Building a Site that Sells

So, your pay-per-click and SEO campaigns have paid off, and traffic is flooding to your site. So far so good, but if your site isn't equipped to deal with these visitors then they're quickly going to turn around and find a site that will give them what they want. You need to build your site's navigation so that human visitors find what they want easily and can buy easily and with peace of mind.

You need a site that encourages people to buy, not one that encourages them to leave. Once they leave they may never return.

Websites are all different and all have individual characteristics. Your site must be built to fulfill your own informational and sales needs. However, all sites with high conversion rates all share the same basic philosophy. It should be easy for the customer to follow a clearly marked path from the product through to the action, whether it be a purchase, an enquiry or a sign-up. Do not offer the customer the chance to leave, or they will take it!

As an example, imagine you run widgets.com, a site selling widgets of all kinds. If a prospective customer puts the term 'small red widgets' into a search engine and finds your site, he should be directed onto a page on your site with that specific product, rather than your homepage. (Please make sure that you provide landing pages relevant to the search terms used.)

As this customer has searched for a precise term, it makes no sense to offer him other options. Simplify his choice; here is the product you searched for; here is information about the product; to go through to the buying stage click here. Offering links back to other pages on your site is counterproductive.

If your site is has a secure purchase section, there are three rules to help convert the maximum amount of traffic.
Firstly, make sure the process is one way only; Don't include any handy links out of the buying funnel.
Secondly, no hidden surprises. If shipping is extra, say so early on. Don't surprise the customer with large extra costs, or you'll send her straight into the arms of your competiton. Customers know there's likely to be an additional cost; it's when you try and sneak it in at the end that they get upset.
Thirdly, include a graphic at the top of the page informing the consumer how many steps are included in the process and what number step they are on now.

In this way you generate trust and your customers will be reassured and happy to buy from you. Don't forget; a happy customer is a returning customer!