Opening an E-commerce Store is not Enough!  Getting a customer to come to your E-Commerce Store is NOT enough!

 

You must Sell them your Product!  You must close the sale!

 

A-Always

B-Be

C-Closing!

 

You need to overcome many obstacles when you sell goods over the Internet.  Internet Shoppers are becoming more accustomed to buying in the virtual world, but you still have to make a sales effort! You must give them not only a reason to buy your product, but a reason to buy from YOU.

 

Here’s how:

 

1) You must build instant Credibility!

 

Use Customer Testimonials

 

Every great website has testimonials from satisfied customers. These testimonials help set the potential customer's mind at ease that the products or services sold by you will perform as you promised they would.

 

Truly great testimonials not only endorse the product, but they tell other prospective customers how well you operate as a business.

 

Testimonials should present real benefits others can readily identify with, and once they understand how your product and your service as a store can benefit them, they will open their mind to purchasing from you

 

2)  Get Their Attention!

 

Your Products Need to have their own Headlines.

 

Headlines capture visitors' attention and get them involved in your website and with your products.

 

When you scan a Magazine Ad, or a Newspaper, and especially when you first come to a web site, it’s the Headlines that grabs your attention.

 

The headlines help you determine whether or not this story, article, or product is going to interest you.  The right headline drives your shoppers deeper into your sales copy.

 

The right headline can double or even triple your sales in a very-very short time.

 

3)   Bullet Points!  Feature--Advantage--Benefit…Benefit…Benefit!!!

 

This is the substance of your product. This is where you get to tell your prospect all about what it’s made out of, why that’s a good thing and most importantly, how it’s going to benefit them.

 

By separating these elements into bullet points, your customer can (at a glance) find the benefit that they were looking for without having to slog through paragraphs of sales copy.

 

Customers often know what they want, but can’t always articulate their needs.  You need to help them understand how the product that you’re selling them is going to do this. 

 

Here’s a quick example:

 

This car is equipped with Airbags (Feature).

 

Air Bags have been proven to dramatically reduce injuries in sever car accidents (Advantage).

 

This Air Bag can save your life! (Benefit).

 

That’s a simple example, but when you sell a product whose benefits are not readily apparent – you need to explain them to your prospect, in terms of "What’s in it for them".

 

 

4)   Guarantees

 

Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware

 

"Hey Buyer! Don’t worry! I have a GUARANTEE!"

 

When folks purchase an item from a retail store, they have a few advantages that your Internet Shoppers don’t.

 

They can touch the product, turn it on, smell it, taste it, put it on their head…

 

They have the ability to test it and determine if it’s the right product for them. 

 

They also know how they got to that store, and where they can go if they need to return their purchase. They can hop in their car, get on their bike or get on the bus and get their money back.

 

On the web, it’s a totally different story.  That’s why you must have a clearly defined guarantee. You need to set the customers mind at-ease. You must help them to overcome Buyers Remorse by making their purchase as risk-free as possible.

 

Spell out - to the letter - your Guarantee. Make it as juicy and irresistible as your product is.  DO all of the required web things, like having a secure shopping cart and offering a fair return, period.

 

People rarely take advantage of such guarantees, more so if you have explained the benefits of your product in such a way that they understand that it’s the right product for them.

 

Believe it or not, a good guarantee can increase sales!

 

5)    Who, what and where are you? And how can I get in touch with you if I need to?

 

All of the great E-Commerce Stores have a Real Phone Number and Address so that a person can contact them in case they have a question or need some more information.  You don’t need to give your home address, a PO Box is okay, a MailBoxes Ect. Address is better – but give an address!

 

Also, many folks use the Internet only to shop, not to buy.  They want to talk to a real human before they plunk down their cash.  Audrey and I get a phone call a day from a customer who just wants to touch base with a storeowner before they make a purchase. Simply by having our phone number on our web site has created more sales.

 

The point of all of this is, you need to always be removing the obstacles that are between your product and the customers purchasing decision.  You must Always Be Closing, even if it’s not asking for the sale.  Letting the customer know about your product, their security and peace of mind counts BIG when your shopper has a dozen or even hundreds of other stores to choose from.

 

 

 

Shop You Soon!

 

Audrey and Andy

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