| What makes one e-commerce web site a
| |
| | Aim for a number one Search Engine
|
| raging success, while another similar one
| |
| | listing ONLY for well-researched, highly
|
| barely gets a visitor much less sells
| |
| | targeted key words and phrases
|
| anything? Ask any small business owner
| |
| | Use Pay Per Click facilities such as
|
| and you're likely to get a range of
| |
| | Overture to get quick results and control
|
| answers from "Cool technology" to "A
| |
| | your budgets
|
| really sexy web site", and more likely
| |
| | Make sure you don't waste offline
|
| than not: "Being Number One on the Search
| |
| | opportunities. Publish your web address
|
| Engines".Important some of these things
| |
| | email on all company literature and
|
| may be, they're not actually the core
| |
| | include it in all your adverts.
|
| elements for success! And it's for this
| |
| | Use Sig files on ALL emails
|
| reason that most people go wrong when
| |
| | Sign up affiliates and pay them a
|
| they go online. In fact, the main
| |
| | commission
|
| factors, or decisions, that make a web
| |
| | Use a Viral Marketing email campaign
|
| site successful or not, take place long
| |
| | Publish email newsletters and
|
| before a line of code is written, or a
| |
| | information to build an email list
|
| graphic designed or anyone puts finger to
| |
| | Research your market carefully to find
|
| keyboard to write any copy. We list
| |
| | out what methods people use to find and
|
| below, in order of importance, the ten
| |
| | buy your product/service and concentrate
|
| things you should concentrate on if you
| |
| | all your efforts on those channels.
|
| want your e-commerce web site to be a
| |
| | 7. Make Sure Your Web Site Copy is Clear
|
| rip-roaring success:1. Do Your Research
| |
| | and Persuasive
|
| The first thing that you must remember
| |
| | Perhaps the most overlooked element of
|
| (and this is the bit that everyone seemed
| |
| | web site development these days is copy -
|
| to forget in Internet "Gold Rush" of
| |
| | that is, the words been all those pretty
|
| 1999) is that the same business
| |
| | pictures, flash animations, and whizzy
|
| principles apply to your internet
| |
| | functions. A great deal of web site copy
|
| business as any other. You must: a) Have
| |
| | on the internet today is utter rubbish,
|
| a product/service with a solid perceived
| |
| | and many online shops feature hardly any
|
| need; b) you must be able to sell it at a
| |
| | at all! You get a welcome message,
|
| price that is profitable and provides
| |
| | product titles, pictures, maybe a few
|
| good value to the purchaser and; c) you
| |
| | specifications, and great big "Buy Now"
|
| must be able to reach a sufficient number
| |
| | buttons. Once again, it seems that people
|
| of potential purchasers (and convince
| |
| | jump onto the Internet bandwagon and
|
| them to buy) to generate enough revenue
| |
| | forget that there's a real human being on
|
| to make your business viable. And to find
| |
| | the other side of the computer screen and
|
| out that, you need to research your
| |
| | he/she wants information and wants to be
|
| market. Thoroughly.The first and most
| |
| | treated with some respect. Basic business
|
| obvious thing you need to find out is the
| |
| | rules still apply, and with some
|
| "need" factor. Note I said "perceived"
| |
| | modification, your approach to your web
|
| need, perhaps better described as a
| |
| | site should be similar in many respects
|
| "want". We buy lots of things we don't
| |
| | to traditional mail order or direct
|
| need, because mainly we think we need
| |
| | distance selling. And the golden rule of
|
| them. So, will people benefit from your
| |
| | mail order and direct selling? The more
|
| product or service? Do you genuinely
| |
| | you tell, the more you sell! Professional
|
| believe you can convince people they need
| |
| | copywriters throughout the marketing ages
|
| it? To find that out, you have to ask
| |
| | have known this all along. The theory has
|
| them! But we're not there yet: it's one
| |
| | been tested to the ends of the universe
|
| thing having a product that people do
| |
| | and the result is always the same. Long
|
| actually need, but if there are already
| |
| | copy outsells short copy every time. But
|
| lots of people supplying it, then you
| |
| | there are some rules and some adaptation
|
| might have a problem with part b. You are
| |
| | of this basic fact when thinking about
|
| only going to be able to sell your
| |
| | the web:General rules:
|
| product/service at a profit AND and a
| |
| | Your copy should be clear and concise in
|
| price people think represents good value
| |
| | its construction
|
| if 1) Not many other people provide it or
| |
| | Every sentence needs to be short and
|
| 2) yours is better (and/or cheaper - but
| |
| | snappy, with short words
|
| for reasons explained later, this is not
| |
| | Where possible, one sentence per
|
| usually a good route to take). Again, you
| |
| | paragraph (if it's sales copy, editorial
|
| must do your research and find out before
| |
| | is different)
|
| you do anything else. And finally, can
| |
| | Use headlines, sub heads and bullet
|
| you reach this market cost-efficiently
| |
| | points
|
| and find enough people to buy from you?
