This article is an oldie, but a goodie—I was digging through the post archives from the old site and decided that it might be a good time to bring ‘er back up. Enjoy!
The idea is pretty timeless, really: Place your marketing message at the point where your customers make the decision to buy, and with a little persuasive encouragement – POW! You’ve got the sale.
But if it’s so easy, then why aren’t more people jumping on the train?
Because online, the ideal point of sale is a little bit more complicated, and online is where we’re doing business. In retail stores, it’s easy. You have products, you have a cash register—you have a physical and exact point of purchase for customers, so you know exactly where to post your beautifully crafted sign saying, “These earrings would look amazing with that sweater!”
What is the point of sale?
By official definition, it’s the place where the transaction happens. (Pretty intuitive, right?) In your local grocery store, it’s the checkout lanes…ever wonder why it’s so tough to resist that pack of gum or celebrity gossip magazine while you’re waiting in line? It’s because you’re standing there ready to buy. And that, my friend, is the key to point-of-sale (POS) marketing.
But what about on the web—where is our point of sale?
In retail, it’s easy to direct customers to the register—you simply guide them by the layout of your merchandise. As they walk through the store, they pass all of your products, fill their carts and head to checkout.
But online, it’s quite a different story. Your merchandise and services are floating out there in cyber space, and your customers won’t find them if you don’t tell them exactly where to go. And for an added challenge, you’ve got the impatience and indecision of today’s online buyer working against you.
To counter this, your point of sale must be your entire website. Technically speaking, or course, it’s the page where your customers have to pay (or leave their email address). But to be sure, if each page of your site does not provide a compelling reason for your customer to keep reading, or keep clicking forward, you’re going to be left behind for greener pastures.
In other words, you have to make the sale on every page.
Make it easy for customers to buy.
Let’s face it—customers are spoiled. They’re used to getting what they want, when they want it. And if you can’t deliver, you’d better get out of the way.
We are only one broken link, one weak argument, or one convoluted message from being “back buttoned” into obscurity. But the good news is, our customers are even more motivated and ready to buy than the folks walking the mall.
They’ve come to your site for a reason, right? They searched specifically for what you’re selling, and now they’re here, just waiting for you to offer it to them.
That’s why it’s crucial to have a site that’s easy (and I mean easy) to navigate; clear, directive website copy; and a sales pitch that’s compelling enough to keep people on your site until the sale goes through.
Add a call to action on every page.
Like the rack of candy and magazines at the grocery store, don’t miss a single opportunity to appeal to your potential and returning customers about the great deal you’ve got going.
Each page of your website should serve as an active member of your sales team, urging your customers to “buy now,” “sign up today,” or “click here for more,” and should have a quick and obvious link to your transaction/email signup page.
Customers want fast, and they want now. So if they click on your sales promotion and there’s a broken link, it’s hello, back button…goodbye, sale!
Make buyers feel safe.
If you’re selling a product online, install a secure online order form using a web-based POS software system so your customers can shop with confidence. Today’s web-based POS systems are safe, secure and fast. Plus, the good ones integrate seamlessly with secure payment systems like PayPal, making it easy for you to leverage your customers’ motivation into a sale.
And if you don’t—well, I’m afraid your competitors already are, and you’ll be coughing up their dust before too long (that is—aghem—if you’re not already). As an added bonus, your POS system can help you track your customers, their spending habits, and your online orders. In fact, most systems link up to your accounting software, making managing your online sales a breeze.
By making a few simple changes to your website, you can add professionalism and quality to your online business.
So if you’re selling anything on the web, don’t wait any longer. Hire a professional web copywriter (that’s me) to streamline your online marketing message and your product will practically sell itself. Then enlist a POS system to create a simple and secure checkout form that makes buying online easy for your customers and makes running your business a helluva lot easier to boot.
But what if I’m not selling anything online?
You may not have a tangible product to ship out via e-commerce, but everybody’s selling something. Even if your ultimate goal is to collect an email address instead of a credit card number (although, wouldn’t both be nice?), all the same rules apply.
Your customer clicking “Sign up” is the same as someone else’s clicking “buy.” It’s all about that conversion. Just be sure to install an anti-spam protection system so your customers know their personal information is safe.
Follow these simple rules and before you know it, you’ll be turning browsers into buyers and sitting on a nice fat slice of that online market yourself.
Bon appétit!
P.S. Need help with website copy? Contact me.
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