DirectMoneyNow.com's Home Business Report- Thursday, April 26, 2007Publisher: Ephran Price~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Director of Website Development, Worldprofit.com Sandi Hunter Date Created: 18-Feb-04
I spoke with a customer today who admittedly had missed the boat entirely on getting her website up in time for Christmas orders, but she vowed this is the year she is going to do it! She told me she simply couldn't avoid it any longer as she knew she was losing business by not offering customers the option of 24 hr online ordering. So she asked me if I could show her an example of a good ecommerce website. By ecommerce she meant a website that allows secure online ordering at the site.
The site that I offered to her and to you, as a very good example of a successful website is one owned by Pemberton Farms. Pemberton Farms sells gift baskets, gourmet goodies, food trays and more. To help you understand why this is a successful website, I have outlined the major reasons below. It is my hope that by reviewing this site you will be able to see visually the critical aspects of a website that continually generates sales.
Readers, go to this site at: http://www.pembertonfarms.com/
Notice the following critical elements that this site includes:
1. Professional Design. The design is simplistic but effective, quick loading, and employs a navigation style that suits the site purpose and the needs of the user.
2. Marketing Smarts. This site makes you, the prospective customer an offer in an attempt to earn your business today, or in the very near future. In doing so they motivate a sale. They have also made the offer of a free catalog. In exchange for your contact information they mail to you a product catalog and then have your contact information for follow up marketing purposes. A free newsletter is also offered on the site. A newsletter allows the site owner to stay in regular contact with both customers and prospective customers with special offers, savings, coupons and more. A newsletter is one of the most powerful aspects of online marketing to earn new, and repeat business as well as website traffic.
3. Consumer Needs . This site has thought of every potential question that prospective customers might have about shipping times, shipping prices, taxes, guarantees and other customer service items. They have located all of this information on the site with simply one click access. This is very wise as it helps build consumer confidence that this business is experienced, reputable and committed to customer care.
4. Complete contact and easy order information . On this site is is very easy to contact the company or place an order. We all like simple and easy, nothing complicated or time consuming. This site does a very good job of keeping this vital information easy to find. The security aspect is emphasized for online orders, but for anyone shy of online ordering, an 800 number is also available.
5. Product Display. Your website is your online store. Accordingly, if you are selling products they MUST be professionally and attractively displayed. It is a requirement that any photos used be of excellent quality, catalogued, and thumbnailed for quick load with the option to enlarge. Descriptions of the products must be well written and complete with enticing details. Customers must be made assurances about site security when placing an online order.
6. Customer Account Status: This website also includes a My Account Section . This is an example of a dbase in action! Many of our readers ask what a database application is on a website, so here is one example. Not every website will need or have use for a Customer Account Status, but if appropriate it does offer many advantages. It gives your customers the convenience of finger tip access to their order information. This accessability saves your customer time, and it saves company staff answering questions from customer by email and by phone about the status of their order.
The only suggestion I have to improve upon this site design, is that it could have included testimonials from customers/recipients who expressed satisfaction about their order . When words of praise for a company or product are expressed by a happy customer it can be very powerful and adds to the confidence of prospective buyers.
If you are considering putting your products or services online for sale, take heed of these points and be on your way to your own successful site!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Author:
Sandi Hunter is the Director of Website Development at Worldprofit.comGet Sandi's latest Ebook FREE!It's called DesignProfit: Everything You need to Know To Create A Website That sells!Download at http://www.worldprofit.com/designprofitEmail: customerservice@worldprofit.com Or call Sandi at 780-444-7477 ext 221 M - F, 9 - 3 pm MST.
Questions? Talk to me in person, directly, at 502-473-1313.
Ephran Price - President DirectMoneyNow.com & Worldprofit Dealer
Email: ephranprice@gmail.comURL: http://www.DirectMoneyNow.com=========================================================(C) DirectMoneyNow.com 2007 All Rights Reserved.