Document management by references

Hi All,

Lately, I have been asking you several questions regarding TOS, escaped codes, user logging etc... . The purpose of it was to create a new 'webware' applicarion, targetting efficient document management by reference. For those who are curious, have a look at http://www.TheEasyRef.com

So again thanks for all your support and would be glad to have your opinion!

Glad you were able to get help with your questions for building your application! It's great to see the end result that come out of queries, so thanks so much for posting the link. BTW, it seems like a very cool service...I will definitely have to play around with it.

Best,

Megan

Hello,

After 20 days on the air, well I can say that the site is a real ... flop! Few visitors, and those who come leave within less than 30 seconds.

What is the problem? I know that I am not a SEO expert, but still ... .

What would be your feed-back ?

Yoel
__________
www.TheEasyRef.com

Hi Yoel,

Don't get discouraged. 20 days is nothing -- it might take you several more weeks (or longer) to start seeing some real results. This is normal.

I had a quick look at your site. One thing I would do right away is to redesign the homepage. There is room for lots of improvement here. Make your main page more attractive to visitors. Currently, it reads like a data sheet; it looks slightly technical, and the chart at the bottom of your page doesn't help me understand how your service could be of any value to me. Quite honestly, I don't understand the chart at all.

I recommend you completely re-write the copy for your homepage. Your message should be clear, succinct and easy to understand. Use that space to make a powerful first impression to your visitors.

The main page should address the following:
[olist][*]What is "Easy Referencer"? What are "document references"? (These two things should be explained very well.)[/*]
[*]Who is this service for? How can this service help me in my daily life? What problems will it resolve for me?[/*]
[*]What are the benefits of using this service? Why should I choose your service over any other?[/*][/olist]
I know you've already addressed some of these things. But as a visitor to your site, who knows nothing about document referencing, I'd like to see a much stronger message that answers these questions for people like me.

To make your content more appealing, consider using headings and bullet points.

The bottom line is that anyone reading your homepage should be able to understand your service offering, and how it can help them. Right now, I can't do that.

But if you take the time to deliver a high-impact message that addresses the questions above, I guarantee you'll get more people interested in your service.

Hope this helps!

Yann

Hi Yann,

Thanks for your reply.

Actually you are right. Most visitors don't understand the point. I would say even more: most of the people I am speaking to don't understand it totally until I explain it in details ... and sometimes it take long time!

It is actually very simple, but I have real difficulty to explain it correctly!

I am going to take your guidelines and spend some thoughts about it. I will update you once I have something new. Naturally your feed back will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

Hi, Yoeld,
Thanks for sharing your process here. I agree with Yann's comments on the site.

You mention that you think what you are offering is simple, but you find it hard to explain. That is really the marketing dilemma!

When I read the info on your home page, the third paragraph is what jumps out at me as getting at the heart of this in a clear way:

The Easy Referencer site proposes you to provide you with references for your easy indexing and tracking of your documents. The service is completely free.

You might consider working from there, by then listing some of the benefits, in a simple bulleted list, for indexing and tracking your documents so that you can reference them. For example,

• have the resources you need at your fingertips when you need them


• easily accomplish research based on accumulated historical data

(I actually don't know a lot about this topic, so the bullets are simply examples....

Also, you might want to mention the people, organizations, or niche markets that you think would be your prime targets, ie, "great for organization that..."

I would presume that people who use this service would come to the site with a basic understanding of their need for this. Save the extensive explanations for deeper in your navigation.

Keep us posted! Best wishes,

Yoel, good luck! Sasha has also given you some great advice.

Along similar lines, you can also follow the same approach taken by a company to advertise their product on their Web site. Visit some well-known corporate sites and see how effectively they communicate their offerings to the end user.

You'll notice effective use of different elements to "show off" their product: banners with taglines, screenshots of features, bullet points highlighting key features/benefits, a strong FAQ section, etc...

Use these same vehicles to effectively showcase your product to your target audience -- show them what it can do for them. Unless you're targeting a very specific audience (such as techies), you'll want to "dumb down" the way you describe/explain your product so that it can reach the widest possible audience. You can do this by translating anything technical or complex-sounding into simple, easy-to-understand language and value propositions.

Dumb it down. Keep it simple.

I know writing effective marketing copy can be a challenge, but that's the key. Just do the best you can. Have a non-techie read it all over; let them tell you if they understand everything about your product. Use their feedback to re-work any points of confusion.

I'll be happy to give you feedback as well.

Looking forward to seeing how this works out!

Yann

Hello All,

Thank you very much for your kind advices.

