Do you have a website? Is it producing the results you want?  Most people say, “No!”  There was a time when it was enough to have a website.  By having a website, you created a great impression for your customers.  These days your website has to be an effective marketing tool.

It does not matter if you sell physical items, intangibles, services, or if you only sell ideas.  Every website is designed to inform people about something and usually with the intention of influencing those people to take action.  In that general sense, all websites sell.  That is the whole point of building the site to begin with.

These ideas are centered on websites with products; however, most of these tips are useful to anyone selling anything to anyone.

Do not build your website just to say what you want to say.  Carefully consider the message your want your customer to receive and design the website around producing results

• Establish Credibility – Let people know why they should do business with you. Mention things that boost their confidence in your company. How long have you been in business? Have you won any business awards? Are you involved in Chambers of Commerce?
• Include Testimonials – Testimonials are clever ways to say things you would not normally say because it makes you look arrogant. Contact you customers and get permission to post a testimonial. You can even write the testimonials for your customers, just get their approval before you post them on your site.
• Focus on Sales – Build your site with sales in mind. Make it easy to identify the products or services and easy to buy online.
• Guarantee Everything - People do not trust companies they do not know. Offer over-the-top guarantees that stick in the mind of the customer. Use big claims like, “WE ARE NOT HAPPY UNTIL YOU ARE HAPPY GUARANTEE”, or “NO GIFT CARDS, NO HASSLES, FULL 100% CASH BACK GUARANTEE”. Make sure the customer knows you are confident they will be happy customers.
• Privacy – Make a big deal how hard you work to protect their privacy. Tell them about your “never sell, never rent” policy. Tell them about your high-tech encryption policies. Tell them about your “no spam” policies. Add a “Our Promise to Our Customers” page.
• Easy Pay - Make the payment process very easy. Do real-time credit card validation. Make sure the forms are easy and intuitive. Pay attention to customer fears or concerns.
• Surveys - Ask customers to complete a survey and tell you how well they like your products, services, marketing, website, or whatever. Make sure the customer knows how much you appreciate their input and how their input will help you serve them better in the future.