Does Your Site Need a Custom Search Engine Toolbar?
Today’s surfers aren’t always too comfortable installing software on their computers. Especially free software that they don’t necessarily understand. With all the horror stories of viruses, spyware, and adware that make the front page these days, it’s no wonder. So is there any way an Internet marketer can introduce a custom toolbar to their customers and prospects? Something they will actually download and use?
Whether marketing to a consumer niche, or to other marketers, toolbars have the potential to keep you and your audience connected. They’re a great way of extending relationship marketing to the customer’s desktop. After all, some of the net’s biggest players like Google and Yahoo offer them. Is there a way they can be effective for you too?
As with any of your other products, free or for sale, you have to build credibility and trust in your visitor’s mind. This is even more important given the overall fear of software downloads today. Most of the standard techniques to gain trust should work, but you may need to use a combination of all of them for some visitors.
Lots of screenshots will help create comfort and familiarity with the toolbar, and clearly show the benefits the visitor can expect to receive. Perhaps even more powerful for software in particular is a screen-capture video. Can you show exactly how the toolbar is installed, and more importantly, how it’s used? There’s probably nothing so powerful for your customers as seeing your software installed and running on your own computer.
One toolbar development service which offers free and customized search toolbar creation is Effective Brand.
Effective Brand has a complete web-based toolbar generator. Moreover, they host the toolbar for you on their website with a custom page dedicated to it. The initial toolbar generator is a 4-step procedure where user gets to pick up a logo, a search string, custom buttons, and basic toolbar details. And the system generates the toolbar and the custom page.
What is the best thing about this toolbar generator? The ability to make changes without worrying about client end version. Whenever a user opens the browser, the toolbar is updated with the latest settings and updates from the server. Thus, one time installation is required on the client side.
Another nice feature of this toolbar maker is an optional RSS aggregator. You can specify the RSS feed link and update interval. And that feed is updated on the toolbar with links to the latest posts! Another great way to market your site. Another implementation of this RSS aggregator is news alert using which you can deliver messages to the clients using the toolbar from the Effective Brand Backend.
Don’t forget to include testimonials from other users of your toolbar and your other products if you have them. Audio and written details describing the installation and use of your software will go a long way towards helping your customers overcome any misgivings they may have.
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Guest Columnist John Calder contributed to this article. John is the owner/editor of The Ezine Dot Net. Subscribe Today and get real information YOU can use to help build your online business today! http://www.TheEzine.Net
