Fresh Out the Oven

So I went to the grocery store last week, and as I walked in I saw a crowd gathering near the baked goods section. Naturally I wanted to see what the buzz was all about so I ventured over. A table had been set up showcasing a new type of bakery dessert. There were free samples being offered, as well as take home boxes for purchase. The table was packed with shoppers, and they were gobbling up these desserts with nods of approval. I then noticed that while most customers were enjoying this new product, very few were actually purchasing it. And while this event seemed like a success with all that traffic buzzing around, it ended up being a bust, because very little boxes were actually sold. I went there today and guess what? Those baked goods are no longer available.

So you might have already set up your ecommerce site, and have begun getting tons of traffic, but not that many sales. At first glance it might appear that it’s a good thing to be getting so much traffic, and it must mean you are on the right track. Be warned before you fall into this common trap, I recommend taking a step back, and objectively analyzing your traffic. You should be able to critique your work without having any bias, no matter how much time you have invested into setting up your ecommerce business.

Paid Traffic

One of the most popular methods that is currently being used to bring in traffic, is by paying for it. In fact you might even be using paid traffic as we speak to fuel your ecommerce business. Let’s revisit the previously mentioned grocery store example above; there were so many people there eating up the samples, and enjoying the ambiance, they loved it. But at the end of the day they didn’t take the product home with them. Here are some of the reasons why.

• The potential customer came to the grocery store for a specific purpose, not primarily to get those samples.
• When this potential customer entered the store, and saw all of those people huddled around that one table their curiosity got the best of them, so they went over to check it out. Most people will follow this pattern of curiosity, whether they realize it or not.
• Because free samples were being offered, a lot of the customers took advantage. Usually when you to the grocery store, it’s because you are hungry anyway right? So why not snack on some free samples while you’re there?

These three factors combined created a perfect storm, where there was the illusion of something positive going on. In reality all you’re doing is creating a watering hole that attracts the curious, and thirsty. They come just to look around, maybe graze a little, and leave with no intention of ever buying anything, and you’re left to foot the bill. Based on this realization, it takes much more than bringing in large amounts of traffic for you to get actual consistent sales. Instead of focusing on bringing in lots of traffic, we recommend that you target less, but more qualified traffic.

Refinement

I’ve seen it plenty of times where unnecessary amounts of money is being wasted on paid traffic, especially by newcomers to ecommerce. It might look simple, you just set up a couple of keywords, link it up to your bank account, press start and let the sales roll in. Time to wake up from your dream my friend. So how do you remedy this? Well for starters, instead of focusing on broad key terms, focus on more detailed keywords. Of course the more detailed the keyword the less traffic it usually brings, but this traffic is far more qualified, and will bring you a much better return on your investment.

The more qualified a potential customer is, the easier it becomes to sell them your product, or service. If you do your due diligence from the beginning, you will bring the type of customers who have already done their research beforehand, and just need a place to make their purchase (from your ecommerce site). So now that you are bringing in qualified traffic, let’s work on solving the other part of this equation. When your potential customers visit your site, they do so because they have an interest in what you are offering. So what are you going to do to make that offer too good for them to turn down?

The Door to Door Salesman Technique

Picture this scenario, there is a door to door salesman in your neighborhood, and your door is about to be knocked. When he knocks on your door, you don’t necessarily want to answer it but perhaps you are curious as to what they are selling (this is similar to you bringing in paid traffic, and your advertisement is the knock on the door). So either you ignore them until they go away, or you answer and tell them that you are not interested. Or maybe you listen to them as to not come off as being rude, but inside you have already made up your mind that you are not going to buy anything (this identifies with the unsure buyer). As these thoughts go through your mind, somehow the salesman connects with you, and shows you the extreme value you will be getting out of his product.

You are drawn in as every spoken word further convinces you that you cannot live without this product. Not only is this product being sold for less than you can find it in stores, but you will also get a free gift if you purchase it right now. And this salesman, who only moments earlier you had wanted to avoid, is so educated and informative of what he is selling that you want to hear more and more about this product. To top it all off, the salesman tells you that this is the last day he will be in your area, and after that he is moving on to the next town. By the end of the conversation you find yourself handing over your cash and purchasing this product, and even an extra one for your close friend. You both leave happy and satisfied with your transaction. Now what exactly happened here?

• First of all you were unsure of whether you wanted to entertain this salesman, however your curiosity drew you in so you answered the door.
• The salesman was so knowledgeable about what he was selling that he didn’t even have to hard sell you the product, all he had to do was explain to you it’s benefits and how it could enhance your life for the better.
• You were then told that not only was this the last day he would be around, but if you made your purchase now you could also get it at a special discounted rate.

All of these carefully planned, and tactfully executed techniques provided you with so much value, that you had no reason not to purchase this product. And it all started because you answered the door. Similar to when you use paid advertising to bring in traffic, you are putting out ‘door to door’ salesman on the web. Those that are curious enough will click on your advertisement (this is the same as a potential customer opening the door to you) and will be taken to your ecommerce site (your actual salesman explaining the reasons why you should purchase the product). Now if you go through all that hard work and get a potential customer to your site, you better make sure that your salesman is on point.

First Impressions

The major flaw on a lot of ecommerce sites are that the product pages look as if someone spent five minutes slapping it together. If your page looks just like every other page on the internet selling the same product, you will get a door slammed in your face nine times out of ten. You have to paint a wonderful picture, explain the benefits of the product to your customer. Tell them what’s so great about this product, and why it can enhance their current way of living. Offer them a fair price, and even a little freebie if needed.

Most of all, don’t be like every other bland, boring, same generic description copying site out there. In conclusion, when you focus on these two specific aspects

* Bringing in qualified traffic
* Doing the product justice, and explaining its benefits

You will be making far more consistent sales, while needing much less traffic. Quality, over quantity will do many wonderful things for the growth of your ecommerce company. What are some ways you use to get more sales out of your traffic streams? Please leave your comments below. I read each and every one.