JULY 2008 NEWSLETTER
4 Cornerstones of a Great Website
Personalising the Buying Process
Turning an Error into an Advantage
Subject Lines that Get Emails Opened
Defining Your Business Website Goals
4 Cornerstones of a Great Website
When building the foundation of a house, the most important task is laying the cornerstone properly. The cornerstone determines the placement of all other stones; if it's shaky, the house won't be stable. Similarly, your website has four critical cornerstones which form its foundation and determine its success or failure.
When you learn to identify what these cornerstones are, you can then figure out how to optimise them so that your website will be a solid aid to your business.
1. Functionality
Functionality is the first critical (and most basic) cornerstone of your business website. Does your website work as it should? All other attributes of your site are secondary.
Optimising Functionality
Some of the issues for you to consider when optimising your website's functionality include:
- Uptime. Does your site load every time a visitor tries to access it?
- Loading speeds. Is the visitor forced to wait an unreasonable time to see your site?
- Errors. Does your shopping cart work smoothly, no matter what the customer does with it? Does your site gracefully handle things like using the "back" button in the middle of a purchase?
2. Usability
The second important cornerstone of your website is usability. The greatest information in the world won't help your business if your readers can't find it.
Optimising Site Usability
To improve usability, consider the following issues:
- Can all of the content on your website be found in just a few clicks?
- Is your navigation intuitive and simple to use?
- Is the terminology on your website easy for beginners to understand?
- Does your site have a clear direction for visitors to take?
Which leads nicely to…
3. Visitor Progression
How are visitors moving through your website? Do they see what you want them to see? Are they able to successfully fulfill your intended conversion goals?
Optimising for Visitor Progression
To optimise your site's flow, think of possible barriers to your conversion goals and find ways around them. Some ways to optimise website flow include:
- Using calls to action to direct the flow through your website, making it clear to your visitors where to go next.
- Thinking of the questions that a user may have at each stage of the selling and purchasing process, such as shipping costs, refund policies, and payment methods. Make sure to make the answers clear and obvious.
- Asking friends and family members to put your website through its paces. Note what problems they have, and work to repair them.
4. Persuasion
The last cornerstone your website needs for a solid foundation is persuasion – the ability to convince your website readers to take the steps necessary to make a purchase, sign up for more information, or fulfill your website's other goals.
Optimising Persuasion Techniques
Some ideas to consider when optimising for persuasion include:
- Do your readers think your site is trustworthy?
- Do you have a professional-looking design?
- Do you build a powerful case for why your readers need your products or services?
- Are your prices competitive (and well-justified)?
By tweaking these four cornerstones of a strong website, you can help ensure that the foundation of your online business presence is solid, thereby helping you to increase profits. If you would like a no-obligation consultation to review the effectiveness of your website, please call 01488 674191.
Personalising the Buying Process
When the proprietor of a business knows you by name and helps you pick the products that are best suited to your specific needs, you're more likely to want to shop there than with a soulless competitor. The same thing holds true online.
Here are six ways that you can personalise your buying process to build customer loyalty and drive repeat sales.
1. Welcome Messages
What is the first thing that a friendly proprietor does when you walk through the shop door? He greets you, making you feel welcomed. Bring this friendliness online by greeting your site visitors, by name when possible, as soon as they start the buying process. This will help them feel valued and positive about shopping on your site.
2. Wish Lists
How many times have you seen something you loved at an online store, only to realize, when you return to buy it, that you've forgotten which item it is? In a brick-and-mortar store, customers can wander the aisles until they see what they want, but this is more difficult to do online. Personalise your buying process and boost sales by letting customers create their own wish lists, for easy shopping on return visits.
3. Provide Recommendations
Your friendly proprietor pays attention to what you are shopping for, in order to point out related products that fit your tastes. Good online businesses do this, as well, tracking buying habits so that they can make solid recommendations based on the products their customers have viewed and purchased. This saves customers time, while increasing the chance that they'll purchase.
4. Give the Checkout Process Personality
Many e-commerce businesses imbue their websites with personality, but leave their shoppers cold in the most important part of the buying process – the checkout. Instead, you should focus on making your checkout process personable and helpful. Provide reassurances at every stage of the checkout process, so that your customers don't abandon their shopping carts at the last moment.
5. Personalise Follow-Up Emails
You wouldn't trust a proprietor that was friendly as long as you were shopping but then turned a cold shoulder once the purchase had been made, would you? Don't make this mistake with your e-commerce business, either. Provide personable and personalised order and delivery confirmation emails, to keep that customer feeling valued throughout every communication that you have with them.
6. Friendly Reminders Keep Customers Coming Back for More
Some time after the purchase is over, reach out to the customer with a friendly and personalised email full of recommendations just for him or her. This will continue to show your customers that you care, as well as tempting them to return.
A true relationship with your customers will put your business well ahead of your competitors, and can be even more important than price for building loyalty and repeat business. Take the time to review your website and see how you can personalise it to better fit the needs of your customers. If you would like to discuss how you might be able to persoanlise your website's buying process, please call 01488 674191.
Turning an Error into an Advantage
It happens to every website sooner or later. A link breaks, a customer types something wrong, and they're dumped onto a 404 error page, a sure invitation for them to leave the site. Or is it? With some smart thinking, an error page can actually be an advantage for your website.
Here are some tips on how to turn a 404 error into a positive experience for your customer.
What is a 404 Error Page?
A 404 error is the response that a website gives when a visitor enters an invalid link. The standard response is a generic "Page Not Found" error message, which doesn't help your site visitor at all. However, you can customise the page that is displayed when a 404 error is generated – and it is critical that you do so.
Why Customise Your 404 Error Pages?
