Keeping costs down and traffic up - that is what I am talking about. Every business needs a webpage. The major consideration in this approach is your MESSAGE. Your MESSAGE must be: 1) short 2) easy-to-read 3) easy-to-remember 4) leave many positive and lingering mental associations.

1) How do you make the message short? Use a short URL, short slogan and strong logo.

2) How do you make your message easy-to-read? Use short words and few of them, make sure they are understood by a third-grader.

3) How do you make your message easy-to-remember? A quick twist of meaning that suggests a peak experience.

4) How do you make your message leave positive and lingering mental associations? The meaning should be easily associated with as many positive experiences as possible.

Here are some examples of messages based on FLOB, an imaginary product/service. Guess which are the better slogans?

- We always want to deliver the kind of FLOB you like
- FLOB is our business and our only business
- FLOB this!
- FLOB first
- When it comes to FLOB we are the professionals
- How’s your FLOB factor?
- The oldest dealer of FLOB in the state, doing business your way
- The reputable folks in the FLOB industry, the FLOB experts
- A day without FLOB is like a day without happiness
- FLOB LIVES!
- Don’t be confused by dealers of FLOB knockoffs, we have the original FLOB
- When it’s FLOB time, get it straight
- FLOB Central
- Trickin’ out your FLOB
- FLOB Zone
- FLOBmazing!
- FLOB since 2001 in your neighborhood

After looking at these slogans think about which ones are short enough to be used for a URL, logo, license plate, short print ads. Which ones are easiest to read and remember? Which ones could be associated with positive and pervasive experiences?

None are perfect, but if you work with these ideas you will allow your URL to be easily seen, remembered, and visited. Once you get your website visited, then your website should take care of getting revisits with attractive layout, easy navigation, and well presented, interesting content.

How does all this save money? Because your message is now so concise that you will be able to place very short print ads, radio spots, television spots, website banners, links, etc. with minimal cost. This means you can spread your name/URL/slogan/message farther and faster.

For some businesses it will be much more cost-effective than SEO or social bookmarking, although this method can be used with either or both of those methods as well. And with a shorter, better message SEO or social bookmarking will also be easier.

Who’s Your Daddy?
Arthur Browning