| |
| | Every single statement should contain a
|
| This is the one great strength of the
| |
| | fact, benefit or persuasive argument.
|
| Internet and e-commerce: it's much
| |
| | Don't waste a word!
|
| cheaper, it's faster and has a much wider
| |
| | Spend MOST of your time creating
|
| reach that any other communications
| |
| | headlines, they are the single most
|
| channel so far invented! But it still
| |
| | important factor in direct mail sales
|
| costs time and money, and you have to be
| |
| | success and the same goes for the web.
|
| realistic, so you need to research your
| |
| | Special Web Rules:
|
| market and work out if you have the time
| |
| | Break up copy that's more than about
|
| and money to reach it.2. Work on your
| |
| | 500-700 words long into seperate pages
|
| Strategy
| |
| | Always try to close the prospect at the
|
| OK, so now you know, hopefully, that
| |
| | end of each page as well as having a
|
| there is a need for your product or
| |
| | "more" link to the next page
|
| service, that not many people offer it at
| |
| | Try to include a close or buy link above
|
| the price/profit/value level that you
| |
| | the "waterline" (ie before they have to
|
| can, and you know that thousands of
| |
| | scroll to read the next paragraph or
|
| people who use the internet a lot and who
| |
| | sentence)
|
| you know from your research can and do
| |
| | Try to inject as much "personality" into
|
| buy online, will want to buy it from you.
| |
| | your copy as possible. A web page can be
|
| So now you work on your strategy. This is
| |
| | a particularly "cold" place - so add as
|
| key. You cannot simply say "Hey, we've
| |
| | much human warmth as possible. Remember,
|
| got a great product and a big market,
| |
| | people buy from people they like.
|
| let's slap up a web site and we'll get
| |
| | 8. Make Sure your Navigation is Easy,
|
| rich!" You need to sit down and carefully
| |
| | and that your Web Site Design and Backend
|
| work on how you're going to do all of
| |
| | Technology are all focused on a Great
|
| this. You need to know what your goals
| |
| | Customer Experience
|
| are. If your goal is to "sell lots"
| |
| | Only now should you be thinking about
|
| you'll sell nothing! I Guarantee it. You
| |
| | the build of your web site and its
|
| need to work out where your want to be in
| |
| | technology. It's at this point, you can
|
| 1, 3 and 5 years time at a minimum and
| |
| | finally consider your web site's design
|
| then work back from there. If you start
| |
| | and how it will look. Remember, web
|
| with that and work back, then a lot of
| |
| | design (any design) is subjective. No
|
| the pieces will fall into place. Your
| |
| | matter how much time or money you spend
|
| strategy should apply to all your
| |
| | on it, or how proud you are of it, a
|
| business, and your web site or Internet
| |
| | certain proportion of your visitors will
|
| bits will only be a part of it (a big
| |
| | still think it's crap. But guess what?
|
| part, perhaps...). For example, if you
| |
| | They don't care, and if you get
|
| have a product with a big ticket price,
| |
| | everything right it has almost no bearing
|
| and you only sell 5 a year, then you
| |
| | at all on sales. But there are three
|
| don't want to start planning in a
| |
| | important elements to web site design:1.
