Five Foolproof Ways to Improve Your Web Site Sales

© 2003 Vishal P. Rao

When you run an online home-based business, your web site is more than simply a company location. It's also your primary source of advertising and marketing. If you've noticed that sales are lagging or if you're simply looking for ideas for a site you're building, the following five tips can help you boost revenue and develop an even more successful web presence.

1. Stress Your UPS

In this case, UPS isn't referring to the delivery company. Instead, it stands for Unique Positioning Statement and it's one of the most important ingredients of your business. Your UPS is basically a statement of what sets you apart from your competition.

Think of it as an answer to the question: Why should I do business with you? You may choose to focus on service, price, or any other special feature of your business that would appeal to customers. Whichever feature you choose should be stressed in all your web site's content. Don't shy away from telling others what sets you apart.

2. Add Interactivity

Consumers are shying away from passive activities where they just sit and watch. Instead, they want to be a part of the action, so you need to give your potential customers several ways to participate at your site.

Possibilities include message boards, polls, chat rooms, and surveys. By adding these types of elements, you are giving visitors more of a reason to stick around, to return, and to recommend your site to their friends.

3. Stress Credibility

No one wants to buy a product from someone they don't trust, so building a sense of credibility with your site is crucial to your success. You can accomplish this in a number of ways:

 Adding an "About Us" section
 Providing complete contact information
 Offering a money back guarantee

These methods work for several reasons. An "About Us" section allows visitors to get a picture of who they will be doing business with while the contact information gives them the security of knowing they can reach someone in case there is a problem.

Furthermore, the guarantee expresses your confidence in your product and that confidence is contagious. Testimonials, client lists, and awards are also effective for building credibility.

4. Test Everything

The problem with most unsuccessful business owners is that they jump right in to things without ever taking the time to test their site, their product, their layout, even their links. The result is that too much money is spent on things that do not work.