Basic Marketing Principles: Don't Put Up Your Website Without Them

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So you think you've created the perfect ...
looks great, loads fast, and you perform ... ...
duties on a regular schedule online andoff. There seems to be only one ...
So you think you've created the perfect website.It looks great, loads fast, and you perform marketingand promotional duties on a regular schedule online andoff. There seems to be only one problem....no one isbuying your products.
Did you rely on the essentialrules in marketing when you you created your site?If not, you're in real trouble.1) Great Customer Service?One thing that will drive your customers awayfaster than anything else is poor customerservice. This ranges from taking an eternity to answer your email, to shipping delays.
You needto respond quickly, especially when it comes toemail. In our "hurry-hurry" society people willnot wait to hear from you for very long beforemoving on to the next guy.Do you have your email address on every page of yourwebsite? Nothing irks me more then having to digthrough a site just to find an address to ask a question.
Do you offer a toll free number so they cancontact you? Easy to do and free with http://www.ureach.comHow about real time communication on your website? Take a look athttp://www.humanclick.com, which allows you to answer questions from your website guests as they browse your site.The more ways you give people to communicate withyou, the better. Many companies fail online due to shoddy customer service.
Don't be one of them.By offering excellent service you'll stand outfrom the crowd and build better relationships withyour clients. Remember it's easier to re-sell to an existing customer than it is to find a new one.2) Who Are You and What Do You Do?Identify your company and your products on the home page.
Don't make people "dig" down into your site for the answer. They won't; they'll just leave.Also, make sure you describe the benefits of yourservice or product right away.
For example, willit save time or money? Make you thinner? Is iteasy-to-use? People don't care about you, theywant to know "what's in it for me?" Tell themand tell them fast, or risk losing them. Salesare generally made on emotions.
If you don'ttrigger any by giving them a good reason to buy fromyou, they won't.3) Are you Charging the Right Price?If you charge too much, no one will buy.If you charge too little, people will think there's novalue or that there's something wrong with your productor service. (And they still won't buy.) Before you set your pricing,make sure you do a little research into your competitor's backyard.That way, you'll have a better idea of where to setyour pricing.Don't forget about "perceived value." Anything you canadd on in the way of free bonuses or free shippingwill go a long way in convincing folks to buy.
With theenormous amount of freebies floating around online, itshouldn't be too hard collecting a few that relate to what you're selling that you can give away with everypurchase.4) Does your Copy Sell?Make sure your texthelps motivate your customers to make a purchase. Sprinkle "powerfulheadlines," "calls to action," and plenty of testimonialsfrom happy customers throughout your pages.
Remember thatpeople read differently online; they skim. Make it easy for them to catch the main points and benefitsquickly.Also, offer a few different payment options and makeit easy to place an order.
If they have to jump throughhoops, you'll lose the sale. Simple and Easy is the way to go.5) Is your Site Designed with your Target Market in Mind?Does the look of your website cater to your target market?You need to know demographics of your intended audiencebefore you even begin the construction process.
Know yourmarket's demographics such as age bracket, income, education,and whether they are mostly male or female.If your site is geared towards teenagers, it needs to lookfun and hip (save the sophisticated look for their parents). If your audience is middle aged businessmen you'll need a more corporate look.Make sure you keep your coreaudience in mind when choosing your fonts, site colors,and any graphics.If you remember to incorporate these basic marketingprinciples into your website you'll not only havea site that looks good, but actually does what you intended it to do all along: Sell! Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .