When you start your business website, you may have your own desire to make money uppermost in your mind. But turning this around, making your website most helpful and enjoyable to the customer, whether they buy something or not, may bring more success. Though you want people to buy your products, they are more likely to do so if you engage them first through a shared interest, through intriguing or helpful information, or something they can enjoy seeing or taking part in. This engagement of visitors will make your site popular. Here are some suggestions to help you do this.
Offer genuine information on your site, especially how-to tips. Build confidence in your expertise and products by explaining your products in a blog, giving the history of how that product developed and is used. A blog can give a lot of useful information that also leads people to understand the benefits of buying your product. For instance, show how a tool can be used for various tasks, not just the one people usually associate it with. Give people new ideas about how to solve problems. People are still looking for “a better mousetrap,” so to speak. Tell them how to fix a broken widget, and they will have confidence in your business. Every business needs to be service-oriented.
If you have a store, hold some how-to demonstrations or classes in your store. Teach a class in a local adult ed program. This will establish your credibility and make contacts with potential customers. Show that you are part of the community.
Get involved in local fundraising events for non-profits. You can sponsor someone in a 5k walk to fund research for cancer, for instance.
Another possibility would be to sponsor a local Little League team.
This may seem extraneous, but it all leads toward effectively marketing your business on the Internet. Not all your marketing is done on the Internet.
Customers are concerned about security when buying on the Web. There has been a lot of publicity about data breaches, or the selling of people’s data. State your policy clearly on the home page. Reassure people that you will not share their data or email address without their permission. Show that you have a secure payment system that will protect their credit card data.
Make consideration the hallmark of your website. If a customer buys a spring widget, which is usually a once-every-ten-years purchase, don’t deluge them with emails offering more spring widgets–in red and blue instead of yellow. This can be annoying, and may make your emails unwelcome.
Videos are a very good way to advertise your business on the Internet. Images make a deeper impression than just words. Videos are great for teaching, explanation and how-to instructions. People appreciate something genuinely informative. Give people an overview of your business field that would do credit to a college course. Put a good how-to video on YouTube and it just might go viral.
These ideas can help you make your business website customer-friendly. Remember, you are building a relationship with your customers, and you want it to continue for many years.