Using the Web to attract and keep new customers
Many people can’t say “sales” without grimacing, forever associating the act of selling anything with pushy used car salesmen. Because many small businesses sell products or services, you must sell to stay in business, like it or not. But that doesn’t mean you need to don a plaid sports jacket to be successful.
When I sold products in the past, my sales technique was simple: I knew absolutely everything about what I sold. No customer could ask a question I couldn’t answer. I’m a technical guy, so I used a technical sales method.
Today, personalized Web service often replaces one-to-one sales meetings. Let’s look at how some companies use technology to sound like the world’s smartest salesperson.
No one needs an antique fountain pen, or a fountain pen at all. Yet Penbid.com runs a busy auction site. One way it keeps pulling people in is by offering education. Look see what I mean, click here. The Feature Article is centered on the page, with Article Archives running down the left. Your Web site can easily include articles such as these. All you really need is knowledge and expertise in what you sell.
Forums are another great sales technique. Use them to get customers involved and coming back to your site. Professional groups offer forums, and you can, too. You’ll just have to make sure they stay lively and current. A good example are the forums at Mars Music, a large retailer. In contrast, clicking on Penbid.com’s forum button might cause you to sneeze, with all the dust you’ll kick up. Also, if your product or service generates controversy or discussion, creating a forum gives customers a place to vent and attracts new visitors you can turn into customers.
Many Web site hosting services offer forum software as part of the package or for a small optional fee. Check with your hosting service, or if you host your own Web site, take a look at your optional applications. If you don’t have forum software built in, a Web consultant will set you up for a reasonable price.
Perhaps you sell toilet parts or driveshaft joints and don’t expect to publish compelling articles or launch lively discussions on your products. There are yet other ways to generate activity and keep your name in front of customers. The music site, www.zzounds.com, has an Ask the Expert section, as well as 3,500 manuals and spec sheets free for download.
I’m biased toward this sales technique because these are what works for me. Become the smart sales source and you can compete on an entirely new level, far above most of your competition.
Speaking of the competition, do you know what they’re doing? Go see what you like and don’t like about their Web sites, and force yourself to improve yours. If they don’t offer manuals, take a tip from Zzounds.com and offer them yourself.
Last, regular customer contact, when done properly, is marketing, not spam. Consider setting up a mailing list to distribute a newsletter. Even the cheap Web hosting services now throw in one or more mailing lists for those who prefer their information interactively. The newsletter forces you to push information out to your clients, much like this one you’re reading now. Many companies simply put their information articles and notices of new online manuals in a regular mailing. Just be sure each message or letter you send states up top how recipients can be removed from the list.
