Web Site Marketing - boosting profits - interesting article
A Sneaky Little Technique That Can Boost Your Online
Profits By Up To 330%!
Copyright (c) 2006 Quick Turn Marketing International,
Ltd.
Today, I’m going to teach you an extremely powerful,
marketing “secret” that will get your profits
multiplying like rabbits.
But first… let me ask you something.
When is the last time a computer bought your product
or paid for your service?
The answer is never. No one sells to machines. And
yet, because of the net… because of the
technology… because of the automation… experienced
entrepreneurs who take their business online, forgot
that they’re doing business with PEOPLE.
The fact that your “store” is a website or that your
marketing message is delivered via email rather than
snail mail doesn’t change who your target is: real,
live human beings with thoughts, emotions…and
hopefully deep pockets!
Even though you’re using a webpage, an autoresponder,
or an email, it’s really YOU — a person — who’s
reaching out to a customer or prospect. Success in
selling happens when a one-to-one personal connection
occurs.
Relationship is the key.
You can’t sell benefits to a computer. You can’t get a
computer excited about how good it will feel after
using your product or service. It’s so obvious; it’s
ridiculous. You’re selling to a person. And if you
want that person to buy from you, you need to put
yourself out there.
So why do a lot of people act like they’re criminals
and disappear when they’re selling online? Are you
guilty?
Do you use the Internet itself to create walls that
hide “human side” behind technology. Do you hide
behind emails instead of making phone calls? Do you
peak out from behind your website without offering a
“hard copy” way to reach you?
And do you play a weird game of hide-and-seek with
customers using frequently asked questions and
customer service “tools” so that you never really have
to connect?
I know, I know! You’re saying that automation and
technology are the biggest advantages of the Internet.
All these streamlined communications processes help
you do good business.
That’s fine, if what you want is good business. But
personal communication can make your business great.
Sometimes just by adding that personal touch… that
human factor… to your site can boost your sales by
100%, 200% to as much as 330%!!!
What am I talking about? I am talking about a tangible
demonstration that your business is trustworthy
because trust is at the foundation of every sale.
So it turns out that this secret strategy is actually
a simple one, too. I’m talking about adding a phone
number to your site… and a mailing address…and a
fax number. I’m talking about giving your customer an
option contact you one-to-one.
I’m talking about talking! Just talk to your customers
and find out what they want.
Now you might say, “Dan, this won’t work for me. I’m a
one-person operation and I’d get so buried by phone
calls that I wouldn’t be able to do anything else.”
You know how important testing is in business, don’t
you? Well, why not test my theory before you reject
it. Do it my way. And see if you will actually get a
lot of calls.
I think you’ll be surprised. I have a lot of clients
who add phone numbers to their sites, and they don’t
really get that many phone calls.
If you’re really stretched to the limits time-wise,
you could hire someone to handle it for you in-house
or outsource it… although I think outsourcing almost
defeats the purpose by putting you one step further
away from your customers.
Personally, I urge you to talk to your customers once
a while. It’s time well spent…even if time is money.
You’ll learn a lot from the conversation — what
people want and how they want it.
And that, I assure you, can be worth millions
(literally) to your business.
Do you know that a lot of people actually have a fear
of picking the phone and calling a stranger? So it’s
unlikely that you’re going to get flooded with a lot
of Chatty Cathies and Talky Teddies you’ve never met
before who just want to shoot the breeze for ten
minutes.
So why will people pick up the phone and call you?
Probably for one of four important reasons that make
these valuable calls that you’ll want to take.
1. They have an urgent problem, and they need a
solution now! If your product/service will solve their
problems, they’ll buy from you - NOW.
2. They want to buy from you, but they might
just have a few questions and you answer them well,
they’ll buy from you - NOW.
3. They might have a comment regarding of your
product or service. This could be helpful to your
business and make them more likely to buy from you in
the future.
4. They might have a problem, and they’re mad.
But even if they are, you can fix it for them. Then
they’ll love you, and they’ll buy from you again and
again.
