Make the Best Online Customer Sales Experience.

How to Make the Perfect Online Sale.

If you google up how to make the perfect online sale, most of the information will be about how to make the sale. The focus is on the seller and how he or she can sell something faster and easier.

It is harder to find something about how to help the customer have a better purchasing experience. So how can we switch that and focus on the customers needs and not on the needs of the “seller”

Consumer Options

Our readers have more options and places to purchase than ever before. And their attention spans are getting shorter. So, if you own an ‘e-commerce business” and want online shoppers to buy from you, you must be able to instantly capture their attention and make the purchasing process enjoyable and simple.

I Want Your Attention!

Even before we can offer that exceptional experience that will keep your reader coming back, we need their attention.

The battlefield out there is not just a “niche-driven” battlefield, it’s the battlefield of everything online. Why should someone be interested in “customers online experiences” when they can watch Mr. Depp and Ms. Heard sniping at one another or the latest pictures of Russia being embarrassed by Ukraine.

So first and foremost, we need to capture attention even before we offer our exceptional service that will drive return visits to our sites. And the only way we can do that on a website is by writing, images, or sound.

SEO and your Readers.

Your readers don’t care about SEO. Google does, but they don’t buy your products or services. Search Engine Optimization helps only in the way it makes it easier for the reader to find your content. You can find out here why Search Engine Optimization is vital for your website. SEO is important for your website rankings

What Do Your Readers Want?

Your readers and potential customers want a pleasant online experience, it is as simple as that. And what do we do to help ensure that the online shopping experience is a pleasant one? Here are some ways to create a customer experience that will have people buying from you, and coming back for more.

1) Loading Times.

A quick-loading website. Most people will leave your website if it doesn’t download in less than 3 seconds. And that is the same as for mobile. About 2 thirds of people now access the internet on a daily basis via their mobile phone. If your site does not load fast your readers will leave and find a site that does.

2. Supporting Images.

A good photo can help describe your content quickly and easily. Don’t underestimate the power of high-quality photographs of products even if they are stock photos.

Some online businesses feel that generic photos may not be as popular in getting the message across. However, even as adults we are captivated by images that help us process written information up to 60,000 times faster.

Google does rate “home taken photos” higher, but you are finally judged by the wallet or purse of the reader rather than the wallet or purse of Google,

Support your images with the correct color choices to capture your readers and define your product and brand. You can read more about color and brand here in my post, “Why Content Needs Video Images“

3. Write some outstanding content.

Users don’t only come to your site and follow you on social media to buy products. They also want to learn about your products and services, understand what sets you apart from the competition, and potentially communicate with other brand lovers.

These desires can be satisfied by your on-site material, but don’t confuse quantity with quality. Instead of putting out reams of uninteresting or derivative content, put more work into generating a few truly informative or engaging items.

4. Be Contactable and Include Customer Interaction.

Make sure you have at least one way your readers can contact you. An email address on your website is great as long as you respond to the emails sent to you.

In a “dropshipping” environment I would also add a telephone number and a 24-hour live chat feature. Chatbots can help with this.

Your readers also want to hear from other customers and their experience with you, so build in some form of social interaction. You could link this to some of the social platforms you are using to promote your business. Or, you could provide a whole section of customer reviews.

To overcome that skepticism of online marketing you need to build trust. And it sounds much better coming from someone else rather than you.

5. Be Careful with your URL Descriptions.

Your URL description is important with SEO but it also affects your readers online experience. Make sure your URL description relates to what you are writing about. You can write the best blog in the world but if it has nothing to do with your URL description and readers are leaving because of this, you’re wasting everyone’s time.

You can find out more about descriptive long-tail keywords here at “Fat Joe and Long Tail keywords“

These are a few things I use to improve my readers satisfaction, but we also need to consider the post-purchase period.

After the Sale.

• Finding new customers is time-consuming and costly. Yet once someone has purchased from us, how many people follow up and ask if the customer is happy.
• According to the Harvard Business Review, selling to a new client costs five to 25 times more than selling to an existing client.
• A good sales follow-up approach can help you increase your revenue by selling more to existing clients and gaining new customers through recommendations.
• The period following a transaction is known as “the honeymoon phase,” and it is characterized by a high level of excitement on both sides. Your client has just had a need fulfilled and you have made a sale.
• However, this is a sensitive period. Your “approach” throughout this stage might make or break any future customer interaction.

Say Thank You.

Treat others how we would like to be treated ourselves. Not many people send a personal ‘thank you for buying this card” these days. It is easy, and if heartfelt you are head and shoulders above so many already in being connected with your readers.

Some businesses send out emails. Others use a card attached to the invoice. Whatever way you use, it’s critical to express gratitude after a sale as part of providing a positive experience for your customer. The more personalized it is, the more memorable it becomes.

Thank you notes can include things like “Thank you for trusting us with your purchasing decision.”

Make sure the note includes contact information as well as the name of someone who can be contacted if the client has a problem or query. Problems are great because they lead to increased contact and potential sales.

Ask for Referrals.

Some people are very reluctant to ask for referrals as if this will upset the first relationship. How it is done will make the difference between success or being brushed off.

If you have truly provided superior service and you feel as if you have provided superior service, asking for a referral should not be difficult. It is in the way you ask and when that makes the difference.

Step by Step.

It’s an excellent idea to follow up with clients a week or two after the sale to see how things are going. Is their purchase satisfactory? How did they find the service? Do they have any other inquiries?

But don’t go overboard. Their t time is valuable. At this point, don’t try to sell anything. Instead, pay attention to your consumers and try to fix any problems they may be experiencing.

Request permission to continue communicating with them.

This is the stage in which you and your client establish trust and you may ask for referrals. And it is as simple as saying, “are you happy with the way in which we have provided advice, and would you be happy to let me provide that same professionalism to others you know”

This works for me, but find what works for you and practice and hone it until it works for you. But if the offer is declined do not continually ask. Walk away and continue to build your relationship with that client.

I Hope This Helps.

Your attitude and approach to your readers will ultimately define your success. A pleasant buying experience with everything working properly will put you in the arena of the “Super sales Affiliates” If you want to help and become a “Digital Nomad” or even a “Digital Doyen” you may wish to check out the “Leaders” in this arena.

Come in and kick the tires, have a good look around, and meet the owners. With a community of 2 million people, Kyle still takes time to say hi to anyone who stops by. And I know you’re thinking because it’s going to cost me money. But no, you do not need a credit card to pick up your free look around. Do yourself a favor and come and slam some doors and kick some tires, you might just like it.

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My name I Stephen and I bring advice to others in the online arena. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment. I respond to all comments on my website and also provide advice to those who follow me on Quora.

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