A website is no longer an option but a necessity, a must for most small businesses and home businesses in this vast communication era. Surfing the internet, you will find a huge quantity of websites and the point is how to make your site distinguished and then profitable? You may curl your lips and say, 'we should not judge by the appearance' and 'we’d better focus on our products’ quality' but, in fact, hardly can a poorly-designed website persuade potential consumers to open their wallets.

What do you need to do? Aim at your website.

Make your website look professional

Never think a website is enough for your business. Maybe this was right a few years ago but now everything is changing. It must be a professional website. Why? Very simple - an ugly façade will probably make consumers think your company is unreliable. But, how to make it professional?

Try to make your website simple and clear. Don’t let your consumers take a long time to download (keep each page to no more than 40K and use thumbnail-sized photos with the descriptive texts) otherwise they will give up and try another site.

If you sell many different items or many products just in one range, classify them in a wise way to make them easy to find. For example, if you sell software, try to divide them into many categories such as 'DVD morpher,' 'MP3 morpher,' 'music morpher,' etc. Then, in each category, focus on the smaller units: 'basic version,' 'gold version,' 'diamond version,' and so on.

Make your website sound interesting

Your website is for doing business, not for promoting a singer or a music band. I know that but music/sound/voice is also a key to lure your consumers. Try to have a look at a product tour or product demonstration in some certain websites, you will see how effectively music/sound/voice can promote your products.

You are wondering, 'How can I do that?' Actually, it is also simple. With a software called 'Voice Changer Software' you can change your real voice, do-it-yourself voice-overs, create different sounds, etc. to vivify your website.

Impulse sales

Have you ever noticed that candies and magazines are usually displayed near the check out counter in retail stores and supermarkets while cosmetic stores often have perfume near the cash register? Actually, they are some tactics that help increase sales by putting items that make good impulse buys in places that you pass through to get out of the store.

Some similar tactics can be used for your website. Always have a 'Buy now' button but don't make it too blatant. You can create a small ad, short review, or link and put it near the products. You can also increase sales by letting consumers know some other add-ons or related products with one or two links in the order or thank you page.

Build trust from your website

To build trust between your company and consumers, you should make your contact list easy to find on your site with your company’s information. You should also create a feedback form to let consumers express their thoughts about your products and services as well as all other comments and suggestions. Putting it on your site will form an impression of your company as it shows you care for your consumers.

Keep an eye on emails, newsletters, etc.

The advantage of e-commerce is 24/7. You may attract consumers to search for your website and buy your products all the time. However, this can also cause trouble. Maybe, while you are sleeping in New York, a consumer in Beijing writes a complaint letter asking you to reply immediately. I do not dare ask you not to sleep but suggest you should make your consumers happy by checking and replying to emails within 24 hours or less. For newsletters, no need to rush but you should keep them up-to-date.

Now, check your website again. Does it need to change?

About The Author

Chris Martin, Avnex’s copywriter, who has a profound interest in e-commerce, e-learning and home business. Contact him at www.audio4fun.com.

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