|
| shopping basket system and credit card
| |
| | Ease of navigation comes FIRST. Make sure
|
| payments! Selling on that scale will need
| |
| | your fancy page design doesn't confuse
|
| lots of relationship building and
| |
| | and frustrate your customers. Keep it
|
| face-to-face interaction, so you need to
| |
| | simple. And bearing in mind that no
|
| work out how your Internet/e-commerce
| |
| | matter how good the site looks, lots of
|
| strategy will enhance and benefit that. A
| |
| | people will hate it, so make sure the
|
| good web site to that will impress people
| |
| | design is not overbearing. Make sure
|
| who pay £50,000 for your product? A
| |
| | that, whether your customer likes your
|
| newsletter system to help keep in touch
| |
| | site or not , it's not an issue!2. Get it
|
| during the long sales cycle? It's a
| |
| | done professionally. Good, professional
|
| completely different approach to selling
| |
| | design inspires confidence in your
|
| £20 watches....3. Concentrate on
| |
| | customers, and on the web that's a
|
| Existing Customers
| |
| | precious commodity. They may not always
|
| If your business is already
| |
| | like it, but they'll appreciate that it's
|
| up-and-running and you're simply adding
| |
| | been done professionally, and that
|
| an Internet presence or improving on it,
| |
| | therefore infers that your are a
|
| then your existing customers should be
| |
| | professional company.3. Make sure that
|
| treated like Gold. They can actually help
| |
| | the site is clean and uncluttered, and
|
| you bring your business online. Test the
| |
| | avoid too many flashy animations, whizzy
|
| waters with them, ask them what they
| |
| | bits, and Flash downloads that will slow
|
| think at each stage, build the system
| |
| | your site down and annoy your customers,
|
| around them and their needs and you'll
| |
| | no matter how "cool" you think they are.
|
| end up with a template that will help you
| |
| | And whatever you do avoid "front Door",
|
| expand online in the sure knowledge that
| |
| | "click here to enter our site" intro-type
|
| it will attract and help keep new
| |
| | pages AT ALL COSTS! Especially Flash
|
| customers. And, of course, if you do it
| |
| | ones. They are utterly pointless and
|
| right, you can start making extra money
| |
| | delay your customer from getting to what
|
| online right away, without a single new
| |
| | they're after, which is information about
|
| customer, by using your web presence to
| |
| | your company/products/services.And
|
| save money and improve relationships with
| |
| | finally, the technology - especially the
|
| your existing customers so they buy more
| |
| | "Shopping cart". So long as it works
|
| from you.4. Make Service a Priority
| |
| | properly, doesn't mix up customers'
|
| While the Internet can help you cut
| |
| | baskets, can cope with demand, and
|
| costs and make your business run more
| |
| | deliver orders reliably, then your choice
|
| slickly, you've got to remember that it
| |
| | of "cart" technology will have no bearing
|
| can also be very impersonal. One of the
| |
| | whatsoever on sales success. Other than
|
| most valuable things I've ever learnt is
| |
| | that, your technology and the complexity
|
| that people buy from people they like.
| |
| | of your system will be dictated by what
|
| And they don't like to be let down. The
| |
| | it is you actually need to achieve. We've
|
| media is littered with stories of people
| |
| | mentioned newsletters, CRM, customer
|
| who managed to click and pay for
| |
| | support & service and so on - all your
|
| something online only to wait weeks for
| |
| | technology choices MUST be made to make
|
| it never to turn up. Emails don't get
| |
| | these things easy for you to manage and
|
| replied to, phones don't get answered (if
| |
| | to enhance them. And most of all, your
|
| the web site even publishes the number!),
| |
| | technology must ALWAYS be geared towards
|
| and they get constantly fobbed off. Yet
| |
| | a great customer experience.9. Get
|
| the Internet is an ideal tool for
| |
| | Pricing in Perspective and Think about
|
| delivering better customer communication!
| |
| | your Market Positioning and your Value
|
| But many businesses use a flash web site
| |
| | Proposition
|
| to hide behind... That's another quirk of
| |
| | There's one final myth about the
|
| the Internet - it's possible to gain
| |
| | internet (and business in general) that
|
| customers more quickly than traditional
| |
| | I'd like to explode and it's this: People
|
| methods, but you can lose them like
| |
| | buy on price. The myth that you must be
|
| lightening if you provide a poor service.
