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Make your web site as consumer friendly as possible with these helpful tips.
Perhaps you’re the new owner of a business, or have been long established
in an actual retail shop, and just want to put your items online to show the
world what you have to offer.
The easiest way to do this is by being selfish! That’s right, think of
what YOU like to see when you surf or shop online. Do you appreciate the beauty
of a photograph that makes you want to put that product in the shopping cart,
or are you lulled into a buying frenzy by moving images or techno music? Or
does a simple text only site make the most sense to your needs?
Ease of Use
Most of us want things to be easy, whether we’re driving to the supermarket
and want to find the fastest way to get there, or shopping online. We would
probably all consider the way a site loads in less than 30 seconds to be more
acceptable than a site that takes far longer and rewards you with a red X where
a photograph should be!
Easy navigation is like the street that runs from east to west, not dividing
into a dead end or curving into another street name. Buttons that are clearly
labeled as to what the page represents, for example, on my site I clearly mark
which button is for soap and which is for the monthly specials page. So should
your site be concisely marked so that the visitor is encouraged to stay and
learn more about your products. If you’re selling shoes, have the easy
to read button, tab or link read shoes, not hoofwear! Being cute is nice, but
being accurate with your description will get you more hits/sales!
Contact Page
Who are you? Obviously you’re quite familiar with your face when you see
it every morning, but to millions of online surfers, you’re just a domain
name or an e-mail address. Regardless of the fact that you may only have a couple
of pages to serve as your online business card or e-tail store, or thousands
of pages, you must include your contact information on every page! Why? Because
you want to be contacted, right? That’s why you’ve chosen to put your
site up. You must include an e-mail address, but that’s only for starters.
To gain a potential customer’s trust, show that you’re an established
entity. No matter what your location, if you do business from the United States,
France, China, Germany, etc. and want to ship/do business with folks in other
countries, you need to include a physical street address. That way, those of
you who don’t choose to pay via credit card, PayPal or eCheck, can send
you a check or money order. This address can be a post office box, a street
address does look more like you own a serious business.
Phone and fax numbers are also a necessity. Even if that is a cellphone, please
try to include that for those people who may wish to call and ask you questions
about your products or service.
By being accessible both online and offline you stand a much better chance to
do more business than you would if you just remained an online mystery site!
That Page About You!
Don’t be shy about telling customers who you are and what you’re doing
with such a nice online presence! This is where you sell the fact that you are
an expert in your field and why you’re the one they should buy from. Facts
and figures sell, so if you can prove that you won those awards or have sold
that many units, or have been in business since the fax machine was invented,
then put that on your page.
Add your picture, so that more than the person in the mirror can see it! Show
close-ups of your products, your company, and your other employees. Ok, so maybe
you’re a bit camera shy. Then share a few lines of personal information
about a hobby that may tie into what your eCommerce site is about. Tell how
your company began – perhaps it was from a hobby that is now your business.
Give statistics, if that’s your way, but not too many so as to confuse
a potential buyer. If possible, be funny, be witty, be cheerful. Perk up someone’s
visit to your site so they’ll feel compelled to journey over to the shopping
cart and add a few items. Or maybe they’re too busy for now, but they’ll
bookmark it and return later.
Testimonials Sell
There are thousands of companies that sell soap and other bath & body products
online. If you sell real estate, list your properties sold, if you repair shoes,
have customers write their impressions on how quickly they were fixed, etc.
What makes my site different than the others? Testimonials. Real, genuine, heartfelt
testimonials from people who have bought and used the products. Include a person’s
name and location and their quotes about a service well done or a product well
received. In fact, add a few of your testimonials on your main page so they
may end up on Google’s or Yahoo’s search engines as part of a description!
About the Author:
Lisa Maliga, writer & owner of Everything Shea Aromatic Creations [http://www.everythingshea.com]
offers a fragrant selection of designer shea butter glycerin soaps, exclusive
Whipped Shea Butter, & unique SoapCakes to personalize for gifts or promotions. |
