Convert Website Visits Into Website Sales

Okay, so you've got yourself a website. You've worked hard on it. You've got every picture just right. You've chosen your words carefully and you've made sure your text is keyword-rich. That's all good, but will your website be interesting to your cusomers. Will it be compelling enough to keep them on your site long enough to convert website visits into website sales.

In selling of any kind, both online and off, there is an important factor called getting the potential customer to the buying decision. There are a variety of ways to do this. Some are nice. Some are not so nice -- you know the image of the classic used car salesman, loud mouth and loud clothes -- and we want to stay on the side of nice if we can.

It has been said that, on average, you have about six seconds to grab the visitor and get them to stay on your website. I'm always concerned about averages because someone is certainly getting my "yearly average" of aspirin tablets! The majority of visitors to most websites, however, do seem to hit the home page, take a quick look, and move on to someplace else. What is it about those few, very successful, sites where the visitor stays to examine the home page and then clicks through to other pages on the site?

For most non-professional web designers search engine optimization (SEO) seems to be the primary focus of their efforts. They have heard that your website needs to be search engine friendly or you won't get any traffic. Often they forget the main purpose of the website: people. Yes, you want your website to be search engine friendly but, more than that, it must be people friendly too.

There is a concept in marketing that says to "sell the sizzle, not the steak", and this is important in website design. Promote your products or services, sure, but sell what it is about those products and services that will mean something to the customer; is what the customer wants to hear. Target your text to your customer. Include those features and benifits that make your products or services important to the customer. Make your text benefit-oriented. Identify the inherent characteristics of your products or services that answer the question, "What can your product (or service) do for me?" And then answer it!

The Internet is a huge, confusing, place seemingly without order or rules. Even if your site is found you need to stand out from the chaos. Your website needs order and clarity of purpose. It should clearly identify who you are and how to contact you. Your page you provide an easily understood, easy to navigate, menu system, often called a "user interface". Don't overload your home page but do use pictures to clearly show the nature of the products or services you offer. Use white space wisely. Stay clear of clutter.

Your home page text should first, and foremost, focus on your primary message. This is the overview of who you are and what you sell. You need to follow this with powerful secondary messaging that will help clarify the details. Use "call to action" terms like buy now, visit our..., sign up for..., download this file, read these testimonials, etc. Don't expect your visitors to figure out what to do, tell them.

Using animated graphics, Flash, or actual video can be a powerful way to get your message across but do be careful not to overload your home page. Pages that are all Flash (introduction, or "splash" pages) do not index well. Too much motion can be bothersome to many visitors and can do more harm than good. Moderation here is important.

Sound (music or voice-over) is another thing to consider but be very careful with this. Think about having the page open with the sound turned off providing a button or other control to start the sound if the visitor chooses to do so. Many people are bothered by sound and will immediately leave your site if there is any.

Your visitors may not have the same likes or dislikes as you. All your hours of work to get just the right shade of purple for your site will be lost on your visitors that don't like purple at all. A site designed with light, neutral, colors is probably best. Light colored text on a dark background is harder to read than the reverse. Soften a pure white, glaring, background with a very light shade of gray. Define distinct areas with soft background color or faded images. Don't add frills "just because". Be sure each element has a purpose.

Keep the number of clicks required to get to the end purpose to a minimum. If a visitor to your website has to click more than three times in order to buy a desired product you may lose the sale. One click to the category. One click to the product. One click to purchase. Sometimes it takes more but keep the number as low as possible.

Putting your visitors at ease, making them comfortable, is important but don't put them to sleep. Make it easy for them to find what they are looking for and tell them what to do. Most people need a call to action before they will actually take action. One of the most successful multi-millionaires in Toronto, Canada, had signs hung up in his first store that said, "Don't Just Stand There... Buy Something!" Crude, but apparently it worked!

Making your website user friendly -- yes, it's an over-worked term, but it does apply! -- is the best way to convert visits to sales. Your website home page is your alter-ego. It greets your potential customers for you. It needs to be effective. You don't get a second chance at a first impression.