You may have the best widget in the world. It may be able to outperform all other widgets. But unless you prove to your potential customers that it has value to them and get them excited about purchasing it, that incredible widget is just going to sit on your shelf.
The easiest and most cost-effective way for business owners to promote their products and services is on their own website. Here you can describe your merchandise or service in detail, upload color photos, and present its features and benefits in a way that is up-beat, creative, and enjoyable to the customer. You can also link to Facebook and Twitter so that your current customers can send their friends your way, and you can alert them to time-sensitive sales.
Your website does not need to be elaborate. As long as the top of each page is eye-catching and the pages are not too cluttered or the fonts too small, you will be able to showcase your business effectively.
Just a side note, make sure that your website is connected properly with Google and local search engines so that you can be found when people search for what you are selling.
Your key to success is what you say and how you present it. Keep your descriptions lively and short. Visual cues are vital, so whenever possible, have a photo of each of your products or services. Also, have an About Us page and create a connection with your customers by displaying photos of you and your employees.
On your Products Page, explain what makes your merchandise better than those of your competitors’. Do yours last longer and why? Do they come in more colors and sizes? What brands do you carry? Demonstrate what your products will do for your customers and what long-term benefits they will gain.
For example, by buying this deluxe widget, they will save money because it already comes with 5 attachments, and they won’t need to buy them separately later on. Also offer coupons that can be printed right off your website. The convenience of getting an immediate discount often convinces people to buy right away.
On your Services Page compare your services to your competitors’ and give specific examples of what you will do for your clients. The more enthusiastically you express what you do, the more likely your prospective client will pick up on that and want to engage your services.
Let your love for your business come through your web content. Dry wording and long paragraphs will send potential customers to a competitor. So, when you are putting together your web content, write the way you would talk to a customer. Keep paragraphs short – around three sentences long. Leave white spaces between paragraphs and sections. Insert colorful boxes with key points you want customers to remember. Add buttons and links for customers to click on for specials and coupons. Each page should have at least one picture plus links to the other pages on your site. The longer you can keep potential customers on your website, the greater the chance that they will buy from you.
Your website is an extension of YOU. It reaches thousands of customers that you cannot personally talk to. So let it be as expressive and personable—and as good a salesperson—as you are.
Michelle
Michelleprefers.com