The standard 404 "Page Not Found" response is a dead end for your site visitor. There is no hint that shows what they did wrong, or how to proceed. The logical response from your site visitor is to close your site and look elsewhere for information.
A customised 404 error page, on the other hand, acts as a detour sign (perhaps with a friendly traffic cop standing next to it) to direct your readers to their intended destination. 'You've wandered down the wrong road,' says the customised error page, 'but here are some ways to get back on track…' Faced with good navigational aids, it's less work for your site visitor to follow your signs than to look elsewhere for information.
How to Customise Your 404 Error Pages
To make your 404 error pages a positive experience for your readers, here are some tips on how to customise them:
- Be Courteous. No one likes to take directions from a grump, in person or online. Start out by greeting the visitor warmly, explaining the problem in a way that doesn't make the visitor feel stupid for ending up with an error, and offering assistance in getting the visitor straightened out and back on track.
- Display the Incorrect Address. Perhaps the reader made a typo when entering the page URL. Showing the address they typed might help them find the problem.
- Suggest Solutions. List some valid addresses related to what the visitor typed. Perhaps one of these is the destination your visitor was trying to reach.
- Provide Navigation. Additionally, give links to the home page, the contact page, and the site map, to help the reader find the right path. Strong navigation could help them get back on course again.
- Promote the Search. Your site search could be an easy way for your reader the find the information they were seeking.
By providing a personable 404 error page that is full of navigational aids, you can turn a disappointment into a satisfying result for your site visitors. Don't let a simple mistake result in lost sales – customise your 404 error pages today. If you would like help with this, call 01488 674191.
Subject Lines that Get Emails Opened
It doesn't matter how brilliant your email copy, how fantastic your specials, or how tempting your discounts – if your readers never open your emails, they won't know a thing about them. A low open rate on your email reports indicates that you are losing potential customers with each mailing. So how do you entice readers into opening up your mailings?
Here are some fantastic ideas for subject lines that get emails opened.
- Be Specific
Many email subject lines are simply too generic to generate real interest. "Sale" is boring. "Sale – 75% Off!" is more compelling. "75% Off Women's Blouses" will reel in anyone who is at all interested in your offer. Your subject line should summarise the contents of your email as specifically as possible.
- Suggest Urgency
People hate to miss out on great deals. Everyone has a story of "the big one that got away." If a reader feels like the clock is ticking on an offer, he or she will be more likely to jump on it. For example, "Monday Only: 75% Off Women's Blouses" will get some pulses racing.
- Make Them Curious
A touch of mystery can tickle your readers' curiosity, spurring them to open your emails. Just don't go overboard with this – there's a narrow line between being mysterious and being vague.
- Make Every Word Count
Effective email subject lines are short and sweet. You have between 5 and 10 words to make your point, and the fewer words it takes to get there, the more successful you'll be. Don't waste space by repeating your company name or using unnecessary words. Succinctness is key.
- Have Some Fun
Especially when dealing with a younger, hipper audience, try to bring your company's personality across in your email subject lines. As long as you adhere to the other 4 guidelines, don't be afraid to play on words or seem a little silly. If you bring a smile to your readers' faces, you're more likely to boost your open rates.
By following these five guidelines, you can greatly improve the reach and effectiveness of your newsletters and marketing emails. Email subject lines should draw readers in, while accurately reflecting what they'll find in your newsletter. If your open rate could use some improvement, start testing the effect of changing your subject lines today! Need some assistance with your email marketing? Let us help; call 01488 674191.
Defining Your Business Website Goals
A successful website has defined goals, together with the ability to measure how well the website meets those goals and then tweak as necessary to improve its performance. But what can your business website really accomplish?
Here are five goals that businesses use their websites to achieve, which you can adapt to fit your own company.
1. Making Money
Many business websites are designed to directly increase the profits of the company by generating money. A few ways that business websites can achieve this are: Direct sales – offering goods and services for purchase.
Advertising – bringing in money from other companies.
Affiliate sales – selling products for other companies in exchange for a cut of the profits. A website that generates more revenue for your business is a clear asset.
2. Saving Money
Business websites can do more than generate revenue; they can also decrease the costs of running a business. Some examples of cost savings you could achieve for your business include:
- Saving employee time – offering frequently asked questions, training manuals, and online instructions can answer your customers' questions without tying up the time of your employees.
- Reducing overhead – answering questions online reduces the need for expensive free phone numbers and operators. By moving some or all of your direct sales online, you can save money on rent and utilities for offline locations.
- Reducing marketing costs – many people prefer email newsletters to catalogues and brochures sent by mail, and online marketing is significantly less expensive.
3. Building Marketing Lists
Whether you generate sales through email or direct marketing catalogues, you can grow your marketing lists through your company website. Online registration is quick and easy, removing barriers that could prevent interested customers from subscribing. Your website also gives you the option to make registering for a marketing list even more attractive with previews, white papers, and bonuses.
4. Lead Generation
Your website is a powerful tool for encouraging potential customers to request more information. It can answer preliminary questions, outline benefits, and clarify procedures for purchasing and using products. A well-crafted website can drive a significant number of leads to sales people, who can then close the deal.
5. Branding and Loyalty
Your website is a powerful tool to help make your business a household name, and to build loyalty among customers. With offerings like industry news, prize promotions, sales, games, and community forums, you can give your customers a reason to keep coming back to your site. This will also make your company the first they think about when planning a purchase, and will increase the likelihood that they'll recommend your company to their friends.
Not every company uses their website for all of these purposes. However, if you are only focusing on one or two website goals, you might want to consider how you can make your website work for you more effectively. If you would like a no-obligation consultation to help define your website goals, please call 01488 674191.