What
Does a Good Sales Web Page Need? by
J. Richard Kirkham
http://KirkhamsEbooks.com/Marketing/Articles/WhatSalesPagesNeed.htm
I have a
background in sales and public relations which transfers nicely to
the internet, which is just another form of media with the same
human beings with the same wants, needs and reactions as those who
read the newspaper and watch TV.
As a means of increasing
my affiliate products income, as of the date of writing this, I've
been going to topic
related websites in
order to secure interesting products and services I may offer to
others for a commission. Because I'm already Clickbank
merchant, using them to pay my own affiliate partners and take my
orders, I did my search for other merchants using
the same service.
What I found is this: The great thing
about the internet is anyone can try to start making money by
making a sales web page. The bad thing about the internet is
anyone can try to start making money by making a sales web page.
That's right folks, with no training whatsoever you to can
get started and make many of the same mistakes I've seen on some
of these websites some of which may still even be uncorrected on
my huge whatever you need discount type site.
Here are
some of the conclusions I developed while studying these sites for
product inclusion and sales potential:
Use Your Title Tag
Home Page doesn't give anyone including search engines enough with which to work. Would you open the door to a building without sufficient signage? Then why should a prospective buyer click on the link on a search engine that says Index?
Description tags Come Second to Importance
This
is the description that search engines will use. It's your job in
your description not just to describe, but to sell me on the idea
of clicking on your link to visit your site. If your sales pitch
sounds better than your description then put some of that pitch
into your description tag!
Two book stores happen to be
located side by side. Both have attractive store names, but one is
offering comfortable chairs and coffee as you browse. The other
store may offer the same thing but how do I know that without the
description of the benefits of going into that book store? Which
store would I go into? Which link would you click? The one
describing benefits or the one with just the title?
A Large Font Descriptive Compelling Title
Okay, I'm at
your page, you have about five seconds to get me to stay on your
page and keep reading, listening, watching etc..
How
to Take Strikes and Counter-Attack Even When You're Hurt
http://KirkhamsebooksMartialArt/Martial_Arts_Videos/
This title
obviously attracts martial artists, boxers and those interested in
self-defense.
Graphics
Due to an experiment in making my sales pages copy and pasteable into emails some of my pages are lacking graphics. Graphics include a book cover please. Some of my older books still lack book covers and I'm finding a good titled, colorful book cover will attract attention, give prospects more confidence in your product and therefore potentially increase sales.
Samples
When I go to
an off line book store, I'll read the cover, read the inside flap,
table of contents and flip through pages. Admittedly, I'm still
correcting this in some of my own ebooks, but I see the importance
in giving the public the same options as they would in an off line
book store. Providing a downloadable free version of your ebook
would give your prospects the same privileges as if they trekked
through the rain, paid $3.00 per gallon for gas and drove to their
local book store. An on-line version with the page linked should
be considered as an alternate option.
This will help with
search engines and help with a problem I myself have. I will often
download a sample of a product and sometimes not look at it for
over a month. 'What's the hurry', I think to myself, 'it's on my
hard drive.' Sometimes I feel reading it online will tempt me
faster to buy.
Customer Service
Okay you're at
the book store and you have a question about a book or you can't
find the book you're looking for. So you look for the staff, which
are no where to be found. What do you do? Well hopefully go to my
book store, but probably go to the the next book store down the
street, find an attentive staff member, get your questions
answered and buy your book there. By the way, which book store
will you refer your friends to?
My fellow authors and
business friends, all of this is true on the internet, only your
competitors are only a click away not a block away.
Don't
worry about spam, you have filters just like a book store may have
a staff member to screen calls. Worry more about having better
communication with your guests than your one click away
competitors have with theirs.
Post Visit Contact
Ever notice
how book stores will do everything possible to stay in contact
with you and get you to come back. They know you may not buy that
expensive book, CD or DVD on your first visit. Being a
multi-product store as opposed to a single product as some of you
are including myself, the book store will send you offers and
discounts in both snail mail and email. Every book store and
coffee shop I walk into has a card for me they punch every
purchase I make and after a set number I get a free product.
Do
not forget about your prospects after they buy or after they leave
your site.
The big point here being you're losing a lot of
sales and future sales without offering incentives to stay in
contact with your previous visitors as well as making it to their
advantage to revisit your site due to fresh content. Do you
archive your newsletters on your website with a link to those
archives on the newsletter you're sending out? Do all of your
newsletters contain a clickable link to your sales page. Giving
prospects a chance to read your archives could peak their interest
enough to buy your product. The links to your sales page will help
your search engine ranking a bit as well.
Conclusion
Familiarity
leads to comfort, comfort leads to confidence, confidence leads to
increased sales and happy clients confident enough to buy again
from you and refer others to your website. The next time you go to
a successful book store or comparable off line store similar to
your product or service, think to yourself, are my guests offered
the same benefits?
About the Author
J. Richard
Kirkham has been in sales related fields for over 25 years. Over
half of that time in a health related field. He's a dual certified
teacher and martial arts instructor. He has expertise in
alternative 
teaching
methods and positive reinforcement methodology. He's written
several books in the printable electronic format and has made
downloadable videos and DVDs.
His latest release is a collection of all the resources he has gathered over the years on the internet Submission Sites for Ebooks Articles Freeware and Shareware Clickable Ebook has stirred great interest. Feel free to visit Mr. Kirkham's website at http://kirkhamsebooks.com/WritersTools/
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