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When a website visitor is prompted to enter information they seldom comply. But when some personal information is entered in exchange for something of value, getting a users information is much more likely to happen. Take IBM’s whitepapers for example; a valuable document from leaders in different fields is taken and made available to site visitors after they provide their name and email to IBM.
Good content is the key to creating comfort and trust from your audience. When you appear as an expert on a given subject, people will treat you like one. If you want to be contacted about a service or product you offer, give all the details, talk process or do whatever it is you have to show your expertise on the subject. Don’t ask questions to be answered in your content; create content that sparks interest to the point that questions will be asked about it.
Place user information intake forms directly where a site visitor may want to inquire for more information. A simple form, asking for only name, email, and a question/comment area within a sidebar often does the trick. Site visitors are on your website to learn more, this is your chance to personally teach them. A form like this sets up the possibility of a one-on-one with someone.
When approaching the task of creating contact forms the K.I.S.S. principal applies. Keeping your forms simple and non intrusive is the best way to get the ball rolling in a professional relationship. Don’t set up a link to a multiple-field form with information that is only necessary to have when a purchase is made. Try and limit intake forms to 4 fields or less and place them directly on the pages with pertinent information, when users are likely to have questions.
Even though these sound like simple principles, they are highly effective. The goal is always to give the user what they need in the least amount of clicks. If you’re not getting the conversation rates you need, start by assessing and modifying your process in big ways and small.
What does it take to move products in an online store? Some business owners are successful onground, yet they seem to struggle with creating an online shopping experience where visitors actually buy things. The reason is that people’s expectations change when they are looking to make an online purchase.
The difference between an online store and “full sell store” online might not be visible on the homepage or anywhere else on the site. The difference is in the details. Creating a website that will display products and facilitate simple online transactions is only the first step in setting up a successful online store. The user first needs to feel comfortable. What’s next?
Users need to feel a call to action when they visit your store. Pay careful attention next time you are online shopping, you may notice two common themes. The first theme is a call to action in disguise, commonly seen as a discount or added benefit from buying online, such as free shipping. The second theme you may notice is security. At every reliable online store there are SSL certificates for secure transactions. Security for your online store should be purchased through a reputable SSL provider or be facilitated by a provider with SSL (PayPal, Express Pay).
You also want to consider search engine optimization standards, so it’s imperative that meta-data and search engine friendly content are added to the coding of the website. This meta-data can’t be seen by a normal visitor, but it is readily available for search engines looking to fill user queries when they search for products to purchase. A great way to gather good meta-data content is to search for what you are selling and collectively create content more appealing than the top results for your products related search engine results.
Once a user is on your site it is important to get information from that user to keep bringing them back in the future. Make sure that your site has an info capture form, questionnaire or offer that will effectively create a mass email database for future email marketing and general marketing efforts. Another extremely important aspect of connecting with your customer base is using web 2.0 portals like creating Facebook clubs around particular interests and creating a MySpace page.
For more information on how to integrate all these aspects into a successful “full sell” website, contact mediaG at inquiry@mediaG.com.
