As you’ll see further down, we're running a useful marketing tutorial in this week's news. Editing the piece reminded me of the frustrations I sometimes suffer when visiting websites or trying to buy things online. I’m often gobsmacked by the difficulties put in our way by sellers who are clearly oblivious to the fact that their websites don’t work properly. A few simple changes made to the way these websites work, will increase both sales and the customer base. Sometimes a description’s unclear, links broken, filters aren’t working, pages take an age to download, or, having clicked through to see something in more detail, instead of being returned to where we’ve left off, we’re put back at the top of our search results list – and that can be on Page-1 rather than the Page-6 we’d already reached - so we must then navigate our way back to where we should be. I’m sure you know the type of thing! Our time’s valuable so we want to feel we’re using it wisely or we’ll take our business elsewhere. Plus, if your website doesn’t work properly, it will put doubts in our minds about the quality of everything else you do. 

  

As a potential customer, I always feedback via email any difficulties I’ve experienced and generally receive a grateful reply from companies I’ve contacted. A ‘thanks’ always helps, but what I really want to see is that they’ve fixed the issues next time I visit. It’s almost as if we’re part of a team. It might help them secure more sales but it makes my life easier too if things aren’t clunky. I don’t want to keep experiencing the same problems over again. 

  

So… apart from the issues highlighted above, here are my website tips: 

  

Have plenty of pictures and not just videos. Busy visitors are unlikely to choose to sit and watch a video featuring your sales message. I’ve been caught out so often, watching something to the end and not finding the information I needed. Videos are great if other options are available too and particularly so if they show the product in use or feature a ‘how to’ tutorial, so we can see how to put something together or how best to use it. If you’re demonstrating the power of your cleaning chemical or machine, have 'before & after' shots or show an area that's only part cleaned. If it’s lightweight, easy to manoeuvre or can fit in the boot of a car, show us! Remember 'a picture paints a 1000 words’ and when it comes to cleaning effectiveness, what better way is there to let your reader know that what you’re offering actually works? Case studies are another brilliant sales tool. Customers happy to share how much time or money you’ve saved them, or how much difference your product or service has made to their end results… well.. they effectively become part of an extended sales team but without the company car and expense account! 
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