I call it "Six Months Later Syndrome." Almost all
of us get it about six months after we put up a web site. You build
some good looking web pages, you promote them on the Internet, lots
of people come to visit--BUT you don't sell anything. Here
are some simple ideas you can use now to get your web site sales going.
How many times have you landed on a web site that
looks promising, but you can't quite figure out what they're selling?
Odd but true, many web sites have a hard time telling you WHY they are
there. Tell the reader in very clear terms what you are selling. Make
sure your "what I'm selling" message is the very first thing the readers
sees. Many sites get carried away will cool looking graphics. They figure
that you'll love the look so much you will be happy to click around
for 10 minutes to find out what's being sold. Most people don't have
that kind of time or patience.
Remember that all readers come to your site asking,
"What's in this for me?" Tell readers, right from the start, what they
will get out of your site. List the benefits of reading further and
buying from you.
Tell readers who you are. Net commerce is
still brand-spanking new and many people don't quite trust it yet. This
is typical for a new media still in its early stages. Before anyone
will spend a dime with you, they have to have some idea of who they're
doing business with. I'm often surprised at how many web site designers
go for a cold corporate look that provides few hints of who is behind
the site. That's OK for Coca-Cola or American Airlines--those names
are household words. For most of the rest of us, though, the reader
wants to know how we are.
Give the reader your name, your email address (in
a link they can clink on to write you), your phone number, and--in most
cases--a physical business address. Writer Kathy Matthew's recently
wrote that no one in their right mind is going to send money to someone
they don't know and can't get in touch with easily. She's absolutely
right. I also feel it's a good idea to include your picture. It might
be a picture of you working with others, your workshop, or your showroom.
Pictures communicate a lot of information and go a long way in putting
Internet shoppers at ease.
Make sure it's easy for readers to find your
order page, find your purchasing information, and can locate a number
to call to order. If your web site's main goal is to sell something,
put ORDER INFORMATION in a easily-seen link on every page. I like to
make it as clear as possible:
Click here for prices and how to order.
Give readers several different ways to buy--via
an on-line order form, with a toll free phone number, or by writing
a letter (I'm always surprised at the number of people who still prefer
the old-fashioned method.) Most consumers will give you a credit card
number, while many businesses would rather mail a check.
Include comments from satisfied customers.
Before people do anything they look to see who else is doing it. It's
human nature. Be sure to pepper your web site with testimonials. They
can be short--"Allen does great work!"--or can go into more detail about
the benefits the buyer got from your business. Your testimonials will
be more believable if they include the commentor's full name, business
name, and city.
Promote your site. Because Internet commerce
is new, it takes a lot more visitors through your site before you get
a sale. Increase the number of visitors and you increase sales. Advertise
in email newsletters (write me for a list), on newsgroups that accept
ads, trade links with other sites like yours, get into a co-op banner
arrangement, and build your own house mailing list by offering a free
report or newsletter.
Finally, remember that the Internet is an information-based
media. People go on-line to find good FREE information. Put some
articles on your site that tell readers more about your field of specialty.
If you're selling a long distance service, put up articles on how to
deal with calls at work, how to get rid of unwanted calls, and new developments
in telephone service. These articles don't need to be long. A few paragraphs
often do fine for hurried readers. If you see an article you like on
a web site or in a newsletter, email the author and ask for permission
to re-print it on your site. I always invite people to use my articles
here.
You can increase sales today by keeping these six
simple points in mind when designing or up-dating your web site.
