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How To Make It Fast and Convenient To Buy From Your Site

If you've ever written a sales copy for your site, you know the amount of effort and creativity that goes into a truly effective sales letter. Internet buyers are sophisticated buyers and with the myriad choices out there, convincing them to buy from you and not from your competitors, is sometimes a monumental task.

But, here's the thing. Knowing how much it would take to make a good presentation, how would you feel about seeing all your effort wasted because at the end of the sales process, your customers end up confused and frustrated - not knowing where or how to buy from your site?

Not very good, I can imagine. What's worse, your customers would feel the same way and chances are, they'd look elsewhere to make a convenient purchase.

Make it easy and convenient to buy from you.

KEEP IT CLEAR AND SIMPLE

You can kiss your customers away if the set-up and sales process you have is convoluted and confusing. You may want to guide your buyers with a short note detailing the steps in the purchase process. The shorter the process (and the note), the better. Keep it simple and straightforward, all in one page without distracting pop-ups. Once they're focused on making the purchase, clear the way for them to do it.

You can prevent the disaster of customers wanting to buy getting lost in your site by having clear-cut navigation panel, a site map, or a link to your order page from your main site page.

PROVIDE PAYMENT OPTIONS

Let's face it, some people are not comfortable about giving their card information to any site, period. There's lots of them, and you'll be denying these customers the privilege to purchase from you if you have no other payment options. I've experienced similar dilemma in my own online purchases. There were times when I was quite ready to pay, literally rushing to give the merchant my money - only to find out they don't accept Paypal payments. So, always provide different payment options.

DISPLAY SITE SECURITY CREDENTIALS

Do you use secured encryption technology in your order forms? If you don't, you're making a serious mistake. Seasoned internet buyers will always look for that SSL certificate and guarantee, before parting with their credit card information. They may trust you and your brand, but they are wary of your site's security technology. Don't lose customers by omitting to take care of this basic requirement.

ARE YOU A TRUSTWORTHY MERCHANT?

Build-up your credibility as an online solutions provider by clearly outlining your technical support capability and your after-sales service and contact information. People making purchases in the internet are more careful about it since they don't meet the merchant face to face, unlike in most offline transactions. You can reduce customer stress by providing a clear-cut guarantee and a description of how you are going to help them deal with issues after the purchase.

PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS

I've written about this in a separate essay, but we can't overemphasize the importance of testimonials. Include in your sales copy or display in a prominent place in your home page the comments and testimonials of people who have purchased your products before. Someone on the brink of making a purchase would find it easier to decide, knowing that others have purchased and have enjoyed the benefits of your products, before them.

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