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Slow
Sales? Here's Why...
by Jim Daniels
Every day I hear from business
owners who are less than satisfied with their sales online. And
after a ten minute trip to their website I can usually put my finger
on exactly why.
No, I'm not some wizard or web sales genius. I have no crystal ball.
But I've been around the block a few times (since 1996 to be exact)
and I've sold more than a million dollars worth of products and
services right here from my home computer.
Yet what's sometimes strange to me is that I often find my
experience and track record rarely coming into play on those ten
minute visits. The reason for slow sales at most websites usually
comes down to good old fashioned common sense. Well, at least it's
common sense to me, as well as the "reluctant-to-buy"
visitors to the problem site. But it's far from common sense to the
owner of the site.
So today I'd like to share my common sense "formula" with
you. The formula really equates to "simple reasons" I've
uncovered, that explain why a website experiences poor sales. And
you can plug this formula into ANY website, yours or a clients site,
and figure out why it's failing to meet expectations.
OK, here we go. Show me a site with slow sales and I guarantee that
at least one of the following situations exists...
1. The website APPEARANCE is sub-par.
Sure, some sites get away with a less than perfect appearance. But
that's because they make up for this shortcoming with strong sales
literature and extremely targeted traffic. But the fact is, MOST
sites that have slower than expected sales can stop right here with
this first reason. Too many sites simply lack that professional look
that gives visitors the feeling they are at a website they 'may' be
able to trust. ( I write 'may' because that's all a website has to
do with a first impression -- impress.)
When an uncomfortable feeling sets in immediately, because of poor
design, it is a quick click of the back button and they're off to
another site. It's really sad too, because there are thousands of
great website templates available on the web. These webmasters could
buy a template for less than seventy-five bucks, and instantly cure
their ills. (Note: I used a sixty dollar template to design this
page you are reading right now.) Unfortunately, too many webmasters
fall in love with their own design work, no matter how little
experience they had going in.
2. The sales PROCESS is confusing.
Of the small percentage of websites that get past that first hurdle
above, a large number of them miss the boat here. In fact, if a
website does not explain exactly how it can help a visitor within
the first ten seconds or so, it will lose many of its hard-earned
visitors. So why risk it? Make it clear to your potential clients
that you have the solution they are looking for. It's the only way
you'll get them to stay.
3. The sales LITERATURE is sub-par.
OK, I just hit on a great site with a clear message. This site may
be the one I've been looking for. But before I reach for my credit
card, I want the details. I want to know all the benefits I'll get
by spending my valuable time at the site and maybe buying what they
are offering.
But the sales literature I encounter looks like a rough draft! No,
I'm not just talking about grammatical errors and typos (though I'm
still shocked when I see repeated instances of these at a site), I'm
referring to a weak pitch. Sales literature that does not excite,
motivate, and instill confidence is destined to fail. It also must
be clear, concise and captivating. And a heavy dose of credibility,
expertise and security goes a long way too.
Sound like a tall order? You bet it is. That's why sub-par sales
literature is a vicious saboteur of online sales. So unless you have
some experience writing proven sales letters, hire an expert or take
an online course. It's money well spent.
4. The purchase itself is difficult or unsettling.
Do you offer only PayPal purchases? Then believe it or not, many
potential clients may abandon their purchase. Nothing against
PayPal, but many customers prefer NOT to deal with extra hassles
such as signing up for a service, in order to make a purchase. So
offering ONLY PayPal could be a mistake.
And believe it or not, "shopping carts" can be detrimental
to your sales too. Unless you're selling lots of products you may
want to stay away from a full-blown shopping cart, unless it is VERY
easy to use. Instead, a streamlined ordering process such as a
single secure order form will work best. And that's based on my own
experiences. Believe it or not, many newbies have lots of trouble
with anything BUT a simple order form and they will abandon the
ordering process when encountering difficulty. That's why you MUST
make it easy for them!
It's also a good idea to put their mind at easy by clearly
explaining that your ordering process is safe and secure, and that
you value their privacy and will not share their data with any other
persons or companies.
5. Product or service offer does not reach perceived value.
If a site passes all the tests above and STILL has problems making
sales, THEN I start looking at the product or service itself. Is it
filling a niche? Is it priced right? (Testing different price points
is ALWAYS recommended, especially on the web.) Not every product or
service is an easy sell on the web. But if there is a need and a
niche, you should be able to fill it with all the right ingredients
above.
Finally, if a website gets by all five previous points and STILL
fails to make sales, the reason usually comes down to "poor
traffic"...
6. Poor traffic means either a website's traffic is too LITTLE, or
too UNTARGETED.
I could write for hours on this subject. For instance, I've had
webmasters tell me their traffic is extremely targeted yet NO sales.
Then after a bit of prodding they'll admit that they made that
statement because the site where they purchased their last 10,000
guaranteed visitors told them they would all be from related sites.
What they failed to realize was that most "guaranteed
visitor" deals, such as "10,000 visitors for a hundred
bucks" means that the visitors are forced in via a popup ad.
Forced traffic is NOT targeted traffic.
Targeted traffic means having a visitor voluntarily clicking to your
site. It is traffic that comes to your site actively looking
(whether searching the web or clicking an email link or via any
other REAL click method) for a solution or answer. When that
happens, you have pre-qualified them and you may have a sale on your
hands. (If you make it through all the previous requirements we
spoke of above.)
Again, I could go on and on about targeted traffic and how to grow
it. But I won't. I'll just say this... The key is to always evaluate
your traffic. Know the exact results of every advertising dollar you
spend. That is the only way you can continually tweak your marketing
so that it includes an ever-growing percentage of EFFECTIVE
strategies.
And if you would like to get a jump on which online marketing
strategies work well and which do NOT, grab my latest book,
"Make A Living Online!" It comes with two years access to
my private site and unlimited consultations. You'll find it at page
5 of my make-a-living-online.com site.
Author:
Jim Daniels
bizweb2000.com -
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