Selling in today’s online marketplace is harder than ever. The growing number of tools and strategies that help businesses reach their target audiences makes it hard to find what works.
The needs and behaviors of consumers are constantly evolving, keeping businesses on a never-ending search for marketing strategies that bring consistent returns.
Building a website that actually sells gives you better results at lower marketing costs. The following helps you focus on the needs of your customers through your site’s design so you attract the right prospects and convert them into paying customers.
Start With a Customer-Centric Website Design
Using a website as an online brochure is one of the biggest mistakes businesses make. Websites need to be engaging, informative, and relevant to its visitors. But most of all, websites need to sell.
Successful businesses listen to their customer’s needs and build websites that answer all of their questions while supporting their buying decisions.
Avoid using your website to tell your audience what you think they want to know. Instead, address their concerns and consider the secondary needs that your competitors aren’t meeting.
There are many ways to learn about your target audience. Businesses use social media, online surveys, email marketing, and other channels to gain insight into what customers are really looking for.
Speak Your Website User’s Language
The more you learn about your target audience, the better you’ll understand the language they use when discussing their pain points and the solutions they’re after.
Too many businesses speak their own language, using industry terms that users may not recognize. They fail to engage and compel users to move further along the sales process.
When creating your website’s copy, use language that your visitors will immediately understand. Emphasize the benefits they’ll get when they purchase your products or services instead of just highlighting their features.
Design a Website That Builds Trust
Trust and credibility are essential to succeed in your marketplace. Knowing the customer’s needs and speaking their language go a long way in building trust.
Creating transparency throughout all of your site’s pages and marketing messages reduce the friction that can get in the way of the sales process.
Demonstrating your expertise, providing useful and relevant information, and being responsive to your website’s visitors are ways to create a trustworthy web presence.
The wrong web design strategy can keep you from building trust. Don’t withhold any information that users need to know. Address all objections to your offer at every step along the journey through your site’s content.
Knowing How to Sell Online
Lacking a basic understanding of sales is another way businesses miss the mark with their website designs. Nurture prospects rather than try to close the sale on the first visit.
Websites need a system for generating leads and communicating with those leads over time. You can deliver value by offering resources and tools that help them achieve their goals.
This establishes your credibility and keeps your business “top of mind”. When prospects are ready to buy, you’ll be positioned as the first and obvious choice.
Articulate the value proposition of your offer. Speak to your website visitors in a way that resonates with them on an emotional level as well as a logical one.
Include secure payment messaging that shows users that they’re personal information is safe. This is especially important at the point of check-out where cart abandonment and other issues interfere with website conversion rates.
Your website can be a powerful tool in selling your products and services. It can educate your target audience, answer their questions, and build trust and loyalty in your brand.
