I believe in ~ Myth-Free Marketing ~
Here are a few examples of how things really work.
SEO is dead:
Don't waste $ on stale Search Engine Optimization. What worked a year or two ago won't help you now.
Google now knows what a "good site" is. "Tricks" won't help. Some "techniques" will.
Your best optimization today is an excellent and very semantic site - it always was.
You DON'T want max traffic from your ads:
With Pay-Per-Click (PPC), you want qualified buyers, not "traffic".
Aiming for max click-throughs only makes money for the Search Engine.
However, they're not likely to tell you that.
DON'T use the top 2 or 3 page positions in a PPC campaign:
People who only react to the top few (expensive) ads are often "tire-kickers".
They are not as motivated to buy as those who are willing to dig deeper.
FLASH IS POISON to online marketing:
Use it for page decoration, if you must, never for a complete page or site.
You DON'T WANT SALES:
You want long business relationships. Don't burn your bridges with despised, pushy, ad hype.
When your customers learn to trust and respect you, they'll bring you more business.
Another sale to an existing customer costs you lots less than acquiring a new customer.
And you'll sleep better when you don't push that sleaze and pimp up your site.
FRAMED SITES ARE UNMARKETABLE:
Just say "No" to frames, unless you are a museum or on a company intranet.
People DON"T BUY from web sites:
People buy from people. Don't hide behind your site. Don't be professionally aloof.
Come out and tell your story. Don't "sell", just tell your story. Don't you hate being "sold at"?
Think your visitors like it any better? Show your enthusiasm, be honest, build trust, talk person-to-person.
..Just as you would at your front door or meeting them at a party.
You DON'T OWN YOUR SITE:
Think it's your web site and you know what it should be? You're all wet.
The attitude that brings success is: "This site is 100% for my visitors, it's not my ego-trip".
"I'll test and improve, until it's what my visitors want". "It will never be 'done'".
"I'll keep improving it, using scientific methods, and judging it against my ROI".
Your marketing expert DOESN"T WORK FOR YOU:
Your marketer must work for your visitors, going against you, it that makes your site sell better.