Making money on the internet… Will your customers hate you?

written by Yann Vernier

Welcome back!

In the previous post, Making money on the internet… Do YOU enrage your customers?, we looked at the top frusrations your online customers find very, very, very annoying – and that will cost you money if you don’t address them.

Well, the #1 frustration experienced by online shoppers – that is people already wanting to spend money online! – is a big one.

Once again, it’s all about communicating with customers.

This was identified by Opinion Research Corporation in their annual study of online shoppers. And this specific gripe represents 25% of all respondents’ frustrations (2 years in a row).

What’s this terrible thing that gets their blood boiling?

Not being able to speak to anyone who can answer questions.

Makes sense, right?

When you’re in shop, considering buying an item, you just want to make sure it’s right for you.

Yet, how many times have you had the feeling answering your question was a real hassle for the shopkeeper?

What does that mean for YOUR online business?

First, you want to answer as many objections and common questions as possible in your sales page. That’s pretty obvious.

But no matter how well you know your audience, you’ll never think of all the questions that go through their minds. There are too many different ways to look at the world. And dare I say that’s what makes marketing fun?

Think of all the internet marketing gurus’ big launches. They use blogs to create buzz and invite readers to ask questions in the comments.

Some sites have a prominent live chat option, or a free phone number shoppers can call.

One successful one-man-band internet marketer systematically adds a PS to all his sales pages essentially saying something like “If you have any questions whatsoever, no matter how small or trivial, please call me on 123-456-789″

But you don’t even need to go that far, just put a simple visible “Have a question? Click here to email us.” message on your site. And answer questions.

Make it easy for your readers, or they’ll go somewhere else – fast. Patience and internet don’t get on well…

The key is: See a customer question as a gift.

If one person asks you something, how many think the same?

And when someone is motivated enough to pick up the phone or email you a question, they’re nearly ready to buy. You can usually get them off the fence by talking to them.

And when you listen carefully, they’ll tell you exactly what they want.

Take notes and weave the answers in your sales message, and create an easy-to-find FAQ page.

Again, it’s so obvious it’s painful.

If it applies in the real world, it applies in the online world…

We’re still dealing with human nature!

So, assuming you’re making money on the internet honestly, INVITE questions and you’ll boost your sales.

Or your potential customers could end up leaving your site hating you for wasting their time.

Talk tomorrow,

Yann

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