One of the common questions asked by web site owners is: "I’m
getting plenty of hits but no sales – what is going on?"
This article will give you some tips on how to address this
issue.
Your Product
The first area to review is the product or service that you
are offering. Does a market exist for it? To answer this question
you need to find out whether similar products are being sold
on the Internet successfully. If not, you may need to rethink
your Internet strategy. If others are selling a similar product
successfully, then this would tend to confirm that there is
a market for your product.
Next, look at the strategy and pricing being adopted by your
competitors. How do you compare? Why should your visitors buy
from you rather than one of your competitors? Answering these
questions will provide you with valuable information you can
use to improve your situation and generate more sales.
Also, take a critical look at your product quality. Does it
live up to the claims you are making on your web pages? If not,
improve your product so that it does or modify your web page
to be more truthful about it.
Provide Solutions
Your visitors are looking for a solution to a problem. Do you
know what problems your visitors are looking for solutions to?
Does your web site show how your product will solve your visitor’s
problem? You will need to put yourself into your visitor’s
shoes to better understand what they are seeking so that you
can provide the solution they need.
One way to better understand your visitors is to monitor where
your visitors are coming from. If they are coming from the search
engines, knowing what search terms they are using can provide
some clues. You may find some surprises when you review this
information about your site. The tool I use to capture this
information is WebPosition Gold. More information can be found
at the URL: http://www.ksinclair.com/sengine.htm
Once you understand the problem your visitors want solved,
revise your web pages to show that your product will provide
the solution they need.
Site Design
Your site needs to look like it is a commercial web site rather
than an amateur home page. The design needs to be consistent
from page to page and it needs to be easy to navigate. Contact
details including physical address, phone numbers and email
address need to be shown.
Graphics need to be minimized to ensure that your page downloads
quickly. Also, ensure that your web host provides a fast connection
to the Internet. Most people will not wait for a page that takes
a long time to download. They will just move on to your competitor.
Make it easy to order. I recall seeing statistics recently
that suggested that a large number of people abandon a web site
in the middle of the order process. A common reason for this
is that the order process is too time consuming and complicated.
Make yours simple and quick and you will lose fewer sales.
Ensure that your web page has a strong headline that grabs
your visitors and makes them want to read more. Your headline
should in effect say "You have this problem, here is the
solution". Your web site should then demonstrate that you
understand the problem and that you can in fact provide the
solution.
Testimonials and Guarantees
Testimonials and guarantees can have a huge impact on your
level of sales. On the web, a key priority is to build credibility.
The common methods used are having a privacy statement, publishing
a newsletter, publishing testimonials from satisfied customers
and providing a strong guarantee.
Take every opportunity to gather comments from your customers
about how your product has helped them. Get their permission
to publish these comments as testimonials. If need be, provide
them with a gift for giving you their permission to publish
their comments. A way of getting comments is a customer feedback
survey. This can be used for the purpose of gaining testimonials
as well as seeking ways to improve your product or develop additional
products your customers may need.
A strong guarantee will provide your visitor with greater confidence
to purchase your product. Try to make your guarantee simple
and without too many conditions. Always honour your guarantee
without question or delay.
Conclusion
Getting plenty of hits to your web site is a very positive
situation to be in. By implementing some of the hints provided
in this article, you can convert these visitors into being your
customers.
