‘Tis the Season for eCommerce

‘Tis the season to buy and shop, learn new ways to lure your customers, and add some beef to your web site.
This December we’re focusing on helping you to make the most out of the holiday season sales by providing lots of information about “to dos” and “not to dos” for online business.

Here are a few tips for the 2008 selling season that’ll make an immediate difference in your promotional efforts:

1. Sell things that people need.
The current state of our economy has made even the most frugal of spenders tighten their wallets. Make sure that you are offering products or services that a) people need, b) generate revenue or form a pathway to revenue, and c) create efficiencies. Those three types of products and services are sure to help you survive a financial drought.

2. Avoid the “Green Apple Syndrome”.
Information is key when presenting yourself online. If you’re not giving your online shoppers all of the information upfront, expect that they will go elsewhere. If you only show red apples on your web site, most of your customers will not call or email you to find out if you’re selling the green ones. They’ll click to go somewhere else. Remember, you are one click away from your competiton.

3. State your call to action.
There’s nothing worse than going to a web site, and there’s a million links, and tons of information, but no direction for what you’re supposed to do. Make your points clear and concise, and let your customers know exactly what’s on your mind.

4. “Match” your audience.
As we’ve seen over the years, the web is a melting pot of different cultures and different customer demographics. It’s best to know who your ideal customer is, and match your products and services - along with the information on your site - to the audience you are targeting. The idea is to reach as many people as possible, and you won’t get there by excluding potential buyers.

5. Don’t forget to “Give”!
Freebies are often a way to keep customers coming back for more. In the holiday spirit, you should address the season with some sort of giveaway that provides your customers with much-needed information that keeps them engaged in your products and services. In some cases, you’ll want to partner with someone, but don’t forget to toy with ideas that just might help you develop your own special product line.

Join in the December 9th Business Teleseminar which will address many of these issues, and also help you to form new ideas for boosting your business! Make sure you’re on our mailing list to get the call-in information.