Proven Sales Strategies
No website will ever reach its peak potential. First there was meta search engines, then link building and robot files. This lost ground Content Management Systems, then social networking, which is currently evolving into WEB3.0.
This continual ecommerce software evolution has eliminated the magic formulas that once ruled the business world. Shopping carts need to continually evolve, tweak their performance, and restructure their customer service platform.
Headlines
Headlines do double duty in today’s ecommerce world. First, with the death of the last meta search engine, and the limits search engines put on keyword density, the headlines became the only way to attract search engines and control Pay-Per-Click ad placement.
Second, headlines grab a reader's attention and pulling them into the web site. Most websites do not have a headline. They have a company name, an alphanumeric logo, or acronym, that carries no branding value of impact.
The headings and sub headings should include keyword phrases designed to hook the reader and keep them on the web page as long as possible. People are motivated by three things: entertainment, problem solving, and lifestyle improvement. The best headlines focus on one of these and offer value to the customer.
Third, headlines can be the cheapest, product oriented, keyword research tool. A web page that outperforms another by 100 percent or more, or becomes a landing page for the website, can reveal the perfect keyword phrase forthe marketing campaign.
Good Headline: Double Your Productivity In Ten Steps
Poor Headline: How to Get More Done in Less Time
Payment Plan
Ever since the payment plan’s inception after WWI consumers have been in love with the ‘buy now – pay later’ mindset. Most high-ticket products are sold on a payment plan, either through the company or through the bank. Ecommerce businesses that sell products for more than $100 should break the price into smaller parts.
Expensive products should be sold on a contract. This gives the ecommerce business the right to send the account to collections. They may only receive pennies on the dollar, but they also receive a tax break. Interest will often balance the difference between accounts receivable and bad debts.
Guarantee Period
Today’s consumers are jaded. People do not trust promises, consider most testimonials fake, and mistrust media coverage. To reduce the risk-factor, most companies offer a refund or money-back guarantee. The longer the guarantee rate, the lower the refunds.
The important thing to remember is that some people will return damaged goods. A guarantee should have some conditions designed to protect the company.
Audio and Streaming
Audio and Visual web tools have come a long way. With the evolution of WEB3.0, the database platform running the Internet is able to offer audio and video without slowing down page loads and reduce bandwidth.
These tools shouldn’t be used to give a sales message, or tell the customer how great the company owner did. They should offer ‘how to’ instructions for maximizing performance, solving problems, and educating potential customers.
Ask For The Sale
The rules of sales do not change. Whether a salesperson is sitting in a customer’s living room, standing in a show room, or on a website, telling customers to enter their name and email address in a form is one of the most effective methods of encouraging people to make a ‘buy now’ decision.
Feedback
The internet goes both ways. The website can give people information, but many consumers have valuable information to share. Increasing the opportunity for customers to leave a review, participate in a forum, or submit an article will increase customer’s loyalty to the company.
Follow Up
The average online businesses has no follow-up with existing customers. Follow up with customers once a month will increase "back-end" sales. Do not offer a newsletter or e-book. Instead, try a live chat, a forum workshop, online survey or an email bonus.
Blog
Corporate ‘transparency’ is the new buzz word. In fact, several international corporations averted bankruptcy by being honest in their company blog. These newsletters can include subscriptions through RSS feeds, eliminating the need for a newsletter, and lets current customers leave feedback and feel like they participate in the daily life of the internet.
