You’ve set up an online business. What’s next? To bring clients and customers on board, you have to market it. Note that without marketing, all your efforts will go in vain. Most online business owners realize that websites are very important to connect with their clients. In fact, many customers expect a business to have a website.
Before you start marketing online through your website, here are a few points to ponder over.
Have a common webpage for all your visitors
Your homepage should point people to the information they came to see, without delay. Most companies serve several market segments; therefore they may have a collection of products (or services). While one customer benefits from a particular segment, others will not.
Your goals should be to help your customers find the right page quickly. For example, you have a company that sells computer peripherals but you also have a web hosting business. Your website can be divided into two areas, catering to specific customers. The thing is, when everything is collected at one place on your website, your customers will be forced to search for information relevant to them.
Landing pages are generic
Visitors to your website, who have come through a pay-per-click advertisement, should see relevant information only. It can often be difficult to find the exact thing you are looking for, online. If a customer arrives through a PPC and he or she does not find relevant information on the landing page, there is a high chance that you might lose a sale. Also think about displaying an offer, to give your prospects an added incentive to buy from you.
Copy should be nicely written
The content that you show on your website is important for online marketing, because through it you can build credibility and trust with your customer. Since your customers are not able to see you in person, they are going to rely on what you have written about your company. When the copy is poorly written or is otherwise uninformative, it is akin to a sleazy and uninformed sales representative. A nicely written sales copy can get the customers rolling in.
Sales messages are missing (once the customer starts shopping)
It has been seen that close to 60% of the orders that start online are not completed. There are many customers who will fill a shopping cart (online) and then on second thought, simply abandon it.
One way to prevent this is to hit the customer with sales messages, till he or she finally checks out. Even the check out page cannot be sterile.
