| What makes one e-commerce web site a raging | | | | phrases |
| success, while another similar one barely gets a visitor | | | | Use Pay Per Click facilities such as Overture to get |
| much less sells anything? Ask any small business | | | | quick results and control your budgets |
| owner and you're likely to get a range of answers | | | | Make sure you don't waste offline opportunities. |
| from "Cool technology" to "A really sexy web site", | | | | Publish your web address/email on all company |
| and more likely than not: "Being Number One on the | | | | literature and include it in all your adverts. |
| Search Engines".Important some of these things may | | | | Use Sig files on ALL emails |
| be, they're not actually the core elements for | | | | Sign up affiliates and pay them a commission |
| success! And it's for this reason that most people go | | | | Use a Viral Marketing email campaign |
| wrong when they go online. In fact, the main factors, | | | | Publish email newsletters and information to build an |
| or decisions, that make a web site successful or not, | | | | email list |
| take place long before a line of code is written, or a | | | | Research your market carefully to find out what |
| graphic designed or anyone puts finger to keyboard | | | | methods people use to find and buy your product |
| to write any copy. We list below, in order of | | | | service and concentrate all your efforts on those |
| importance, the ten things you should concentrate on | | | | channels. |
| if you want your e-commerce web site to be a | | | | 7. Make Sure Your Web Site Copy is Clear and |
| rip-roaring success:1. Do Your Research | | | | Persuasive |
| The first thing that you must remember (and this is | | | | Perhaps the most overlooked element of web site |
| the bit that everyone seemed to forget in Internet | | | | development these days is copy - that is, the words |
| "Gold Rush" of 1999) is that the same business | | | | been all those pretty pictures, flash animations, and |
| principles apply to your internet business as any | | | | whizzy functions. A great deal of web site copy on |
| other. You must: a) Have a product/service with a | | | | the internet today is utter rubbish, and many online |
| solid perceived need; b) you must be able to sell it at | | | | shops feature hardly any at all! You get a welcome |
| a price that is profitable and provides good value to | | | | message, product titles, pictures, maybe a few |
| the purchaser and; c) you must be able to reach a | | | | specifications, and great big "Buy Now" buttons. Once |
| sufficient number of potential purchasers (and | | | | again, it seems that people jump onto the Internet |
| convince them to buy) to generate enough revenue | | | | bandwagon and forget that there's a real human |
| to make your business viable. And to find out that, | | | | being on the other side of the computer screen and |
| you need to research your market. Thoroughly.The | | | | he/she wants information and wants to be treated |
| first and most obvious thing you need to find out is | | | | with some respect. Basic business rules still apply, and |
| the "need" factor. Note I said "perceived" need, | | | | with some modification, your approach to your web |
| perhaps better described as a "want". We buy lots of | | | | site should be similar in many respects to traditional |
| things we don't need, because mainly we think we | | | | mail order or direct/distance selling. And the golden |
| need them. So, will people benefit from your product | | | | rule of mail order and direct selling? The more you |
| or service? Do you genuinely believe you can | | | | tell, the more you sell! Professional copywriters |
| convince people they need it? To find that out, you | | | | throughout the marketing ages have known this all |
| have to ask them! But we're not there yet: it's one | | | | along. The theory has been tested to the ends of |
| thing having a product that people do actually need, | | | | the universe and the result is always the same. Long |
| but if there are already lots of people supplying it, | | | | copy outsells short copy every time. But there are |
| then you might have a problem with part b. You are | | | | some rules and some adaptation of this basic fact |
| only going to be able to sell your product/service at | | | | when thinking about the web:General rules: |
| a profit AND and a price people think represents | | | | Your copy should be clear and concise in its |
| good value if 1) Not many other people provide it or | | | | construction |
| 2) yours is better (and/or cheaper - but for reasons | | | | Every sentence needs to be short and snappy, with |
| explained later, this is not usually a good route to | | | | short words |
| take). Again, you must do your research and find out | | | | Where possible, one sentence per paragraph (if it's |
| before you do anything else. And finally, can you | | | | sales copy, editorial is different) |
| reach this market cost-efficiently and find enough | | | | Use headlines, sub heads and bullet points |
| people to buy from you? This is the one great | | | | Every single statement should contain a fact, benefit |
| strength of the Internet and e-commerce: it's much | | | | or persuasive argument. Don't waste a word! |
| cheaper, it's faster and has a much wider reach that | | | | Spend MOST of your time creating headlines, they |
