Is Anybody Home?
8 Confidence Builders to Grow Your Online Business
Web Marketing Today, Issue 48, September 1, 1998
You've felt it: the distinct impression that a website has been long deserted. Oh, the lights are on, but nobody's home. It's little clues that are the tip-off. You're not likely to e-mail or phone, much less place an online order unless you think these people are serious about doing business.
We're talking about trust, of course, that key component that drives business on and off the Web. In this anonymous space we call the Internet, how can we inspire the kind of confidence that will encourage people to begin a business relationship? Let's examine the questions people are unconsciously asking when they happen upon your site. Let's find ways to reassure them.
1. How do I know the company is really there?
The first question, of course, is "Are they for real?" The site may seem to offer what I want, but what will they do with my contact or order? Sit on it? Get around to it on the weekends, if ever?
The solution, of course, is to freshen up your site regularly. I hate to admit it, but one of my recent website design clients had hesitated to call because one of my pages said "last updated January 2, 1997." Oops. This particular service is the same today as it was a year and a half ago, but it gives the impression that we haven't revisited that page for a long time -- which was true.
If you can find something new to put on your front page every week or two, even if it's just a small change, people will know you're actively maintaining the site. A tidbit of current news, a special sale which obviously takes place this month. These provide important clues.
Another element is the overall website design. Does it look up-to-date, or like a first generation (http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt3/980901firstgen.htm) or second-generation site (http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt3/980901secondgen.htm), replete with background patterns and animations? The more out-dated it looks, the less likely people are to believe your business is still active. It isn't fair, of course, that people judge a book by its cover. But they do. Our businesses are also judged on the way they look. Maybe it's time for a face-lift.
2. How competent is this company?
If your visitor gets beyond the "Are they really there?" stage, the next question is one of competence. Does this business have what it takes to meet my needs?
The way we learn is by relating what we know to what we don't know. When a visitor happens on your site, she is looking for something familiar to tell her you're okay. Do you sell or service a major brand she's seen advertised? If so, that sense of identification and comfort with the brand transfers over to confidence in your business.
Do you display the logo of an industry organization on your site that your visitors recognize? If so, you gain credibility. The reputation an organization, such as the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.com/), adds credibility to your business.
A third way visitors judge competence is by how you talk about yourself and your experience. Though I'm not a smoker, I've been interested in the success of cigar humidor sales over the Internet. Yahoo listed 47 humidor sites. A single paragraph made The Brentwood Company (http://www.erols.com/jsnapp/) stand out. See how the owner, Jim Snapp, builds credibility in describing the construction of his small three-cigar cases:
"... The lining of these cases is delicately handmade from fine Spanish Cedar, then patiently covered with some of the most beautiful and rare woods available.... On a personal note, these cases are extremely difficult to build because the lumber often shatters in the planer. However, the ones that survive to the end are just beautiful and a pleasure to own."
When he tell us about problems in the manufacturing process, he not only adds value to the "surviving" cases, but builds credibility. This has the ring of truth about it. I believe in his competence because of the way he relates his personal experience.
At Audradella's Plus Size Fashions (http://www.audradella.com/audradella/info.html) Audradella tells us:
"We're used to dressing women one at a time. I started doing so ten years ago, by appointment only, when I was just 50, and we still do. But now that I'm 40(!) ;-), it's blossomed into fashion shows, wardrobe and closet makeovers, and personal shopping services...."
In the first sentence she offers her store's distinctive: "dressing women one at a time." Next, she identifies with other women who joke about their age. Finally, she's told us the duration and breadth of her experience. I'm convinced.
3. Who is this?
A belief in your competency is closely related to understanding who you are. Now if you're nationally recognized business, ignore what I'm about to say, to wit: smaller businesses can't neglect an "About Us" section in their site. What do you include?
Your location, for starters. People need to place you geographically to feel comfortable with your business. Show a photo of yourself or your office so visitors can fix you in time and space.
Tell us your story. Babytoes Children's Clothing of Phoenicia, NY (http://www.babytoes.com/), has an exceptionally strong "story" that ties the visitor emotionally to their business. It's a children's clothing site, so the casual style is especially appealing. Lynn tells of developing a successful business in New York City.
"Then one day, Lynn thought it might be nice to live in the country, so they bought a house near Woodstock, NY, and moved in with the kids, the cats and three dogs. They still loved the city, and Alan traveled there every weekend to sell their clothes in SoHo, but it was good to live in the country."
I'm hooked. These are real people seeking a life for themselves. Mixed in the narrative is information about the high quality and artistic flavor of their product line. She concludes:
"Babytoes Clothing has been providing our valued customers with quality, hand painted infant's and children's clothing for over fifteen years. With over 80 designs and many garment styles, you're sure to find the perfect gift! Our garments are durable, 100% cotton, American made in factories that practice a fair standard of labor, and are hand painted by real artists. Join the Babytoes family! Give us a call today."
Now your "About Us" page probably won't be nearly as fun, but it is just as important. Call in a professional writer to help if you need to, but explain your reason for being in business. Call this a purpose statement, a statement of your vision and values, or whatever, but tell us. Tell why your products or services are superior. Tell us your company's story in a compelling way, and you build trust. Share your vision, and others will see it. Let people know who you are, and they'll begin to do business with you.