I have worked on it and came with this version:http://www.theeasyref.com

I am sure that there is still improvements to do. So please, provide me with all your comments.

Thanks again.

Nobody wants to say something about the updated version ? Improved version. Is it that bad?

Thanks in advance for your frank feed-backs

Hi Yoel,

I just had a chance to revisit your improved site. Definitely a step above the previous version! I think you're using the right approach here. A good first effort.

But I think you can improve this version further! Don't get discouraged! You're on the right track here -- it would be great if you fine-tuned this content even more.

I'm going to help you out a bit so you understand what I mean. Let me give you some revised examples, starting with the beginning of your home page...

The Easy Referencer allows you to manage and track your sales quotations by using a unique file naming convention.

This message essentially answers the question of "What is Easy Referencer?" The explanation you provided here is simple and to the point. However, when I read it, the following questions immediately come to mind:

-- Can Easy Referencer be used for other purposes in addition to quotations?

-- What other purposes/areas (if any) can it be used for?

I know you address these questions at the bottom of your home page, but you might also want to address it briefly in this section as well, so that non-sales people won't run away from your site thinking the product is of no use to them.

Okay, moving on to the next section:

How does it work?

The Easy Referencer uses a file naming convention that integrates readable and easy to remember identifiers such as the recipient, the sender, and date of the quotation. You will be able to understand the content of the file without the need to open the quotation document.

I like your explanation of how it works. Here's how I changed it a bit to make your message sound even more powerful:

The Easy Referencer uses a unique file naming convention that integrates standard identifiers, such as "Recipient", "Sender", and "Date of Quotation", into an easy-to-remember and readable format. Because The Easy Referencer allows you to quickly identify the content of any quotation document, you no longer need to open a customer file to search for that information -- saving you valuable time!

Notice above how I transformed your message into a slightly more marketable one that people can relate to better? All I did here was to take your words and give them a little bit of a marketing spin.

Using this same approach, let's move on to your benefits section:

What are the benefits using The Easy Referencer?

* Saves time. No need to search for your previous quotation number. The server keeps track of it and will generate a new unique number based on your information.
* Saves even more time because standard naming convention means quick finding with tools like Google desktop or windows search feature.
* Finding information about your previous quotations is fast and easy as all information is stored on the server database.
* Internet-based solution meaning that you can access from everywhere. This is convenient for sales people who are often on the road.

I like your list of benefits and use of bullets here. I modified the benefits to make them sound a little more catchy:

What are the benefits of using The Easy Referencer?

* Save time. No need to search for your previous quotation number. Our server keeps track of it for you, and provides you with a new unique number based on your information.
* Immediate access to customer data. With Easy Referencer's standard naming convention, information about your customers is available at your fingertips. Find information quickly, using any search tool such as Google Desktop or the search feature in Windows.
* Safe storage of all your information. Retrieve your previous quotations easily, without ever worrying about losing data. Your information is stored securely on our database server.
* Web-based solution with no software to install. As a hosted solution, Easy Referencer can be accessed securely from any computer located anywhere in the world. This is especially convenient for busy salespeople and professionals who are often on the go.
* Completely free to use!

And finally, let's look at your last section:

Is it limited to Quotations management only?

No. You can use The Easy Referencer to generate your file naming convention, used as your references, for all type of documents as well as correspondence.

I tweaked your message here too, to make it more universal and to showcase the multiple uses of The Easy Referencer (feel free to modify my list below):

Is Easy Referencer limited to Quotations management only?

No! Easy Referencer can be used to create file-naming conventions for any type of document, allowing you to easily reference, manage and track virtually any kind of data. You can use The Easy Referencer for such things as:

* Business documents:
- business plans
- annual reports
- communication plans, etc...

* Technical documents:
- training documents
- user guides/manuals
- product data sheets
- system requirements analyses, etc...

* Marketing documents:
- marketing copy
- newsletters and brochures
- contract proposals
- request for proposals (RFPs), etc...

* Correspondence:
- e-mail messages
- fax documents, etc...

You're welcome to use the new copy as you wish on your site.

Hope you found this feedback helpful!

Yann

Wow! Yann, that reply is really great.

Thanks alot. I really appreciate it.

I will study it and integrate the changes the page. I will update you soon.

Hello,

It took me a bit longer than expected, but finally, I come with a new version. This time, I have focussed at the graphical explanation, while integrating Yann's inputs.

Have a look at http://www.theeasyref.com

I hope that this time it is better. But, as always, looking for your feed-backs as I am determined to have it 'perfect'.

Many thanks again for your comments.

