Eben Pagan Marketing Lesson. Does Your Website Give Or Take?

in Internet

When thinking about rolling out some niche websites I went to look at how the best marketers are doing it. Particularly the ones who really get it – by understanding the conversation thats going on in the prospects head – and are constantly testing how they connect with that conversation.

I’ve found that one of the best Internet Marketing learning strategies is not just to learn from what successful marketers teach, but to directly observe what they do on their own web properties.

Information marketer and internet marketing guru Eben Pagan asks the question “Does Your Website Give Or Take?” I’ve never heard it asked before about a website. But if you look at a lot of commercial sites they’re often about the company or product – and how great they are – rather than about solving the needs of the prospect.

As Eben says, “Where is the spotlight?” of the website. Is it focussed on the needs of the visitor or the company or person who owns the website?

Its interesting to see how Eben has applied the formula to his flagship “Double Your Dating” site. The old Double Your Dating had been up for years and Eben had been constantly testing and tweaking. It had become one of the most ripped off sites because of it.

Instead of the entry point to the marketing funnel being a one page “squeeze page” Eben’s revamped flagship “Double Your Dating” site uses this “giving” approach. Let’s take a look at it:

  • Site Name Offers A  Benefit The site name promises a benefit thats important to the target market. Its not just a name. Entering the site the impression is here is info that can help me solve important issues in my life. Not sell me something.

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  • Header Is About Engagement Not Branding Header has a face in the graphic. (establishes connection – no attempt to impress or “brand” with a fancy logo – that reeks of products and sales – not information giving)

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  • Magazine Look And Feel – Not Sales Look And Feel Style is “Magazine Style” with a look-and-feel something like Cosmopolitan. (says quality info not “I’m trying to get you to buy something”)

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  • Headline Promises Benefit Headline between the menu and Feature Area promises a key benefit. As soon as you enter the site the question “What’s in it for me?” is quickly answered.

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  • Person To Person Engagement Instant start video is a person – to begin the person to person connection.

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    Sidebar is on the right hand side with Widget 1 Video Dating Tips on a YouTube video, Widget 2 the optin box, and Widget 3 the links to articles on the site. Interestingly he’s put the Video Dating Tips video in top position, in the top right hand side “Golden Area” where typically the optin box would go. The optin box is below the video in Widget 2, but still above the fold.

    He’s now duplicated the formula with an update to the Catch Him & Keep Him. He kept the old format for this site up for some time while he was testing and tweaking Double Your Dating. It obviously worked for him to roll it out on the other site.

    I’ll keep watching these sites to see how they evolve. It’s a great education in website design.

    Eben’s previous sites sparked a wave of clones. I wonder if these will too?

    P.S.  You can get a similar layout to this in the WordPress  Thesis Theme with the Thesis Play skin.  Needs some customization to get the Teasers in blocks with thumbnail, etc.

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