Are you sale-orineted?
by: Robert Nixon
Are you sale-oriented? Is your website 'sales-oriented'?
Both of these are the same since your website is YOU as far as your visitors are concerned.
All the prospect is looking for is the 'best' deal for their investment when they visit your website. They have already made up their mind to purchase the type of product you have on your site. They have already taken the first step by looking for you and entering your website. Now it is all up to you to make the sale.
The benefits of the product determine if the prospect will purchase it, if it is with-in the prospects 'price range'. How you relate these benefits to them will determine if you make the sale or not. Where many fail is by not having 'qualification' questions on their site, or listing the amount of benefits the prospect will get for certain levels of investment. Sometimes the benefits are so good the cost will not matter. They will want it so bad they will pay anything within reason.
Simply state the facts ( an example follows ):
For $ 25.00 you get so and so.
For $ 50.00 you get so and so plus so and so.
Save money by getting five of our $25.00 products ( a $25.00 savings, or discount ) for only $100.00 Save money by getting six of our $50.00 products ( a $100.00 savings, or discount ) for only $200.00
If you think you will be able to 'convert' someone that gets a 'free' sample, or something else at no cost from you, then you must be very confident in your salesmanship ability to do so.
Here the Free sample must do all the selling for you.
I do not careless about all my 'free' sign ups in my associate programs, I just don't waste my time with them other than sending them a monthly or bi-monthly e-mail reminding them of their status. Some people use auto responders to do this and is a good idea if you get a lot. I feel that it is up to the free sign up themselves to take the next step. The best method is to limit their 'Free' access for a certain time period and notify them about the expiration. Once that time has past, take them off the books and move on, or give them something for Free with no strings attached. Another way that I have found is to keep them coming back to my site to use the Free something. At the least they will be exposed to my other offers at the site page they visit if they visit it on a regular basis.
Residual income is where someone pays you X amount on a regular basis instead of X for a one time sale.
Residual income is what you want to get and there are several ways to go about this.
Here is where the benefits will out weigh the cost. The great thing is that you can charge whatever you think the traffic will bear, within reason, of course.. Do not make any false promises or guarantee results. You may also never know if they use the product correctly. To solve this, send them, or publish an instruction sheet on proper use, handling and cautions. ( A disclaimer would be wise too ).
1. If they are purchasing a product they can get via shipment or download, then a one time charge is in order. You have to have a product that will generate a lot of this type of sale to make an income however. You can still get repeat purchases if the product has a 'shelf life'.
2. Have an optional levels of entry for monthly membership programs with 'up-grade' options. Here the best method is to get as a high a initial investment with a low time related fee to continue at the level they want to purchase. What you are doing here is getting a 'down payment', and what they are getting is a discount for giving you one.
For instance:
Become a Pro member for only $20.00 a month.
Become a Lifetime Pro member for only $100.00 plus a $25.00 yearly renewal fee after your first year.
You save over $100.00 your first year and over $200.00 every year thereafter as long as you renew.
( If you fail to re-new you will have to start over, however ).
Become a Lifetime Gold member by up-grading your present Gold status for only XXX. ( you get the idea ).
The cost of the investment will determine the prospects level of interest but you must always deliver what you promise.
3. Have a 'service' contract. In business you may sell a tangible product that may be in need of service on a regular basis, such as changing the filter, etc.
Have the prospect pay for timely delivery of the item just before the time of servicing is due. This can be done again by using one of the methods mentioned above or a combination thereof.
Example:
You work for a company that offers yearly service contracts, on re-fundable of course. The clients get X amount normal service calls (they must give at least 24 to 48 hours notice) for X amount charged a year. Additional fees are only charged for emergency, off hour or off day request (weekends or holidays).
4.Have options like types of 'support' for each level. ( Do not confuse this with the above service calls )
Example:
Lowest level gets free 24 hour response via e-mail only. But can get personal support by calling X for X amount of dollars for X amount of time, during normal business hours.
Mid-level gets free 24 hour response via e-mail and personal support by calling X ( a different number than the lowest level gets) either free or at a reduced rate ( if reduced tell them how much they save).
Highest level gets....well you get the idea.
5. Offer advertisements
Yes, you own your own business and you can offer advertisements on your site too. If you use a lot of banners, then one of their options should be a banner type also. Remember the prime locations for banners are the top, the bottom, the left and right sides in that order. Make the cost also relational to the size. If you use text advertisements as an option or additional option, then the amount of lines or the word count should determine the cost. NEVER let them have the top banner unless it is on a 'sub-page' of your site. When someone visits YOUR site they will be confused if they don't see you at the first thing they look at, and that will be the top center of the page. The second thing they will see is the top left, then they will start scrolling down the page looking for what they came to find.
Always respect your prospects and existing clients. Treat those that get the lowest plan the same as those that get the highest with courtesy and be professional. Be happy they have called or contacted you and let them know. Who knows? That 'lowest level' member may become so happy with your service, assistance or performance FOR THEM, that they may up-grade for that reason alone.
Robert Nixon
owner/webmaster
http://www.cpucash.net editor of ' The Insider's Newsletter'
About The Author
Robert Nixon has been active on the internet since it's start. Had a successfull shareware distribution business. Now dedicated to helping others with site improvement and avoiding scams. View their website at:
http://www.cpucash.net[email protected]
