Web Marketing Secrets Part 1

Nothing divides the world of business more than e-commerce. There are a minority of companies that have mastered the art of selling on line and then there is the majority for whom real success still lies outside their grasp. When dealing with clients in the latter situation, the key element that they are missing is how to compile a great web business plan. All the elements of a successful e-commerce business can be readily outsourced. What is lacking is the knowledge to craft a plan to draw all those elements together. Without such a plan the project is led by technical experts who know almost nothing about the market and customers. With the right knowledge a business owner or manager can ensure that the site is designed with customers and sales in mind. This series of articles is designed to be a primer to give business owners and managers enough knowledge to put such a plan together. In my experience the following 8 elements are the critical ones that you need to consider. Two notes of warning though:

             1 Don’t try to do it without all eight. This is not a full list of things to think about. It is the minimum list.

            2  While you can outsource the tools and techniques to experts, only you know your customers well enough to make key decisions about every element here. Don’t delegate everything.

Web design appearance

A lot of focus in ecommerce is on direct response, but you also need to consider building your brand online. Think about your target customers and what type of site will make you stand out. Look at your competitors sites and at those of companies in other industries that you admire. Keep these sites as reference points in your discussion with your web designer.

The web has thousands of sites bidding for the attention of browsers in each category or topic. As well as looking good, your site must quickly establish some authority with visitors. Assuming that you do not have a global brand, you must gain credibility with your audience to back up the claims that you make for your products and service. Awards, qualifications, and membership of industry bodies work well to achieve this. Authority can also be gained by providing information. For example, if you sell paper, you could provide a guide to selecting and buying paper. This shows visitors that you understand the market and builds your credibility

The third element to consider in web design is how even a casual visitor (visiting 1-2 pages), can be exposed to your strongest selling messages. How can they come away from your site having read the three or four most persuasive arguments for doing business with you. There are lots of things to consider in the logic and structure of a website. The web designer will cover off most of them. Your role as a business person is to make sure that your potential customers quickly learn what it is you do and why you are the best person to do it for them.

If you combine a site that is great looking with one that makes your business look reassuringly credible and one which a superior provider of your products and services then you will beat your competition every time.

Go to Part 2