Webmaster Papers




Google
 
Web webhostingpapers.com




/pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">

7 Killer Ways To Increase Your Online Sales


Every online entrepreneur I talk to is asking the same question, "How do I increase my online sales, NOW?"

Online selling is essentially a numbers game. The more visitors to a site, the more sales that site will make. The number of sales made divided by the total number of visitors to a site is called the conversion rate. A typical site will have a conversion rate of between 1 and 2 percent, or 1 to 2 sales per 100 visitors.

It is obvious that if the number of visitors increases, and the conversion rate remains the same, then sales will increase. Traffic is the first variable that most online marketers attempt to influence when they begin their online marketing campaigns.

There are two basic problems with the increase traffic method. The first is that it is expensive to run advertising and improve a site's ranking in the search engines. The second, and subtler issue is that there is no guarantee that the conversion rate will remain constant.

So what about increasing the conversion rate? Using the example above, if the number of buyers could be increased from 1 or 2 per hundred visitors to 2 to 4, sales will have doubled! So what can be done to increase a web site's conversion rate? Below I list 7 techniques designed to accomplish this goal:

  • Provide plenty of testimonials

    These testimonials should be from previous customers and should include specifics as to how the product or service helped them solve a problem.

    Obtaining testimonials is no problem, just ask. People love to be asked what they think; most will be willing to share their thoughts on your product or service. Implement a process of following up with your customers with a questionnaire. Leave plenty of room for their comments and make it clear that their comments may be used in your advertising.

  • Improve your follow up

    Many people will not buy the first time they see your product. In fact, some experts claim that people must see your message seven times before they are ready to buy. Autoresponder courses are a great way to follow up with the potential customer. There are many free autoresponder services on the web. I use FreeAutoBot.com.

  • Give away free samples

    By letting your customers try before they buy, you can significantly increase your sales. If you sell an information product, provide a few paragraphs or even the first chapter by autoresponder. This technique also helps to improve follow up by guaranteeing you obtain contact information.

  • Give a bonus product

    Everyone likes to get something for nothing, especially if that something is perceived as valuable. E-books make a great bonus, especially if they contain original content. If you are unable to create your own e-book, you could give away someone else's. Free-eBooks.net is a good resource for finding E-books to give away.

  • Focus the web site

    Use the Direct Response Site model. A direct response site is one where the customer's choices are very limited. Essentially they can buy the product, bookmark the page, subscribe to your ezine, or leave the site. The more options a visitor has, the less likely they are to make a purchase.

  • Follow on sales are crucial

    It is well known that successful businesses make 75% of their sales to repeat customers. Start a free ezine and get your customers to subscribe. Get their permission to send them information on upgrades and new products. On their receipt, mention a product that compliments their purchase. Don't have a product to offer for follow on sales? Find and join an affiliate program offering products of interest to your target market.

  • Change the web site copy

    Appeal to target emotion rather than reason. People respond more intensely to emotional appeals than to intellectual discussion. Design your copy to focus on the visitor's dreams, desires, fears or goals. Position your product to appeal to their emotional needs.

    Implement these seven tips, and watch your online sales increase.

    About The Author

    Copyright 2002 Tony L. Callahan, All Rights Reserved Tony L. Callahan is president of his own Internet marketing company, Link-Promote.com. He also publishes Web-Links Monthly, a newsletter full of tips, tricks, tools and techniques for successful web site promotions. http://www.link-promote.com/wlmonth/subscribe/index.html.

    RELATED ARTICLES


    Is Your Web Site Talking to Your Customer?
    A while ago one of my clients approached me and mentioned that they were experiencing a serious problem with customer registrations (obtaining customer names and e-mail addresses), on their web site. They still had a lot of traffic, but were finding that the ratio between traffic and registrations had been dropping steadily.
    Link Trades That Waste Your Time
    Never has competition been so difficult in the Internet world. Google and Yahoo keep indexing more and more pages, into the millions upon millions, and yet more and more people are creating super quickie links pages that are supposed to get other webmasters to want to trade links with them.
    6 Steps To Your Own Website
    A lot of people these days are interested in getting their own place on the world wide web. Whether it�s a personal site like a blog, or a business site, they all need to have a decent plan before they get started.
    How to Create Sizzling Sales online
    "Don't Sell the Steak, Sell the Sizzle."
    Web Coach Tip: What You Should Know About DIY Web Sites
    Recently, a friend asked "What's the deal with those DIY companies that advertise "How to get a website with everything your business needs for under $20 bucks a month?". "How can they do that?" she said.
    WYSIWYG Versus Coding: HTML With A Purpose
    After years of working with entrepreneurs who developed their first web site using an image-based editor, the new world of internet marketing has placed a stronger emphasis on web development that conforms to technical concerns such as search engine optimization and multi-browser compatibility.
    Streamline your Business Website with a Content Management System
    I talk with so many people who have small businesses and would like to have a web presence but don't know the first thing about how to even get started. Some of the reasons I hear are:
    Cost Effective and Powerful Dynamic Websites w. Fantastico Web Hosting
    If you are developing your website on a host that charges less that $5 a month, make plenty of backups as you are likely to loose your website files when the webhost goes out of business without notice. Indeed, be extremely wary of any such host. Once your website is attracting getting visitors, get your website hosted with host that does not foolishly try to over sell his server resources. And, expect to pay at least $15 a month or more for the added security and reliability of such a host.
    The Number One Reason Most Websites Fail
    Failure, just like success, is measured differently by each and every one of us. What one man treats as success another may view as failure. For the purposes of this article a website that fails is one that fails to attract and convert enough targeted visitors into paying customers. Yeah - positive feedback from your website visitors is great but let's face it - we're all in this ultimately to make more money.
    Why You Really Need Your Own Web Page In-order To Make Online Business!
    How many Web Sites did you stumble over telling you that you don't actually need your own? Now, this is true to a certain extend but not if you are heading for the real scoop.
    3 Rules of Website Designing and Layout
    Now that you have got your domain name registered, your next worry is about designing a website or getting it designed, depending on your budget,inclination and knowledge.
    The Internet Road Map
    1) Data Capture
    Beware the Software Siren
    I've heard several prominent web marketers mention in their classes and public forums how easy it is to create your own software. Why, all you have to do is run over to Elance.com or RentACoder.com and have some poor shmoe from Outer Slobvia whip out what you want. And all for the price of a few trips to Starbucks.
    The Road to Better Results
    A lot has changed in the way sites are optimized for search engines since last year. For one thing, Google is not the only search engine worth looking into anymore; Yahoo has definitely managed to take away some of Google's oomph over the past twelve months. Another important change is that the intelligence of the search engine spiders and algorithms has increased dramatically. So without further ado, I will present you with a standard search engine optimizing process.
    What Does An Ex-Basketball Coach Know About Pulling Web Metrics?
    In my previous life.....
    Building Websites with Directory Generator
    Directory Generator, a product from Armand Morin and Marc Quarles, builds directory-style websites for you in a matter of minutes. It is simple to use, it's reliable, it does what it claims to do. The tool is essentially a push-button site builder - all you really have to do is upload the generated pages to your host system. There are no fancy technical skills involved.
    Web Accessibility Myths
    With more and more countries around the world passing laws about blind and disabled access to the Internet (including the Disability Discrimination Act in the UK), web accessibility has been thrown into the spotlight of the online community. This article attempt to put a stop to the misinformation that has been thrown around and tell you the truth behind web accessibility.
    Topics to Add When Creating an Alternate and Modern Medicine Web Directory
    Alternate medicine finds its own place in the hearts and minds worldwide and has a separate following to back its existence. There are many subcategories that could be added to the modern and alternate medicine website directories. Although the list below is not exhaustive it is a good start. After looking at multiple directories in the web that just places everything into one big category "health related websites". I thought it's time to present some categories in this vibrant segment of the web; there are lot's of websites in this category which need a separate home in the directories. Even in the High PR and traffic rich directories finding the right websites gets tough by browsing the whole category. For your reference a single line definition obtained from wikipedia is placed under each category.
    Preventing Repeat Form Submission Using PHP Sessions
    We've all seen those messages on some websites warning not to click a button more than once or negative consequences, like paying a bill twice, may result. Sometimes we can cause these problems by hitting the back or refresh buttons. In this article I will explain a methodology whereby a site can ensure each form is submitted only once, thereby demonstrating that such warnings are unnecessary and, depending on the nature of the problems caused, worth repairing immediately. Let's begin by taking a look at the process we are studying: Form Submission. As pedantic as it may seem, it will be worthwhile to detail each of the steps in this process: Visitor requests a page from the server which has a form on it.Server retrieves form and sends to user.User enters data on form and submits to server.Server processes form data and returns resultant page. The scenario we now need to analyze is when the user re-triggers a previous form submission process. What we need to find or create is something which changes during the form submission process which does not depend on the specific form being submitted and which we can tell changed. That was a loaded sentence which fully details our solution, so let's break it down. Find or create something which changes during the form submission process,does not depend on the specific form being submitted, andwe can tell changed.
    The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) & Web Accessibility
    There's been widespread speculation about the new legislation being introduced under the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act), which will ensure that websites are accessible to blind and disabled users. Try to find specific information about it on the Internet and chances are you'll come up empty handed.