Aug 1, 2009

Successful Internet Marketing

Move Your Potential Clients Through a Successful Sales Process

You can move any client or customer through a successful sales process, whether they are coming to you online or more traditional methods and here is how to do it.

You do this by following a five step process in your Internet marketing strategy that continually builds trust and confidence by meeting the psychological marketing needs of that visitor and potential customer while escorting that visitor through the selection and purchasing process. Creating a successful online sales process can be accomplished by making sure that you represent and court your visitor through the five levels of the sales process on your site. Anyone who has studied any marketing at all knows that there are psychological needs that must be met in order for a person to be persuaded to purchase a product or service.

If it’s a product you are selling, are you representing that product to solve a specific problem or meet a specific need?
If you are selling a service, are you getting in touch with the pain of your potential client to draw their interest into what you are offering?

There are steps that you can take to effectively do that and in response witness the successful sales process over and over in the virtual world that is why an Internet marketing strategy is a necessity not an option.  The five levels of the sales process build on one another in many ways. An Internet Marketing Strategy that is done correctly will clearly define all five levels of the process and how they are represented through your site. The strategy will then assist you in setting realistic and attainable Internet marketing goals. It will also assist you in using each step to build and influence the others so that the process continually moves toward the successful close of the sale.

These five levels of the sales process are the core components that will move your website viewer from visitor to customer or client. By representing each level that is mentioned below and courting your potential client or customer through those levels you will have the power to move your site from failure to success.

1. Marketing/Prospecting to your Target Market and Audience
2. Build Credibility and Trust - (Your viewer needs this to move forward)
3. Escort and Court the Buyer through the Process - (Meet their Needs 7 out of 10 want to buy!)
4. Present the Product or Service that meets their needs
5. Successfully Close the Sale

Let’s explore each phase in depth, so that you have a greater understanding of how you can put these principles to work for your business.

Level 1: Marketing/Prospecting

Prospecting is the result of your marketing. It's the delivery of targeted qualified traffic to your virtual storefront. This can be achieved by search engine optimization, pay per clicks, or advertisements that draw people to your site. Once they are there it is your job and responsibility to deliver your Unique Selling Proposition. Not sure what your USP is?

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What is the obvious void in the marketplace that your product or service fills?
2. What makes your business stand out as distinct and appealing that sets your business apart from the rest?

Level 2: Build Credibility and Trust

In a brick and mortar business trust is built by human interaction. Greeting a person when they walk in the door or physically helping them find something that they are looking for, so how can you build that same trust and credibility virtually?

We think you will be surprised to find out that you build that same trust and credibility by the elements that surround the design and the development of your website. Your viewer is unconsciously judging your credibility by mentally asking themselves the following questions:

• Does this feel and look professional like a legitimate company?
• Is this site reliable?
• How fast is it downloading and are there broken images or links?
• Can I find my way through the site with the navigation that is provided, or are these virtual isles cluttered?
• How is the copy on this site?
• Is it powerful, does it draw me in or is obvious that there was no time taken to write it?
• Are there spelling and grammatical errors?
• Do the images draw me in or are they distracting and irrelevant?
• Can I find the companies assurances and privacy policies easily?
• What about customer support? Is it easily found?
• Can I access support and information that I need easily or is it hidden?
  

Take a look at your site and ask yourself the questions above. Are you guiding your viewers or are you leaving them in the dark. Your site should work as a personal shopper, a live virtual assistant that knows the needs that your visitor has and makes the solutions for those needs easily accessible.

Level 3: Escort and Court the Buyer

A person who visits your site has been targeted if you followed the first steps in prospecting, so now it's time to qualify the visitor. How do you do this? It's actually very easy. A person happens on your site because they are looking for a solution to a problem. That solution can be a product or a service. Internet marketing studies show that 7 out of 10  visitors to a site are ready to buy. Take the time to escort and court them to what they need.

1. When you look at your current site are you helping your visitors to identify and find the best solution for that problem?
2. Are you guiding them to find what they need to solve the problem that they have?
   

Your navigation should be structured to help those that know exactly what it is that they are looking for, those who know what they want in general but aren't sure about the specifics, and those that are browsing and need you to give them some direction.

Level 4: Present the Product/Service

The presentation process is how you are presenting your products or services to your visitors as you guide them through the selection process after you have escorted them and found out what their needs are in the previous stage. It's important to remember that each level of the process overlaps. As you present your products or services to your visitor, be sure that you are continually keeping their attention and interest by motivating them to continue with the sale.

Level 5: Close the Sale

Does your site close the sale effectively? Take a look at each product that you offer, are you providing enough information about the product are you giving them assurance policies and/or guarantees regarding their purchase? Are your product descriptions enticing? Does your description answer common questions that visitors might have? Consider adding testimonials for each product or service to build added credibility. One thing that many e-commerce sites forget to do is provide payment information. Do you take credit cards, if so which ones? Can I pay you by electronic check? What if I want to mail my check to you, can I do that? Take the guess work out of the purchase. Another vital part of the close that is often missed is clearly communicating your guarantee and assurance that you will stand behind the product or service.

If you represent each level that is mentioned above and effectively court your potential client or customer through the five levels you will have the power to move your website from failure to success.

Name: Successful Internet Marketing
Author:  BestFit Solutions