5 Things More Important to Internet Buyers Than WHAT You're
Selling - II Article II of a two-part series For Article I
http://www.giantpotatoes.com/article201.htm Dr. Lynella Grant
Web commerce is all about courtship, not salesmanship. In life,
a suitor can't go from first date to the engagement ring in one
afternoon. Courtship is an intricate dance, where each party
contributes to the relationship at a measured tempo. Trust grows
through gradual exchanges and reassurances.
Yet, the typical sales-oriented Web site urges the visitor to
jump to commitment right away. Pushing for them to "BUY NOW!" is
not only premature, but a misapplication of the fact that
visitors are in a hurry. Developing a relationship can't be
rushed or skipped--not if you intend to lead them to the alter
(sale). Buyers want and need to proceed at their own pace.
Each request you make of a visitor "call, read, subscribe or
buy" requires a higher level of commitment. So back off the hard
sell, and instead weave the steps into a sensuous dance that
respects them and invites a lasting relationship. It's possible,
if you follow these five points that buyers care about.
1. How well they're treated The mood of the site should be
welcoming, geared to assist the customer finding what they're
looking for. Trust grows as you minimize their sense of risk.
And make no mistake, the buyer's risks are greater online.
Recognize them and reduce them as much as possible. They've been
conned, burned, or faced non-delivery of purchases--not to
mention abuse of their credit cards or privacy information.
The Internet works because people feel anonymous. People are
understandably leery about revealing personal information. So
every aspect of the site needs to say, "you're safe here" along
with, "look at all the interesting things we have to show you."
One fast move and that skittish deer will bolt.
Web commerce has several inherent disadvantages--shipping
charges, delays until products arrive, lack of hands-on
assessment, etc. When buyers encounter other disadvantages as
well, whether it's unacceptable policies, or added costs, they
treat them as a deal breaker--even if it's just a little bit
more.
2. How efficiently the buying process went Assuming your site
sells a tangible product, the buyer has to be able to assess its
looks, materials, uses, and value without being able to touch
it. This can be accomplished much better with some products than
others by use of photographs and descriptive copy. But a buyer
still takes a chance as to color, size, quality, and
suitability. Sales sites need to know their customers' concerns
so well that they anticipate what they need to know.
Design the site for ease of scanning and logical organization
that presents information so it will guide and inform.
3. How much aggravation they had to endure Here's where poor
navigation or slow download times cost you sales. (Navigation
problems are a main reason why site visitors leave.) They won't
stay at a site where they can't easily find the answers they
want. And if they have to wait too long for pages to load,
forget it. Internet users are extremely time sensitive. The high
percentage of abandoned shopping carts (as much as a quarter)
proves that the payment process can defeat all efforts to
motivate the buyer. These are "almost" sales, where sloppiness
got in the way.
Getting through some payment procedures confounds even
experienced surfers. How many payment options do you
provide--anywhere from Paypal to fax your order? Credit cards
are convenient, but not always the purchaser's preferred choice.
How intrusive are the questions (yes, we know about fraud
avoidance)? When the goal is building trust (in both
directions), how many "we don't trust you" signals does your
site send?
4. How many mind games were played on them The primary products
sold on most web sites are hype and high pressure.
Unfortunately, that's not what buyers are looking to buy, and
why conversion rates online are so abysmally low. The quality of
typical sales copy is aggressive, designed more to trick than
inform. It seems like the sales letters were drafted from the
same manual.
Aggressive tactics are so widespread that effective,
customer-friendly copy can actually stand out. So get rid of the
"gotchas." Customers dread them, and then relax once they don't
find them. Mind games don't end after the sale's complete. Be
alert for delivery, security, and privacy lapses that could
creep up after the sale.
5. How well the business has its act together overall Behind the
computer screen are untold elements--efficient links, quick
loading, glitch-free credit card processing, the respect for the
visitor's time, etc., that reveal the company's priorities.
Unless all the parts work with a consistent goal and degree of
care the buyer experiences whiplash. Sour notes (small potatoes
signals) are trivial in themselves, but break the momentum
toward purchasing. They're easily eliminated--once you know to
look for them. To learn how, read the helpful articles at my
site, http://www.giantpotatoes.com
Give yourself extra points for post-sale follow up. Here's where
Internet sellers can shine because of autoresponders and
customer-oriented e-mail. Don't just use such tools for making
the sale. Use them to build relationships and added value after
you get their money.
Dance Your Way to Profits Courtship is necessary to develop a
lasting relationship. The pace of the dance should reflect the
give-and-take necessary to build trust. Don't sell the buyer,
court him with a well-paced dance.
This is Part II of a two-part series. Part I can be read at:
http://www.giantpotatoes.com/article201.htm (c) 2004, Lynella
Grant
