by
Merle So
you think you've created the perfect Web site. It looks great, loads fast, and
you perform marketing and promotional duties (both online and off) on a regular
schedule. There seems to be only one problem... no one is buying your products.
Did you rely on the essential rules of marketing when you you created your site?
If not, you're in real trouble. 1) Great Customer Service? One
thing that will drive your customers away faster than anything else is poor customer
service. This ranges from taking an eternity to answer your email to shipping
delays. You need to respond quickly, especially when it comes to email. In our
"hurry-hurry" society people will not wait to hear from you for very long before
moving on to the next guy. Do you have your email address on every page
of your Web site? Nothing irks me more then having to dig through a site just
to find an address to ask a question. Do you offer a toll free number so they
can contact you? Easy to do and free with http://www.ureach.com/ How about real time communication
on your Web site? Take a look at http://www.humanclick.com/, which allows you to answer
questions from your Web site guests as they browse your site. The more
ways you give people to communicate with you, the better. Many companies fail
online due to shoddy customer service. Don't be one of them. By offering excellent
service you'll stand out from the crowd and build better relationships with your
clients. Remember it's easier to resell to an existing customer than it is to
find a new one. 2) Who Are You and What Do You Do? Identify
your company and your products on the home page. Don't make people "dig" down
into your site for the answer. They won't; they'll just leave. Also, make
sure you describe the benefits of your service or product right away. For example,
will it save time or money? Make you thinner? Is it easy-to-use? People don't
care about you, they want to know "what's in it for me?" Tell them and tell them
fast, or risk losing them. Sales are generally made on emotions. If you don't
trigger any by giving them a good reason to buy from you, they won't. 3)
Are you Charging the Right Price? If you charge too much, no one will
buy. If you charge too little, people will think there's no value or that there's
something wrong with your product or service. (And they still won't buy.) Before
you set your pricing, make sure you do a little research into your competitor's
backyard. That way, you'll have a better idea of where to set your pricing. Don't
forget about "perceived value." Anything you can add on in the way of free bonuses
or free shipping will go a long way in convincing folks to buy. With the enormous
amount of freebies floating around online, it shouldn't be too hard to collect
a few that relate to what you're selling that you can give away with every purchase.
4) Does your Copy Sell? Make sure your text helps motivate
your customers to make a purchase. Sprinkle "powerful headlines," "calls to action,"
and plenty of testimonials from happy customers throughout your pages. Remember
that people read differently online; they skim. Make it easy for them to catch
the main points and benefits quickly. Also, offer a few different payment
options and make it easy to place an order. If they have to jump through hoops,
you'll lose the sale. Simple and easy is the way to go. 5) Is your Site
Designed with your Target Market in Mind? Does the look of your Web
site cater to your target market? You need to know the demographics of your intended
audience before you even begin the construction process. Know your market's age
range, income, education, and whether they are mostly male or female. If your
site is geared towards teenagers, it needs to look fun and hip (save the sophisticated
look for their parents). If your audience is middle aged businessmen you'll need
a more corporate look. Make sure you keep your core audience in mind when choosing
your fonts, site colors, and any graphics. If you remember to incorporate
these basic marketing principles into your Web site, you'll not only have a site
that looks good, but actually does what you intended it to do all along: Sell!
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