If they are well tuned, websites are the greatest tools to market services and merchandise on the Internet. A great looking website may catch the eye at first glance, but may lack fundamental traits to close the final deal. These sites lack vital marketing elements, some of which will be explained below.
Present your product properly The disadvantage of selling online is that customers can not touch, smell or taste your products, as they could in a real store. For that, you will have to compensate. Illustrate your merchandise with detailed pictures, sounds and fast-downloadable video clips, even those products and services hard to capture by image. If people don't get a taste of what they can expect, they will not buy.
Avoid Choice Paralysis Regardless if in real life or on the Internet, when the number of choices exceeds a reasonable limit, people start to hesitate. They get confused, no longer can make up their mind, and become paralyzed. Overwhelmed, they may end up walking away. Sounds familiar?
Instead of bombarding customers with all your products at once, be selective and neatly organize your merchandise. Explain the item's greatest assets and maybe even offer suggestions. Being able to conveniently review this information may help customers make up their mind, and offer you yet another sale.
Offer trial versions The best way to get a customer hooked on your product or service is by giving them a taste. Let them type in data to familiarize themselves with a program, or allow them to read part of an e-book. Demo versions of products are also good sales tools. Once they get involved and feel comfortable with the product they are more likely to buy. Of course, that is if they are satisfied. If they are not, it would be worth wile revising your merchandise selection or upgrading your product choice.
Some online merchants also use "Freemium" as bait. Freemium is a marketing tool which is based on offering basic services for free, but where a premium is charged for advanced or special features.
Subliminal messages Subliminal messaging is a way to communicate without actually being upfront about it. This is a high tech and high touch web design technique. It is a way to announce an idea or product by using the power of the subconscious mind, which will pick up messages, even if they are hidden or unclear to the human eye. Subliminal messages can influence thoughts, behavior and actions, and can be embedded in any website picture, video, or noise. In other words, with the right, meaningful illustrations you can actually manipulate a visitor to buy your products. So, if you are in real estate, offer images of happy families in front of beautiful homes.
The AIDA principle AIDA, an acronym used in marketing, stands for "Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action" • A - Attention: grab the attention of the customer. • I - Interest: raise the customer's interest by demonstrating advantages and benefits of the product (benefits sell products, not their features). • D - Desire: convince customers that they truly desire and want the service or product you are offering. It is what they always wanted and it will totally satisfy their needs. • A - Action: motivate customers to taking action and buy your products (e.g., limited-time offer, limited supply) The first thing customers see has to grab their attention. Reinforce call-to-action triggers, such as 'sign up here' and 'order or call now,' and make them stand out, without interrupting the flow of the page.
Be the guide Building a successful website is like organizing a guided tour. You have to grab your customer by the hand, and as with the AIDA principle, show them how they can get from the home page to the check-out.
Using eye catching images and icons can help your customers find their way. Wouldn't you be curious to find out where a big pointing arrow leads to? Just don't overdo it. Too many 'pointers' may turn out to be confusing, rather than point in the right direction.
Provide easy-to-find follow-up actions Whether you are providing a service, selling software applications or mountain bikes, always make it easy for your customers to find out where they have to go next. "Click for details," "Buy now" or "Sign up" are ideal starter links, but are not enough. Keep the flow going and check that every page your customers visit has easy to find signage that will direct them towards the next step in the purchasing process. Don't assume that because you are an online wizard, everyone else is too.
