Whether you’ve got your own website or you sell your product through the likes of eBay, you need to make yourself standout in the dizzying world of online business. What would make customers visit your site instead of another? Why should they buy your product instead of your competitor’s? If you’ve got an ecommerce business going, then there are some tried and true tests you can take to increase your internet sales.
First of all, you want to make your website as visually appealing as possible. That doesn’t mean bombarding your virtual customers with pictures. Too many images will just make the list longer to load and that in and of itself could turn your customers away. What you want to do is include a few well-selected images that are clean and sharp, and that actually contribute to your product’s image. Don’t just include a picture of the sun and a palm tree to make your page look pretty. Make sure your graphics make sense for your product.
Along with that, you want to make sure that your text is compelling. Focus on the value your product will add to its customers’ lives, and where they will be able to draw their satisfaction from. It should be detailed, but not too detailed, and above all else, it needs to be honest. Don’t try to inflate the supposed benefits of your product, or make it sound greater than it actually is. That might work for the first sale, but I wouldn’t count on getting any repeat business.
Once you’ve got customers to your site and interested in your product, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to do business with you. After all, what is an ecommerce site without any actual internet sales? That might mean, for instance, accepting multiple payment options. What if someone does not have a credit card? Are they able to pay by money order or cashier’s cheque, or will you be losing out on their business? There might be an additional element of risk here, but it’s up to you to decide whether or not it’s worth it.
You also want to provide strong customer service so that people will feel confident shopping on your site, and will want to return. This doesn’t necessarily mean making home visits for repairs, but it does mean replying promptly to customer inquiries and letting them know that the situation is being addressed. The longer it takes for a customer to reach you, the higher the chances they are already getting in touch with your competitors.
To that end, you might want to consider offering satisfaction guarantees and flexible return policies. No business owner likes have their products returned, but allowing for that gives the customer a sense of confidence in shopping with you. If your competitors are refusing to do so, it would also be a way to set yourself apart.
Generating internet sales is a tricky business, but by putting yourself in your customers’ shoes, you can better anticipate and provide for their preferences.
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The following comes from my friend James Altucher's latest TheStreet.com Internet Review (subscribers-only) newsletter. He quotes a highly successful non-Internet entrepreneur friend recently saying to him as follo...
