Ingredients Of A Successful Direct Sales Website
Many people think the direct sales industry has a limited market. They advise direct sales consultants to begin with their family and friends, then reach into the surrounding community but eventually they’ll tap the market, right? They’ve run out of new customers, new prospects and everyone and their brother hosted a party for you. Now your business is over. There’s nothing further from the truth. By advertising on the Internet, you’re open to an endless number of consumers.
The good news is you don’t have to have a degree in graphic design or be a marketing expert, and the cost of your website doesn’t have to break the bank to be a powerful selling website. As a matter of fact, many direct sales companies offer pre-made websites or website templates and some even host it for their consultants. This means it’s easier than ever now to set up a direct sales website that actually sells.
Ingredients Of A Selling Website
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask yourself, what would you like to see when you visiting someone’s site?
-Product descriptions and reviews. Don’t just list features. When using compelling catalog copy, it describes how you’ll feel, how your life will be improved and how your problems will be solved by using your product. Of course compelling graphics help also – people want to see what the products look like and what they’re getting.
-Proof. Ssocial acceptance and credibility are two of the most powerful buying triggers. Product reviews, testimonials, and case studies or information on your products help provide this type of proof and credibility.
-Easy ordering. There’s nothing worse than deciding you want to buy a product and then having to jump through hoop after hoop to actually make the purchase. Too many clicks and decisions and a potential customer will often decide to just forget it. Make buying easy.
-FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions.) You want answers to all your questions, and then some. Be sure your contact information is readily available. It’s very important to address your prospect’s potential questions, no matter how small or how many. Consumers may have questions about ordering, pricing, returns, hosting a party, becoming a rep themselves and more.
-An easy way to contact you. An email contact form on your website is the simplest way for website visitors to have access to you. You might also consider using an autoresponder. This is an easy way to let people know you’ve received their message and will follow up within a specified amount of time.
Not only do you want to have the right information on your website, but the plan and layout of your web pages can provide a profitable user experience. Do avoid having too much or too little information on your website’s home page. Also remember that proper spacing, product graphics, and descriptive text can entice visitors to browse around for more information.
Other Things To Consider
-Too many large graphics make a web page slow to load. It’s perfectly okay to use smaller product graphics with a click through to a larger graphic. There you can add more details about each product. Easily identifiable buttons make more attractive menus than text links. These can be placed along the side or top of each page.
-Entice visitors to register at the site. Offer a free newsletter, product updates or sales announcements. Then send your registered users a weekly or bi-weekly email newsletter, with a link to your product website, to remind them about your product and what you have to offer, including any sale or discontinued items. Seasonal reminders, discounts and coupons will often create repeat customers.
-Provide a secure, safe buying experience and checkout for paying customers. Several consumers are impulse buyers. They want the ability to make a purchase right then. If you’re providing several options to pay (check, credit card, etc.) at a secure site, this reassures customers and protects your website assets as well. There are many companies on the Internet that offer secure shopping carts.
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