Rich Gorman: Closing the Sale

Rich Gorman knows better than anyone else that, as the Internet has matured, it has opened innumerable doors for creative thinkers and serious entrepreneurs, ready and eager to turn a profit. He knows because he has experienced so many of the Internet’s ups and downs for himself, since the very beginning.

Gorman has stood as a pioneer, and to this day he is an authority on direct response marketing, on online reputation management, on content marketing—in short, on anything and everything you’ve got to do to make big bucks on the Web. Gorman has worked in direct response marketing for more than a decade now—and of course, by the standards of the Internet, that’s basically a lifetime.

He is a trailblazer and an elder statesman of his industry—the kind of guy who is often called upon for his authority and his expertise. Indeed, if you want to know the latest tips and techniques for online profit-making, Gorman’s blog is required reading. And blog he does, largely through his Direct Response site.

Direct Response is the name of Gorman’s personal brand, but it is also much more than that. Direct Response is a treasure trove of information about online marketing, and related topics. Whether you need to know how to write a strong call to action or how to defend yourself from online smears, Gorman is your guy. The Secrets of the Direct Response Blog What is it that makes the Direct Response blog so authoritative? You could say that a big part of it is the experience and the success of Gorman himself. That’s not wrong, but neither is it the only asset that the Direct Response blog has to its credit.

A big part of the blog’s success is in its “think tank” approach to blogging. A lot of blogs essentially become bully pulpits for their bloggers, and while there is nothing inherently wrong with this, it leads to narrow fields of opinion, and even to intellectual stagnation. Not so at Direct Response, where, under the leadership and vision of Gorman, some of the brightest minds in online marketing are brought together to weigh in on the trends and the issues of the day. Another thing that sets the blog apart: Gorman’s willingness to give away millions of dollars in trade secrets. With every blog entry, the DR team is giving away tricks of the trade, the kind of information that most anyone else would hold as proprietary.

In Gorman’s view, offering direct, real-world value is the best way to get users returning to the blog, day in and day out. Additionally, giving away these trade secrets allows the DR team to make it clear: They know this business inside and out, and their cumulative authority is unparalleled. In short, Gorman’s zeal is to provide value to other business and brands. This has allowed him to cultivate an incomparable network of experts and insiders, working together to further the field of affiliate marketing. As the blog, and the Direct Response brand, have grown in prestige, they have also come to incorporate topics like reputation management—but Gorman’s success as a serial entrepreneur and tech addict is always at the center of things. An Example from Rich What kinds of information does the Direct Response team provide to like-minded marketers? It is an exhaustive list, and it incorporates many topics and techniques.

Here is just one example, chosen at random from one of Rich’s own entries: The concept of the exit pop. You know what exit pops are, even if you do not know them by that name. Say you visit a website, and try to navigate away from it. You see a screen pop up, trying to get you to stay—a sort of last-ditch effort to get you to remain on the page, or, ideally, to buy something. This is an exit pop, and it is one of the more clever tools in the direct response toolbox. This does not mean it is foolproof, by any stretch. There are pros and cons to using exit pops. By offering big discounts, and by keeping text minimal, you can significantly increase conversions. The downside is that Google tends to frown on sites that use exit pops. Gorman’s blog provides a wealth of information for those seeking to implement exit pop technology, including great specificity.

More Direct Response Tools of the Trade

The lesson in exit pops is just one example of the kind of insight that the DR blog offers. Rich Gorman also offers a range of other tips, including some killer bits of advice for direct response veterans and novices alike. Here is another example, from the DR archives: Invest in a premium domain. YourBrand.com, for example. Invest in a domain that is memorable, that will rank well on Google, and that makes your professionalism readily evident. On the topic of domains, it is also important to consider design. Great online offers are not just about the text that you come up with, but about your design. You need a layout that tells the story of your brand—that sends the right message, loud and clear.

If two sites are offering basically the same thing, the one with the ace design will win out, almost every time. Still another online marketing tip: It’s not just about your price, but about the actual offer. Is it unique and valuable? A unique and valuable offer will render price less and less relevant—so focus not on the price point, but on the value you’re offering to consumers or clients. The list goes on, and on, and on; the bottom line is that Direct Response is a peerless resource for the online marketing professional. Rich Gorman would not have it any other way. He worked his way to the top through years of hard work and creative thinking; now he is an industry authority and a true trailblazer. Rich Gorman is zealous for helping others to succeed—adding value through his own, incomparable experience and expertise.