Revised Marketing Strategies

[bovinehost]

I'd make that a link to Bovinehost.

I hear you, James, but robots harvest emails and you end up with an inbox full of "herbal viagra" offers, not that I wouldn't try it if I had to.

All of you guys are helping me evaluate and decide how to change the page. I do appreciate it and will get back to work on it.

Good stuff. You guys are the best. And again - I'm amazed at the brains we have rattling around here.

Jack

 

[shamus63]

I hear you, James, but robots harvest emails and you end up with an inbox full of "herbal viagra" offers, not that I wouldn't try it if I had to.

All of you guys are helping me evaluate and decide how to change the page. I do appreciate it and will get back to work on it.

Good stuff. You guys are the best. And again - I'm amazed at the brains we have rattling around here.

Jack

Good point...I'm tired of sending those to the 'junk mail' folder myself.

 

[limitk7]

I'd argue that the main commodity being *sold* on the page really is supposed to be the dealer far and above the product.

I agree with you, in that it is important to build up name recognition and promote who you are. But selling name recognition alone tends to work only if you are a large, famous corporation, or if you are an extremely small operation working among close friends. In situations like that, it is sufficient to say, "Hi, I'm Jack," and leave the burden on your customers to ask the questions and extract specific information about what you carry from you. They're willing to do that since you're either really famous, or they know you very well.

However, if you are not really famous, and you want to extend your operation beyond your network of close friends, it is not sufficient just to say, "Hi, I'm Jack." You need to be able to grab the customers who will not take the initiative to extract more product information from you. In that case, you'd need to say, "Hi, I'm Jack, and here's what I offer," and present specific information about your products to them. This does not mean you disregard the selling your name. In fact, that's part of the process - as you talk to your customers about your products they'll get a feel for who you are and if or not they want to do business with you. You just shift the detailed information about who you are further down.

To translate that all into a webpage would mean a quick introduction as to the person your customers are dealing with, followed by product information with your own personal perspective on it, followed by more information on who you are to reassure your customers and complete the sale. That process will allow you to grab sales from total strangers. Right now I see Jack's page as having a bit too little specific information on the products he carries.

 

[radiotrib]

I agree with the others. It's off-putting to not have a click 'n' go link directly to a salesperson.

I hear you, James, but robots harvest emails and you end up with an inbox full of "herbal viagra" offers, not that I wouldn't try it if I had to.

Don't worry about that Jack. If you're on a server which permits good PHP I can install a copy of my mailer for you. It never exposes your e-mail address, but it accepts e-mails from people ... take a look at http://www.rssd.esa.int and click on "mail the webmaster" bottom right corner of the page.

It's yours if you want it. No copyright issues - I wrote it. Use it to drop me a note if you want it.

K4

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

I like it Jack. I agree that you should worry so much about putting in a direct email link though. What about creating a separate email account just for Ernie Ball price quotes?

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

Here's the VBTC EBMM page:

http://www.vintagebass.com/ebmm.htm

 

[bovinehost]

Radiotrib is walking me through the email issue quite nicely and is even temporarily hosting an emailer page until I become quite a bit less ignorant about PHP (likely to never happen, but you never know) and so now you can click and mail.

Check it out!

http://www.bovinehost.com/EBMM.html

You may have to reload the page if you've already been there.

Now that I'm all motivated about it and had some some great input from the forumites, I can already see some changes I want to make (when I have time).

Thanks to all, especially radiotrib - keep the input coming if you have it.

Jack

 

[BigBallz]

I don't understand why a company has to have "strategies" for marketing their products.


strat·e·gy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (strt-j)
n. pl. strat·e·gies

The science and art of using all the forces of a nation to execute approved plans as effectively as possible during peace or war.
The science and art of military command as applied to the overall planning and conduct of large-scale combat operations.
A plan of action resulting from strategy or intended to accomplish a specific goal. See Synonyms at plan.
The art or skill of using stratagems in endeavors such as politics and business


Really? Just make a good product. It simply amazes me when a company has to "Go After", and that's exactly whats going on, a target audeince.