| |
| | cheap, even cheapest, on the internet has
|
| News travels fast on the internet - even
| |
| | grown exponentially, especially with the
|
| faster if it's bad news...5. Work out
| |
| | advent of shopping price comparison
|
| your Communication and and Customer
| |
| | engines. Combine this with the widely
|
| Relationship Management (CRM) policies
| |
| | held (and largely correct) belief that
|
| and procedures
| |
| | using the Internet to sell reduces cost,
|
| As I mentioned before, the Internet
| |
| | most people think that price is the only
|
| provides excellent tools and
| |
| | issue, and that you must be cheaper than
|
| opportunities to build relationships with
| |
| | everyone else to succeed. Nothing could
|
| customers and clients. By this stage of
| |
| | be further from the truth!A buying
|
| your planning, you're chomping at the bit
| |
| | decision is a bit like an iceberg, of
|
| to "get something up and start selling"
| |
| | which the price element is the highly
|
| but winning a customer is a bit like
| |
| | visible tip. The bulk of the decision
|
| wooing a woman (please forgive the sexist
| |
| | reasoning takes place hidden away from
|
| nature of this analogy!). You don't run
| |
| | view, and many in business ignore it at
|
| up to a woman you like a scream in her
| |
| | their peril. When a customer says to you
|
| face "I want to have babies with you,
| |
| | that you're too expensive, they are not
|
| NOW!" So why do people do this online?
| |
| | actually saying that your price is too
|
| You need to build into your plan ways and
| |
| | high. What they're really saying is that
|
| means of starting and growing
| |
| | they are not convinced that the benefit
|
| relationships with your customers and
| |
| | your are offering exceeds the investment
|
| clients. You need work out ways of
| |
| | they have to make. They don't like your
|
| opening a dialogue, finding out about
| |
| | Value Proposition. The problem is usually
|
| them, and helping them find out about
| |
| | that you haven't convinced them enough
|
| you. Did you know that research shows
| |
| | about the benefits, not that you're
|
| that people generally visit a web site
| |
| | charging too much. On the internet, this
|
| seven times before they feel confortable
| |
| | brings us back, actually, to point/step
|
| enough to buy anything? So what are you
| |
| | seven where I explained the massive
|
| going to do that makes your web site
| |
| | importance of your sales copy. If your
|
| interesting enough for people to visit
| |
| | web site is simply a catalogue of
|
| seven times just to look at it? And when
| |
| | products and prices and a shopping cart,
|
| they do, what then? Is it like a one
| |
| | what else has any site visitor to go on
|
| night stand? Or do you send them emails
| |
| | when making a judgment other than price?
|
| asking if they are happy with the product
| |
| | So you've cornered yourself immediately.
|
| service? Can you send them a regular
| |
| | You have no option other than to go
|
| newsletter that they find interesting?
| |
| | cheaper than your competition to make the
|
| And do you have a system in place to
| |
| | sale. If, however, you make a big deal in
|
| manage all of this - for example, can you
| |
| | your web copy about the benefits of
|
| track how many times a customer has been
| |
| | buying from you (like prompt delivery,
|
| contacted, by what method, and what was
| |
| | great service, reliability, money-back
|
| said? You can and should build up a
| |
| | guarantee, free insurance or whatever you
|
| valuable database of detailed customer
| |
| | can think of) then suddenly, price is not
|
| information, their buying habits, what
| |
| | an issue. People will pay your higher
|
| they like/don't like and a system for
| |
| | price for peace-of-mind, great service
|
| contacting them on a regular basis.6.
