The day is coming soon when every web wanderer goes shopping
online without a care. A day when nobody hesitates for even a
microsecond before entering their credit card information and
clicking on "BUY".
But at the moment, only 40% of all Internet users are doing so.
The other 60% still want to have their purchases firmly in hand
at the cash register before opening their wallets.
So how do you, as an Internet entrepreneur, overcome the
ultimate e-challenge? How do you reach out and comfort the
nervous and the hesitant?
The answer is surprisingly simple and inexpensive, but rarely
used to its best effect: communication. Specifically, the things
you communicate to your customers about your service/product and
the WAY you express them.
Think about the atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable when
you go shopping... how the staff treat you at your favorite
store... how did they win your trust and your business?
Most online shoppers are attracted by a casual style of
information presentation. Imagine how you would pitch your
product if the client were seated right in front of you.
Actually trying this with a friend or coworker can help clarify
your thoughts. Then write it that way (preferably without the
ums and ahs!) Get the text proofread carefully... nothing
diminishes respect like a page full of spelling mistakes!
Want to really connect with your visitors? Introduce yourself or
another key person in the company by using a real name and
photograph. This brands the site as belonging to a real, live
person and creates a subtle bond.
An "About Us" page is the perfect place to build on that
feeling. Here's where you explain what compelled you to start
your e-business, what your goals are, your business ethic and
why customers should deal with you instead of your competition.
In fact, a short 3- or 4-line version of that same text can be
displayed on the bottom of each page of your site as a sort of
signature.
And never forget the best free confidence-builder ever invented:
the testimonial. Include as much information as you can about
the source of the testimonial: first and last names, city of
residence, business name or URL if applicable. (Get permission
first) This lends much more credibility than, for example:
"Loved your online underwater basket weaving course!" JB, USA.
Then put those quotes in high traffic locations. Don't make your
customers search high and low for them because most won't
bother.
Brag a little... If your site is affiliated with or has been
recognized by other organizations, get permission to use their
logo on your index page. Same goes for any awards you've
received. Those little official-looking buttons and logos breed
trust because they ARE official looking and because respected
institutions stand behind them!
Take into account fraud fatigue. Remember, most of us who were
around before the advent of online shopping have had the message
drilled into us: Don't give out your credit card number over the
phone (or in this case, phone lines). We need to be reassured
that in the 21st century, it's okay to break this old rule.
Susan Grant, of Internet Fraud Watch, says it really IS okay:
"Paying with a credit card is the safest way to shop online.
Federal law protects credit card users if they don't get what
they were promised or if unauthorized charges are made on their
accounts."
Now, pass on that reassurance to your visitors. Outline your
credit card security policy. Emphasize how safe the new
encryption technology is.
If you have a customer satisfaction policy, define it. If not,
write one and stand behind it. Brick and mortar commerce has
survived into the 21st century because of its customer service
ethic. E-commerce has to keep the pace.
Back this up with your own privacy policy. There's an incredible
appetite out there for targeted e-mail addresses and other
personal data. And there's no shortage of online vendors who
have no qualms about selling that information. If you want your
customers' confidence (and their return visit), spell out
exactly what will happen with their personal data after they
entrust it to you.
Don't forget about technical matters. A recent survey said the
majority of consumers who abandoned their online transactions
did so because their sessions were interrupted. That means we
have to pay more attention to making the purchase process
easier; fewer pages and smoother site performance are vital to
keeping customers.
Now you're ready to deliver the coup de grace: Tell your
visitors about your great customer service department. Splash it
all over your website, because this is the stuff that trust is
made of. Consumers need to know there's a place to go or a
number to call if they're not satisfied. Just the fact that
you're spending money on customer service staff proves you're
not a fly-by-nighter.
By breeding trust in these ways, you can slowly but surely turn
your window shoppers into e-shopaholics... giving you more time
and money to go shopping yourself!
Don't Envy The Gurus - Be One!
Who says you don't have what it takes to be a guru? True, there
are so many self-proclaimed gurus online these days, it seems
extremely crowded.
But this applies to only a few areas, like Internet marketing.
Who's to say you couldn't become 'the expert' in a more
specialized niche?
If you think about it, you'll realize that you probably already
have the knowledge inside you. Get ready to unleash the guru
within!
At the beginning, position yourself as a knowledgeable source on
your subject, who is willing to share his/her information with
others. Offer free information on discussion boards and forums.
Any of the following will fit the 'free information' bill:
A free report dealing with a want or need, showcasing your
expertise/ information, and how it can fill a void or fix a
problem.