| any other communications channel so far invented! | | | | are the single most important factor in direct mail |
| But it still costs time and money, and you have to be | | | | sales success and the same goes for the web. |
| realistic, so you need to research your market and | | | | Special Web Rules: |
| work out if you have the time and money to reach | | | | Break up copy that's more than about 500-700 |
| it.2. Work on your Strategy | | | | words long into seperate pages |
| OK, so now you know, hopefully, that there is a | | | | Always try to close the prospect at the end of |
| need for your product or service, that not many | | | | each page as well as having a "more" link to the next |
| people offer it at the price/profit/value level that you | | | | page |
| can, and you know that thousands of people who | | | | Try to include a close or buy link above the |
| use the internet a lot and who you know from your | | | | "waterline" (ie before they have to scroll to read the |
| research can and do buy online, will want to buy it | | | | next paragraph or sentence) |
| from you. So now you work on your strategy. This | | | | Try to inject as much "personality" into your copy |
| is key. You cannot simply say "Hey, we've got a | | | | as possible. A web page can be a particularly "cold" |
| great product and a big market, let's slap up a web | | | | place - so add as much human warmth as possible. |
| site and we'll get rich!" You need to sit down and | | | | Remember, people buy from people they like. |
| carefully work on how you're going to do all of this. | | | | 8. Make Sure your Navigation is Easy, and that your |
| You need to know what your goals are. If your goal | | | | Web Site Design and Backend Technology are all |
| is to "sell lots" you'll sell nothing! I Guarantee it. You | | | | focused on a Great Customer Experience |
| need to work out where your want to be in 1, 3 and | | | | Only now should you be thinking about the build of |
| 5 years time at a minimum and then work back from | | | | your web site and its technology. It's at this point, |
| there. If you start with that and work back, then a | | | | you can finally consider your web site's design and |
| lot of the pieces will fall into place. Your strategy | | | | how it will look. Remember, web design (any design) |
| should apply to all your business, and your web site | | | | is subjective. No matter how much time or money |
| or Internet bits will only be a part of it (a big part, | | | | you spend on it, or how proud you are of it, a |
| perhaps...). For example, if you have a product with a | | | | certain proportion of your visitors will still think it's |
| big ticket price, and you only sell 5 a year, then you | | | | crap. But guess what? They don't care, and if you |
| don't want to start planning in a shopping basket | | | | get everything right it has almost no bearing at all on |
| system and credit card payments! Selling on that | | | | sales. But there are three important elements to web |
| scale will need lots of relationship building and | | | | site design:1. Ease of navigation comes FIRST. Make |
| face-to-face interaction, so you need to work out | | | | sure your fancy page design doesn't confuse and |
| how your Internet/e-commerce strategy will enhance | | | | frustrate your customers. Keep it simple. And bearing |
| and benefit that. A good web site to that will impress | | | | in mind that no matter how good the site looks, lots |
| people who pay £50,000 for your product? A | | | | of people will hate it, so make sure the design is not |
| newsletter system to help keep in touch during the | | | | overbearing. Make sure that, whether your customer |
| long sales cycle? It's a completely different approach | | | | likes your site or not , it's not an issue!2. Get it done |
| to selling £20 watches....3. Concentrate on | | | | professionally. Good, professional design inspires |
| Existing Customers | | | | confidence in your customers, and on the web that's |
| If your business is already up-and-running and you're | | | | a precious commodity. They may not always like it, |
| simply adding an Internet presence or improving on it, | | | | but they'll appreciate that it's been done |
| then your existing customers should be treated like | | | | professionally, and that therefore infers that your are |
| Gold. They can actually help you bring your business | | | | a professional company.3. Make sure that the site is |
| online. Test the waters with them, ask them what | | | | clean and uncluttered, and avoid too many flashy |
| they think at each stage, build the system around | | | | animations, whizzy bits, and Flash downloads that will |
| them and their needs and you'll end up with a | | | | slow your site down and annoy your customers, no |
| template that will help you expand online in the sure | | | | matter how "cool" you think they are. And whatever |
| knowledge that it will attract and help keep new | | | | you do avoid "front Door", "click here to enter our |
| customers. And, of course, if you do it right, you can | | | | site" intro-type pages AT ALL COSTS! Especially |
| start making extra money online right away, without | | | | Flash ones. They are utterly pointless and delay your |
| a single new customer, by using your web presence | | | | customer from getting to what they're after, which |
| to save money and improve relationships with your | | | | is information about your company/products |
