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Throughout my research, I'm always surprised when I
stumble onto websites that seem to offer great products and services
but lack or fail in certain important elements -- elements that, with
just a few short changes, can help multiply the results almost
instantaneously. Generally, I have found that there are seven
common mistakes that these sites make.
1) They Target the Wrong Audience
Often, this is the number one
cause of online business failure. Traffic has been long touted to be
the key to online success, but that's not true. If your site is not
pulling sales, inquiries, or results, then why would it need more
traffic? The key is to turn curious browsers into serious buyers.
Target your market by centering on a major theme, benefit, or outcome
so that, when you generate pre-qualified traffic, your hit
ratio (not your hits) will increase dramatically.
2) They Take a Long Time to
Load
Unlike the TV or radio,
computers as well as the Internet are still in their infancy. Earlier,
less capable browsers and slower modems are still the norm. If your
site includes Javascript, frames, plug-ins, and dazzling
memory-intensive graphics in an effort to impress, it will work
against you. Many potential sales are lost due to a slow-loading,
unbrowsable web site.
According to an article published in "Home
Business Magazine," research by an on-hold phone message
marketing company found that people start hanging up when put on hold
for more than 30 seconds. The Internet is no different. If they have
to wait for more than 30 seconds for your page to load, visitors will
leave. In short, if they have to wait, they won't.
3) They do Not compel Others to Act
While some sites are
well-designed and provide great content, their offer may be stale.
They do not offer compelling enough reasons for people to buy or at
least come forward. Visitors are often left clueless when looking for
the answer to that burning question: "Why?"
In other words, why should they buy? Why should they buy that
particular product? Why should they buy that product from that
particular site? And more important, why should they buy now? Not
answering that simple question "why" will deter clients and impede
sales. What makes your product so unique, so different, and so
special? What's your competitive edge? What's in it for your customers
(what are the benefits) that they can't get anywhere else?
4) They Lack Scarcity
Jim Rohn once said that,
"Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value." People fear
making bad decisions. And with scams and snake oils being more rampant
on the Internet, they do so even more when shopping online.
Consequently, they tend to procrastinate and do so even when they're
interested. While some sites offer great products and services, they
do not effectively communicate a sense of urgency that compels
visitors to act.
Use takeaway selling in order to stop people from procrastinating and
get them to take action now. In other words, shape your offer -- and
not just your product or service -- so that it is time-sensitive or
quantity-bound. More important, give a reasonably logical explanation
to justify your time-sensitivity or else your sales tactic will be
instantly discredited.
5) They Lack Guarantees and Testimonials
Speaking of the fear of making
bad decisions, today's consumers are increasingly leery when
contemplating offers on the Internet. While many
professionally-looking web sites may have an ethical sales approach
and offer proven products or services, the lack of a guarantee will
still, particularly on the Internet, cause most visitors in the very
least to question your offer.
Guarantees and testimonials help to reduce the skepticism around the
purchase of your product or service and give almost instant
credibility. So, help remove the risk from the buyer's mind and you
will thus increase sales -- and, paradoxically, reduce returns as
well.
6) They Provide Poor Copy
In cold cyberspace, the lack of
human interaction takes away the emotional element in the selling
process. A site must communicate that emotion that so empowers people
to buy. However, many sites fail to answer a person's most important
question: "What's in it for me?" It should cause a person to think:
"Wow! This is something I can't pass up! Where do I sign up?" A site's
sales copy must be effective enough to make its offer irresistibly
compelling.
Some sites get so engrossed in
describing companies, products, features, or advantages over
competitors that they fail to appeal to the visitor specifically. On
the other hand, bullets are captivating, pleasing to the eye,
clustered for greater impact, and deliver important benefits. They
usually follow the words "you get" or "reasons why," such as "With
this product, you get." Therefore, tell the visitor what they are
getting out of responding to your offer.
7) Finally, They Lack a Clear Call to Action
Answer this million-dollar,
skill-testing question: "What exactly do you want your visitors to
do?" Simple, isn't it? But it doesn't seem that way with the many
sites I've visited. The KISS principle (keep it simple and
straightforward) is immensely important on the 'Net. An effective web
site starts with a clear objective that will lead to a specific action
or outcome.
If your site is not meant to, say, sell a product, gain a customer, or
obtain an inquiry for more information, then what exactly must it do?
Work around the answer as specifically as possible. The mind hates
confusion. If you try to get your visitors to do too many things, they
will do nothing. Keep your message focused or you will overwhelm the
reader. Use one major theme. And most important, provide clear
instructions on where and how to order.
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