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