You may not have realized it before, but every
telephone inquiry from a customer or prospect is a
money call. And when money calls, you want to be sure
to answer. Because each one of these money calls mean
sales in one way or the other.
Personally, I love it when my phone rings. Because
it’s either one of my deep-pocketed mentoring clients
who wants to run something by me OR a prospect who
wants to give me money.
Ching-Ching! How can you NOT love those calls?
And here’s a special message for you if you’re selling
a luxury service or a high-end product. It’s tough to
sell big-ticket items offline, and even tougher
online. It’s not impossible… but it’s tough.
Think about it. Someone who’s looking for a marketing
consultant and sees your site is probably NOT going to
plunk down $5000.00 in an electronic payment just
based on nothing more than your online sales copy.
And don’t be fooled that an autoresponder series will
do the trick any better. It’s tough to close a sale
for thousands or tens of thousands of dollars just
through emails. Not impossible… but tough.
But, you can easily close a $5000.00 sale via the
telephone. (If you know how to “give good phone,” that
is).
A lot of copywriters don’t do it the “easy way.” They
avoid the telephone. They only communicate via emails.
Or they charge exorbitant “consulting fees” for phone
calls as a way to telegraph that they don’t want to
speak to people.
Now, that’s their personal preference. But perhaps
they should put themselves in the shoes of their
clients who say, “This means I’m going to hire a
copywriter and pay thousands of dollars to a service
provider — an employee — that I won’t even be able
to speak to by phone? That stinks!”
Worse than annoying a prospect, lack of accessibility
makes people suspicious. They might feel like you’re
hiding something… that you’re not being totally
upfront.
Take the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg.
The mayor’s office has a website, but his home phone
number is listed in the telephone directory. And,
while it sounds unbelievable, he actually does pick up
the phone when he’s home and talk to his constituents.
They love him for it.
Take me for example. I am actually one of the very,
very, very few experts who can be reached by phone. If
I’m not on a call already or working one-on-one with a
client in my office, I always pick up the phone.
And when I can’t pick up before the machine does, I
try to return all my calls promptly. (Unless, they’re
trying to sell me insurance or some crap.)
Accessibility is, in a way, my unique selling
proposition. People are actually very surprised when I
call them back. They know how busy I am. And my
prospects respect and appreciate that I prioritize
them.
Is every call a walk in the park that ends with a trip
to the bank? Well no. Sometimes I do get calls from
some jerk who just wants to “bust my balls” or waste
my time.
But really… the whackos are few and far between.
Most of my callers are good people. They’re calling me
because they want me to help them with their
conversions, not because they want to BS the weather.
I’d say 95% of the people who call are very serious
and I’m happy to have the opportunity to speak with
them. As for the other 5%… once they “reveal”
themselves, I get off the phone very quickly.
So how can you use this sneak technique to beef up
conversions on your site? To borrow the old phone
company slogan: “Reach out and touch.”
Add a telephone option to your site and take orders
via telephone. If you think this could be
overwhelming, you could test just taking calls within
business hours.
If you’re doing huge volume, add a toll-free number.
If you’re doing big business in the international
market, outsource so that you can accept phone orders
24/7.
The Internet is the Land of Opportunity, although some
online entrepreneurs think they’re in Lazy Land… and
don’t understand why they’re not succeeding.
They want to live the ultimate Internet marketing
lifestyle dream. They want everything to be automated.
They want their ads to find the prospects, they want
their site to sell the prospect, take the money, and
forward a deposit directly into their online bank
account.
That dream can be real, but too many business people
are relying too much on the technology to do ALL the
work for them. Sometimes, it’s good to go back to
old-fashion communication. Silence may be golden,
but in business… talking is pure platinum.
We’ll “talk” more soon.
Dan Lok
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
A former college dropout, Dan Lok transformed himself
from a grocery bagger in a local supermarket to a
multi-millionaire. Today, Dan is one of the most
sought-after business mentors on the Web, as well as
a best-selling author. His reputation includes his title
as the World’s #1 Website Conversion Expert.
To find out what Dan is up to now, visit him at: