1. One Item Per Page
If you are selling multiple products only highlight one product per page. I have been to many websites where I held on to my cash because of sensory overload. If you have 50 different items on the same page, it makes the customer feel hurried and confused.
2. Link to Products and Descriptions
If you have incoming links from partner sites, set them up to link to a specific product. If a customer follows the link they are probably in the mood to buy. If you link to a main page they might be tempted to use your website as an information resource. Then, they’ll probably purchase the item at a later date, but not from your website.
3. Mini Niches
Instead of setting one big site, use your navigation buttons and text links to setup a bunch of mini niche sites. If you have to cover three or four topics, always have related links on the bottom or side of the page. So, if a customer is on your site looking at real estate information, you can have links to credit cards, budgeting software and other financial products all on the same page.
Don’t automatically insert a link to an ebook on marketing strategies. It’s likely that your customer would be interested in some type of financial product that could help them to get a house than another random ebook. Setup your site navigation so that once a customer leaves your main page, he or she is sent to a bunch of mini niche pages within your site.
4. Always Have a Freebie
It doesn’t really matter what type of freebie is on your site as long as the item is completely free. If you are consistent, you can get listed in some of the free directories online. You can also insert your URL into your free products, especially digital products like ebooks. Every time your customer opens the ebook to read it, they will see your URL on the top or bottom of every page. This is an excellent way to set up a viral marketing campaign.
5. Add Some Reviews
Review a related topic, related websites or related products. For a marketing website, do a review of the top selling marketing books on Amazon, or on the New York Times Non Fiction list. Reviews are a good way to establish yourself as an authority source. This will help you build your online credibility and translate into more sales.
6. Follow Up
If you have a smaller website, you have the luxury of dealing with every contact that comes through your website. Answer every email promptly even if the topic is way off base. Show your site visitors that great customer service is one of your priorities.
7. Add Testimonials
If you get any type of positive customer feedback, ask for permission to include their entire testimonial or excerpts on your website. This gives other customers a sense of comfort in knowing that others have tried your products and services before.
8. Simplify Your Website
Take an honest look at your web design or submit your website to a review site to learn about features that hinder your sales effort. Don’t fall in love with your own creative abilities. If a feature is getting negative feedback, remove it immediately. You can always tweak it and add it at a later date.
9. Participate
The internet thrives on communities and web hubs. Find a group, club, forum, or other interactive site and participate. Offer free information, or free advice. I often login to a few blogger forums and just answer questions from newbies or others who are having technical issues. You will get to display your site URL in your signature and after a while, people will start clicking over to your website.
10. Good Content
Unless you are the world’s greatest salesperson, it is much easier to sell with a 20 page website than a 4 page website. Having more pages shows that you have invested the time to build a quality site and that you plan to stick around for a long time. This makes it easier for people to trust your website, easier to link, and makes your site worthy of a bookmark.