I thought EB instruments sold themselves on their "build quality"?

 

[Figjam]

I dont think this is about selling EBMM products, more so about selling the idea of ordering through Jack?

 

[shamus63]

Really? Just make a good product. It simply amazes me when a company has to "Go After", and that's exactly whats going on, a target audeince.


I thought EB instruments sold themselves on their "build quality"?

True...but it doesn't hurt to try and lead poeple to your product(s).

 

[maddog]

How about an order status page? (even if you gotta fill in fake dates.)

 

[bovinehost]

I don't understand why a company has to have "strategies" for marketing their products....Just make a good product. It simply amazes me when a company has to "Go After", and that's exactly whats going on, a target audeince.
I thought EB instruments sold themselves on their "build quality"?

Have you ever seen an official Ernie Ball print advertisement for, say, a bass? Or a guitar?

Probably not. If you did, I can guarantee you it was paid for by someone other than EBMM. Distributor, maybe, or a dealer, but EBMM has never paid for print adverts.

Anyway, all I'm doing is trying to make it easier for people to decide to buy from me.

Marketing? Strategy? You're right - the basses sell themselves. I have to do what I can to sell me, though.

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

Have you ever seen an official Ernie Ball print advertisement for, say, a bass? Or a guitar?

Yes, read my profile.

 

[shamus63]

Yes, read my profile.

I don't question the first two, but I am curious about the last one.

 

[TSanders]

Have you ever seen an official Ernie Ball print advertisement for, say, a bass? Or a guitar?

Probably not. If you did, I can guarantee you it was paid for by someone other than EBMM. Distributor, maybe, or a dealer, but EBMM has never paid for print adverts.

Anyway, all I'm doing is trying to make it easier for people to decide to buy from me.

Marketing? Strategy? You're right - the basses sell themselves. I have to do what I can to sell me, though.

Well said. Great page Jacko.

 

[smallequestrian]

I don't understand why a company has to have "strategies" for marketing their products.
...
Really? Just make a good product. It simply amazes me when a company has to "Go After", and that's exactly whats going on, a target audeince.


I thought EB instruments sold themselves on their "build quality"?

Well, thats all well and good, but there have been many products out there that were better than the competition that failed due to improper or poor marketing strategies. One of the most popular being the whole Sony Betamax vs. VHS. In many regards the Sony product was superior to the VHS scheme. However, Sony's want to keep all the tech to themselves and refusal to license the tech cause an inferior product to dominate the market.

EBMM has a marketing strategy wheter it is blatant or not. EB has chosen to differentiate itself based on it build quality and brand awareness, thats strategy. Sterling has an idea of what he is doing, and even though they are not blanketing their products in the "traditional" glossy advertising medium, its all part of a strategy.

Even with outstanding products like EBMM offer, there are many, many products of arguably comprable quality. When there are products of relative quality, with improper or lack of strategy, other companies will be more than happy to start taking bites out of their competitions markets.

 

[skabassist13]

Not exactly sure the audience your going for, but the term "sales monkey" seems unprofessional. The shop naked comment should maybe be looked at to. Now if your going for knuckle heads like us here, then your doing just fine. I like it. If your going for the general public perhaps you should look at those paticular terms as they seem unprofessional. No disrespect, I like it, just depends on who your aiming for.

My $.02

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

I don't question the first two, but I am curious about the last one.

At the age of 47 I draw the line at any women under the age of 40.

 

[BigBallz]

I dont think this is about selling EBMM products, more so about selling the idea of ordering through Jack?

Thanks fig....cleared that up for me...I have and will continue to buy from Jack,,,(have you seen his wife?!)

 

[radiotrib]

As ever, if you ask 25 people what they think, you end up with 26 different opiniions. When it all boils down to it ... in the end it will be Jack selling Jack, and the only person who knows how to do that is .....

Do it your way Jack, you'll get it right.

K4