How are your website sales? Even in today’s difficult economy, consumers are still shopping and looking for ways to simplify their lives. Are you cashing in? Here are twenty ways you can make more sales.
1. Have a solid guarantee. People are more likely to invest in your product or service if there’s a guarantee that it will work. Web hosts offer 30 day money back guarantees to allow users to test services for themselves.
2. Be approachable. If you’re a small one-man show, include your picture and a bio so that buyers can see you’re a real person. Let them get to know you. Larger companies should include an “about us” section that gives shopper an inside look at your business.
3. Offer a free trial. People love free. Can you offer a free trial?
4. Create clean ad copy. Avoid writing long, overly descriptive paragraphs of text. They won’t get read. Make your ad copy sell itself. Keep it short and concise.
5. Solve a problem. Consumers are more likely to purchase from you if you can solve a problem for them. If you sell domain names, you should be telling customers how buying a domain name can fix their money problems. Explain how simple it is to start a website and begin making money with very little investment.
6. Secure your shopping cart. Online shoppers are smart and will not buy from websites that don’t offer asecurity, no matter how amazing your product is.
7. Use quality photos. Images on your site should be so impressive that your product or service sells itself.
8. Be available. List your phone number, address, email address and a contact form so that buyers can reach you.
9. Demonstrate what a good deal you’re offering. Let readers know that they’re getting a great deal in as many ways as possible.
10. Follow up on leads. When a potential customer contacts you, follow up immediately by answering their questions and showing them that they can trust you. Customer service can make or break your business faster than anything else.
11. Use endorsements. Have others bought your products and written to thank you? Post their letters and pictures on your website.
12. Offer limited time sales. People are more likely to buy if a good deal has an end date.
13. Use the news. If news stories are focused on the economy and everyone is worried about money, show buyers how your product will ease their money woes and make their life better.
14. Use good headlines. “Good web hosting” won’t sell many web hosting packages, but “The lowest web hosting prices in the industry” will.
15. Keep it simple. A ten year old should be able to read and understand your ad copy. Are you using words that are too technical or complex for the average reader?
16. Offer payment plans. Web hosts began offering monthly payment plans because $4.99/month sounds cheaper than $59.88/year. Can you do the same?
17. Listen to consumers. Tune in to Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites and listen to what people are complaining about. Use these voices to write ad copy around common concerns.
18. Check your links. Make sure all your website links are working as they should, especially your shopping cart.
19. Offer multiple payment options. Not everyone has a credit card. Offer as many payment options as you can, including money orders, PayPal, credit and debit cards and virtual credit cards.
20. Give a bonus. Web hosting companies don’t just sell web hosting; many also give out free domain names with the purchase of a plan. Why? People love to save money.
How will you improve your website sales?