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Getting people to your website is not an easy thing to do. Getting them to become a paying customer is a whole is even harder than getting them there. Here are some reasons why websites, don't sell.
E-Commerce sites have one purpose: to make sales. Web sites have
become one of the most innovative business tools of our time.
Listed below are some of the main reasons that potential
customers may be driven away from your site, thus preventing you
from making a sale.
1. Slow Loading Time
A web site that is slow to load is sure to cause visitors to move
on, never to return! It's just like waiting in line to get into a
retail store. Customers won't wait unless there is a very good
reason to do so. Slow loading can be due to poor design, the use
of excessive and uncompressed graphics, or a slow web server.
2. Confusion
A site that is confusing is guaranteed to lose customers.
Visitors come to your site for service and convenience, not to
become confused. They expect to easily navigate within your site
, and if they are unable to do so, will soon become irritated and
leave. Layout and clarity are important. Keep your site clean,
clear and focused on your product or service, and create links
that are clear & simple.
3. Unappealing Appearance
Your site reflects your business image. If your site looks
amateurish, your potential customer will be left with the
impression that your business is unprofessional.
Avoid the
following:
Large headlines or text, implying that you are yelling at the
reader.
Flashing text with bright colors, distracting the reader and
making the site look tacky.
Tiny type with solid or colored backgrounds, making reading
difficult.
Spelling errors, showing that you didn't take the time to
proofread.
Broken links, indicating that you don't maintain or care about
your site.
4. Lack of Credibility
Credibility is not easily achievable, yet it is a significant
part of the sales process. On the web it's even harder to gain
credibility, because there is no face-to-face contact (yet).
The
following conditions on a web site will decrease its creditability and should therefore be avoided:
Outrageous claims that can't be backed up.
No guarantees.
No contact information.
Not returning calls, e-mails or letters.
Unappealing appearance.
Trust is earned with time. When someone enters your site for the
first time, you don't have the opportunity to establish a
trusting relationship; therefore it is essential to have a
professional site that includes all your company's information.
Also, be sure to offer a believable, clear message and a strong
guarantee. It is imperative that you eliminate any risk that the
customer may perceive.
5. An Unclear Message
Visitors have to understand what your site is about in a matter
of seconds. How many sites have you visited that have left you
unsure of their message? Did you spend time trying to figure out
what the intent of these sites was, or did you simply leave?
A Site that is Overloaded with Products & Services.
Too many products & services will overwhelm your visitors and,
rather than making a purchase, they will opt to buy nothing,
because they are confused. If you are offering a wide selection
of products, create clearly defined categories or departments for
them on your site. You may also wish to consider including
search capabilities so the visitor can quickly find the exact
item that they seek.
6. Difficulty in Making a Purchase
If someone can't find a product, price, or the order page on your
site, you have a problem. Make it easy for your visitor to make a
purchase by providing online transactions. It's a good idea to
test your site by testing each option that you provide for
payment to ensure it is working properly.
7. No Call to Action
If you don't ask for the order, you are losing sales. A lot of
people will be interested in your site, but if there is no call
to action people will do nothing or think they will make a
purchase later and then forget to do so. You have to grab them
when they are at their peak interest. Just ask for the order.
It can be as easy as putting in a phrase such as: "Click here to
immediately process your order and receive your product within 24
hours."
8. Low Traffic Volume
It doesn't matter how good your site, product, service, or price
is, and it doesn't matter if you're giving away water to a
thirsty population. If your site has low or no traffic, you won't
be making sales! You have to drive targeted traffic to your site
in order to make sales.
9. Marketing to Everyone
If you think your products or services are suited to everyone,
you are making a huge mistake. The more specific you are in
defining your audience, the more you can understand them and
adapt your business to address their needs and wants. You'll end
up with more sales with a niche market.
For example if you're selling baby products and your audience is
comprised of senior citizens, how many sales would you make?
If your audience is wrong for your product or service, it doesn't
matter if you give it away. They won't be interested. For best
results, your targeted audience should have a desire for your
product or services as well as the ability to afford them.
10. No reason to buy
All of the above contribute to a web site that won't make the
sale. But if you have the right product at the right price, and
it's targeted at the right audience, you have won half the
battle. Remember: you have to give the customer a compelling
reason to make a purchase.
Make your offer so compelling that
they are literally reaching in their pocket for their credit
card. If you want to see some excellent examples of this
technique, watch a few infomercial's. They are masters at putting
together packages that are irresistible.
Using the above as a guide when creating or remodeling your web
site will help you optimize it and increase online sales. You can
then focus your energies on implementing marketing strategies to
increase your success even more.
That's the way I see it.
Acey Gaspard
A Touch of Business.com
[ More Article by Acey Gaspard ] [ Entrepreneurial Tip of The Week ]
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