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Moving communication campaigns into action |
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Three types of information your customers probably need Here is a back issue of Marketing Booster, the email newsletter that Richard Groom writes and sends free every fortnight to subscribers. You can subscribe here or read over 60 back issues using the back issues index page. I received an email from a Marketing Booster subscriber recently who asked me for a bit of feedback on her web site. She runs a shop and is keen to sell more products on line. We had an interesting exchange of emails where we tried between us to work out how her web site could generate more orders. One of the things we came up with was that in many cases there wasn't much information about the products for sale. Sometimes there was just a photo and a one-line description. This coincided with me trying to find some specialist guitar-related products via the internet. (Yes, I'm spending money on guitars again!) I found that in many cases I was unable to buy a product because the essential information I needed was missing. I had to call the company to ask for the information, which in a way defeats the object of selling online. Am I the only one who feels this way? Or do you, like me, also feel that all too often the information we need is missing? So here are my top three categories for information that any retail web site in particular could contain for each product. 1. The basics. This could include size, weight, colour and material. If any of these things are relevant to a purchase decision then list them. Why wouldn't you? The trick is to anticipate the questions that customers might have and then answer them. If you do this well you will reduce the number of phone calls you need to take and make more sales to people who previously haven't bothered to call (they just click on to your competitors). 2. Usability. How easy is it to assemble, install or use your product? If it's a self-assembly piece of furniture, for example, why not mention how long it takes to assemble? Or if it's a piece of software, how long will it take to install? Better still, why not offer the assembly or installation instructions as a download so people can see for themselves before they buy? 3. Personal opinion. If you are selling great products then why not blow your own trumpet? For example, if you are selling dinner plates why not say 'this plate has a very attractive design that many customers have been delighted with, and it's also of a high quality that won't show any scratches from cutlery for years to come'. As long as your opinion is based on fact, and as long as the actual product will live up to the claims, then there's no reason not to put a bit of personality into your marketing. Add in some customer comments and you will start to generate a bit of interest or even excitement about your products. This isn't just for web sites . . . The same principles can of course be applied to brochures and catalogues. In fact, wherever people look for information you should make sure the answers are there waiting for them. In most cases, the information already exists. It's just a case of putting it in a suitable format and making it easily available. Copyright 2005 Richard Groom |