Posted by LaShanda Henry on February 24, 2010 at 11:44pm
I believe that effective internet marketing is not just about generating traffic, but also making the most of the traffic that you get. Too many web entrepreneurs spend time and money focusing only on marketing, which is important BUT not the only thing. Driving more traffic to your website is great, but what do you do when more people does not translate into more sales? For many online entrepreneurs, more traffic isn't really the solution to their profit problem. If you ask me, they don't spend enough time strategically wooing customers, which is why most of them aren’t making any money.
For those internet entrepreneurs looking to increase their online sales, I decided to come up with a listing of things that I believe contribute to making more sales online:
1. Trust: When you present yourself as a professional who understands business and only sells quality, you develop a trust factor among your customers and readers. People refer friends to me because they trust I will do a good job. People open my emails because they trust my judgment and respect what I have to say. When you focus on building your reputation and earning people’s trust, rather than simply marketing yourself to anyone who comes along, you find that more people pay attention. Every time I send out a marketing email I know that I am guaranteed a certain percentage of sales based primarily on the size of my market and the trust factor between myself and my readers. Businesses don’t just add the word ‘trust’ to their brand because it sounds good. Trust truly adds to your ability to make sales.
2. Connect: When you connect with your customers on a relatable level you increase your chances of making the sale. Much of the attention I have gained online is from connecting to people on a level of mutual understanding. I am a black woman so I know how to relate to my target audience, which is Black Women. Whether you are a part of your target audience or not, you have to learn how to connect with them. Beyond trying to sell them something, my goal is to say something that speaks to my target audience, which is how I tend to grab their attention. With that connection and acquired trust comes an increased chance of a sale.
3. Quality: Product Quality and presentation go hand in hand. People buy quality products. If you are selling online, a space on which people can’t actually touch your product or service, then you need to show them that quality in any way you can. Satisfied customer testimonies, awards or press exposure, amazing product images, and/or video can help to show others the type of quality that you stand for.
4. Professionalism: If you present your business in a professional manner you have an increased chance of making more sales. From your design to your customer service, presentation to web navigation, the easier it is for people to understand what you are selling and how to buy, the more effective your business.
5. Navigation: As I previously mentioned a professional design is so important. I have visited several sites on which I couldn’t figure out where the products were or how to buy them. And I have seen sites where my purchase process failed because there was a technical issue. These are all things that decrease your sites profit potential. If you need to work on your design, make it a priority because sites with hassle-free payment pages tend to generate more revenue. Remember that when dealing with the general public, the easier the better.
6. Great Pictures: When I enter a site with great pictures I am instantly hooked for at least a few more minutes. If you have a cosmetics line, I should see a huge display on your main page featuring women and your products. A great example is Carol’s Daughters; she always has amazing shots of both models and her products on the first page. If your site is about financial planning, I want to see images of families looking through their finances or getting a loan, something to give me an instantaneous – clear message of what you are about. I have little time or interest in sites with small product images or no images at all. If you want to sell me something I want to see what I am buying. I am the general public and you need to remember this when promoting your web business. If you were curious, I get my photos from istockphoto.com.
To review all 12 of my online sales tips, download my eBook: How to Sell Your Products and Services Online. You can get this ebook + 3 more in my 'How to Sell Online' eCourse for Beginners'.
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