As is mentioned and recommended by experts, proper SEO, Keywords, Page layout and design etc. are important.
But how about the customer, our focus should be primarily on the customer, the person, his/her habits, likes and interests etc. We know that Search Engine Optimization and good rankings won’t keep your visiting customer on your Website or make them buy anything.
It’s imperative to be aware that by having the customer “stick around” once visiting, will help and increases the chance for them to buy something. Your Website must ensure the customer gets interested in your services and or products, gets engaged and stay.
The first step towards a Sale is when the customer finds the products or services they are looking for. The second step is to keep them interested in what you have to offer on your pages by linking pages.
Page Linking
- You could motivate the customer to buy a product by providing clear and unambiguous information, give as much information as possible, yet this extra information can be kept on different page(s). This is true if you happen to sell more than one product or Service.
- Give suitable and visible links to the Content so that your customer can navigate to the relevant pages to get the details, good relevant information that will educate him/her and therefor gets them more interested in your product(s) and hangs around.
So linking pages (1) to the Services or Products you are offering will help keeping the prospective customer around.
When Designing your Website you imagine that it will attract customers, but you do not know your customers. Who they are, there Likes, dis-likes and what they want to buy. You must also be aware that the online business is either an extension of your Storefront or a replacement for the standard storefront. In the absence of the customer presence you must learn to figure out their Likes, Needs, Wants and Desires.
Figure out their Likes, Needs, Wants and Desires. This is accomplished by asking questions.
Understanding your customer by asking Questions
Are your Product descriptions better? How is your customer support, do you have a fast client respond time? Do you offer Coupons or Discount prices.? Are your prices consistently lower than others? What about your return policies?
- You could Email the customer requesting to complete a short survey – this can also be accomplished while they’re browsing your Website – and inquire about their likes and choices
- Email the customers that sign-up and ask them what they like or dis-like about your website, what they Do like about your products and ask for suggestions.
- Contact the customer after they have purchased a product or Service and ask if they were satisfied with the product or service
- the Contact form should must be named, address, age, gender, the product purchased etc.
Get the customer more involved by asking for their input and participation using Email and Short Surveys (2)
Does your website show enough contact information, and Payment Options?
Your online business will be operating 24/7, people from different states and from all over the world will be visiting your Website, and may need to contact you about Sales, a Product, a Service, general questions or technical problems with your Website. It is important to have your Contact information, preferably on every page of your Website, complete with mailing/email address, telephone number able to reach you.
Buying online requires either a credit card or some other sort of online payment method. Does your Website offer enough payment options – or with other words do you offer different online payment service possibilities? You do not want to lose a customer simple because you were not able to process a Checkout.
- Your contact information should be on every page of your Website, for instance in the Footer of your page
- a good idea is also to have your email forwarded to another email address besides the email address you have posted on your site. This will make sure you do receive the customer support messages.
- Make sure you have different payment methods available on your Website.
Lincoln (L2DC)
1 – see Blog post on Page Linking 2. – Emails and short Surveys
