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January 2005 Issue
Does Your Web Site Actually Sell Anything?Who Does Your Web Site Serve? You Or Your Customer?Sometimes, the best way to learn how to sell on the web is to look at strong examples of what not to do. Fasten your seat belt; it'll be a bumpy ride. Don't Shut Out CustomersThis web site for an appliance retailer in the UK is a perfect example of putting the company's convenience ahead of the customer's needs. This site is literally turning away customers for no good reason. If you are using any web browser other than Internet Explorer, you are refused entry. Period. Your business is not wanted. This is the page that you see if you are not using Internet Explorer. Although IE is indeed the most popular browser in the world — with 90% market share — this company is nonetheless turning away one out of every ten customers. Could your business afford to do that? Remember the Customer's Point of ViewMore often, the problem with a company's web site is not entirely obvious. Sometimes a company's internal politics results in oddly-organized web pages. For example, this was the main product page for an office furniture reseller: The page is ugly, but its purpose is certainly clear: It's about office furniture. So what's the problem here? The problem is that it is impossible to find anything. Try looking for information about all the different office chairs that this company sells. You can't do it. There is no "chair" information here, or information about any product category. The page provides only the names of suppliers — names that are meaningless to most people. The page is organized around the company's relationship with its suppliers rather than its relationship with its customers. Would you buy anything here? Speak Clearly About What You DoHere's one more example of a company that's shooting itself in the foot: AMP. This company appears to want to keep the public from ever knowing what it does. Really. Here's a quote from their "About Us" page: "You want to know what we're about? How do we define ourselves? Well, we're not big on simply talking about ourselves. What would be the point of that?" That statement can make a person's head spin. The site fails to say what they company does, what services they provide, or why anyone should pay them money for anything. They don't even tell us what "AMP" means. This is a web site that is so introverted and phobic that it borders on psychosis. The Acid TestNow take a hard look at your own web site. Try to see it as a first-time visitor sees it. And ask yourself if it really communicates your business value to your customer. Educating Your ClientsUnderstanding the Process Can Help Sell Your ValueOne of the hardest things consultants and freelancers have to do is sell the value of their services. Why is that? Often, people simply don’t understand what’s involved. They see only the final product, and cannot see all the thinking and planning and expertise that goes into it. Without that understanding, it becomes difficult to justify costs, and suddenly, the consultant finds himself in a battle over price. Recently, we met a prospect about a web site. After a preliminary interview, we told him that the type of site he wanted would be an eight-week job. He sat back in astonishment and wondered, "Uh… that long?" There was an uncomfortable silence, and we realized, "We'd better explain the process to him, and do it delicately." We handle such situations like this: We start by laying out a timeline that identifies who does what, and when. We explain that every project involves an ongoing exchange of information between ourselves and the client. Design is an iterative process, and this is the part that is least understood. Rarely does the client have a schedule loose enough to give rapid feedback, so we expect delays, and build them into our schedules to give realisic estimates. Establishing timelines and milestones early is also helpful when a project bogs down, and it becomes unclear who should do what next. With a timeline spelled out, the client knows when the ball is in his court, and when he needs to throw it back into ours. Settling on a timeline as early as possible frames the working relationship between consultant and client. Ideally, the process becomes a collaborative project. So don’t wait until you get the mandate. Explain the process to your clients in your first meeting, while you do your sales pitch. When both parties understand each other, you increase the chances that the work will just flow. Contact and Subscription InformationDigital Wind's newsletter is a periodic mailing about the business of branding in the digital age sent to subscribers only. If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. Past IssuesArchives of the Digital Wind newsletter can be found at http://digitalwind.com/subscribe/ FeedbackHave a complaint? Want to tell us we're doing a great job? Contact Jim Royal at Digital Wind with your comments and suggestions. We'd love to hear from you. About Digital WindMontreal-based Digital Wind can manage your company's entire public image, from logo design to web design to corporate email newsletters. SubscriptionsTo subscribe to the Digital Wind newsletter, visit http://digitalwind.com/subscribe/ If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe in one of three ways:
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