Website not selling? Twelve questions you should ask yourself

Written by David Bell


So your website is getting visitors, but not enough are buying. A common online problem, unfortunately. Here are twelve common faults found with websites that don't sell. If you answer no to any of them, you need to take action. 1)Does your text focus on emphasizingrepparttar benefits andrepparttar 108818 resultsrepparttar 108819 customer will get from purchasing and using it? Sales copy needs to be focused onrepparttar 108820 benefits torepparttar 108821 end user, not onrepparttar 108822 features ofrepparttar 108823 product. Listrepparttar 108824 features, and then translate them into benefitsrepparttar 108825 customer will get. Move away from "our Widget does this, this and this.." to "You will soon be doing this .." 2)Does your website convey enough strong benefits? Brainstorm to come up with a list of benefits. Rank them in order of importance. Then mention them in order throughoutrepparttar 108826 text, best first. Summarizing them with bullet points too also works great. 3)Does you text stimulaterepparttar 108827 emotions? People buy withrepparttar 108828 heart notrepparttar 108829 head - so try and stimulate emotions - use words to paint a picture of life after they've bought your product " Imaginerepparttar 108830 freedom of no more back pain..." or "...money worries could soon be a thing ofrepparttar 108831 past, and you could soon be taking those exotic vacations...". 4))Doesrepparttar 108832 headline grab and draw you in? You've got to try to stop them dead in their tracks withrepparttar 108833 headline. Userepparttar 108834 best benefit of your product, and create interest so they read on. Make it hard hitting, but not unbelievable. 5)Do you have a call to action? People put off decisions, even if they're 90% sold on your product, they may still decide to "sleep on it". Don't let them have time to forget - give them an incentive to purchase now - discounts, bonuses etc. 6)Does your website load and function ok? Slow load times may cause people to get impatient and go elsewhere, even though it registers a visit. Do all links work, and more importantly, have you tested your order page by running dummy orders? 7)Do you have any testimonials from satisfied customers?

Testimonials are everywhere online, and people expect them as a matter of course. Ask those who have purchased what they thought -email them a simple customer satisfaction survey, offer a freebie for replying and userepparttar 108835 best comments. If your product is free,try a testimonial swap with a seller of a complementary (but not directly competing) product -offer to review his product if he reviews yours.

Making your Websites More Compelling

Written by Andrea J. Lee


The Internet is a remarkable publishing medium. With just a little effort, you can make your web pages visually irresistible by playing with color, shapes and text. Whether your websites are already launched or you're ready to create your first few, userepparttar 3 simple steps below to kick things up a notch and make your sites professional and appealing.

Step 1: Grab People's Attention with a Photo or Graphic.

Without a logo or visual image to representrepparttar 108817 central offering on your web page, you are asking potential clients to immediately take a big leap and dive into your text. Why riskrepparttar 108818 possibility of them not reading your important message? People browsingrepparttar 108819 web are notoriously impatient. Capture their attention with a photo/graphic before they click off your site.

Chooserepparttar 108820 perfect image from Photodisc, ClipArt or Corbis for as little as $9 to $90 per image. Human beings are visual creatures. Consider your favorite magazine for a moment. Would it still be your favorite if it used only text on its cover this month?

Step 2: Boostrepparttar 108821 credibility of your service or product by using a professional color scheme.

Usingrepparttar 108822 image you selected in step one, it's easy to gorepparttar 108823 next step and pull together a professional looking color scheme. ColorSchemer is a small, inexpensive software (US$25) that helps you choose a color scheme that's eye-catching and unexpected, even if you're color-challenged. When picking colors, don't be afraid to let your personality show through. Check out http://www.colorschemer.com/.

Step 3: Use graphical "signposts" throughout your material to help readers absorb your message.

As you browserepparttar 108824 web, start making mental notes about sites you enjoy visiting. I'm willing to bet it'srepparttar 108825 ones that break up text with colored bullets, numbers and other signposts that mentally engage yourepparttar 108826 most. I'll even go so far as to say that a website that does not use graphical signposts shows a disregard forrepparttar 108827 needs ofrepparttar 108828 reader, intentionally or not.

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