DON'T BUY FROM THIS SITE!"

 "DON'T BUY FROM THIS SITE!" 10 things you must do to avoid
losing customers.

by P J Chandler

How welcoming is your web site - and how easy is it for
potential customers to buy from you?

Some otherwise professional-looking sites put unnecessary
obstacles in the way of their users - they may as well put up a
sign saying "Don't Buy From This Site". Is yours one of them?

Here is a checklist of 10 things you can do to maximize sales
from your site:

1. Keep it focused - don't try to be all things to all surfers.
Specialisation is king in a global marketplace: aim to be the
best in your particular field. 

2. Keep it simple - make sure your navigation system is easy to
use. No page on your site should me more that two clicks away
from your home page.

3. Use plain language - net jargon has its place, but do not use
it on non-technical sites. The same goes for unexplained
abbreviations.

4. Don't exclude people - if your offer is only available in a
defined geographical area, say so clearly and up front before
people start filling in forms. A prime offender is holiday
offers that turn out only to apply to US residents.

5. Only request relevant information - customers will be put off
if they have to complete overly-detailed forms before getting
the information they need.

6. Deploy a site search facility on big sites - make it easy for
people to find what they want.

7. Include offline contact information - some customers may want
to telephone for specific information and a real world postal
address is reassuring to buyers.

8. Use testimonials - they reassure buyers and show evidence of
your product quality.

9. Give something away - free ebooks are becoming a popular way
to communicate with customers. Take a look at the example below
and see how this could work for you.

10. Keep graphics to a minimum - bloated image files can extend
download times beyond surfers' patience threshold - according to
a recent survey about 30 seconds.

Take a look at your site afresh: pretend you have never seen it
before and see what simple steps you can take to improve your
customers' online experience. You will undoubtedly reap rewards
in the form of increased profits.

(((((((((((c)P J Chandler))))))))))))))) Phil Chandler writes
about marketing and other business topics. His web site is at
http://www.domainomania.com His free ebook - "How To Start a
Highly Profitable Internet Publishing Business Using Free and
Low-Cost Software" - can be read at
http://www.domainomania.com/publish/