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Are you struggling to attract new
clients or feel you aren't getting enough referrals?
Are you tired of going from "feast to famine" and want to make
money more consistently?
Are you great at what you do,
but cringe
when it comes to marketing?
Do you wish you didn't have to chase new clients but rather
have them call you instead?
?
There is a solution!
Give me a call at 281-404-5019
and let's set up a "get acquainted"
meeting to
discuss your challenges!
"I help you attract lots of new business
by using an easy step-by-step process!"
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"Website Savvy: 10
Key Steps to Turn Your Customers ON!"
“How to turn “slightly interested” customers into “I’ve got to
have it!” customers!”
I am truly amazed as to the lack of information websites contain.
You would think that a business would realize that a potential
customer would at least like to know how to contact the customer
service department. But, you’d be astonished at how many times I’ve
actually come across NO information on the business except “place
your order here”. That truly leaves the customer with a feeling
of abandonment. Since I visit so many websites throughout the year,
I wanted to list some of the top 10 things I look for when making
the decision whether to purchase or not.
Number 1: Include some type of contact info.
You need to make sure the customer has some type of information to
contact you after the sale. If you happen to work out of your home,
think about getting a post office box or a mail station. I realize
that still doesn’t tell the customer your physical address, but it’s
always nice to know the city, state, or even country of the company
involved. And by all means, add a phone number to this list.
Number 2: Update your website often.
If you list your copyright or other dated information, make sure it
is changed on a regular basis and includes the current year. Nothing
is more frightening than to purchase from a website selling e-books
or software that is older than a few years old. It always makes me
think I’m getting old information that was written for a different
set of problems. Now I know that copyrights should have the year
they were developed, but list the year it was established plus the
current year. For example, list your copyright like this - © 2000 –
2008. Customers won’t enter their personal information
(especially credit cards) on a site that looks like it’s been
abandoned. So, take a long look at your site and see if something
needs to be freshened and brought up to date and then do it.
Number 3: Make your benefits clear.
Most companies will list the product or service features, but that
doesn’t tell a potential customer how this will help solve their
problem. The best sites I’ve visited, not only list the features,
but have a separate list detailing the benefits for each. It’s easy
to say you’re the best in your field and you’re the only ones that
do “this” – whatever your “this” is, but go a step
further and tell the customer what that means to them. In other
words, what’s in it for them? If you have trouble defining your
benefits, ask the one person that would know best – your customers!
If they are happy with your products or services, they will be able
to tell you what problem it overcomes and the benefit they receive.
Besides, what better way to find out how you’re doing in servicing
their needs?
Number 4: Watch for broken links.
How many times have you tried to click on a link and it goes
nowhere? It’s sometimes hard to believe that when we develop our
websites and include working links, in a short period of time the
links become broken. Why would this happen? Well, if other sites are
like ours, they are always changing the information included on the
site. In other words, the page link you have listed on your website
might get renamed without the benefit of a redirect link attached.
Then if your customer clicks on that link, they will be left to
wonder just how old this information might be. The best way to stay
on top of this is to check your links often and ask the visitors of
your site to report back to you if they find a broken link.
Number 5: Make it easy to purchase.
If you’re doing business on the internet, you’ll need to have some
way for your customers to pay. The best way is to accept credit
cards. If you don’t have a merchant account already, the easiest
way to get set up immediately is through services like Pay Pal,
Clink Bank, and 2Checkout. But, you still need to add other
convenient ways to shop for those that prefer not to purchase
online. Make sure you list a mailing address, a phone number, or
even a fax number they can send their payments. You’d be surprised
at the number of individuals and companies that would prefer to send
their payment (even if it’s a credit card purchase), rather
than send their personal information over the internet.
Number 6: Don’t use pushy sales talk.
You’d be surprised at how many times I’m shopping on the internet
that I find people using the old tactic “buy right this minute or
you’ll never see this price again”. I know that’s now going to
make me buy immediately, in fact, it will probably cost that company
my business.
I don’t like to feel “bullied” into buying anything. Now
that’s not to say that you shouldn’t run a sale occasionally. But,
if you do, list the time period of the sale for everyone to see.
Just make sure you don’t tell every customer that visits that they
must purchase now (today), because most customers will price
shop and compare products before they purchase.
Number 7: List your guarantee.
Everyone wants to feel that if a service or product they’ve
purchased is not up to the standards or expectations they thought,
that the company will take care of them. And because of that, you
should always list a guarantee. It doesn’t have to be a lifetime
warranty, but it should be a reasonable amount of time or a
reasonable procedure to follow in order to return an item. And
better yet, if you have the type of service or product that you
could allow a limited amount of time for a “test drive”, it
will decrease the apprehension some people have about doing business
with someone they don’t know.
Number 8: Include your privacy policy.
This is one of my big pet peeves. I want to know how my personal
information or email is going to be used. I always read the privacy
policy before entering any of my information. If I feel like my
privacy is not going to be protected, then I move on to the next
company. So make sure you list yours and make it easy to obtain.
Number 9: Include a terms and conditions.
This is also a way to convey to your customers and potential
customers how your company does business. This is the place to list
exactly how you do business and in what conditions you will offer a
refund or replacement. You have to take into account that the
majority of your customers or not looking for something for nothing.
Now I will admit there will always be a small percentage of your
customers that will try to take advantage of you, but you’ll find
most customers just want to be treated fair and know you’ll take
care of them.
Number 10: Explain all the steps in making the purchase.
After they’ve purchased, do you tell them what the next step will
be? Will they be able to download their purchase? If so, how long
before they’ll know where to log in? Or, if you ship your product or
service, when can they expect delivery? These are just a few of the
things you should let them know as soon as they purchase. Nothing
can be more frustrating than to make a purchase and then have to
call the company a week later wondering where your order is. Make
sure you explain each step and show them what great customer service
you provide right from the beginning.
That’s my favorite list of how I like to do business online and I
hope these 10 key steps will help you as you develop your company
online. Just remember, treat your customers with the same great care
you like offered to you and they’ll keep coming back for more.
Website Savvy: 10 Key Steps to Turn Your
Customers ON!
by – Carmen Wisenbaker.
Carmen has been in the publishing industry for more than 29 years.
She is an author, speaker, and marketing specialist with
Penworth Publishing | Penworth & Associates (www.penworth.com)
© 2008 Carmen Wisenbaker
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