There are two major challenges facing home business owners who want to start selling online. The first is attracting targeted traffic to their websites, and the second to to turn those visitors into paying customers or subscribers. This article discusses the second of these challenges and includes some proven ways to convert your traffic into customers, either now or in the future.
The first and most important thing you need to do is to establish yourself as an expert in your niche. It doesn’t work anymore to simply post product links all over your website, and expect money to roll in. You need to build trust in the eyes of your potential customers. Here are some things you may want to include on your website to help establish yourself as someone who should be listened to.
1. Give your website a sense individuality, by posting unique (but relevant) content.
If you simply put up content that is common knowledge, or can be easily found, why would anybody need your site? Make your website stand out in the crowd.
2. Be up front about who you are. Many business owners treat their website like a wall to hide behind. Tell your visitors about yourself, who you are and what you do. Post a photo of yourself, so your visitors can put a face to the business (This also helps add personality to your website). Include contact information so your visitors can reach you with questions. A simple email address will work fine.
3. You can also add audio to your website. This is especially usefull if there is a lot of information on your website, that your visitors may not see right away. Use audio to summarize your website, and point them in a certain direction to find certain content or products.
Remember, your visitors won’t spend time at your site unless you show them they need to, so a quick summary with the major points of your site will convince them to stay.
4. Use video on your website. A simple product demonstration or video introduction will quickly captivate your visitor, and is much more interesting than a page full of words that your visitor may not want to read. Videos are easy to make and upload nowadays, so if you are serious about Internet marketing there is no real excuse for not doing this.
5. Give your visitors a choice. Offer different versions of your product for them to choose from. Many customers may not need an all inclusive version, and may opt for a more basic one if you offer it. Avoid offering too many choices however, because that will confuse your customers and they will run away.
For example, if you offer two packages, your customers will be able to compare one with the other. To make this tactic more effective, you must choose which package you actually want people to opt for and make it appear more attractive when compared with the other package.
So, if your aim is to get people to buy the basic package, you could make an upgrade package considerably more expensive and load it with items that most people will feel that they do not really need. This will work to attract more people to your basic package.
6. Offer a free gift with every purchase and spend time selling it. If you make sure your visitor know the value of the free gift, and that it is actually useful, this will help entice them to buy. Show them that the gift is not something you just threw together to make a package more attractive.
7. Use your thank you pages to upsell your customers. They have just made a purchase, and may still be in a buying mood, so don’t pass on this chance. Offering a special discount, or bonus for existing customers, will help to convert them into repeat customers almost instantly.
8. Use pop ups to offer special deals when visitors leave your site. Offering a discount, or an unannounced bonus upon purchase will make your visitor reconsider, and helps convert window shoppers into buyers.
9. Offer a money back guarantee, and make sure it is featured on your page. This tells your visitor that there is no risk associated with the purchase.
10. Ask your customers to supply written, video, or audio testimonials. Post these testimonials on your sales page to increase your credibility. To motivate your customers to give a testimonial, allow them to include a link to their website, or offer them a gift for doing so. These are only a few tips and tricks to help convert your website visitors into long lasting and repeat customers. Perfect these methods, and you can ensure your website will become the successful seller you dreamed of.