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| Are You Making It Hard For People To Buy From You? |
By:
Judy Murdoch |
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Think no small business owner in his or her right mind would ever make it difficult for people to purchase their products and services?
Before you answer the question, read the following true story.
True Story: Judy's Boutique Adventure
Not too long ago, I was running errands and, having a little extra time, decided to check out a clothing boutique that I had always been curious about.
This was a very nice shop that carried, mostly, high-priced lines. Not what I usually buy but what I might splurge on every once in while. My mind-set was "I could be persuaded if it looks great on me."
There wasn't anyone else in the store. I was the only customer. For that reason alone, you would think the sales women would be delighted to help me. But when the little bell on the door chimed, they glanced my way exactly once and then went back to whatever it was they were chatting about.
Now if the owner was there, things might have been different. Still, I thought it was really odd that here is someone in an otherwise empty store who might buy something, maybe enough to make their monthly commission, and yet they did nothing at all.
So I ended up looking at the nice things they had and left without spending a penny.
That very nice boutique (in an affluent shopping area by the way) closed its doors after being in business exactly one year and two months.
No big surprise.
Are you making it hard for people to do business with you?
Certainly not intentionally, but I see it happen all the time: weblinks that go nowhere, offers without information about what to do next, brochures that are jam-packed with lots of irrelevant verbiage, and so on.
If these small businesses are making money, it's in spite of the marketing they're doing--surely not because of the marketing I'm seeing.
I want to encourage you to make the buying process for your customers and prospects a "no-brainer." In fact, you want to make the buying process so easy and pleasurable, that your customers' only focus is enjoying the benefits that come from using your products and services.
So how do you make the buying process easy and enjoyable for your customers and prospects?
Creating an experience that makes buying easy and enjoyable
Regardless of whether you interact with customers in a brick and mortar place or in cyberspace, the sights, sounds, speed of interaction, ease of getting what they want, etc. all leave an impression--positive or negative.
Why not do what you can to make the experience as positive and rewarding as possible?
It can be something very simple. For example, when I entered the store, one of the salespersons could have looked at me, smiled, and said "Hi, how are you today?" That simple greeting, her acknowledgment, would have greatly improved my experience. And as I was browsing, if someone had come up and said, "Is there anything in particular I can help you with?" that would have added points as well.
Notice this doesn't require them to be at my every beck and call. These are small actions that would have acknowledged my presence and would have eased the way towards a purchase.
Nope. I'm suggesting small, low-cost or no-cost activities that have a potentially large payout.
In the cyberworld, you can't literally smile at someone and offer to help. But there are still lots of small things you can do to improve your customer's experience and improve their likelihood of buying something, of coming back to buy more, and to send their friends and colleagues to your site.
For example, when it comes to retail websites, Amazon.com remains one of my favorites. Especially for browsing and buying books and media. If I'm looking for something specific, I usually find what I want quickly and I have always loved their one-click purchasing option.
In addition to the making the mechanics of searching for and purchasing easy, Amazon offers opportunities for social interaction such as customer reviews, Listmania, So you'd like to ... guides, discussion boards, and more. When it comes to social interaction, Amazon.com is not MySpace nor is it trying to be but for someone like myself who does a lot of research and reading, Amazon.com remains very high on my list in terms of usability, usefulness, and overall customer experience.
Bottom Line
If people are showing interest in your products and services but aren't buying, you may be unintentionally making the buying process confusing, difficult, or just plain unpleasant.
Don't leave money on the table. A few small actions may be all it takes to significantly improve your customers' buying experience and your bottom line.
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About the Author:
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Judy Murdoch helps small business owners create low-cost, effective marketing campaigns using word-of-mouth referrals, guerrilla marketing activities, and selected strategic alliances. To download a free copy of the workbook, "Where Does it Hurt? Marketing Solutions to the problems that Drive Your Customers Crazy!" go to http://www.judymurdoch.com/workbook.htm
You can contact Judy at 303-475-2015 or judy@judymurdoch.com
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