Speaker Spotlight: Michel Fortin

A direct response copywriter and marketing consultant for the better part of 25 years, Michel Fortin is also an expert trainer, web designer, WordPress geek, and serial entrepreneur. He was instrumental in selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products and services for his clients in a wide variety of industries, which included some of the most successful marketing campaigns on the Internet. For example, over a decade ago, Michel was the copywriter behind the first online training product launch in history to have sold over a million dollars in its first day. Together with his wife Sylvie Fortin, Michel is the co-founder of The Licorice Group, an online training and publishing company, that shows you how to build, manage, staff, and grow online businesses. He is the author of “Power Positioning: How to Position Yourself For Internet Success.” Today, he is an in-demand public speaker and highly sought-after consultant around the world.

Michel is presenting: Internet Business-Building, Marketing, and Selling Tips and Strategies For WordPress Websites That Sell or Promote Goods and Services Online.

1) Why do you like using WordPress?
As a direct response copywriter, I’ve always been keen on providing design and layout advice to maximize response, and even provided response elements with my copy that have been rigorously split-tested usability for boosting conversion. Part of this includes online design and web elements. Because of this, I’ve coded, designed, and developed many websites in concert with my copywriting services and conversion consulting. Ever since B2, I’ve been a fan of using WordPress not as a blog platform but as a content delivery system specifically to help incorporate those elements that maximize my clients’ results.

2) Why did you decide to speak at WordCamp Ottawa?
We own several online businesses and 100s of websites that are income properties, all of which use the WordPress as a platform. When I attended WordCamp Ottawa last year, all I saw were talks on using the platform for blogging, publishing, and marketing. No talks were given on the “business” of WordPress. Granted, one was about social media (which I liked) and the other was a speaker’s panel at the end on using WordPress to promote one’s business. However, it wasn’t about using WordPress as a business model or a sales channel. Specifically, I was expecting some discussion about using WordPress to market, sell, and deliver goods and services online. So I felt I could contribute in that area.

3) What is the one thing you want people to walk away with from your talk?
How to look at WordPress as a tool to reach markets, boost traffic, and sell goods and services online through the help of tools, plugins, and strategies.

4) What is your favourite WordPress plugin or theme? Why?
I’ve always been a big fan and supporter of WooThemes (including WooCommerce plugin) because it’s an easy-to-work-with framework that clients can easily take over once I’ve done the work for them. Almost all my sites are customizations of themes from WooThemes.