4. Do I have enough product information?
Surfing the Web is nirvana for the flighty. If I don't find what I'm looking for here, I'll click elsewhere. But it's also a wonderful opportunity for online marketers. If you put information, quality information, gobs of quality information on your site, people will find you (from all the search engine spidered links) and stay on your site reading. The longer they're on your site, the higher their trust level rises, and the better the chance they'll do business with you.
The Web also makes it cheap to publish information. You don't have to pinch your pennies as with ink and paper. Most Web hosting services include at least 10 to 20 megabytes for their basic charge. Do you know how much information can fit in 10 MB? Hundreds of pages and hundreds of graphics.
Just make sure your information is easy to find. Use FAQs (frequently asked question documents), site search engines, and hierarchical menu systems so customers can get to your information easily.
One of the secrets of Amazon's success is placing book sales in life context. Each of their 30,000 affiliates places book information within the larger environment of a specific industry or business or hobby. If you place your products and services in the context of plenty of information, the chances of connecting with your customer go way up.
5. How quickly can I get it?
It's a human to be impatient and to want reassurance. A few weeks ago I was shopping for a scanner with a transparency adapter. I did all my research on the Web, but when it came time to make the final purchase I telephoned. No, I'm not afraid to order on the Web. I just wanted to make absolutely sure they had both the scanner and the transparency adapter in stock. I needed someone to reassure me that the product would be on its way.
Is your online presence merely the front for a distributor? If so, how soon can you ship -- or have them drop-ship? If you house the inventory, give an indication of what's actually on your shelves. If a product is out of stock, say so. That reassures me that other products are in stock. The key to Web sales is not primarily the front end transaction but the back end fulfillment. Your customers know that instinctively. Reassure them.
6. What happens if I don't like my purchase?
Customers want to know how fast they can return the product if it doesn't meet their expectations. Do you offer a full refund? Say so. State your unconditional guarantee boldly and clearly. Direct marketers understood long ago that a few returns were nothing compared to the increase in sales their "iron-clad" guarantee inspired. Why do I buy Craftsman tools? Quality plus a famous no-hassle lifetime guarantee.
7. How do I contact this company?
You'd be amazed at how many sites don't give an address or phone number. Sometimes not even an e-mail address. Think what kind of confidence that inspires.
I'll give you a tip on how to find a company's phone number. Look up the domain name in InterNIC's Whois Interface (http://rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/whois) and you can usually find an address and phone number. It may be disconnected, but....
I recommend giving full contact information on the site, either on the home page or a "Contact Us" page. "But I work during the day," you explain. That's what answering machines and services were made for. "I have a home business and don't want Web weirdoes bothering me." Then list a post office box, or a street address with a suite number courtesy of Mail Boxes Etc. "I can't afford that," you say. Then you can't afford to be in business.
Some of the largest companies are deleting e-mail addresses from their sites. They refuse to revamp their internal customer service systems to accommodate Web shoppers -- a big mistake. There are several ways to handle e-mail by working smarter rather than harder. Most important are "filters," built into Eudora Pro 3.0+ and 4.0+ (http://www.eudora.com) and Microsoft Outlook 98 (http://www.microsoft.com/outlook/). They can send automatic responses to certain kinds of requests, as well as sort and forward e-mail to the appropriate folder or person in your company.
To do business on the Web we must let people know how they can contact us and give them multiple ways to do it.
8. Mary, do you know a good place to purchase that?
Word of mouth is the most powerful advertising tool out there. We ask our friends and take their recommendations. But on the Web we're all by ourselves. Almost.
For many years savvy merchants have used the testimonial: "Actual letter on file in our offices." TV commercials feature actors dressed as ordinary shoppers telling us how much they like a particular brand of laundry soap. You can hear the noises of a supermarket in the background. Hokey? Of course. But it works. People want to hear that someone else has had good results with a product or service before they try it.
When I was a boy I wanted to purchase a Kelsey printing press out of my newspaper route earnings. I would pore over the Kelsey catalog, trying to find reasons to convince myself to buy a small press. I was moved by the testimonials, which probably said something like, "Your press has certainly been a money-maker for us..." and "I can't explain my excitement when the package containing my new printing press was delivered to my door."
Several months ago I asked satisfied subscribers to my Web Commerce Today newsletter to send me a two or three sentence testimonial. I selected this one to place on the order page (http://www.wilsonweb.com/wct/):
"I read eCommerce analyst reports and newsletters costing thousands of dollars. Without a doubt, Web Commerce Today is THE best eCommerce information resource bar none -- and at a tiny fraction of the cost compared to other services. Kudos to Dr. Wilson!" -- David Scott Lewis, Manager, New Market Development, and Member, Microsoft eCommerce Strategy Team, WebTV Networks, Inc.
You may not know David Scott Lewis personally, but his testimony is powerful nevertheless.
Many people want to purchase your products or services, but something holds them back. Lack of money, not sure about the value, questioning the safety of using their credit card on the web. They desire it, but they are fearful. An appropriate testimony can help overcome that fear and tip them towards clicking the order button or picking up the phone.
Application Time
This weekend why don't you use this article as a checklist to go through your site looking for ways to increase the your visitor's confidence level. In terms of time expended for dollars received, you may find it a most excellent adventure.
This article complements my "How to Move Shoppers toward the Checkout Stand" and "12 Ways to Boost Your Sales Conversion Rate" which appeared in the August 15, 1998 issue of Web Commerce Today (http://www.wilsonweb.com/wct2/issue13.htm).
Read additional articles from Web Marketing Today, Issue 48, September 1, 1998
