Continued from page 1
__3. Make
Ordering Process Clear and Simple.
The ordering process should be as easy as possible -- make it difficult, and your visitor can leave with a simple click-of-the-mouse!
* Clearly state price. It is very frustrating when only place to find price of product is on order page.
* Reassure visitor that your order form is secure. (if it's not, it should be!) Many people still worry about placing an order over Internet, so anything you can do to alleviate their worries can only help.
* Tell them what's going to happen after they order. Will they be able to download your product instantly? Will it be physically shipped to them, and in what time frame?
* Provide a clear ordering link. I've gone to websites before where I'm ready to buy -- only I can't figure out how to place my order! It only takes me a second to leave site and go to a competitor.
__4. Build Credibility and Trust.
Ordering online can be very impersonal. Your visitors don't know who they're dealing with, so it's your job to show them that you're a business that they can trust.
* Give your visitors a way to contact you. And when they do write or call you, answer them promptly, courteously, and helpfully.
* Consider a FAQ page (Frequenty Asked Questions). If there are common questions, for example, about shipping time, fees, package tracking and delivery, etc. then a page with answers to these questions will help to eliminate any uncertainty on your customer's part.
* Display testimonials from happy customers. This helps to show new visitors how good your product really is, and also helps to dispell any lingering doubts they may have.
__5. Touch Up Your Sales Copy.
This is most obvious and arguably most important part of your website. The best product in world won't sell unless you can successfully show your prospects how it will benefit them. Work particularly hard on your headlines -- they'll determine whether or not your prospect continues to read rest of your sales copy (one good tool for quickly generating effective headlines -- based on your answers to four questions -- is Headline Creator Pro: http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/hcp/ ). A good sales letter can make a significant difference to your bottom line.
A reasonable amount of traffic is obviously necessarily if a site is to make sales. However, you can still improve your profits, just by making better use of traffic you already have!
_________
Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical guide to building an Internet business on a shoestring budget. If you're tired of hype and just want solid, down-to-earth information, then click here now -- and in moments you can have access to loads of instantly useable tips, specifically chosen for beginners! http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html