Yoel

On your original "index" page you say, "Every one at home or at the office has many Office documents...." That suggests that you help only with "Office" files, which, in these days of nearly complete monopoly, suggest Microsoft Office. Yet not everyone generates [MS] Office documents to index.

On the same page your "Example of Reference" shows the date part of the file name as dd.mm.yyyy or mm.dd.yyyy. I would suggest that you do yyyy.mm.dd - it will allow alphabetical sorting of the files to yield a chronological sorting too. This could be useful, in the long run, when documents start being indexed around the time of their creation.

In your "test4" page you say, "allows you to quickly identify the content of any quotation document...." I don't see how this indicated the CONTENT with "standard identifiers, such as "Recipient", "Sender", and "Date of Quotation"."

Hi Jesse.

First thanks to your help.

The purpose of test4.htm is actually to become index.htm. I am posting it here for review before actually making the change. Therefore, the issue of MS Office will become irrelevant as I don't mention it in test4.htm.

I have decided to cancel the reference example, as it was confusing the visitor. Instead, I have put a general diagram of the application. However, during the registration process, you have the option to choose your date format. European users may want a different format than North Americans ones.

You are correct that looking at the reference only will not really indicate the contact. This is indeed a bit of an exaggeration. I will modify it. However, as the application keeps a register of every generated reference and adds the users comments, it will definitely help to understand the content of the file without the need to open it.

At least I am happy that now the purpose of The Easy Referencer got more clear. Definitely a step forward for me.

More comments about this new version http://www.theeasyref.com ?

Thanks,
Yoel

Hi Yoel,

Sorry for not following up sooner, but I never forgot about you!

Just had another look at your site and it's definitely an improvement over the first version. I have some more advice for you...

In addition to your diagram on the home page, I would show a REAL example (or two) of how exactly a document is referenced by The Easy Ref, outlining the step-by-step process. Maybe you can put this in the "how it works" section. How does Easy Ref take an actual document and reference it? Show us each step of the process. But remember to keep this brief and simple, without getting technical.

For example, if Step 1 is the unsorted document itself, you could start by showing an actual example of an unsorted document that eventually becomes "referenced". Since people have their documents already saved on their computers, in a way these files are already "sorted" for them. So you should address:

(1) the limitations of a "saved" document;

(2) and how Easy Ref can organize documents in a way that goes above and beyond just having them saved in my computer... (for example, emphasize Easy Ref's features... being able to sort documents, etc.).

In other words, you want to show the superiority of an "Easy Ref Document" vs. the standard "saved-on-your-computer document". You could emphasize the fact that an "Easy Ref document" offers much more flexibility that your typical saved document.

Don't stop at just telling people that Easy Ref can be used with any kind of document, show them how this is done. Apply the steps by showing how Easy Ref can transform my conventional documents (MS Word, PDF, etc.) as well as non-Microsoft documents (sales quotes, newsletter, data sheet, etc.) into a convenient referencing format that can help me manage this information more effectively. Also show an example of the actual reference number produced by the process, which will clarify to people the meaning of your "unique file naming convention". You might want to show a graphic of an actual reference, showing very simply how the naming convention works.

I would also re-work the first answer on your FAQs page. Like Jesse pointed out previously, don't just mention Office documents but instead emphasize Easy Ref's versatility in being able to handle many different document types that can be referenced. Again, if somewhere on your site you show how a fax, email or other kind of non-Microsoft document is handled, step-by-step, then people will understand how using the service can help make sense of their own data.

Next, explain the service itself. Briefly outline the steps involved in using the Web-based service to manage my documents. Do I need to sign-up first? Do I need to upload my documents? Explain the entire process involved here (for example: step 1 upload document, step 2: name document... whatever...). You can show people the different Easy Ref screenshots involved at each step, giving them a virtual tour of the process. Remember to emphasize here again that you take measures to handle security and privacy.

On the sign-up page you have a registration form. At the top of the page it says, "Please fill out the form below." Right now, it's not clear why I'd fill out the form. What exactly will this do for me? Do people have to submit this form in order to start using Easy Ref? If yes, say so. And be sure to also explain on this page all the benefits of signing-up and what happens next.

Finally, use effective "call to actions" (CTAs) to encourage people to sign up to your service. An effective CTA is one that uses an action-oriented phrase to encourage the person to take action. "Register Now" (which you've used) is an example of a good call to action.

Instead of "Try it and register now!", you can say something more direct like "Register now to start using The Easy Ref today!". To this you can add a visually appealing graphic (like a button) that says "Register Now" or something like that, which invites your visitors to click on it and register for your service. Make this call to action prominent on the site. I would also add a sign-up link at the bottom of your home page.

Hope this helps.

Yann