Web Marketing All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition
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Before someone takes the final step to making your web marketing successful and uses a credit card to make a purchase from your business through your online ordering system, a series of questions go through his mind. Many of these questions can and should be addressed in your sales letter or on your product sales page. These questions must also be addressed during the checkout process, or it could kill the sale.

People want to buy from you. Your offer is the solution to their problem. All you have to do is not stand in their way. Too often, webmasters put too much effort into graphics instead of paying attention to writing copy that sells, or to the shopping cart itself, which provides a smooth order process.

By human nature, your audience consciously or unconsciously looks for reasons to not buy from you. Your job is to minimize those obstacles by providing the information they need to make an informed decision to buy while at the same time providing an easy buying procedure.

Here are just some of the questions your website visitors will be asking themselves before placing an order:

  • How do I get what I ordered? Clearly describe your delivery method.

  • How long will it take to get what I ordered? Mention whether you have the items in stock or whether a fulfillment house needs to burn a series of CDs that will be sent in the next three weeks, for example.

  • Is this site secure? Make a statement to your prospects that invites them to look for an image of a closed padlock in their browser while on your order page.

  • Is this company legitimate, or did it make an outlandish offer it can’t really fulfill? Use testimonials to prove that you can do what you say you can do.

  • Did I make the right decision? Assure buyers that their purchasing choice was a good one by offering a follow-up e-mail.

  • What will be done with my contact information after the order? Assure your customers that their contact and billing information is held strictly confidential.

  • Who do I contact if I have a problem with my order? Provide a phone number or an e-mail address where people can get in touch with you if they have any questions. Respond promptly to these communications.

  • Where do I go to get a refund? Mention this in your guarantee.

  • Did I get everything I was supposed to? Provide a checklist of all items that are to be received so that your customers can cross-check what arrived.

  • Should I expect more communication from the seller? If your product offer includes more communication from you — such as weekly coaching, a bonus e-course, or ongoing support, for example — be sure to state what to expect in the offer.

  • When will my credit card be charged?

  • Am I ordering the right product? A popular way to reassure the buyer is in the postscript statements at the bottom of the page.

  • Am I getting the best price possible for this purchase? Another element of effective copywriting is to tell your readers that you have scoured the web and have found that no one has what you’re selling, for the price you’re offering.

  • Have I completed the sales process yet, or do I have something more to do? If three steps are involved in the buying process, mention that to your customer. When the final step is complete, display on-screen that the visitor has completed the process.

  • Is it really worth the price? Reassure the buyer that your product is worth not only the price you’re charging but also a whole lot more as well. Back up that statement with real reasons to increase the value of the purchase. Assemble your product offers so that the buyer gets at least 15 times the price in value.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

John Arnold is the author of E-Mail Marketing For Dummies and coauthor of Mobile Marketing For Dummies.

Ian Lurie is President of Portent, Inc.

Marty Dickinson is President of HereNextYear.

Elizabeth Marsten is Director of Search Marketing at Portent, Inc.

Michael Becker is the Managing Director of North America at the Mobile Marketing Association.

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