| existing customers so they buy more from you.4. | | | | services.And finally, the technology - especially the |
| Make Service a Priority | | | | "Shopping cart". So long as it works properly, doesn't |
| While the Internet can help you cut costs and make | | | | mix up customers' baskets, can cope with demand, |
| your business run more slickly, you've got to | | | | and deliver orders reliably, then your choice of "cart" |
| remember that it can also be very impersonal. One of | | | | technology will have no bearing whatsoever on sales |
| the most valuable things I've ever learnt is that | | | | success. Other than that, your technology and the |
| people buy from people they like. And they don't like | | | | complexity of your system will be dictated by what |
| to be let down. The media is littered with stories of | | | | it is you actually need to achieve. We've mentioned |
| people who managed to click and pay for something | | | | newsletters, CRM, customer support & service and |
| online only to wait weeks for it never to turn up. | | | | so on - all your technology choices MUST be made |
| Emails don't get replied to, phones don't get | | | | to make these things easy for you to manage and |
| answered (if the web site even publishes the | | | | to enhance them. And most of all, your technology |
| number!), and they get constantly fobbed off. Yet | | | | must ALWAYS be geared towards a great customer |
| the Internet is an ideal tool for delivering better | | | | experience.9. Get Pricing in Perspective and Think |
| customer communication! But many businesses use a | | | | about your Market Positioning and your Value |
| flash web site to hide behind... That's another quirk of | | | | Proposition |
| the Internet - it's possible to gain customers more | | | | There's one final myth about the internet (and |
| quickly than traditional methods, but you can lose | | | | business in general) that I'd like to explode and it's |
| them like lightening if you provide a poor service. | | | | this: People buy on price. The myth that you must be |
| News travels fast on the internet - even faster if it's | | | | cheap, even cheapest, on the internet has grown |
| bad news...5. Work out your Communication and and | | | | exponentially, especially with the advent of shopping |
| Customer Relationship Management (CRM) policies | | | | price comparison engines. Combine this with the |
| and procedures | | | | widely held (and largely correct) belief that using the |
| As I mentioned before, the Internet provides | | | | Internet to sell reduces cost, most people think that |
| excellent tools and opportunities to build relationships | | | | price is the only issue, and that you must be cheaper |
| with customers and clients. By this stage of your | | | | than everyone else to succeed. Nothing could be |
| planning, you're chomping at the bit to "get | | | | further from the truth!A buying decision is a bit like |
| something up and start selling" but winning a | | | | an iceberg, of which the price element is the highly |
| customer is a bit like wooing a woman (please | | | | visible tip. The bulk of the decision reasoning takes |
| forgive the sexist nature of this analogy!). You don't | | | | place hidden away from view, and many in business |
| run up to a woman you like a scream in her face "I | | | | ignore it at their peril. When a customer says to you |
| want to have babies with you, NOW!" So why do | | | | that you're too expensive, they are not actually |
| people do this online? You need to build into your plan | | | | saying that your price is too high. What they're really |
| ways and means of starting and growing relationships | | | | saying is that they are not convinced that the |
| with your customers and clients. You need work out | | | | benefit your are offering exceeds the investment |
| ways of opening a dialogue, finding out about them, | | | | they have to make. They don't like your Value |
| and helping them find out about you. Did you know | | | | Proposition. The problem is usually that you haven't |
| that research shows that people generally visit a web | | | | convinced them enough about the benefits, not that |
| site seven times before they feel confortable enough | | | | you're charging too much. On the internet, this brings |
| to buy anything? So what are you going to do that | | | | us back, actually, to point/step seven where I |
| makes your web site interesting enough for people | | | | explained the massive importance of your sales copy. |
| to visit seven times just to look at it? And when | | | | If your web site is simply a catalogue of products |
| they do, what then? Is it like a one night stand? Or | | | | and prices and a shopping cart, what else has any |
| do you send them emails asking if they are happy | | | | site visitor to go on when making a judgment other |
| with the product/service? Can you send them a | | | | than price? So you've cornered yourself immediately. |
| regular newsletter that they find interesting? And do | | | | You have no option other than to go cheaper than |
| you have a system in place to manage all of this - | | | | your competition to make the sale. If, however, you |
| for example, can you track how many times a | | | | make a big deal in your web copy about the benefits |
| customer has been contacted, by what method, and | | | | of buying from you (like prompt delivery, great |
