page really is supposed to be the dealer far and above the product.

 

[basspastor]

I thought EBMM website had a fairly accurate description of their instruments.
Are we (I use the word loosely) trying to start a whole new EBMM site and not visit the original or ----------- I am so confused now I don't know how to finish my thought so I'm gone.
But before I leave I somehow think some are missing what Jack is trying to accomplish.

 

[radiotrib]

Yeah .. you're right. I got a little carried away with playing with the images and forgot the thread .. I guess Jack's main efforts should be in marketing Jack ... as Golem says ... you cajn buy a MM bass from a lot of different places ,, but there's only one Jack ...

 

[Mobay45]

,, but there's only one Jack ...

Thank God!!!

 

[shamus63]

Email me for a price quote!

I'd make that a link to Bovinehost.

The "bovinehost(at)comcast.net" can be a bit irritating at times...

...not that we don't love you.