Wednesday’s promoting tip for authors

Author and copywriter Nick Usborne New Path to Riches site, created to promote his new book on the topic, reflects a hybrid approach to online copywriting  & design.

Based on a WordPress platform, Nick’s site combines the best of several different approaches to online marketing.

New Path to Riches combines the content depth typically found in multi-page “traditional” websites and the focus and call-to-action of a direct-response “sales letter” site with the economy & efficiency characteristic of blogs.

Since I suspect we’re going to be seeing more of this hybrid approach, you may want to visit the site and study it from several different perspectives.  For example:

• Information density. With more space available than a 1-page sales letter, Nick is able to tell more about the book and the services he provides than would normally be possible.
• Search Engine Optimization. The multi-page approach is also search engine friendly, relative to one-page sites that may not rank as well. Note the genuinely-useful information on the Resources page.
• Focus. With multiple pages available, each page can focus on a specific topic, resulting in a more visitor-friendly usability experience. The multi-page approach reduces visitor scrolling and focuses the visitor’s attention on one idea at a time.
• Copy & design. Note the benefit-oriented headlines at the top of most pages. Also, note the shortness of the sentences that follow. In addition, note the white space between paragraphs which promises an easy reading experience.
• Multiple calls to action. Although the primary purpose of the site is to sell Nick’s new book, the site also introduces a hands-on and and page on one page. Note the way Nick “sells” the idea of downloading a free chapter and tactful way Nick introduces his hands-on course. This is a pro at work.

Benefits of working with a blog platform

New Path to Riches takes full advantage of its WordPress foundation. In addition to the obvious ease of updating the site with additional blog posts, the front cover of Nick’s book is constantly visible to the right of every page.

Most important, the site is efficient in its use of graphics, reducing design costs and time. Once the banner graphic and navigation was created, and the book cover and links on the sidebar to the right were added, the site was ready for text (and an occasional graphic) to be added.

Is this the start of something new?

I think that Nick’s site offers a refreshing alternative to the “either/or” nature of multi-page versus sales letter sites. And, I don’t think I’ve covered everything in my comments, above. After you visit his site, tell me what you think I left out  or didn’t address! I invite your comments and opinions, below. You can also compare it to his redesigned home site, reviewed in a previous post.