Developing a Content-Rich Website
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by: Guest
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For the online business, having a well crafted, appealing website is an absolute must. Although the website is the storefront, the identity of the business (and should be able to stand up to that expectation), the most important role that the website plays is in the way that it interacts and is viewed by the customers. The website should be interesting and eye-catching.
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For the online business, having a well crafted, appealing website is an absolute must. Although the website is the storefront, the identity of the business (and should be able to stand up to that expectation), the most important role that the website plays is in the way that it interacts and is viewed by the customers. The website should be interesting and eye-catching. It should attract the potential-customers and provide the logistics for a smooth, hassle-free presentation and demonstration of the product, and for the painless execution of a sales transaction.
Because of the importance of the site, it has the capacity to either make or break any Online Business. So what kind of content makes a site good? Here I am going to present a few tried-and-true techniques acquired through experience (the hard way) and research (the easy way) to help your customers fall in love with your site:
1.) A FREE Newsletter or E-Zine. This is essential. It allows you to keep in constant contact with the prospect or customer. I suggest putting a "Sign Up" button on every page of your site.
Why? For two reasons: 1.) Because the average person says "no" seven times before they say yes! Seven times! Posting your opt-in offer on each page is a constant reminder that you are offering a free service and that it's only a click away! 2.) Because if a person visits my Home Page they may not yet be sold on my idea/product/service, but after surfing for a bit, they may change their mind! If that's the case, I want to make it as easy for them to get more information (via my Newsletter) as possible! Why make them click twice when they can only click once.
2.) FREE Information. I'm talking primarily about Special Reports, Articles and eBooks. People LOVE free stuff - especially if you giving something that is EQUAL IN VALUE (or close to it) to the related products that you're SELLING. It communicates to the prospect that you're not another one of those cowboys that you see all over the internet eager to sell you the "hottest money making tip that they don't want you to know about!" I'm sick of those guys, and so are your customers. Give them some free (GOOD) stuff and they'll see your value, and reward you for the investment.
3.) Links to Other Great Sites. To the greedy man this seems like a HORRIBLE idea because you're giving your traffic a way to escape! However, if you're linking to high-quality related but NON-COMPETITION sites, your prospects are going to appreciate it. Also, customers are more likely to buy in a friendly "community" environment and being generous with your resources helps to build that feeling.
4.) Bulletin Board/Discussion Board/Forum. Best-Selling Author and Successful Entrepreneur Robert G Allen, in his book Multiple Streams of Internet Income, notes: "get people together and they'll reward you for it". He couldn't be more right. People like to be connected with like-minded people, and anyone who visits your site (especially if you're working your niche right) are going to have A LOT in common. Give them a chance to interact and network and they'll stick around, and there's always the chance that they'll refer others to your site as well!
5.) Coupons/Discounts. If a customer downloads a free eBook (or another free product - that compliments one of your pay-products, of course) give them a discount or provide them with a coupon for the actual pay-product. If they found value in the free information, they'll likely be willing to invest a little cash into learning more, and your discount offer might be just the thing to get them off the fence!
6.) Checklists. This is particularly effective if your niche is how-to. In that instance a checklist becomes the equivalent of a "free look" into a bestselling-author's next big thing. It's going to peak the customer's interest, and it's going to give them a preview of just WHY they SHOULD go for your pay-products!
7.) Free Samples. If you're selling hard-products, and if it's practical to do so, offering a free sample is an AMAZING way to drive sales. If a customer gets used to your product(s), they're not going to want to give it up - they're going to want more! If you're in the service industry, then you're going to get a little creative as to how to work this effectively, but with a little imagination and elbow grease, it will definitely pay off in the long run.
8.) Testimonials. Posting testimonials on your site (or Newsletter/EZine) is a powerful way to build trust and credibility. If your customer sees that your product worked for someone 'like them', then they'll be more likely to research it more and convert to a purchase. When I'm researching a product/service, the testimonials are the first thing that I look for. And, for pete's-sake, don't try to fake it. Use GENUINE testimonials. No matter how talented you think you are at it, 9 out of 10 customers are going to recognize a fake.
9.) Returning Customers/Referrals. Another great way to treat your customers is to reward them for their purchases. A great way to do this is to GIVE THEM SOMETHING FREE along with their FIRST purchased product, and then offer them a discount on their next purchase. Also include a referral program. If a customer comes to you referred from another customer, then send the referrer a free gift as a thank-you! They'll love it, and you better bet that they'll start referring more people to you all the more enthusiastically!
Man, that's a lot of FREE stuff! I can just hear some of you now: "So, uh, Chad...how exactly are we going to make money giving away all of this free stuff?" I can hear others of you: "It takes me a good three weeks to write an ebook, and you want me to give it away...FOR FREE?!?!"
Yes. Yes, I do.
Why? Because FREE STUFF ROCKS! And your customers know it! And it's not about "manipulating" your leads. The idea here is (as Robert G Allen suggests) to Continuously Reward your Customers. If you're not willing to reward your customers for even the smallest gram of trust that they place in you (such as visiting your site!) then they're not going to be willing to take out their wallets. It's that simple.
Now, I'm not saying to give EVERYTHING away for free. We'd all go bankrupt! What I am saying, is to do everything you can to provide your leads with a powerful enough of a positive experience that they'll keep coming back - and they'll be bringing their friends.
So what if you can't afford all of the overhead for this "customer rewards" thing? Your rewards and free products don't have to be expensive! EBooks are great for this. Author Peter Bowerman says, in his book The Well-Fed Publisher: "Ebooks are the closest thing to 'found' money out there. No books, no inventory, no shipping costs...it's a beautiful thing." Try to look for products with a similar description. Just because it's cheap to produce doesn't mean that it's low-value.
So let's summarize:
If you want to build Content-Rich Site...
1.) Offer a FREE Newsletter or E-Zine
2.) Give away FREE Information
3.) Give FREE Links
4.) Provide an Open Place for Discussion
5.) Offer Coupons and Discounts
6.) Provide Checklists
7.) Give away FREE Samples
8.) Display Testimonials
9.) Reward Returning Customers and Referrers
It's that easy! So go out, start instigating some of these things. Have fun, and good luck!
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