General instructions on how to do something of interest to your
niche (in doll making, for example, this could include easy
techniques to prepare a porcelain head mold, working with kilns
or general instructions on easy techniques to customize a dress
pattern)
Spread The Word on Your Guru Status
A guru isn't shy about spreading the word about himself/herself.
Don't you be, either! Few things draw new business like the
offering of a new product or service by a guru.
So how can you spread the word quickly? Try the following:
* Press Releases. You can distribute these through online
resources and off. Some online sources to investigate include:
http://www.prweb.com http://www.solonews.com/index.shtml
http://www.globalprmedia.com
Just keep your release to a page and a half, at the most.
Double-spaced.
Always put your most important information in the first two
paragraphs, in case the reader decides not to finish the
document! And never make a blatant sales pitch in your press
release. It'll be tossed/ deleted, trust me.
If possible, link your announcement to a current trend, giving
it a news 'hook.' Give it some relevance to what's going on in
the world. You'll improve your chances of getting picked up this
way.
*Articles To Offline and Online Media. Write informative
articles based on your personal experiences and knowledge.
Submit an ongoing series to article directories, like-minded web
sites, post them in your own newsletter, send to offline
newspapers and magazines, etc.
One article won't do it - you have to create continued exposure.
Don't forget to include a 4-6 line resource box at the bottom of
all online articles you submit. Same with offline media - they
always have an 'about the author' paragraph at the bottom
articles written by non-staff personnel.
All of these efforts will result in increased sales, as people
like doing business with a helpful expert. It ups the perceived
value of your product or service immensely.
Realize that the Internet is still wide open for those seeking
guru status. Just pick your niche and get going!
Online Success, By The Numbers
Do you know your conversion rate? What about your cost per
visitor? All the terms basically deal with the same question:
Do you know how much a visitor is worth to you? So that, when
you purchase advertising, you won't end up overpaying?
Internet marketing, it's been said, is a numbers game. This
becomes critically evident after you've finalized your web site
and offers, gotten a few sales under your belt, and are ready to
go wide with your advertising effort.
So ready to get out there and make some real money? But
wait...do you know how much advertising to buy, what you can
afford?
Follow the steps below, to determine your numbers, before you
spend so much as a penny!
1. Determine How Strongly Your Web Site Is Pulling
First, get a handle on your traffic. These numbers can be
retrieved from your hosting service's server logs. Many, if not
most, web hosts provide a traffic log feature as part of their
standard package.
If you aren't sure whether your host offers this, ask!
Choose a time period to analyze - either a week (if you have
high traffic) or a month.
Examine the logs - during your chosen time period how many
visitors came to your site? How many sales resulted from this
traffic? This is your visitor to sales ratio.
To make it easy, say that you receive 1,000 visitors a month,
and ten of them buy something from you. Your visitor to sales
ratio is 100 to 1 (1,000 divided by 10).
If you receive a higher level of sales, say 20 for the same
1,000 visitors, your ratio would be 50 to 1 (1,000 divided by
20).
Then, you take this ratio and apply the profit per sale. So,
using the 50 to 1 ratio from above, if you closed one sale for
every 50 visitors, and your product costs (and yields a profit
of) $50, you can pay up to a dollar for that visitor, and break
even.
The numbers:
1 sale, multiplied by $50 per sale, divided by 50 visitors,
equals $1.
Now, your goal is to pay LESS than the $1 cost per visitor -
this difference is your profit.
You have to have a firm sense of your cost per visitor before
moving forward with an expensive advertising campaign! Or you
may soon find yourself overextended, and operating in the red.
2. Capture Those Non-Customer Email Addresses!
Now, before you run out and start to place ads, there will be an
increased level flowing through your site very soon. Remember
our 50 visitor to one sale ratio from earlier? One will
buy...but 49 won't. You have to have a way to capture the
non-purchasing visitor emails for future marketing efforts.
How to entice them to give up their addresses? Have sign up
fields to your ezine on each and every page of your web site.
Offer free information, in return for their email addresses (a
free report, a multi-part mini course, a free ebook, etc.)
3. Track Your Way To Success
Finally, before you start advertising, you must have a way to
track your results. Otherwise, you'll have no way of knowing
which advertising vehicles are performing for you...which to
keep, which to discard.
Sam Robbins' Adminder is one piece of software that is highly
rated, and heavily used: http://www.adminder.com
If you successfully do all three of the above, you'll be able to
proceed with placing your ads with confidence, firm in the
knowledge that you're operating your business at a profit (and
not running in the red).
