The problem is, it isn?t *their* site! Let me explain....
Think about it a minute. Why do you believe most department
stores now willingly offer refunds? Years ago they didn?t.
In fact, it was a well-known fact that, if you bought it,
you owned it for life. Yet, in just the last 15 years or
so, that way of thinking has been completely reversed. The
reason? Customer demand.
Retailers recognized a customer need, and they filled it.
They understood that customers were the ones who made the
purchases and, therefore, the ones who kept their retail
stores in business. The smart thing to do? Reverse the
refund policy and keep customers happy.
Was it the store?s idea to offer refunds? No. If it were up
to the stores, no money would ever be returned. After all,
it?s *their* store, isn?t it? They can do what they want.
Yeah, right! Not if they want to stay in business.
The same principle applies to your website. Sure, *you* may
want to use certain colors on your site, but what would
your customer prefer? Your favorite thing in the online
world may be flash intros, but your customers might despise
them. You may not like the idea of offering a guarantee,
but what about your customers? Whose site is it, anyway?
Yours? No, not really.
Before you get too entangled in making your site everything
you want it to be, consider your customers? wants and needs.
ACTION STEP 1
Make Your Copy Customer Focused - Go back to your site and
read your copy. Does it say anything similar to this?
"Welcome to my website. My company does this, that, and the
other thing. I am the best company of my type on the
Internet. My site has been online since 1999. Buy from me."
If so, you have some work to do.
Focus on your customers. What are their needs/wants? Rather
than copy that says, "Me, me, we, us, I, I, I," you want
copy that acknowledges visitors, makes a connection with
them, defines their needs, and offers solutions to their
problems.
ACTION STEP 2
Turn Your Site Into An Invitation, Not An Eviction ? Do you
have a flash home page? If you check your stats, I?ll bet
you?ll find more people who skip the flash intro of your
site than people who actually view it.
Flash is extremely popular with Web designers, but it is
extremely unnerving to site visitors. Don?t force flash on
your customers.
ACTION STEP 3
Check Your Navigation ? Can your visitors find their way
around your site easily? How would you know? The best way
to find out for sure is to ask a few people who have never
seen your site before to surf on over and take a look
around. Ask them to spend 10 or 15 minutes browsing. Then
ask them to tell you about their experiences.
Paying due attention to your customers and their needs is
one of the best things you can do to improve your online
business. Put yourself in your customers? place. When you
turn your site into a welcoming environment specifically
designed for your visitors, they can?t help but want to
return again and again.
----------------------------------------------------
Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com
FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful)
Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business
Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane
