Artisan Design Studio - The Proof Is In The Power Of Demonstration!

The Proof Is In The Power Of Demonstration!

My large, kindhearted dog isn't particular about what he consumes. Hence, his nickname is "The Canine Vacuum".

Is he going to turn his nose up at a hot dog if I already have a juicy steak set before him?

It's highly unlikely. But, being the smart dog he is, he'll probably gobble up the steak first and then inhale the hot dog.

Yes, even a canine shows preference and is moved by choices.

Inside online marketing, this method is called demonstration and has a psychological influence that affects visitors.

This method asks for involvement on the part of the visitor and moves the visitor to make a favorable decision.

Demonstration is a very powerful tool often found in live presentations and media such as television and promotional literature. Demonstration asks the audience member to move toward one direction or another rather than standing by passively. During this tactic, the audience's decision will be strengthened and your product or service will be seen in a more favorable light.

A website demonstration goes beyond making a point in writing. Online, you can go beyond listing pros and cons and move into demonstrations that show proof. For instance, in writing, you can tell why a dog chooses one food over another and online, you can ask the visitor to guess which food the dog will pick and then visually demonstrate the answer.

You don't need a flashy media player to use demonstration in your site. All that demonstration usually requires is two simple pictures, along with a question or statement that poses a dilemma or situation that the reader is asked to solve or to side with. When the visitor clicks on a picture, the he or she is engaged in the demonstration. For instance, a website that sells dog bones could ask the visitor to select which bone is best for your pup - a chicken bone or the website's product. If the visitor clicks on the chicken bone, the website can offer information about the dangers of giving dogs brittle bones instead of safe dog bones (i.e. the website's products). If the visitor clicks on the website's dog bone, then the website can talk about the benefits of the product and reinforce the visitor's decision. Either way, visitors feel informed and moved to purchase a safe dog bone.

The main ingredient behind using demonstration is involvement. Demonstration works well with even abstract services that otherwise would be difficult to capture a visitor's involvement. The trick to this type of service is finding the drama or benefit behind the service. A "prop"

also can transport an abstract service into a concrete object that the visitor can easily identify with. Many "props" require use of the senses - experiencing, feeling, tasting and touching. For instance, a prop for accounting may involve numbers and savings. Pictures for accounting, then, could be a person working a second job and a person standing in front of a vacation home. The dilemma could be "Where do you plan to spend your retirement years?" A prop is a great aid that permits the visitor's mind to grasp much quicker.

It doesn't take reinventing the wheel or great creativity to include demonstration in your website material. Unlike my "canine vacuum" who would be happy no matter what was put before him, visitors are much wiser and more selective.

Demonstration has the power to pull your visitors into the decision-making process and feel good about their purchases.

Riki Trafford is the manager and developer of Direct MO Marketing which offers low cost keyword-targetted web traffic. For comments and questions visit his web site: http://www.1dmom.com/