| what was said? You can and should build up a | | | | service, reliability, money-back guarantee, free |
| valuable database of detailed customer information, | | | | insurance or whatever you can think of) then |
| their buying habits, what they like/don't like and a | | | | suddenly, price is not an issue. People will pay your |
| system for contacting them on a regular basis.6. | | | | higher price for peace-of-mind, great service and |
| Offline/ Online Marketing, Search Engines & Pay Per | | | | extra benefits than taking a risk with the cheap, |
| Click | | | | nasty web site that might let them down. And when |
| Ah, search engines. The magic bullet of marketing... | | | | you feel under pressure to drop your price, say for a |
| or so the Search Engine promotions "experts" would | | | | special offer, why not try adding a free extra benefit |
| have you think. The holy grail for many is "being | | | | instead? It's much more effective and more |
| number one on the search engines", and great | | | | profitable! Instead of knocking 10% off, offer 10% |
| though that is, your success or failure actually hangs | | | | more!Another issue that you need to look carefully |
| on what happens when all that traffic gets to your | | | | at, especially on the Internet where credibility is hard |
| web site - it's got nothing at all to do with being No1. | | | | to achieve, is your Market Positioning. Your prices say |
| In fact you can actually bankrupt your business by | | | | a lot more about your company than you think. |
| being No1. A sudden flood of traffic can burst your | | | | Although people like to say they love a bargain, |
| bandwidth budget, have you running to Dell or HP or | | | | every single one will make the assumption that cheap |
| whoever for more servers, bring your web site to | | | | = nasty. If your prices are too low, people will |
| it's knees, and, if all those visitors turn up and don't | | | | assume there's a catch or you're cutting corners. If |
| find what they're looking for, you make virtual | | | | you want to position your business as the best in its |
| enemies of thousands - even millions - of potential | | | | class, then people will only feel good about you if |
| customers. Once again, before you even think about | | | | your prices are at the top end of the range. Too |
| Search Engines, you must go back to your research | | | | low, and suddenly they lose faith in you because |
| and your strategy and start again from there. Ask | | | | "something doesn't ring true". If your prices are |
| yourself: What is my ideal customer? What search | | | | "unbelievable!", then so are you!10 Tackle Fraud & |
| engines do they use? What key words do they use | | | | Security |
| to find services/products like mine? What's my USP? | | | | Internet fraud is a big, big issue and you can't ignore |
| What magazines do they read? Are there cheaper | | | | it. Most online customer will admit to being extremely |
| better ways of reaching them than via search | | | | wary of handing out credit card details online, |
| engines? There are, of course, certain low-cost | | | | especially to new web sites that they have never |
| no-cost golden rules that everyone should follow. | | | | come across before. So, you need to have security |
| Your web address and email address should be | | | | and fraud policies in place and (here we go again |
| printed on all your stationery. If you send out | | | | about copy!) make sure you tell your customers that |
| catalogues, promote your web site in it. Add a | | | | you have these and you will take great care of their |
| promotional message (including a link to your web | | | | personal information.At the very minimum you need: |
| site) at the bottom of all your emails (this is | | | | A secure server and SSL certificate for your order |
| sometimes called a signature file or sig file). The key | | | | pages |
| is to think about your promotion from your | | | | A privacy policy that clearly informs your customers |
| customer's perspective. If you do that, then, at least | | | | that you pass their details onto nobody and that you |
| as far as Search Engines are concerned, you can | | | | keep them safe. |
| focus on relevance. Make sure that people who find | | | | |
| your site via search engines are actually looking for | | | | One of the best solutions is to use a Payment |
| what you have to offer and are ready to buy. You | | | | Service Provider (PSP) to process your credit cards |
| are relevant to them and they are relevant to you. If | | | | for you. The better known and respected ones such |
| my sales target in my strategy is to sell 100 units a | | | | as WorldPay are best, because the general public are |
| week, then all I really need is 100 buying customers | | | | aware of them and know that they have strong |
| from Search Engines. If I use all the tricks in the | | | | security measures in place. And from your own |
| book and haul a million visitors in who aren't even | | | | perspective, you gain some protection against law |
| vaguely interested in my widgets, I'm wasting their | | | | suits and some relief from the risk and responsibility |
| time and my money. To sum up, you should: | | | | of looking after customers' valuable credit card |
| Aim for a number one Search Engine listing ONLY | | | | information. |
| for well-researched, highly targeted key words and | | | | |