Just because the Internet is
global, doesn't mean it isn't local. In preparing your business to be
online, you will need a website. Now, the purpose of your website will be a
little different than the purpose of a website owner who sells to an
international audience.
If you want to keep your business local, your goal should be to make your
business as efficient as possible by using the Internet. The first thing you
must do is take inventory of how you spend your time. You probably spend
more time running your business than actually servicing and selling to
customers. Once you pinpoint where you spend most of your time (usually
doing non profit-making activities), then you will know how to craft your
website so that your website takes care of these non profit-making tasks for
you.
Once this is achieved, then you can turn MORE of your attention to
servicing and selling to customers ...where the money is found! Let's go
through a few non profit-making tasks that you probably do each day that you
can use your website to manage for you:
People call and ask for sales information or to get more details about
what you sell. They ask routine questions like:
- "What time do you open?"
- "What time do you close?"
- "When can I schedule an appointment?"
- "How much of a deposit do I have to put down?"
- "What forms of payment do you accept?"
These are questions your website should be handling for you. If you had a
commonly asked questions section on your website, you could simply direct
potential customers there. And, in all of your ads you would have your
website address listed so that prospects could find the answers to these
routine questions so they don't ask you.
Believe me, most people will go there first to learn more about your
business. Especially, as your local area gets more connected to the Internet
each day. This ultimately means less people will call you to ask these
routine questions.
- Your sales
literature changes constantly. Prices
change. The types of services and products you sell change. So your
sales literature is never really up to date. If your sales literature
was online, you could easily change prices, products and services
offered, office hours, etc - and it wouldn't cost you a penny.
- You
aren't as prompt with mailing sales information as you would like to be.
Here's where your website would
come in handy. Instead of mailing your sales literature or explaining
what you do over the phone (killing precious minutes), you could direct
people to your website for these details. When they call you, after
visiting your website, they will be better informed about what you do,
how you do it, and when it can be done. This means you will spend less
time explaining and more time providing the actual service or selling
the item desired.
When preparing for the creation of your website, you should concentrate
on the following critical areas:
- Commonly
asked questions. For
one week write down every question people ask when they call your shop
or enter your office. These questions and your responses to each will be
the foundation of a commonly asked questions section of your website. Be
as complete in your answers as you can be. The more complete you are,
the less people will call you to ask these questions. Remember, your
goal is to reduce the number of people asking routine questions so you
can concentrate of actually providing the service or selling the desired
item.
- Frequently
asked questions about each product or service you provide. Again,
for one week write down all of the questions and concerns people have
about the products and services you offer.
- Details
about each product or service you provide. Give
details such as available sizes, colors, styles, etc. Talk about the
limitations of each product and the best way to use them. If you offer a
service, do the same for each service.
Basically what I am saying is that your website should be an extension
of you. It should be an extension of your staff. Look at it this way, your
website should contain as much information to service potential customers
so that you or staff will be of very little need.
The purpose of your website is NOT to sell your product or service
directly. Do you understand what I am saying here? Remove all thoughts of
selling your product or service directly from your website. Most
commercial websites are trying to sell a product or service directly
online to an international audience. This is not necessarily your goal if
you only want to sell to people in your local area.
The main goal of your website should be to EDUCATE your website
visitors about what you sell and how you sell it so well, that when they
do call you or come into your shop or office - they are ready to buy!
This is how you as a local retail or service business owner should be
using the Internet to build your business. Simply use your website to
educate potential customers so well about your business that you spend
less time educating them in person or over the phone about these things.
Now, you and your staff can concentrate on providing the actual service
you're in business to provide or selling the goods you offer.
About the Author:
Christopher Sewell enjoys showing
beginners how to build a successful business online. Want MORE valuable tips
on how to build a successful online business, or tips on how your local
retail store can use the Internet to increase profits - download Chris's
FREE 24-page training guide today at http//www.beginnersguidetoecommerce.com
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