| |
| | and extra benefits than taking a risk
|
| Offline/ Online Marketing, Search Engines
| |
| | with the cheap, nasty web site that might
|
| & Pay Per Click
| |
| | let them down. And when you feel under
|
| Ah, search engines. The magic bullet of
| |
| | pressure to drop your price, say for a
|
| marketing... or so the Search Engine
| |
| | special offer, why not try adding a free
|
| promotions "experts" would have you
| |
| | extra benefit instead? It's much more
|
| think. The holy grail for many is "being
| |
| | effective and more profitable! Instead of
|
| number one on the search engines", and
| |
| | knocking 10% off, offer 10% more!Another
|
| great though that is, your success or
| |
| | issue that you need to look carefully at,
|
| failure actually hangs on what happens
| |
| | especially on the Internet where
|
| when all that traffic gets to your web
| |
| | credibility is hard to achieve, is your
|
| site - it's got nothing at all to do with
| |
| | Market Positioning. Your prices say a lot
|
| being No1. In fact you can actually
| |
| | more about your company than you think.
|
| bankrupt your business by being No1. A
| |
| | Although people like to say they love a
|
| sudden flood of traffic can burst your
| |
| | bargain, every single one will make the
|
| bandwidth budget, have you running to
| |
| | assumption that cheap = nasty. If your
|
| Dell or HP or whoever for more servers,
| |
| | prices are too low, people will assume
|
| bring your web site to it's knees, and,
| |
| | there's a catch or you're cutting
|
| if all those visitors turn up and don't
| |
| | corners. If you want to position your
|
| find what they're looking for, you make
| |
| | business as the best in its class, then
|
| virtual enemies of thousands - even
| |
| | people will only feel good about you if
|
| millions - of potential customers. Once
| |
| | your prices are at the top end of the
|
| again, before you even think about Search
| |
| | range. Too low, and suddenly they lose
|
| Engines, you must go back to your
| |
| | faith in you because "something doesn't
|
| research and your strategy and start
| |
| | ring true". If your prices are
|
| again from there. Ask yourself: What is
| |
| | "unbelievable!", then so are you!10
|
| my ideal customer? What search engines do
| |
| | Tackle Fraud & Security
|
| they use? What key words do they use to
| |
| | Internet fraud is a big, big issue and
|
| find services/products like mine? What's
| |
| | you can't ignore it. Most online customer
|
| my USP? What magazines do they read? Are
| |
| | will admit to being extremely wary of
|
| there cheaper/better ways of reaching
| |
| | handing out credit card details online,
|
| them than via search engines? There are,
| |
| | especially to new web sites that they
|
| of course, certain low-cost/no-cost
| |
| | have never come across before. So, you
|
| golden rules that everyone should follow.
| |
| | need to have security and fraud policies
|
| Your web address and email address should
| |
| | in place and (here we go again about
|
| be printed on all your stationery. If you
| |
| | copy!) make sure you tell your customers
|
| send out catalogues, promote your web
| |
| | that you have these and you will take
|
| site in it. Add a promotional message
| |
| | great care of their personal
|
| (including a link to your web site) at
| |
| | information.At the very minimum you need:
|
| the bottom of all your emails (this is
| |
| | A secure server and SSL certificate for
|
| sometimes called a signature file or sig
| |
| | your order pages
|
| file). The key is to think about your
| |
| | A privacy policy that clearly informs
|
| promotion from your customer's
| |
| | your customers that you pass their
|
| perspective. If you do that, then, at
| |
| | details onto nobody and that you keep
|
| least as far as Search Engines are
| |
| | them safe.
|
| concerned, you can focus on relevance.
| |
| |
|
| Make sure that people who find your site
| |
| | One of the best solutions is to use a
|
| via search engines are actually looking
| |
| | Payment Service Provider (PSP) to process
|
| for what you have to offer and are ready
| |
| | your credit cards for you. The better
|
| to buy. You are relevant to them and they
| |
| | known and respected ones such as WorldPay
|
| are relevant to you. If my sales target
| |
| | are best, because the general public are
|
| in my strategy is to sell 100 units a
| |
| | aware of them and know that they have
|
| week, then all I really need is 100
| |
| | strong security measures in place. And
|
| buying customers from Search Engines. If
| |
| | from your own perspective, you gain some
|
| I use all the tricks in the book and haul
| |
| | protection against law suits and some
|
| a million visitors in who aren't even
| |
| | relief from the risk and responsibility
|
| vaguely interested in my widgets, I'm
| |
| | of looking after customers' valuable
|
| wasting their time and my money. To sum
| |
| | credit card information.
|
| up, you should:
| |
| |
|
