Many times the experience of a newcomer to Internet selling is not what a business owner expects or wants.
Most often, new owners are surprised at the lack of sales they experience in the beginning of their web business career.
Selling online can be tough, especially for those that have no mentor or coach who can point out the usual pitfalls and obstacles to avoid.
Even then, markets change, demand for a product ebbs and flows, and niches get saturated with too many sellers.
More often than not, however, lack of sales early on is a symptom of one or two things that need to be fixed by the owner before he can expect success. Here is what those two challenges involve:
The first major hurdle in a selling system that is brand new to the Internet is a lack of credibility. When online buyers contemplate a purchase, one of the things that they often look for is a long-standing history of sales without a lot of complaints.
Brand new businesses can't "fake" a history of great customer service, orders filled correctly and promptly, a history of few refunds, and the testimonials of happy customers. All these credibility boosters will come over time for the quality seller; however, it's very difficult to gain needed credibility fast when you are new to the niche.
Here are some things you can do to boost your site's credibility (as well as that of your business) so that potential buyers will trust that your business can perform.
- Be open with your prospects and let them know that you are opening a new business. It's OK to be new. Sometimes that helps in certain niches that have a history of problem sellers or lack of targeted products for the niche.
- Make your web site very focused and targeted so that your customers will be matched perfectly with your products. You want to sell to your buyers exactly what they want and expect, not some poor substitute or semi-effective alternative.
Of course, targeting is a two-way street. Your products have to be targeted to your chosen niche, but it's just as important to target the proper customers when you're building your clientele. The more focused you are in your marketing, the greater will be the propensity of your prospects to purchase what you are offering.
- Provide 3rd party support and verification; for example, a seal from a trustworthy service showing that you have passed their scrutiny criteria for sellers. It's all about trust for buyers, especially for a new business.
- List a physical address, telephone number, names of your contact people, etc. All these things help to make the buyer more secure that he really is purchasing from a real business.
- Make your web site look professional (like you spent some money on it - whether you did or not) and make it easy and customer friendly to navigate. Fix spelling errors and avoid lots of flashy graphics and blinking text. The last thing you want to do is confuse your potential buyers or make them believe that you have an amateurish business.
- Include a money-back guarantee. Some don't do this and, I, for one, won't buy if it's not there. You should expect the merchant to stand behind his products fully.
- Include value and helpful information at your site and don't try to hype or over-sell your customers. There's nothing wrong with giving some great information without expecting to be paid for it. Especially in the beginning, you would do well to expose your potential customers to your content so they can get a taste of your knowledge, quality and style.
OK, the second thing that sometimes stands as a major hurdle to sales in a new business is the lack of a compelling reason for the customer to buy. Most often, it is because the business owner is not an experienced marketer and doesn't understand what it takes to make a product or service "sizzle."
Top sales copy professionals can charge five figures for a single direct sales page on the web. New business owners can rarely afford the luxury of having that kind of expertise in their corner.
The whole psychology of selling is a field of study in itself. Sales copy needs to be engaging, forthright, convincing, and professional to the point that someone will lay out some cash based solely on the benefits of the written word.
If your business isn't making sales, it's always a good idea to suspect, at least, that your sales copy may not be good enough to consummate the sale.
Yes, there are many other possible explanations for a lack of sales to a new business web site. Before you give up on your great business idea, review what credibility deficiencies you may have and check your sales copy to see if it can't be given a makeover!
