When you do a search for products that you sell, you probably are listed higher than Amazon for those keywords. But Amazon sells more online than you do. How do I know that? Because Amazon sells more than anyone else does online. And they have a secret as to how they do this, which I am going to share with you.
One of the most common complaints I hear from website owners is not that they aren’t getting any traffic, but rather, that they aren’t getting any sales! But when I go to look at their websites, I almost always find the same thing: nothing that makes me want to buy!
You need to give your visitors enough information that they can make an informed buying decision. People come to the Internet looking for information, so give it to them! Web pages do not have physical limits like print ads do, and studies have shown that the more information you give someone, the more likely they are to buy! Since your customers can’t physically see or feel the product, the information you provide is critical if you are going to make a sale. One more time: Give your visitors all the information they need to buy from you – you are the salesperson, and your web page is the only way you have to communicate with this virtual customer – use the space to sell them!
What exactly does this mean? Well, you need to give them more than one photo of your product. Show the product from all sides, various angles, close-up and far away. In fact, add a video to show how the product works. Don’t just use the manufacturer’s description of the product – as the expert who is selling the product, provide your customers with your own insights and observations. TigerDirect.com does a fantastic job of this – every product has multiple tabs as shown below:
Notice that they also have 20 different images of the same product.
I recently did a web site review for a customer. This was a typical product page:
My recommendation was not that they just add a little more text, but a whole bunch of text that gives exact product dimensions, specifications, and a description that really appeals to the buyer’s emotions. It should look more like this:
Now for Amazon’s dirty little secret: let your customers sell each other! Include product reviews with every item that you sell. Customers trust other customers before they trust the manufacturer or the salesperson, and Amazon uses this to their advantage. Most shoppers will visit Amazon before they visit other sites, simply to read their product reviews. Amazon also does a great job of cross-selling (would you like cheese with those crackers?). Both of these things are critical to your success in selling online.
Here is a quick review of how to sell products on your website:
1. Provide detailed descriptions that appeal to your customer’s emotions
2. Include multiple images of the product from various angles
3. Include complete specifications and dimensions
4. Add customer reviews and testimonials
5. Cross-sell with other related products
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