Resource Box Rehab: Why Should I Go To Your Site?

We've had an amazing outpouring of interest in the Resource Box Rehab Lab we've recently opened up, and little by little we're trying to help folks with some specific common resource box pitfalls and opportunities. 

Recently we talked about how important it is to NOT just include a link with no other information in your resource box.

You really want your resource box to have an "About the Author" feel to it rather than "this is an ad for my site" feel. 

I noticed many entries that did have an "About the Author" feel to them, which is a great start! But after telling them who you are and why you're an authority on this topic you're writing about, you need to give them a specific reason to click your link and go back to your website. 

Let me just pick out a few examples from our entries in the Resource Box Rehab Lab:

Gillian Gaston is a product reviewer for Ultimate Weight Loss For You, the site dedicated to providing impartial and up-to-date reviews on the latest weight loss, diet and fitness programs.
http://www.UltimateWeightLossForYou.com

Jeremy Fisher trains singers and performers to find and maintain their best. He’s the author of Successful Singing Auditions, and creator of the Voicebox Videos (featured on the BBC and broadcast to an estimated 44,000,000 people). He was commissioned by the DANA Centre at London’s Science Museum to create a video on singing with a camera inside his throat. Jeremy is fascinated by bringing technology and innate skill together. http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk   (too long, but also needs reason to visit his website)

 You'll notice that both of these resource boxes are off to a great start–they list 

• an author name
• a little bio info
• a link to the website
• Gillian's is within the character count limit of 450 (Jeremy's is just a teensy bit too long at 460 characters)

There's just one thing missing–a reason for the reader to click through to the website!  

Resource Box Psychology 101

It's really important to give your readers a specific reason to click through to your website because:

1) A reason to click through is an incentive–a free e-book, a chance to sign up for a newsletter on their topic of interest, more valuable information, a free consultation, etc.

When you want someone to do something, you will have a much greater success rate if you give them a reason why they should do the thing you want them to do. 

What is in it for them? 

If you don't have an incentive for reader's to click through, I highly encourage you to create one. 

Readers will visit your website for one reason–the value that you offer them.

If you want to get the optimum number of click throughs, you must make it clear to the reader what value you are offering at your website!

2) A reason to click through is a call to action. You don't just want someone to read your resource box–you want them to take action after reading it.  Copywriters know that the more information you give telling the reader specifically what to do, the greater likelihood that the reader will do exactly what you say. 

This is what the article marketer is thinking–"If you liked my article of course you would go to my website, right? All I need to do is put the link there, and you will know what to do." 

It would seem like a reader would just click the link without being told to do so and why, but this is just not the case. The more direction you give to the reader, giving them a reason to click through and also telling what to do, the better chance you'll have at garnering those click-throughs!

So, let's take a look at our two examples from the Resource Box Rehab Lab…

First, let's do Gillian's–you saw her "before" above, but here is her after:

Gillian Gaston is a product reviewer for Ultimate Weight Loss For You, the site dedicated to providing impartial and up-to-date reviews on the latest weight loss, diet and fitness programs. Sign up for your FREE Bikini Body Course and Ultimate Weight Loss For You Newsletter at =>
http://www.UltimateWeightLossForYou.com

When I clicked to go to her website, I saw she was offering a newsletter and a FREE bikini body course, and I knew right away–that is her reason to click through! 

Anytime you have a newsletter or a free e-book or some sort of email course, it's a great opportunity to use that bonus to lure readers from your article into your website. 

Alright, now on to Jeremy. His before is at the top of this post, and here is his after: 

Jeremy Fisher trains singers and performers to find and maintain their best. He’s the author of Successful Singing Auditions, and creator of the Voicebox Videos (featured on the BBC and broadcast to an estimated 44,000,000 people). Sign up for Jeremy's free newsletter containing original interviews, pre-release offers and receive your BONUS free copy of "86 things you never hear a singer say" at => http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk  

Jeremy's original resource box was just a bit too long, so the first thing I did was edit it down so that we would have enough room to give a reason to click through while also staying under 450 characters. 

Then, I clicked through to Jeremy's website to see what sort of incentive we could offer readers. Jeremy had an ezine sign up box that told exactly what the subscriber would receive and also offered a bonus for signing up (receiving the free copy of "86 things you never hear a singer say").

I thought both of those were pretty compelling reasons to click through, so I incorporated both of these "bonuses" into Jeremy's resource box.

Et voila–I think that's a really great resource box!

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