Website not selling? Twelve questions you should ask yourselfWritten 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 emphasizing benefits and results customer will get from purchasing and using it? Sales copy needs to be focused on benefits to end user, not on features of product. List features, and then translate them into benefits 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 throughout text, best first. Summarizing them with bullet points too also works great. 3)Does you text stimulate emotions? People buy with heart not head - so try and stimulate emotions - use words to paint a picture of life after they've bought your product " Imagine freedom of no more back pain..." or "...money worries could soon be a thing of past, and you could soon be taking those exotic vacations...". 4))Does headline grab and draw you in? You've got to try to stop them dead in their tracks with headline. Use 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 use 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 CompellingWritten 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, use 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 represent central offering on your web page, you are asking potential clients to immediately take a big leap and dive into your text. Why risk possibility of them not reading your important message? People browsing web are notoriously impatient. Capture their attention with a photo/graphic before they click off your site. Choose 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: Boost credibility of your service or product by using a professional color scheme. Using image you selected in step one, it's easy to go 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 browse web, start making mental notes about sites you enjoy visiting. I'm willing to bet it's ones that break up text with colored bullets, numbers and other signposts that mentally engage you most. I'll even go so far as to say that a website that does not use graphical signposts shows a disregard for needs of reader, intentionally or not.
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