[Resources, ideas, Tips] Improving response to business-to-business, high-tech, Internet, and direct marketing...

***3 reasons why pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaigns fail***

1-Your target customers are not looking on search engines for the types of products you sell.

2-The bid prices are so costly that PPC is too expensive for your product category.

3-You do not properly manage the campaign or track its results.

Source: Entrepreneur, "Who Should Use PPC Advertising," 3/11/14.

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***5 signs your web site needs work***

1--It has been 3 or more years since the last website overhaul, so it isn't built to accommodate new technologies including mobile, 4G, oversize desktop monitors, tablets, and Windows 8.

2--Your web site isn't responsive. If your website doesn't adjust to fit a plethora of different sized monitors and devices you're losing business.

3--Your web site has a splash page. Splash pages had a very important role on the web during the late '90s but it has been a long time since anyone needed to be funneled between Netscape and Internet Explorer in order to use and enjoy a website.

4--Your design looks outdated, using old-fashioned design elements such as beveled edges, poorly thought-out gradients, and animated gifs.

5--Your site is dependent on Flash, which had its day but suffers from compatibility issues, search algorithm issues, and long load times -- making Flash more trouble than it's worth.

Action step: Scrub your site of all signs of Flash and replace it with newer JavaScript or HTML5 interactions/animations.

Source: One Up Web Blog, 3/13/14.

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***4 ways to overcome writer's block***

Direct marketing maven Ted Nicholas offers these 4 tips for overcoming writer's block:

>> Do a non-writing activity so you have a clear mind for creative purposes.

>> Never write when you're tired.

>> Never write when you're busy. Says Ted: "I don't think anyone can write well when watching the clock."

>> Don't write in bits and pieces. Once you've turned on your creative energy, you need to keep it flowing. "I don't stop until I complete a draft," says Ted. "I try not to stop even for meals."

Full disclosure: I am in total disagreement with the last tip, as was the late Gene Schwartz. But Ted is one of the greats, so I include it for your consideration.

I prefer to work on a job in one-hour increments until I tire of writing that piece. I then put that project aside and immediately turn to another one. I also find it energizing to alternative between short writing projects -- like this e-newsletter -- and long projects like half-hour-long video sales
letters.

Source: Today@TargetMarketing, 4/18/14.

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This post appears courtesy of Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter. Bob Bly is the author of 70+ books and the man McGraw-Hill calls America's top copywriter.