Twelve breakthrough marketing rules for the web.

Many publishers ignore basic marketing rules when they set up their web sites, Creative Direct Marketing Group president Craig Huey told an audience at NPA's conference, "Prospering from the Electronic Revolution." Here's an outline of his twelve rules for marketing on the web.

1. The web is a direct marketing medium. Everyone is! a marketer on the web, including editorial. It's an interactive medium for which you should follow me-to-you DM rules and principles.

The web is a testing medium, as is direct mail. But the web is much cheaper, so--in addition to subscription sales copy--you can test lead generation that was too expensive in direct mail.

2. Design the architecture of your web site as a marketing site. Don't do brochure-ware or editorial-ware, but DM-ware. Test the copy, the art, the offers.

3. It's critical to use multiple entry points for various search engines.

4. Have a very clear theme. Again, that's basic direct marketing. Stick to one point; don't give equal time to two or three points.

5. Limit the use of the homepage. A marketing site should drive the sale-not the user to another site or title.

* 87% of all web site users have navigation problems,

* 83% leave frustrated,

* 72% can't find what they're looking for,

* Average time spent at a site is 1.3 minutes.

So, make sure it's a seamless, easy trip for the prospect to navigate to the sale or to the lead generation.

6. Use only direct response copy--not advertising copy or editorial copy. Stress benefits, not features. Use the personality of the product or the editor (run the editor's photo). Use short words and short sentences.

7. Use only direct response graphics. The #1 purpose of the art is to direct eye flow to the copy, to A, then to B, C, D. No complex graphics.

8. Use only a direct marketing offer. Don't suspend human psychology, just as you don't in traditional direct mail. Offer a discount, a competitive price point. Offer premiums, a guarantee (and make it look like a certificate).

Display a privacy statement, with an opt-out feature--an opt-out feature with choices: send me only hot tips, or new product news, or conference information. Customize the opt-out feature.

9. Build your database. Collect e-mail addresses. Seventy percent of those attending this conference are collecting them--it should be 100%.

10. Use only direct response banner ads. Create a tease, like an envelope teaser: "3 Blunders HR People Make. Click Here." Give banner ads the Wow! affect. Don't educate. Sell. Tease.

11. Use only direct reponse email in both the subject line and the copy Use opt-in names. Use email to drive people to a web site or a toll-free telephone number. (E-mail is ugly, so keep it short.)

The header, or subject line, is teaser copy, but don't use the word "Free" because many filters are programmed to reject messages with that word in the subject line.

12. Offline mail can drive people to your site. Direct mailers will be mailing less but what they do mail (often simple, teaser post cards) will drive people to the web site. The mailing becomes another entry point to the web site.

Craig Huey, president of Creative Direct Marketing Group, has repeatedly won The Newsletter on Newsletters Promotion Awards Competition--including both Gold and Silver in 1999.1815 W 213th St., #210, Torrance, CA 90501, 310-212-5727, fax [phone].