subject: Top 7 Tips For A Web Site That Sells [print this page] To operate a Web site that sells online, one needs to incorporate some savvy marketing methods. These seven tips are proven techniques which help you get sales on the Web. You will find that most successful sales Web sites all share these components. It is important to pay attention to each tip. Examine your own Web site, and see where it may need improving.
1. Avoid over usage of graphics/flash content. People who are interested in buying are not impressed by pages that take too long to load, then deliver little more than flashy visuals. Do incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) so that each page is targeted for specific keywords. It is a good practice to research keywords before using them, as some are highly competitive, and may prove to be of not much use.
2. Do not use a "Welcome To Our Site," headline. It comes off as cheesy, and serves to promote the seller instead of the product. People expect their search keywords to deliver highly relevant results. They do not like to find pages containing useless "fluff."
3. Do provide valuable information, which is clear and concise concerning the product or services offered. People enjoy finding sites which are engaging, and specifically on-target to what they were looking for. Visitors will see you as the expert, and it will serve to boost the buyers confidence.
4. Avoid having too many hyperlinks on your Sales or Landing Pages that are designed to sell. Having too many links on a Sales Page, simply gives readers too many choices. It distracts them from the Sales message. It also may confuse the reader enough to hit the back button.
5. When promoting a product, list the benefits the product can provide instead of the "features."
Features do not sell - direct benefits do. Instead, translate each feature into a specific benefit, and then list these benefits. People want to know how the product/services can help them. Show people the specific benefits to be gained by buying the product or services. Using short sub-heads, and bullet lists is also a good idea, because people love to scan content. 6. It is a best practice to give customers a 100% satisfaction guarantee for products and services. If people get the idea that after they buy they cannot get their money back, they will not drop a dime.
7. If your site offers a service instead of a product, have pictures or a video of the service provider. Also, be sure to have videos of the person or persons who provide a service. People like to know that there is a real person behind the services being offered. When you provide services, it is best to have more than one Web site that has pictures of the provider.
Some personal work history of the person providing the service, is also a great idea. Websites that are effective in selling products or services, all contain the above mentioned elements. Some of the suggestions above are things which should be avoided at all cost. Using these pointers to evaluate your own Web site, or to build a new one, will result in a Web site which is popular, and makes sales.
