How To Convert
Hits Into Sales By Kevin Sinclair,
CPA
One of the common questions
asked by web site owners is: "I’m getting plenty of hits
but no sales – what is going on?" This article will give
you some tips on how to address this issue.
Your Product
The first area to review
is the product or service that you are offering. Does a market
exist for it? To answer this question you need to find out whether
similar products are being sold on the Internet successfully.
If not, you may need to rethink your Internet strategy. If others
are selling a similar product successfully, then this would tend
to confirm that there is a market for your product.
Next, look at the strategy
and pricing being adopted by your competitors. How do you compare?
Why should your visitors buy from you rather than one of your
competitors? Answering these questions will provide you with valuable
information you can use to improve your situation and generate
more sales.
Also, take a critical
look at your product quality. Does it live up to the claims you
are making on your web pages? If not, improve your product so
that it does or modify your web page to be more truthful about
it.
Provide Solutions
Your visitors are looking
for a solution to a problem. Do you know what problems your visitors
are looking for solutions to? Does your web site show how your
product will solve your visitor’s problem? You will need
to put yourself into your visitor’s shoes to better understand
what they are seeking so that you can provide the solution they
need.
One way to better understand
your visitors is to monitor where your visitors are coming from.
If they are coming from the search engines, knowing what search
terms they are using can provide some clues. You may find some
surprises when you review this information about your site. The
tool I use to capture this information is WebPosition Gold. More
information can be found at the URL: http://www.ksinclair.com/sengine.htm
Once you understand the
problem your visitors want solved, revise your web pages to show
that your product will provide the solution they need.
Site Design
Your site needs to look
like it is a commercial web site rather than an amateur home page.
The design needs to be consistent from page to page and it needs
to be easy to navigate. Contact details including physical address,
phone numbers and email address need to be shown.
Graphics need to be minimized
to ensure that your page downloads quickly. Also, ensure that
your web host provides a fast connection to the Internet. Most
people will not wait for a page that takes a long time to download.
They will just move on to your competitor.
Make it easy to order.
I recall seeing statistics recently that suggested that a large
number of people abandon a web site in the middle of the order
process. A common reason for this is that the order process is
too time consuming and complicated. Make yours simple and quick
and you will lose fewer sales.
Ensure that your web page
has a strong headline that grabs your visitors and makes them
want to read more. Your headline should in effect say "You
have this problem, here is the solution". Your web site should
then demonstrate that you understand the problem and that you
can in fact provide the solution.
Testimonials and
Guarantees
Testimonials and guarantees
can have a huge impact on your level of sales. On the web, a key
priority is to build credibility. The common methods used are
having a privacy statement, publishing a newsletter, publishing
testimonials from satisfied customers and providing a strong guarantee.
Take every opportunity
to gather comments from your customers about how your product
has helped them. Get their permission to publish these comments
as testimonials. If need be, provide them with a gift for giving
you their permission to publish their comments. A way of getting
comments is a customer feedback survey. This can be used for the
purpose of gaining testimonials as well as seeking ways to improve
your product or develop additional products your customers may
need.
A strong guarantee will
provide your visitor with greater confidence to purchase your
product. Try to make your guarantee simple and without too many
conditions. Always honour your guarantee without question or delay.
Conclusion
Getting plenty of hits to
your web site is a very positive situation to be in. By implementing
some of the hints provided in this article, you can convert these
visitors into being your customers.
------------------------
Article by Kevin Sinclair,
CPA, of Be Successful! Business & Personal Success Resources
(http://www.ksinclair.com/).
He is the author of 2 free ebooks: "Success Secrets" &
"How To Choose A Home Based Business". Kevin is also the
publisher of "Be Successful News" - a free ezine dedicated
to your online business success - to subscribe, send a blank email
to mailto:pbsr-subscribe@listbot.com
-- SkyVault™
Web Design provides marketing consulting, web development,
and Internet business services to small and medium sized businesses.
They have been developing income-producing online properties since
1998. Contact the development team at: www.skyvaultwebdesign.com.
Free Report Reveals Secrets of Their Successful Marketing Strategy:
www.daretodoubleyourincome.com.
