There are several rules to remember when looking at your marketing. This applies to paper, print and web marketing.

1. The Five Seconds Rule: What do your visitors see when they visit your page. What makes your site stand out. Does a visitor get a quick look at who you are, what you do, and answer the question of why they are at your site. Follow the directions in this post over at Sazbean to give your website, and others that you know, the five seconds test.

2. At a Glance Rule: How long does someone look at your flyer, or print ad whether in a magazine, advertising publication, or even your website. At a glance can they figure out what you want to be saying? Do this test, pick up a newspaper or magazine. Glance at it for 3-5 seconds. What was your eye drawn to first? We did this test, hands down images of people or even in some cases animals caught our glance. If your ad is buried on a page full of ads, what should the elements be in the ad that someone’s glance is directed towards your spot. Are you paying for advertising that fails the at a glance rule? Hmmm, something to think about.

3. Quick and Easy: Have you ever gotten a flyer and needed to find information quickly, but couldn’t seem to find it? There are many purposes a flyer can have, and some we try to give it that it is not really intended for. If you are creating a flyer for an event, make it quick and easy to within 5 seconds, take a glance, and find the date, time, and relevant information. Or, if your flyer is an informational piece, make it quick and easy for someone to understand what they should do as a result of reading the flyer. A word of advice, don’t hand someone a flyer unless they ask for it. We don’t carry around flyer organizers, nor do I have a flyer file on my desk. If I go to a trade show I keep the flyer until I get back to my office, then it is run through the 5 seconds, at a glance and quick and easy test. If it fails any one of the three, chances are that it is going in the circular file.

What do you think? Do your marketing elements, your website, flyers, and BUSINESS CARDS pass the tests?